NAWBO-Columbus Member Blog

Today was spent at the Reagan International Trade Center.  A HUGE building here in DC.

Devora Zack, Networking for People who Hate Networking — great BINGO intro game for groups — very interactive.

Karen Mills, Administrator, US SBA spoke on the SBA’s initiatives to make money available for small businesses and especially women owned businesses — to help reinvigorate the economy.  Did you know that the SBA has online small business contracting course especially for women?  www.sba.gov — then look up small business classroom — and then find the class for women.  Proposed rule changes will enlarge the categories of procurement that have 5% women goals from 5 to 83.

Virginia Littlejohn honored with Legacy Award — a past  National President of NAWBO and early advocate for women in business in DC reminded us that it was 1986 when women businesses were beginning to be “recognized” as not just a hobby — and not until 1988 till women could get their own loan.

Dr. Terry Neese honored for her work with NAWBO in the early years and as founder of WIPP.

Claire Shipman (ABC news) and Katty Kay (BBC) coauthored Womenomics:  Write your own rules for success.  Book sounds great — has numbers and studies to show that:  1.  Boards that have at least 3 women on them — the companies outperform other companies without women on their boards 2. Changes in the workplace that allow for balance improve productivity by 40%  3.  Catalyst and Goldman Sachs and Guardian Life studies back up power of women in the workplace and women business owners.

Favorite quote(s) of the day:

1. If you run a business and you are not involved with politics — then politics will run your business
2. There is a special place in hell reserved for women who don’t help other women — Madeline Albright

Colleen Marshall was our inspiring speaker at the June luncheon meeting. Discussing her career from a beat reporter in the 1980’s to her position as lead anchor for WCMH news, she shared some of her award winning news segments with us.

Colleen painted the picture of when she first realized she needed a change in her life, most notably after covering September 11th from New York.  After seeing so many people possitively affecting the lives of others around them, she felt she needed to fulfil her desire to do so, as well.  She soon after enrolled in Capitol Law School, where she achieved her Juris Doctorate while working full-time at WCMH and raising her two children.  Colleen now works at Porter Wright as well as continuing as lead anchor at WCMH.

She also discussed another new role which has begun to dominate a large part of her life: caregiver.  Several years ago, Colleen’s mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and now she, along with her siblings, are caring for their mother as they have to deal with the emotional challenges of watching their mother’s mental deterioration.

Colleen provided an inspiring glimpse into how strength, determination, and desire can really change someone’s life, and she is truly a model example of someone who can “keep it all together.”

50 Ways to keep your head above water when life keeps dragging you down.

This was the 2nd time I had the opportunity to hear Deborah Collins Stephens speak.  I really like her message — there is wonderful stuff to learn even in the midst of challenging business conditions – and life.

Ms. Stephens had an opportunity early on to read some of Maslow’s notes on business and success — and she has published a number of books from those studies and interviews with successful people.  Yesterday she focused on “Courageous Leadership.”  She shared a quote about how tough times were, how much was changing and so quickly…….and then she shared that it was a quote from a 1800’s Atlantic Journal article.  Every time has its challenges.

Per Ms. Stephens, when Maslow talked about Leadership he called it not a gift, or a talent, but rather a human endeavor and encouraged leaders to inspire not control.  Some of the stories shared were really great — a sampling here is all I can share today:

• Love or Fear – leadership out of love can cause amazing results – Jan Carlzon and SAS Airlines turnaround
• It matters HOW you play the game.
• Learning to Love the Weird (the new, where we are headed into unknown)
• Become a Blue Haired Lady — Great story about her Grandmother and her ability to create a success self-fulfilling prophesy for Deborah.
• Never a right way to do a wrong thing.
• Stand for something even if you stand alone.
• Who among you will change the world?  — Maslow

Jackie Speier — US Congresswoman — and supporting author on the book dropped in also.  She was a survivor of a horrible shooting when she was a journalist.  She said that with all the negativity about Washington DC and politicians — she wasn’t surprised that more good people didn’t want to run.  Yet she challenged that she has one of the greatest jobs — where she can make a difference every day.

Today starts the 3 Day National Womens Business Conference and the celebration of 35 years of NAWBO.  It is great to see some of the wonderful people that we met from the Indianapolis Chapter at the regional meeting this past spring.

Today is the National Leadership Summit — where we have the opportunity to exchange ideas with members from other chapters on how to grow and run the chapter better.  Our Chapter has been really growing and we are at a “tipping point” and so I am looking for ideas to help get us were we want to go.

This morning we have a panel covering trends impacting women business owners and women’s business organizations.  Deborah Collins Stephens, author, is the lunchtime speaker.  I heard her speak in Indianapolis and am excited to hear her again.

We have a reception tonight at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.  I was a literature and art history major in college, so really looking forward to reconnecting with the Power of NAWBO at this great venue.

More soon.  Is there anything anyone needs?  E-mail me and I’ll do my best to track it down while here at the conference.