GOSSIP FROM THE GIRLFRIEND GATHERINGS

Learning from YOU to empower ME !

It’s Ending – National Women History Month – March 2014!

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women in business (2)We have come to the end of National Women’s History Month for 2014.   My spontaneous idea to blog about some of the dynamic women in my inner circle was a success as I received a lot of positive emails from some of my readers and from some of the featured women.   One even suggested I have a gathering so they all could meet one another as she would love to meet the others.

In reading the responses to my questionnaire from the featured women, I discovered some new insight into each one even though I have known some for years.   Also, there were a few “dynamic” women (a jewelry maker, a doll maker, a couple of entrepreneurs and another author) who did not respond back to the questionnaire and were not featured.    So, I’ll keep them on the list for next year.

For those who responded back and shared with us, a big “thank you” for helping to make March 2014 interesting month on my blog.

 

Question(s):

If you were inspired to act on a personal dream/plan by the blog posts this month, please share.

 

 

Making History – Creative Coolness – Heidi Clark

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Here is another “creative cool” woman in my inner circle who has just recently reacquainted herself with her artistic self after allowing her gift to remain dormant while in the midst of single-parenting.   Now, that her daughter is off to college and she is an “empty nester”, Heidi is now full-throttled into her art and I can attest to the calming change it has brought to her life.  Heidi and I are co-workers that became friends.   We are highly technical information technologists who build the infrastructure for very complex computing environments and we are also creative beings who find “balance” in our lives by embracing our artistic life.

Here are Heidi’s words about her artistic journey:

It’s funny  I never really considered myself an artist but as I started thinking about how to reply for this post I realized that is exactly what I am.

I am an artist whose medium is glass. My abilities include;

1.      fuse (or melt) glass

2.      create mosaics from glass

3.      create panels from glass

I took my first course in my early 20’s.  Between college work and having a child the inspiration was always there but the finances were not so I would attend glass exhibits.  I remember very vividly walking through a Dale Chihuly exhibit in Connecticut and thinking I was a mermaid.  I actually sat down in the middle of the exhibit with my four year old daughter in awe at his creations.  I knew I would be working with glass at some point in my life.

When Shannon (my daughter) started going away to summer camps, I started slowly learning about how to work with glass more.  In 2006 I took a different class while Shannon was back north for the summer.  I enjoyed seeing the glass panels come to life.  Then I veered off of working with initially designed patterns and started doing my own thing (making earring holders, etc.).  Then I learned about fused glass which gave me internally different directions (jewelry, bowls, plates, vases – endless opportunities).

My latest technique is Verre Eglomise which is a combination of painting, sand blasting, and fusing glass. 

Working with glass brings me into a different world.  I sometimes dubbed this world “my no screen world”— no cell phone, computer or TV.  I create with my hands and mind.  When I am in my “glass zone”, nothing bothers me.  I don’t feel bogged down from the pressures of society.  I am happy.  Being creative is freeing or dare I say liberating.  I look at life differently.   I enjoy designing something special for friends and family.  I give a piece of my heart with every creation. 

I have started to form a business plan and will begin to sell hopefully in 2015.  I will do a one day exhibit in October of 2014.  My business will be called Raise Your Glass – Unique Glass Creations by Noreen as my first name is Noreen.  I would like to retire and do artistic glass shows around the country.  I think this would be a great way to see this country and become more inspired.

Here are  pictures of some of Heidi’s “practice” pieces:

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Making History – Creative Coolness AND Doing Her Own Thing – Shannon Johnson

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Here is another dynamic woman that was in close proximity to me for more than 5 minutes several years ago and we bonded over a shared passion – writing – when we met in a beginning fiction writing class.   Since that time Shannon has written and published her book “Found in Black Texiana”, contemporary poetry, stories and notes for women with Texas and Louisiana roots (http://www.yourtexiana.com).    Shannon has also started her own business so she is delivering a double whammy to this blog post – “creative coolness” and “doing her own thing”.   Here is her information about her endeavors:

“Creative Coolness”

Please describe your creative art form.

