Here’s to Girlfriends

Spring is in the air — also pollen

April is the fourth month of the year in the Gregorian calendar and one of four months that has only 30 days. The flower for April is the sweet pea and the gem is the diamond. The color, according to www.colorstrology.com, is a fiery cayenne which signifies passion, energy and courage. I see several contradictions here, the gem being sparkling cold and icy, the flower being sweet and sentimental and the color being red hot. An April child should fit in anywhere. Spring officially began at the vernal equinox somewhere between March 19 and 20. For the residents of Southern Nevada that means we get a few short weeks of pleasant weather before the Scorching Season begins. It also means that most of us are sneezing our heads off. How could a place that’s called a “desert” have so many blooming things?

Earth Day is the 22nd. How will you show your respect for our planet?

Getting to know you — and you, and you, and you

It’s a good thing I have children (okay, they are adults). Otherwise, how would I ever know about Twitter, FaceBook, and YouTube? Not to mention LinkedIn, del.icio.us, StumbleUpon, Flickr, Zooomr and Pownce. I am not making this up. Just so you don’t feel too bad, spell check did not recognize any of them either. If I want to know what my older son is up to, all I have to do is check his latest “tweet”. He posts to Twitter, a sort of micro-blog, several times during the day from his computer or his phone. (This actually is his job. He is the Social Media guru at a large ad agency in Seattle.) The other son is only a text message away at any given time. In case you haven’t heard, with young people it’s all about the phone.

Not to be left in the virtual dust, a few friends and I have decided to give this a whirl. I’m just sticking one toe in the water by joining LinkedIn. As yet, I’m not sure what the benefits will be, but so far I have forty connections and one recommendation. This is a strange new world. I spend hours going from one link to another until I can’t even remember why I started it in the first place. I invite you to join me at www.linkedin.com and maybe together we can make sense of it all.

There are two little magic words that can open any door with ease.

One little word is “thanks” and the other little word is “please”. Yes indeed, I did learn that from Captain Kangaroo. Using them when you want something and when you receive it is not that difficult. (Doing it in writing, however, is a lost art. We’ll discuss that another time.) Giving and accepting compliments is another matter. Why is that so awkward? People love to hear nice things about themselves, love to have their efforts appreciated. For some reason we withhold words of praise and stumble over the words accepting them. The key is sincerity. If you really like that dress, that tie, those shoes, just say so. After sincerity, the next most important thing is brevity. Love the dress! Great tie! What cute shoes! BTW, men like to be complimented just as much as women. The other day I thought the young teller at my bank looked especially nice so I told him so, in exactly those words. “You look especially nice today.” Big smile! I noticed all the women around him grinning, too. They probably had been thinking it but didn’t say it. And what do you do when someone says something nice about you? Stammer, blush (does anybody still blush?), protest that you’re not worthy? Just use the magic word — “Thanks!” And if you really mean it, follow up with “That means a lot to me.” People who are consistently prompt, cheerful, thoughtful, or positive are likely to be even more so if you point it out. “You are always so (fill in the blank). I really love that about you.” Let me know how it works out.

I’m a Champion!

I was so pleased and flattered when I got word that the NAWBO chapter was submitting my name for an award. I was downright thrilled and flabbergasted when I learned that I had been selected not only as the local but also the regional SBA Women in Business Champion of the year. I received a similar honor quite a few years ago when I was way more visible in the community. I sat on a half dozen boards and chaired at least two of them. I was instrumental in founding not only NAWBO but also a few other organizations for women in business. Plus I was publishing the Women’s Yellow Pages of Southern Nevada. It’s so different now. I don’t have those “bully pulpits” to work with, so I just quietly bring women together, one lunch or one cup of coffee at a time. So to learn that I was chosen over women from Guam, Hawaii, California and Arizona was quite remarkable. The awards luncheon is Wednesday, May 7 at the Renaissance. I wish I could invite all of you to be my guests, but I haven’t hit Megabucks yet. If you would like to attend and be part of my cheering section, Click Here or, if click impaired, contact Gwen Varndell at In Business, 990—2448, for reservations.

A Word from The Sensible Shopper™

I have a blog, you know. Oh, you didn’t know? Well, I do. The address is http://thesensibleshopper.wordpress.com/ Check it out. I just took a look myself and noticed that 166 people read my post about searching for the perfect purse. I loved shopping and writing about it for Southern Home & Garden Magazine and was really bummed when the R-J decided to cease publication. I just can’t break the habit of sharing good deals and interesting finds with friends. You can subscribe to the RSS feed. Just click on the little orange doohickey at the top. If that doesn’t work, let me know and I’ll call my son.

Best Friend

Several years ago I met the most remarkable young woman. I can’t even remember how or where, but several people told me about her and I made it my business to get to know her. As a working mother of two, she had sought out the support of other young women in her situation. Much to her amazement, there was no organization that brought together working mothers. There was everything else under the sun, but nothing for what is possibly the most influential group of business owners, employees and consumers in the country. And certainly the one with the most day to day challenges.

Gina Robison-Billups was sure that it was just an oversight; that pretty soon she would find a national organization for working mothers, so she put out the word about a new group in Southern Nevada, thinking she’d merge with the national group someday. She still hasn’t found that organization she was looking for, but the ones she founded, Moms in Business Network (MIBN) and the International Association of Working Mothers, now represent the needs and issues of all working mothers everywhere. From a group around the kitchen table to thousands of members and subscribers all over the country, MIBN has grown in numbers and mission.

