Too much of a good thing can be wonderful
Mae West, American actress
May is Mother’s Month…
If “Administrative Professionals” get a week, mothers certainly deserve a whole month, celebrating their contributions to society. Of course, many mothers are also administrative professionals, as well as CEOs, MDs, CPAs, and PhDs. Mothers produce this country’s most valuable product — its future leaders. If you are a mother, take this opportunity to educate your family about the importance of your role. I think “Queen” works well. If you are fortunate to still have a mother in your life, treat her like royalty for the rest of this month — and then just keep it going.
Don’t lose that lovin’ feeling…
I get them all the time, don’t you? Emails with tug‑at‑your‑heartstrings stories about missing, ill or dying children closing with an urgent plea to “pass this on to everyone you know”. So you send it along to all your girlfriends because you want to help — that’s how we are. But wait! Before you promulgate this nonsense (and most of it is just that) there are a couple of easy ways to check it out. My favorite is http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org/ because it isn’t accompanied by a bunch of annoying ads and pop ups. (That’s because it’s part of the very un-frivolous Department of Energy.) Just type “computer hoaxes” into your search engine of choice (like Google — or even better, GoodSearch) and several others will appear. Most of these hoaxes are benign, but a few are carrying nasty little “bugs” or “worms”. Before you infect your entire distribution list (or just look foolish), check it out. If it’s the real deal, then you can forward it to all your girlfriends, because there is nothing like the collective power of women to accomplish a miracle. To quote Margaret Thatcher, “If you want anything said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman.”
Girlfriend Getaways
If you really want to bond with your girlfriends, there’s nothing like a getaway — for a week or a weekend. Whether you take a short trip to Lake Mead or Mt. Charleston or a more adventurous one to Tahoe or Baja, a few days of “girl talk” can be the most fun and refreshing experience you’ve ever had.
If you want an example of how special these experiences can be, consider this: When my dear friend Barbara Hammargren died, her family scattered her ashes near Rosarito Beach where she and friends went every year for their Girlfriend Getaway. They would rent a house there for a whole week and the rules were: no makeup, no shaved legs, and no privacy (there was only one bathroom). Imagine how I felt when my new girlfriend, Mary Beth Hartleb, announced that she was buying a beach house at Rosarito! It was as if Barbara was inviting me to come visit her (I miss her terribly). Even better, Mary Beth’s house has two bathrooms! You can see it for yourself at therosaritobeachhouse.com.
Amazon.com has several books on the subject, including the 50 Best Girlfriends Getaways in North America
Best Friend
For all of us there are defining moments in our lives that we remember forever. One of mine was provided by my friend Richelle Shaw. Richelle drops into my life about once every five years. We first met when she came to my place of business with her friend who was my customer. Later I saw her picture in the paper. She had launched a website called Workz.com that served as a resource for small businesses. Being a champion of women in business, I naturally went to the site and sent her a message of congratulations. We had met only that once, so it never occurred to me that she would know who I was. The message went something like this: “Congratulations on the launch of your new business. I would like to invite you to a meeting of the National Association of Women Business Owners. It’s a very empowering organization and I think you would enjoy meeting the other members.” Then I think I mentioned that I had some experience helping small business owners and if she needed anything, yada yada yada. Richelle responded almost immediately, “I know who you are. I have watched and admired you for years and you have always been an inspiration to me.”
I’m getting chills right now, just typing those words. To think that I was an inspiration to someone! How special is that? Every so often I replay those words in my head and realize that I have made a difference, however small, in someone’s life. It’s what keeps me going. The next time I saw Richelle was at a Nevada Minority Business Council luncheon and she was very pregnant. She now has a daughter who is the love and joy of her life — not to mention a huge distraction from her current business, Communication Experts, Inc.
Recently Richelle popped into my life again and this time we really bonded. I’ve been working with her on a new project, the Glazer-Kennedy Inner Circle, gkiclasvegas.com, which is a direct marketing mastermind group. Last month something happened that shifted our focus. Richelle’s pregnant sister-in-law was killed in an automobile accident. The family was devastated. They all went to Houston for the funeral, and as another sister was driving back to her home in Oklahoma she was also killed, along with a niece. This double tragedy serves as a reminder that today is precious and tomorrow is not guaranteed.
From Richelle: “Business was my only fun for many years. Then, I had three surgeries in two years; plus after I stopped taking birth control pills (after 20 years) because they caused a life threatening blood clot, I miraculously got pregnant...with only one ovary! You would have thought that this would change my life — and to some extent it did, but I was still working like a dog…at 3 a.m. ... which is usually when Carolyn and I exchange emails. But the last three weeks have been a major eye opener. OKAY, GOD, I HEAR YOU NOW!!! I don't need to almost die, and I don't need anyone else in my life to get sick or die!! I have slowed down and am teaching others, especially women, to be better business people. Don't let life's changing events dictate your life. Make your own decisions. Just make one. It is far easier to correct a mistake than to get started. Here's to my good girlfriend Carolyn for giving me a place to love, share and help!”
Do you have a “best friend” you’d like to share with the rest of us? Please send her story to letstalk@herestogirlfriends.com. (Be sure you get her permission first!)
Pass It On
Shawn Lane wrote to tell me about the world premier of the film, Pass It On at the Brenden Theatres on May 10. She says “it’s the answer to The Secret”. Shawn has a personal interest in the film because she has worked with many of the writers. For more information, visit passitontoday.com. In the future, Shawn and I will be offering free passes to some great “chick flicks”.
Where the Girls Are
- Monday, May 14, National Association of Female Executives (NAFE) breakfast, 8:30 — 10 a.m. at the Wild Horse Golf Club, 2100 Warm Springs Rd. The program, The Power of Mentoring, will feature guest speaker Felice Willat, co-founder of Day Runner and Tools With Heart. For information and reservations, contact Catie Fitzgerald, catie@authenticsuccessteams.com
- Monday, May 14, Direct Selling Women’s Alliance meeting at Transformations, 1725 S. Rainbow Suite #25; 6:30 registration & networking, 7 p.m. program featuring guest speaker, Richelle Shaw,“How to attract ALL of the Good, NEW Customers or Clients you can Handle”. For information & reservations, contact Lanetta Seppala, lanetta@savesyoutime.com or mydswa.org.
- Wednesday, May 16, GIFTS Women’s Network, giftswomensnetworkinggroup.com, 6:30 p.m. at Josette’s Bistro, W. Flamingo & Decatur. For information and reservations, contact Adrianne Gentile, adrianne17@cox.net
- Thursday, May 17, Moms in Business Network luncheon at Lawry’s; Guest Speaker, Monica Jackson, Fox 5 newscaster and host of MORE. mibn.org
- Friday, May 18, National Association of Women Business Owners/So. Nevada, presents a full day workshop, “Partnerships for Businesswomen: Taking Collaboration to the Next Level” with corporate facilitator, speaker, and published author, Sue Walden. nawbosnv.org.
- Tuesday, May 23: NAWBO/So. Nevada; luncheon program “What Men Don’t Tell Women About Business” featuring guest speaker Chris Flett; 11 a.m. — 1 p.m.; Panevino Ristorante; nawbosnv.org.
- Every Saturday, weather permitting; Carris Care Center leads a “Yoga Walk” through Calico Basin. Contact Iris Dortch, iris@carriscares.com or 636-1555.
Send announcements about events for women to letstalk@herestogirlfriends.com, as straight email text or MS Word attachments. Please, no PDFs, photos or graphics. They won’t be published and it slows me down!
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