I originally struggled with defining a genre for my book.  My original love is poetry and I would describe my art form in this book as a poetry memoir.  All of the recipes and stories in the book are based on my Louisiana heritage yet the poetry throughout addresses all facets of life and ties it all together.

 How/when did you decide to embrace your artistic gift?

When I look back at my life, I enjoyed writing from the time I was a pre-teen, but I never realized what “it” was back then.  It wasn’t until I was in my late twenties that I realized how writing allowed me to find myself.  A self that had always been there all along but was not awakened until I reached a valley in my life.  The power of the written word can be a healer for the writer and writing truly healed me.

 What are some of the positive, unexpected experiences you have encountered as a result of pursuing your artistic life?

Unimaginable inner joy and peace—priceless!

 What is your favorite thing about your artistic life?

Meeting and talking to fellow writers and artists.  The passion to create and be creative is a necessity when someone is an author, painter or musician.  It’s so enjoyable being able to share ideas and learn from other creative people.

 “Doing Her Own Thing”

Please describe your business.

College Nannies and Tutors (CNT) is the nation’s most complete resource for customized nanny, professional babysitting and tutoring services. We provide role models from cradle to college.  We offer a complete set of customized tutoring solutions for college bound students including homework help, study skills, college prep, ACT and SAT test prep services.  We also offer full-service childcare services including nanny placement (Summer, Full-Time, Part-Time and After School), on-call nannies and professional babysitting.

 What motivated you to “do your own thing” and start your own business?

I had been in the Information Technology field for 20 years and I really enjoyed being an IT Project Manager.  But I found myself wanting to do more to help others, wanting to write more and wanting to be more in touch with my community.  My original thought was to be a full-time writer and provide free workshops to children in the community to encourage writing.  It was a great thought but the only problem was we still needed to pay bills and it wasn’t the right time in our lives for me to sit on a grassy knoll and write/teach all day long.  The other thing is I had always been a working mother for most of my career. I intimately understood the challenges of finding good childcare that gave a mother peace of mind and also understood the time it took to prepare your child for college.

 Once I made the decision that I could no longer stay in the standard corporate world, I found a for-profit opportunity that allowed me to help working mothers, connect with children/students, give me the inspiration to continue to write and allow us to pay our bills!  That was College Nannies & Tutors.

 Is your business a result of a formal education or self-taught genius?

I’d say a bit of both.  I had to learn on my own how to prepare my daughter for the SAT and ACT and how to find the best childcare.  I learned a lot from the corporate world about marketing, human resources, project management, etc.  I also had to go through formal training for months with the corporate franchise office to own this business.  

 What is the one thing you enjoy about your type of business?

Being able to make a family happy by helping them out when they have a need.  I love being able to give a family some quality time back—whether it’s providing a sitter for a husband and wife to reconnect or providing a tutor to lessen the tension between parents and children.

 What would you say encouraging to other women who may have a business idea but are reluctant to pursue it?

Plan, Pray, Prepare then Push through your fears.  I still wake up in the middle of the night every now and then and think “what in the world am I doing—why did I leave my job?”  But once I remember that I prayed on it, received support from my husband and family and prepared extensively, my fears are quieted and I lean on faith.

Here are the websites to give more information about Shannon’s endeavors:

http://www.yourtexiana.com

http://www.collegenanniesandtutors.com

Making History – Doing Her Own Thing – Brenda Johnson

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Today, I want you to meet another good friend in my inner circle, Brenda Johnson.  We met through a mutual friend and share a love of theatre as we attend plays together at our favorite place – The Ensemble Theatre.   We also attend Sunday Brunch with a group of other friends but lately it has been difficult to catch up with Brenda because she is SOOOOOOOOOO busy “doing her own thing”!

A few years ago, after retiring from her corporate job, Brenda combined those corporate skills with a love of travel and started her own business.   Now, she is always on a plane, a ship, a tour bus, or any mode of transportation that gets you to a new place.   If she has not already placed her feet on every continent, then she will probably soon mark that off her bucket list.

Here are her words about her journey to Explosive Travels:

Please describe your business.

