Southern California considers work/life balance

Nearly 300 Network of Executive Women members and supporters were offered advice on work/life balance and cultivating leadership traits at the NEW Southern California networking event, May 17, 2012 at the Disneyland Grand Hotel in Anaheim, Calif.

NEW Southern California Co-Chair Kendra Doyel, group vice president, marketing at Ralphs Grocery Company, opened the event with an update on the Network and the Southern California region. She introduced featured speaker Lisa Haines, vice president, public affairs for Disneyland Resort, who spoke on "What a Disney Theme Park Can Teach Us About Balance.”

Work/life balance is a struggle, even for professionals, said Haines, who married and had children mid-career and learned "how to evolve, how to balance.” Balance, she noted, is a continuum -- and measured over time. "People achieve balance not by the calendar, but by the chapters of their lives,” she said.

Haines advised members to set aside time for special moments with their families each day. "At Disney we call this ‘the kiss goodnight’ and it applies to our fireworks display over the park.” she said. " Make every moment count — we never get this time back.”

Leaders in the making

Keynote speaker Connie Podesta, an organizational therapist and executive coach, also advised attendees not to over-commit themselves. "Love yourself first or you can't be a good mother, spouse or friend,” she said. "No one will ever treat you better than you think you deserve.”

Every successful person has learned how to get along with other people, she said. NEW members laughed as Podesta asked them to place themselves into four groups: Squares (stubborn and precise), circles (warm and talkative), triangles (demanding) and squiggles (innovators). "Leadership isn’t about the golden rule,” she said. "Learn how to manage others how they want to be managed.”

She also urged the group to engage in social media or be considered irrelevant. "If you don't understand social media, don't admit it,” she said.

Tricia Osgood-Magtanong of Food 4 Less was the winner of the region’s drawing for a Kindle Fire.

Among the companies sending delegations to the event were Acosta, Bristol Farms, Brown-Forman, Catalina, Ralphs/Food4Less/FoodsCo, Hormel Foods, Nestlé Purina PetCare, PepsiCo, Smart & Final Stores, SUPERVALU, Unified Grocers and Safeway Inc.

Antonia Hernandez (left) and Cara Painter of Albertsons say "Cheese”
with Disney's number-one mouse, Mickey.

(From left) Victoria Francis of ConAgra Foods networks with JoAnn Murdock of
 Unified Grocers, featured speaker Lisa Haines of Disney, keynote speaker Connie
 Podesta, Lisa Gosselin of Catalina and NEW Southern California Co-Chair Kendra
 Doyel of Ralph’s Grocery Company.

NEW Southern California committee members meet May 17, 2012 in Anaheim, Calif.

Members gather at the Disneyland Grand Hotel for the Southern California event.