Find Your Voice
At Carolina Woman, we're in a battle against speaking tentatively. It's part of a quest to stop ourselves and other women from prefacing opinions with qualifiers. These include "I think," "Correct me if I'm wrong," "Maybe this doesn't make sense," "I'm no expert but" and "I hope you don't mind my saying." After all, everyone benefits when ideas are communicated in a straightforward manner.

Animal House
Early in her career, our publisher was thrown this question at a job interview: "If you could be any animal, which would you be?"

Hmmm, the lion's the king of the jungle. But maybe she should be a more cooperative creature, a team-player like an elephant. Time was ticking and she didn't know the right answer.

Job seekers should prepare themselves for off-the-wall questions such as these. Employers want to determine how different candidates respond to challenges, and those who react well may have the edge when it comes to receiving a job offer.

Exercise Financial Smarts
Resolving to work out is a healthy move. If you put money toward it, use your bucks wisely. Before you sign up as a member of a health club, advises the N.C. Association of Certified Public Accountants, ask these five questions:
Can I start on a trial basis?
Can I have some time to read the contract?
How busy is the facility?
What's included in membership?
What's the club's reputation?

Design Trends for the Next Decade
What's out, what's in and what's next? Professional interior designers, including those in the Carolinas, are expecting a decade of new trends. The fresh concepts include:

Neutral expansion
Navy, black and sage join white, gray and beige on the neutral palette.

It's generational
Gen Z is coming into adulthood loving yellow and orange hues. Millennials favor bold colors. Everyone else is sticking with white and beige.

Beige is back
Gray has reigned as one of the top wall colors of the past decade, but beige and other warmer neutrals have knocked it down a peg or two.

Saying goodbye
Wave so long to all-white walls, farmhouse and shiplap touches, and accent walls.