Here’s to Girlfriends

August is pretty dull – it has no official holiday.

Whereas the Emperor Augustus Caesar, in the month of Sextillis…thrice entered the city in triumph…and in the same month Egypt was brought under the authority of the Roman people, and in the same month an end was put to the civil wars; and whereas for these reasons the said month is, and has been, most fortunate to this empire, it is hereby decreed by the senate that the said month shall be called Augustus. So decreed the Roman Senate, but then added an extra day to equal the number in the month named for Julius.

The flower for the month of August is the gladiolus and the gem is a peridot. The color, according to Pantone sponsored website colorstrology.com, is “Sun Orange, a color that resonates with power and greatness”. Orange is my absolutely least favorite color, and I’m not that fond of the month of August either. It’s the end of summer, it’s still beastly hot, and the papers are full of Back to School ads. If you go to the mall for a cool cotton dress, all you can find are racks and racks of coats and sweaters!

Keeping Your Cool

Last month when we were experiencing record temperatures, I asked for suggestions on how to keep cool. I got so many responses, I couldn’t include them all. Even with judicious editing, some people said “too much information!” I can’t close this topic, however, without making sure everyone knows about my personal favorite – Luv It Frozen Custard. Sitting in the shadow of the Olympic Gardens, Luv It is the place to be on any summer night, except Sunday or Monday when it’s closed. People arrive on foot, in cars and trucks, on bikes and in limos. And then they all stand in line together. There is no inside seating or drive through, just a walk-up window and usually just one guy scooping up delicious flavors like maple walnut, coconut or my favorite – lemon. There is a website now that will tell you which flavors are being served. It’s not a work of art, but who cares! It’s all about the custard. Visit luvitfrozencustard.com. Let me know what you think – I’m sure you’ll luv it!

A Tip of the Bonnet to…

…two remarkable ladies, one of whom almost everyone has heard of and the other almost no one has. Lady Bird Johnson and Lois Wyse left us last month, but neither will be soon forgotten.

In my former life (military wife) I spent a few years in Texas, and those years were made much more enjoyable by the work of Lady Bird Johnson. Throughout her adult life she was an advocate for beautification of the nation’s highways and the conservation of our natural resources. She was a widow as long as she was a wife, and after her husband, former president Lyndon B. Johnson, died in 1973 she continued to make her mark as an individual. On December 22, 1982 (her 70th birthday), she and actress Helen Hayes founded the National Wildflower Research Center. In 1943 she spent her $17,500 inheritance to purchase a radio station. In 1952, over the objections of her husband, she bought a television station, reminding him that it was her inheritance that financed the venture. Eventually the investment turned into over $150 million dollar enterprise, and she remained involved in LBJ (everyone in the family has those initials) Holdings until she was in her 80s.

Lois Wyse was an advertising executive and author whose love of words yielded a famous slogan and more than 65 books. She began her career as a journalist at the age of 17, working first for The Cleveland Press and then for Life, Vogue and Cosmopolitan. With her husband Marc, she founded Wyse Advertising and came up with the slogan “With a name like Smuckers, it has to be good.” She is also credited with changing the name of a small home goods chain from Bed & Bath to Bed, Bath & Beyond. When hired to handle PR for New Woman magazine she was quoted as saying that every woman becomes a “new woman” several times during her lifetime. Among her last books were Funny, You Don’t Look Like a Grandmother, Women Make the Best Friends: A Celebration, and Friend to Friend: Letters Only Women Could Write. She is my inspiration!

Are we the women we think we are?

While playing Internet Leapfrog the other day, I came upon these interesting items:

A recent study suggests that one reason women make less money than men for doing the same work is that they don’t ask for more. Research indicates that men are more likely than women to ask for a raise. When a man and a woman are applying for the same job, the man is more likely to negotiate for a higher salary.