When I first met Gina and she outlined her plans, I was blown away by her vision. One of her most ambitious plans was an annual gala, recognizing national and local women and providing grants to assist women in business. On Saturday, May 10, the Fourth Annual Create Your Dreams Gala will be a real dream come true for Gina and her hard working committee.

A message from Gina:

As the mother of two amazing young women, I find myself every day compelled to reach out to the community in order to help women achieve their dreams. I am absolutely fascinated by the resiliency and courage of all women, especially women with children.

My mother and grandmother were my earliest examples of women of courage, and are to this day my greatest inspiration.

The power of women is shown in full force with the Moms In Business Network. All of our membership has grown exclusively from word-of-mouth. I know I'm the founder of the MIBN, but it really found me.

Again, every day through the MIBN members, I am inspired by the power women have to make a difference in our world.

Learn more about MIBN, IAWM, and the Create Your Dreams Gala at www.mibn.org.

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!)

Girlfriends Are Getting Together and Loving It

In January, Moms in Business Network (MIBN) and Here’s to Girlfriends announced a new opportunity for women to connect with their friends. We started with a casual, fun, social lunch with no structure or agenda. It was a big hit and Dan Marino’s restaurant in the Hooters Hotel & Casino was such a perfect venue, we made it our “home”. Last month we added Girlfriends Get Happy hour at Bahama Breeze. Another hit! Girlfriends Get Togethers are held on the same day of every month (second Thursday at 11:30 for lunch, third Thursday at 5:00 for Happy Hour). You can talk about business if you like, but this really is about connecting woman-to-woman, mom-to-mom, sharing stories of work, business, parenthood, shopping, and a whole lot more. As busy women we rarely take the time to just get together and connect on a personal level with no agenda. This is that time for you. Bring your girlfriends. You don't have to be a member of anything - you just need to be female. No charge to attend. (If you choose to order food and drinks, just pay for your order.) Reservations are not required but appreciated. Sometimes there may be as few as five or as many as twenty-five, but no matter what, it will always be fun. RSVP at www.mibn.org, letstalk@herestogirlfriends.com or just show up!

Superwoman Renee Rand is taking our show on the road as the traveling trainer for Passion Parties. In each location she visits, she invites Girlfriends to join her — just for fun. An evening with Renee is guaranteed fun.

Where the Girls Are

  • Saturday, April 19, League of Women Voters meets at 9:30 AM at the Main Street Station Social Club. Guest speaker Assemblyman Davis Parks will discuss Assembly Bill 510 in the “Pros and Cons of Early Release”. www.lwvlasvegasvalley.org
  • Sunday, April 20, Southern Nevada NOW hosts a General Meeting from noon — 2 p.m. at the Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo; www.snnow.org.
  • Tuesday, April 22, NAWBO Southern Nevada Luncheon, 11:30 AM — 1 PM, at the Las Vegas Country Club, “Putting Yourself on the To-Do List” with guest Speaker Judy Irving. www.nawbosnv.org.
  • Tuesday, April 22, Women’s Chamber of Commerce of Nevada hosts a Business Alliance Mixer from 6 — 8 PM at the Stirling Club with keynote speaker, Lorraine Hunt-Bono. www.womenschamberofnevada.org
  • Thursday, April 24, Moms in Business Network (MIBN) hosts a Build Your Business teleclass for members only; www.mibn.org
  • Thursday, April 25, 5 p.m., eWomenNetwork presents “Accelerated Networking” in the Giorgio Ristorante in Mandalay Place. Contact tammylier@eWomenNetwork.com
  • Saturday, April 26, 1 — 3 PM, the Las Vegas Quill Keepers, women writers’ resource and support group is meeting at Sam Woo’s Korean Barbecue in the Chinatown Mall on Spring Mountain.www.lasvegasquillkeepers.com
  • Saturday, May 10, Moms in Business Network presents their annual Create Your Dreams National Awards Gala; at Loews Resort Hotel, Lake Las Vegas. www.mibn.org.
  • Thursday, May 1, Hot Pink Mamas presents a Big Hot Event, 6 — 9 p.m. at the Stratosphere. RSVP to grandcentral@networkwithwomen.com.
  • Monday, May 12, Direct Selling Women’s Alliance meets at The Antique Mall 6:30 — 8 PM. For information about DSWA, visit www.mydswa.org. For meeting reservations, contact Lanetta Seppala, lanetta@savesyoutime.com.
  • Tuesday, May 13 the Women’s Chamber of Commerce of Nevada honors Pioneer Award recipient, Barbara Wood and Hall of Fame inductees at the 3rd Annual Women’s Hall of Fame awards luncheon from 11:30 AM — 1:30 PM at The Stirling Club. Call the Chamber for reservations, 733-3955.
  • Thursday, May 15: National Association of Professional Mortgage Women Dinner Meeting and Board Installation; for location and details visit www.napmwlv.com.
  • Tuesday, May 27, NAWBO Southern Nevada luncheon with Darren LeCroix, World Champion Public Speaker. Visit www.nawbosnv.org for details.
  • Women’s Democratic Club of Clark County meets for lunch the second Thursday of every month at the Main Street Station Social Club. For information or reservations call 615-4522 or email womensdemoclarkcounty@gmail.com
  • Women and Network chapters meet for lunch at several locations around the Valley the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of every month. Visit www.womenandnetwork.com for one near you.

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
herestogirlfriends.com


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