Living Vicky

I've written about the workwear brand M.M.LaFleur since it launched a decade ago. I covered how it nearly went under during COVID. But it survived, and in the aftermath of the pandemic, it reopened stores and began turning a profit. Then, another catastrophe hit. The company's lender suddenly pulled out. Left in a lurch, founder Sarah Miyazawa LaFleur had to figure out how she was going to save her business. In the end, it was a group of female angel investors who swooped in and provided the funds necessary to keep operating. I found several aspects of this story interesting: 💸 Women-founded businesses still get a very small sliver (around 2%) of VC funding. 💸 This is partly because there haven't been many female investors who understood the value proposition of some female-oriented businesses, like M.M. LaFleur. But this is changing rapidly: 46.7% of angel investors today are women, up from 33.6% in 2021. 💸 The problem is that it can be hard for female founders to find this new generation of female investors. One of Sarah's friends, helped organize a meeting with 50 women so that she could try to get the funding she needed quickly. Now, she is trying to pay it forward and help other founders connect with these networks.

UPDATE: Application period has closed Like parks? Like graphics? Like making graphics about being safe in parks? We've got a position for you! The National Park Service Public Risk Management Program is seeking a Graphic Design intern to assist with the development of infographics, icons, and illustrations that translate outdoor safety information into fun and engaging visuals for 300+ million visitors at more than 430 national park units. Learn more about the Public Risk Management Program at: https://lnkd.in/ehMy9eeB Scope of Work: • Develop infographics for a national-level transportation safety campaign • Tailor graphics to the needs of NPS’ diverse visitor and employee population • Work in a multidisciplinary team that includes public health, safety, and communication experts About the internship: • Duration: 10 weeks • Start date: October 2024 • Location: Remote • Hours: 150 hours (15 weekly hours) • 5 hours worked during business hours (8am-5pm EST) • 10 hours flexible to be worked at any other time • Compensation: $2,250 stipend ($15/hour) Ideal candidate: • Strong illustration skills • Experience in Adobe Illustrator • Strong written and oral communication skills • Ability to adapt to a dynamic environment • Strong organizational and project management skills • Team player Interested? Send your resume, and portfolio if available, to Ina_Hysi@nps.gov

Honored to be featured as a #Hispanic arts and humanities fellow for #HispanicHeritageMonth. Excerpt from my semi-fictional work-in-progress below. ••• Repost from DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Observing Hispanic Heritage Month with this excerpt from FY 2024 grantee Maria de los Angeles' "Journey to Now". --- She was allergic to everything American, including peanuts. In school, her little friends, the ones with the freckles and red hair and the ones with afros and braids, all of them ate peanut butter. Every day she would see them pull paper-wrapped sandwiches out of their lunchboxes, like so much treasure, bread slices brimming with purple jelly and that forbidden brownish goop. The little girl, the shy one, didn’t know the English word for peanuts, in fact, she barely spoke English. She knew the song El Manicero about the vendor who sold maní on the streets--an ordinary snack in Havana, the stuff of myth in Miami. “Everything tasted better in Cuba,” her father would say. “Everything tastes like nothing,” her mother would reply. She wondered why she couldn’t eat American peanuts and why that far-away, fabled island of deliciousness was off limits. Here she was, home of the bland but free. An outsider, feeling invisible because she didn’t get to lick sticky, stained fingers like her schoolmates, who relished every bite. She only tasted burden. Still, everyday she wondered what her gringo schoolmates would pull out of their lunchboxes like so many magic hats--hot dogs, oreo cookies, Cheetos, cartons of milk--she was allergic to that, too--baloney slices, pickles and pretzels. Already, as a child, she understood nostalgia was a thing you swallowed, even if you didn't. The message was clear, you will always want peanuts but you can’t have them here and you can’t have them in Cuba, either. It’s a wonder she ate at all. --- Journey to Now is a hybrid, semi-fictional memoir and work in progress. www.heartcenteredmaria.com #HispanicHeritageMonth #DCArtists #DCArts #author #memoir #heartcentered #washingtondc #writers #immigrantwriters #cubanexiles #hispanidad #comingofmiddleage #intergenerationaltrauma

Have You Faced Rejection? You’re not alone—rejection is something we all experience at some point in our lives. But have you ever taken the time to truly understand it and learn how to overcome it? What if you could turn that experience into a stepping stone for growth? The Thrive Mentorship and Mastermind program is designed to help you do just that. Gain the insights and tools you need to move beyond rejection and step into your full potential. 🌟 Ready to take the next step? Register today at www.encourageLLC.com 💥 Flexible payment plans are available—email EncourageLLC@gmail.com for more details. Your breakthrough is just a click away! #EncourageLeadership #Think.Grow.Leadership. #Mentorship #LeadershipDevelopment

3 job offers - In 45 Days With my clients' permission I am sharing his story. When he reached out to us, he had already been laid off. I could tell he was anxious to get started on his new resume and LinkedIn profile, so, we got him moving pretty quickly. Even before we finished his resume, he had sent an email to 25 former colleagues, letting them know he was on the hunt, asking for their help and some introductions. By the time we finished, he had 18 people waiting for it. He scored 9 interviews, 3 he discounted immediately. Of the other 6, he got 3 offers. He accepted one that would take him and his family from Detroit to Denver. With a 35K increase from his previous salary. If you have ever doubted the power of networking, DON'T. The best part??? All of this crazy interviewing activity was achieved without filling out one online application. Don't be afraid to use your network, ask for introductions, favors or help. The kicker? The guy who made the introduction for the job he eventually took was a former boss who he'd worked for 8 years previously. Use EVERY contact EVERY "IN" EVERYONE who is willing to put in a good word #resumewriting #jobsearch #network #win

Calling all current and future #foreignpolicy wonks! This is an event you won't want to miss. Kudos to fp21 for the #thoughtleadership and initiative it is bringing to #diplomacy and #national security. https://lnkd.in/eunXjvxW