Click, click, click … on the Mayo Clinic website I searched for the warning signs of a stroke in women (checking out the veracity of a message forwarded to me earlier). It says that women having a stroke are more likely to delay seeking treatment. One of the symptoms is extreme fatigue. I can’t imagine running to the emergency room every time I experience that one – can you?

Click, click, click … a poll found that over all, women tend to agree with Hillary Clinton on the issues and see her as a strong leader and a positive role model. However, many of those same women are not supporting her because they don’t think she can win. Duh! I’m pretty sure that if they don’t support her, she won’t.

I’m thinking that the overriding issue here is that after all these years and all the advances in the level of respect for women, we are still falling a little short in the self-respect category. I’m a poster child for putting my own feelings aside in favor of                (fill in the blank with husband, children, friends, husbands and children of friends – you name it). Frankly, it’s just easier, but it’s not getting me anywhere.

On July 19th we celebrated National Women’s Suffrage Day and the hard-earned right to Stand Up and Be Counted. Have we forgotten how to do that? And I don’t mean your vote, I mean your voice. Use it or lose it!

Best Friend

About twelve years ago Lisa Hammond appeared in the lobby of my business, a pre-press service bureau, with a stack of “stuff” in hand, and accompanied by her husband and two children. I wish I’d had a crystal ball back then, because I would love to have a picture of that scene. How was I to know that history was in the making? All I could see was a pretty blonde who was clueless as to the process of taking a publication to press. To say it was a challenge is an understatement. But we did get all her photos scanned and sent her off to Christie Creel at Creel Printing with a stack of the film necessary to turn her dream into a reality – the first Femail Creations catalog. (Note: this was in the “new old days” after traditional typesetting but before digital printing.)

Lisa’s passion was borne out of a desire to 1) make a difference in the lives of women and girls and 2) create a catalog filled with the kind of products she would buy herself. The word “determined” does not even begin to describe my friend Lisa. You know what they say, “When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping.” So she went shopping – finding beautiful items crafted or designed by women and then tracking them to the source. Then she wrote descriptions of each item, giving each one her personal “review”. She (amazingly) got the catalog printed and mailed it to lists she rented from other catalog companies. And then the letters and emails of thanks and praise started pouring in and she answered every one – something never done by other catalog merchants.

Now Lisa is recognized as a visionary, a role model, and a legend in the direct selling industry. I don’t think there has ever been anyone quite like her, with the possible exception of Mary Kay Ash. She has successfully combined her business with her passion for helping women. She travels all over the country, speaking to groups of women, encouraging them to follow their dreams. She blows me away with casual comments like “I have to fly to New York to meet with my Board of Directors.” This is the same girl who once stood in my office totally clueless!? Notice that I said “girl”. Just last year I did the math and was shocked to realize that when Lisa embarked on this amazing journey, she was not yet 30!

About once a year, when the planets are properly aligned, Lisa and I are able to meet for lunch or cocktails and catch up. Last fall we pulled off one of those miracles and over lunch she told me about her new venture, Barefoot Parties. As she travels around the country, speaking and promoting her book Dream Big, women rush up to her and ask how they can start a business like hers. Although it has been a great ride, she doesn’t encourage others to follow in her footsteps. Instead, she has given them a much easier way to “be in business for yourself, but not by yourself”. Fans of Femail Creations can now become Independent Consultants and offer the same kinds of products that celebrate and inspire women. This new venture is another gutsy move. Don’t ask me why she didn’t just rest on her laurels – that’s just not like my friend Lisa!

If you get a chance, read her book Dream Big about her incredible journey, which isn’t over yet. Every word of it is true – I know because I was there. And I’m still there. I couldn’t help myself – I signed up to be one of the very first Barefoot Parties consultants. I’m Barefoot Bunny #1025.

If by some miracle you have never been introduced to Femail Creations catalog and website, visit femailcreations.com. And even better (from my point of view) visit me at barefootparties.com/carolynstephens.