Explosive Travels (http://www.explosivetravels.com) is a full service travel agency specializing in travel, tour and cruise vacations. We will custom design the vacation you desire at a price you can afford.

What motivated you to “do your own thing” and start your own business?

My daughter was the person who motivated me into starting my own agency after I retired from Southwestern Bell with over 30 years of service.  She felt since I was the one who always put my family and friend’s vacations and trips together this would be a perfect business for me.

Is your business a result of a formal education or self-taught genius?

My business is a combination of both self taught and formal training.

What is the one thing you enjoy about your type of business?

The one thing I enjoy the most about my business is when a client returns from their trip and tell me how I made it their most memorable vacation.  When I can turn someone’s vacation dream into a reality it gives me great pride and pleasure.

What would you say encouraging to other women who may have a business idea but are reluctant to pursue it?

I was reluctant at first to start my own business, but my daughter kept pushing me.  I will tell anyone if you are passionate about something, pursue it.  You will never know if you are a success unless you try.

Brenda is the travel coordinator for the first Sister-Girlfriend Meetup in St. Lucia.  I am looking forward to that retreat to relax and to have a great time with the other attendees.

Making History – Doing Her Own Thing – Jackye Carr Figg

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Today, I want to introduce one of the women in my inner circle who is making some  history in her own life.     She has embraced her entrepreneurial spirit and started her own business “Just Between Friends Gourmet Desserts”.   I sent Jackye a list of questions to answer about her journey for this blog post and below is her response.

DOING MY OWN THING – “I Finally See Me”

Just Between Friends Gourmet Desserts

Jacqueline Figg (aka: JRenee)

I am J Renee owner of Just Between Friends Homemade Gourmet Desserts (JBF) where the care that goes into producing our products yields the quality that our clients continually experience.

We specialize in a variety of gourmet desserts which includes, but are not limited to the Cocoa-Mocha Bar, the Brownie Fusion, Hallelujah Cake balls (one variety) and Apricot Nectar and Citron Torte Bars.  Of course your all time favorites… the lemony 7-Up Cake, the succulent Italian Cream Cake, and the delectable German Chocolate Cake remain best sellers.

In addition, JBF has put our own spin on things and have introduced a different perspective with our products…JBF Dessert Gifts.  Our Dessert Gifts (cake ball trees, cake ball bouquets, cookie bouquets, etc.) are specifically and professionally packaged as “gift giving” ideas and present very well as gifts.  These products preserve well and because they are baked fresh for each occasion they are ready to be consumed upon delivery.

I was motivated to birth this business after my mom passed in 2002 because I wanted to keep a part of her with me.  When we would travel, one of our favorite things to do was to thumb thru magazines and collect recipes.  One of the favorite family recipes is the Mocha Bars which is the recipe that has inspired me to bake and share with others.  When I am cutting the bars I feel that she is a part of the process.  We always enjoyed the response from people once they tasted them and I still get a “big kick” out of that as well as seeing the expression on  faces when the person try to identify the bars with something that they are familiar with.  It’s hilarious!

Strictly self-taught and with out any formal education in baking, I have mastered other techniques and developed flavors that have been instrumental in building our dessert menu.  Our packaging is impeccable and thus far all of our clients have been satisfied.

There are two things I love most about this business…”I Finally See Me” (i.e., independent of others who I thought I had to have in my life to see the success in me) and, secondly, to see the smile on the faces of everyone once they bite into our products…whatever product they order.  I would say to anyone who wants to develop an idea to pray about it first, listen for guidance, develop your passion and be open to change for growth. In this society, remaining the same does not always grow you or your business. However, remaining open not only allows a view from a difference perspective but allows you to glean from other’s knowledge and wisdom.  An example of that is when we entertained the idea of shipping our products to another state.  When we opened our eyes to the fact that shipping nationally was not an unattainable goal, not only do we now deliver locally but we have national recognition and have shipped our products to eight different states as well as international.  That is JBF in a nutshell and we would be please is you would peruse our social media sites and order for your next event.

You can find us at:  www.justbfriends1.com and/or www.Facebook.com/JustBetweenFriendsGourmetDesserts.

Let us “WOW” you with our exhilarating desserts!