Although Cora and I have vowed to save for a few vacation "musts" this summer, we can't seem to stay away from book stores. This afternoon we failed in our resolve to avoid commercial bookshelves, but we had an excuse?it was too hot outside to ignore the air conditioning that seemed to blossom from the bookstore door every time someone made an entrance or exit (sounds like we were camped outside, doesn't it?). Once inside, Cora headed for the anime section and I headed to the magazine counter to see what was new in the financial section.

Every time I peruse financial magazines I experience something that most people might call "borderline catatonia." Articles seem to recycle from year to year, from magazine to magazine. If you collect financial magazines, go back about a year or so and look at the headlines. Unless a new tax law or percentage rate or survey reveals an extreme change in ongoing financial matters, most of the articles seem repetitious.

I'll admit that I'm as guilty as any other financial writer when I find a great tip in a magazine. I usually conduct a little research and add a spin on the tip and pass it on to you. Then, usually a month later I find a financial magazine that has picked up on that same tip (or on something original that I've written - it does happen!), and they add another spin or two on the topic and print the article. Then, about a month later, I might find an online site that picked up on the latter article and - once again - we all get the same "stuff" only with a different spin.

However, today I found a new print approach to the financial market. While I'm still unsure about how well this magazine might do, I was excited about the concept. The magazine is called "Pink," and June/July 2005 marks the premiere issue of a tool created "for professional women." The typeface for the word, "Pink," is clever in a way - the "k" in Pink is built with a vertical line and a "c," so that the word "pink" is visible, but so is the word, "inc." Beyond this graphic cuteness, I was impressed - for the most part - with this new magazine.

Sandwiched between some make-up and target marketing ads (a good way to get a sense of a magazine's focus is to study its advertising) was an article based on some fairly reliable statistics about women in the workplace. Although I was familiar with the "women represent 51% of the population, but only 1.6% of Fortune 500 CEOs, 5.2% of top earners, & 7.9% of highest titles," I was unaware that top companies with more women in key executive positions already experienced a 35.1% higher return on equity and a 34%-higher total return to shareholders. This information (from Catalyst, a non-profit executive women's business research group) definitely puts a new spin on how researchers might qualify portfolio holdings.

Another great article focused on "how to get fired like a man." I read this article with interest, because the author (Joey Reiman - a male) included three perspectives on why "women don't get it" when they exit a company without an exit package, or a "golden parachute." The "I don't knows" are women who are unaware of opportunities and their rights; the "I don't asks" are women who think asking will jeopardize getting the job in the first place; and, the "I don't boasts" are women who feel that it's impolite to spotlight their accomplishments.

Reiman also interviewed Kathleen Dahlberg, a former top-level executive, who offered "six golden rules" to secure a woman's parachute package. Although Dahlberg insists that a severance deal isn't personal and that it's "not divorce court," she states other rules that sure makes severance sound similar to a divorce. "Hire the right attorney, the terms of your exit affect others," etc., all lead me to believe that women - still - remain timid with all types of exit strategies, whether on the job market or in the marriage market.

Lastly, Pink - like any debut magazine - seems to grope for a specific format. Frankly, I'm impressed with the caliber of advertising, if not all the products or services. And, I'm unsure which age or professional market that Pink hopes to capture. For instance, on a page devoted to "Clips + Trends," I discovered a young woman, Susan Stroman, who is now considered America's top woman on Broadway. That article might appeal to a younger crowd, actresses (and actors), and venture capitalists as well as theatre-goers.

On the same page as the blurb on Stroman, Pink offers women a way to "shine professionally" with makeup. This bit might appeal to women under age 40 (any woman over that age knows she doesn't want to "shine" - shine only emphasizes wrinkles?). Finally, the last blurb on this page is concerned with "Women of the Revolution." The latter clip intrigued me as a history major, but I wonder who else might be interested in this matter. Of course, bits like this are great trivia for cocktail parties?oh, but please allow me add my spin: Without women, the men of the Revolution would wear their shirts till they rotted off their backs (George Washington made a remark to this effect?).

Other than the premiere grope for focus, I believe that Pink has made a great start, as the variety of articles might make for great summer reading and might provide you with some interesting summer conversations with gal friends and others. Further, I believe I'm going to keep an eye on this magazine's future, as I prefer to stay on top of trends for and about professional women. If you can't find a copy of Pink at your local bookstore, simply head to www.pinkmagazine.com to discover more about this summer's new reading material.

Until Next Week,
Linda Goin