Daily Inspiration: Women, Work and the Art of Savoir Faire

With all of my travels as of late, I've been reading a ton of books. While I love to read a good novel or piece of Chick-Lit, I've set a personal goal to read one motivational, personal growth, career oriented book per month. I generally read anywhere from 4-5 books a month, so allocating 1 of those books towards my own personal growth is not too hard!

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About a month ago I saw an interview with Mireille Guiliano, the acclaimed author of 'French Women Don't Get Fat' on the Today Show. During this interview, I was impressed with her poise, yet no-nonsense approach to life. She was on the show promoting her new book, ' Women, Work and the Art of Savoir Faire.' I made a personal note to research this book a bit more, thinking it was probably closer to a Chick-Lit book, but knowing it was likely a choice that I'd like to read.

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I picked up this book about a week ago, and after realizing that I knew very little about Mireille Guiliano, I found myself enthralled by not only her life, but also her opinions and the way she chose to showcase them throughout the book.

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Mireille Guiliano, is a French born author who has spent most of her adult life as the CEO of Veuve Clicquot, the French Champagne company. She worked her way up through the ranks at the company and spent much of her career as the sole woman in this role and in this capacity.

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Her book speaks on many of her beliefs and opinions on the choices we make both personally and professionally. She brings a level of social etiquette to the workplace and expects nothing but the best from each of her employees. Much of this book reminds me of the few woman I have been fortunate enough to have as professional mentors. In this book, Mireille discusses the lack of mentoring that exists within women in the workplace and the difference between men and women in the world of business.

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So often I find myself reading books about motivation, sales, public speaking, goal setting, career growth, etc - they are all very well written and pertain to my personal growth and potential career advancement. None of them, however, seem to tie into the social etiquette and graces that are so important in the working world. She expresses how hard work, proper etiquette and a continuous drive can truly get you to the next level in whatever role you serve within your company. These are huge hot-buttons for me, and have been for years . . .because of these and many other snippets of this book, I have become a huge fan!

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For anyone who enjoys reading books on personal growth within the workplace and would appreciate a successful career womans perspective - I'd highly recommend picking up this book at your local bookstore of choice! Or shoot me an email and I'll gladly loan out my copy - as long as you can handle the highlighted sections throughout, I'd be more than happy to share!

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I must say, also, that I generally never give recommendations on books. I believe each book serves a purpose and that we are all entitled to our own opinions on novels, etc. Just a week or so ago, I was commenting on how I just finished reading 'The American Wife' by Curtis Sittenfeld and how I enjoyed the majority of the book, my girlfriend, Melissa, on the hand did not enjoy the book and mentioned that it was not one of her favorites. Regardless, this book may not be a choice for everyone, however, to me, in the place that I am currently in with my professional career, I found it to be extremely in line with where I am at today! Let me know your thoughts, if you choose to pick it up!

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Happy reading. . .Enjoy your week!

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