Week 10, Day 3 - Executives!

Week 10, Day 3 - Outfit 1: Navy Blue JCrew skirt suit, Ann Taylor blue print short-sleeved v-neck top

Week 10, Day 3 - Outfit 2: BR red-orange short-sleeved blouse, Express Jeans, BR black denim wedges (yes, I think you're beginning to see how resourceful I had to be to pack for this trip!)

Today, I had to lead a working session with a group of Executive Vice Presidents of a small midwestern bank. Even though the bank is small, it certainly did not tone down the fear factor nor the intimidating aura off of some of the members. It's hard being a 5'1", small framed Asian that still gets carded when I pull up to a blackjack table or order a mixed drink at a bar. At our annual conference on Friday, I attended a speed mentoring session where two more seasoned practitioners shared stories about how they were able to influence organizational decision makers...it certainly helps to have some white hair and a few wrinkles...but some of their points were valid...like asking the right questions, walking into the room knowing that you are the expert in what you do even though you may not fully understand your client's business. I decided to go with the conservative navy blue skirt suit over the black pant suit, as in a traditional financial institution like this one, showing leg is actually seen as more formal (probably because we women have to wear pantyhose which can be interpreted as some kind of subservient bondage - don't get me started on my woman's lib tirade!). Anyway, as you would probably guess, within an hour of my day, my pantyhose started to run all the way down to just above my knee, so I took great care to keep my skirt as lowly situated on my waist as possible. I hate pantyhose!

I had a hard time sleeping last night, partly from my nerves around today's session with the big wigs, but also partly because I made the mistake of watching 2 episodes of Glee last night right before bed. I could not get the "Don't stop believing" Journey song out of my head and kept waking up to it. In the past week, I've probably averaged about 5 hours of sleep...but I still seem to be functioning okay. Maybe it's genetics - my brother told me yesterday that he gets 4 hours of sleep a night. Hmmmm...

To stay true to my "make the most out of being in Chicago, even if my hotel is in the burbs" challenge, I'm meeting with a colleague for dinner in the city. Should be fun...and was motivating enough for me to change into a completely different outfit today, though I'll classify my suit as my official Week 10, Day 3 attire...so don't be surprised if you see this orange shirt again!