Note from Lisa:
I couldn’t have done any of it without the encouragement and support of women just like Carolyn! Each time I am in over my head—which happens often—fate steps in and I get an email or phone call reminding me why I do what I do, making the long hours and big risks worth it. When I founded Femail Creations over a decade ago Carolyn is oh–so right, I didn’t have a clue about starting or running a catalog company. But what I did have was passion. I was passionate about creating meaningful work and making a difference. I believe finding our passion and our purpose are the most important things we are meant to do. Creating Barefoot Parties has allowed me to expand on that vision and express my passion to empower women to launch their own home–based businesses so they can have more fun and flexibility. Live life with moxie, and above all give yourself permission to dream big!

Hugs,

Lisa

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!)

Where the Girls Are

  • Thursday, August 9: Women’s Democratic Club of Clark County luncheon, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. in the Social Club next to the Main Street Station. Guest speaker will be Erin Bilbray–Kohn discussing EmergeNevada, a local group that provides training for women seeking public office. For information or reservations call 615–4522 or email womensdemoclarkcounty@gmail.com
  • Thursday, August 9: National Association of Professional Mortgage Women dinner meeting and program, “The State of Lending in Nevada” with guest speaker Scott Bice; napmwlv.com.
  • Friday, August 10, Hot Pink Mamas sponsors the “new social hour”, 5 – 9 p.m. at Tao Nightclub in the Venetian. NetworkWithWomen.com
  • Monday, August 13, National Association of Female Executives (NAFE) breakfast, 8:30 – 10 a.m. at the Wild Horse Golf Club, 2100 Warm Springs Rd. Guest speaker will be Keith Froehling presenting “How to Want it All and Ask for It”. For information and reservations, contact Amy Frost, amy@authenticsuccessteams.com.
  • Tuesday, August 14, Women in Technology International (WITI) Wine Tasting and Networking Social: 6 – 8 p.m., 6700 Via Austi Parkway. Alia Geblin will discuss how to choose wines, the proper etiquette for wine tasting, and how to look for that right bottle of wine. For information and reservations, contact Laura Fucci, lfucci@corp.witi.com.
  • Wednesday, August 15, GIFTS Women’s Network Group hosts a pool party for “like minded women”. giftswomensnetworkinggroup.com
  • Wednesday, August 15, 6 – 8 p.m., at the Fiesta Rancho: National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) Las Vegas Chapter. Bill Karren, Lochsa Engineering will explain the marvel that is the Grand Canyon Skywalk and how it was engineered. For reservations or information, contact Linda Gibson, linda@agclv.org.
  • Tuesday, August 28: NAWBO/So. Nevada; luncheon program with guest speaker Denise Michaels presenting “Testosterone–Free Marketing”. 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.; The Orleans Hotel & Casino; nawbosnv.org.
  • Thursday, August 30, 10 – 11:30 a.m.: Desert Newcomers Club meets at the Green Valley Library. August is the month for open enrollment for members regardless of the length of time they have lived in the area. For information, contact Sheila Drayster, Membership VP at 739-9322. For more information about Desert Newcomers activities, visit desertnewcomersclub.org.
  • Monday, September 10, 6:30 – 8 pm at Transformations, 1725 S. Rainbow, #25: Direct Selling Women’s Alliance presents guest speaker Caterina Rando and “How to Double, Triple & Quadruple Your Bookings, Sales & Recruiting Results”. For information and reservations, contact Lanetta Seppala, lanetta@savesyoutime.com.
  • Tuesday, October 16: NAWBO/Southern Nevada presents the second annual Women Mean Business® Expo, the only showcase exclusively for women–owned businesses. Paris Hotel Convention Center. For exhibit and sponsorship information, visit nawbosnv.org
  • Women and Network groups meet the first and third Wednesday of every month at I–Hops around the Valley. For information, visit womenandnetwork.com.

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!

Cheers!
Carolyn Stephens
herestogirlfriends.com


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