Career Lessons from the Material Girl

What can Madonna, Oprah, and Martha Stewart teach you about your career? Well, according to Joanne Meehi, president of Meehi & Balzotti Career Services, a whole lot.

Lets take a look:

Madonna: "She is a model for us to refresh ourselves," says Meehl, who tells clients to seek new knowledge and experiences in order to stay current and sell themselves to employers. "So many people wait to be anointed with knowledge."

Martha: Going to prison should have been career kryptonite for Stewart. But without apology or fanfare, she chose to serve her recent jail time like something to be checked off a to-do list. Stewart commented during sentencing that she wanted to be released in time to tend her spring garden. How does the average woman stay steady in the face of such career-rocking moments? "Keep the big picture in mind," Meehl advises. Stewart "knew the garden and the business were going to be there for her when she got out."

Oprah: Winfrey rewrites the blueprint for business success daily by replacing the model of the cutthroat businessperson with that of the nurturing helper. This is a woman who has increased her market share with tactics like encouraging people to read more. Winfrey shows women there's a place for all talents.