Google Alerts, Bravery and Baldness
Inspiration and Wisdom for Women, Women Entrepreneurs and Females in Business
Every day as I face another unknown day facing my medical condition alopecia areata, I find interesting articles appearing through Google Alerts. Google Alerts is available through your Gmail account and helps you read information on any topic that interests you that appears online. I traditionally have Google Alerts on my name, my company names and entrepreneurial and female focused subjects since this is my expertise area. I suggest every woman entrepreneur do the same.
When my hair started falling out again in January with a condition known as Alopecia Areta I created Google Alerts related to Alopecia and Autoimmune Conditions. Every day my Gmail account gives me links to articles to read. I found this one article today especially helpful. I have only showed a few people in my family the status of my hair to which everyone says, “Oh!” and that’s it. I am positive they are as shocked as I am about the condition but don’t know what to say which is fine with me. I look in disbelief at times too rendered speechless.
When today’s Google Alert article appeared, “What’s Its Really Like to Have Alopecia” which shares the stories of seven women’s personal struggle with the relentless and ever changing disease, I felt a sisterhood immediately. Except for my brother who suffers from the disease on a more limited basis as a PhD candidate when he drinks too much coffee, eats too much gluten or stresses about oral exams, I don’t have anyone to share this experience with.
When I felt alone in business the day I opened my first company, Five Star Events, I had the same feeling. I didn’t know exactly what to do to get through the ups and downs of being a new business owner so I surrounded myself with other women in the same situation. Luckily for me entrepreneurship was a just starting to become a viable career option for women and more women were talking about it so I found a group to join. The benefits of that group helped me incredibly so I started my second company Women TIES to do the same thing as the organization did but for women in other parts of New York State not just Central New York.
Every conversation I have had with thousands of women over my 23 entrepreneurial careers has helped me and my businesses. Not one statement or presentation or meeting hasn’t given me morsels of information and support I needed to survive and thrive as a female entrepreneur. This is why I am trying so hard to not let my alopecia diagnosis stop me from running my business although for the moment it has slowed me down as I try to get healthier, stress less and tend to new medicine and life habits.
The lesson in today’s post is to inspire you, if you are facing difficulty in your personal or entrepreneurial life to find groups, associations or other individuals to talk to or share stories with so you can belong to a group of people that understand. There are millions of people on this globe dealing with similar circumstances as we are; it is up to us to find the strength to reach out and seek the support. I know I couldn’t be where I am today without the friendship, sharing and knowledge of the women I have met during my professional career. I hope the same for you no matter what you are facing.
Women TIES 