Professional Women’s Panel … Melts into Hugs

May 23, 2016Leave a comment

It was after a recent professional women in business panel that I got to meet some inspiring young women – and feel the joy of helping them believe they can overcome obstacles and pursue their own bright futures. What inspires you on your professional journey? Leave a comment and share it! #BeyondMyWildest

The best part about the event for me? The young women who came up afterward and asked me for a hug.

I recently joined a panel discussion for professional women in business at the Salt Lake Business Conference. What a privilege to share the stage with Jane Ann Craig (Jane Ann Craig, International) and Tricia Schuman (BachHealth), along with my dear friend and colleague Katie Holland (Corporate Alliance). Each of us was asked to share our perspective on overcoming obstacles throughout our careers—and lives. As anyone who has read my memoir, Beyond My Wildest, knows, I wasn’t at a loss for words on this topic.

DADS WORK, MOMS STAY HOME … RIGHT?

I shared that I was raised in the tradition that dads worked and moms stayed home. I didn’t know any women who worked and had no idea that women could be professionals. If it weren’t for the circumstances I found myself in – a single mom running from an abusive husband at 18 – I probably wouldn’t have even thought about getting a job, let alone pursuing a career.

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Easter Eggs Filled with … Love

March 23, 2016March 23, 2016Leave a comment

From the Easter egg hunts when the kids are young to symbols of love and renewal, what does Easter mean to you?

When our kids were young, the coming of Easter meant so many things. We never had a lot, so it meant scraping together our loose change to get treats for their baskets. And there was always the big egg-coloring day. The years we had chickens in our yard back in California, we’d go out and gather piles of fresh eggs. I’d line up the cups just as my mom had when I was young, filled with red, blue, green, pink and orange food coloring and vinegar (oh vinegar – something my mom used for everything, from a shiny hair rinse for us girls to window cleaner to a tablespoon-full just for good health – I guess?). The boys would go to town on the eggs, dipping, dying, and adding a few personal touches with half-broken crayons.

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From Boot Camp to Books – How Kids Inspire Us

March 10, 2016Leave a comment

There’s nothing like a 12-year-old to get you out of bed at 4:30 in the morning.

My grandson Zach has gotten me to do a lot of things—raft the Colorado River’s rapids, take a one-day trip to Disneyland to sneak in a few rides (there and back in less than 18 hours!)—but now he’s actually waking Grandma long before the sun comes up so we can go to boot camp!

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