NICE with Fran Hauser
Julie and Casey chat with angel investor Fran Hauser (author of Audible's Best Business Book of 2018, The Myth of the Nice Girl) about building relationships, rejecting the idea that being nice makes you weak, how to stand up for yourself, the difference between "nice" and "people pleaser", and why founders need to take care of themselves.
TOP TAKEAWAYS:
Being successful in business is all about relationships
You don't have to choose between being nice and being strong.
If you're a founder/entrepreneur, are you jumping ahead to business model, marketing, partnerships, etc. before making sure you have an awesome product that consumers are delighted by? You’re skipping the most important step.
Taking a breath, taking the time and energy to care for yourself and others makes the WORK better. Compassion for ourselves and for other people makes us more productive, not less, and we need to bring more of it into our professional lives.
You don’t need to be the smartest kid in fifth grade (i.e. have all the answers all by yourself). Build out your community and your network.
Nice is a superpower - its "evil twin" is people-pleasing. Know the difference, and know when to stand up for yourself.
Articles referenced:
On the culture of over-work, and how it holds both women and men back - https://hbr.org/2020/03/whats-really-holding-women-back
Gender bias in performance reviews - https://hbr.org/2017/04/how-gender-bias-corrupts-performance-reviews-and-what-to-do-about-it
Vague vs specific feedback - https://hbr.org/2016/04/research-vague-feedback-is-holding-women-back
Fran Hauser is a long-time media executive, startup investor, keynote speaker and best-selling author of The Myth of the Nice Girl. She's held senior positions at some of the world’s largest digital media businesses, including PEOPLE, InStyle, Entertainment Weekly and AOL. Now a startup investor who largely invests in female founders, Fran was named one of Business Insider's "30 Women in Venture Capital to Watch in 2018." Fran and The Myth of the Nice Girl have been featured on a wide range of outlets including NBC’s Today Show, CNBC, PEOPLE, Fortune, TIME, Fast Company, Oprah.com, Business Insider, Elle, and many more. The Myth of the Nice Girl was named Audible's Best Business Book of 2018 and one of Amazon's Best Business and Leadership Books of 2018, among other accolades. Fran is a frequent speaker on women's leadership and writes a regular career advice column for Refinery29.