Long Lasting Relationships Count
Inspiration and wisdom for women, women entrepreneurs and female business owners
28 years ago at dusk in a beautiful Catholic church lit with candles, I walked down the aisle on my Italian grandparents 60th wedding anniversary with my grandmother, who had not left her house for years, in a wheelchair wearing a beautiful green dress to witness this special occasion. She had lost her husband, my grandfather, 8 months prior. Her effort to be at the church that night in a wheelchair for the first time was a gift from above. Relationships count and my grandmother always showed me the most love which was deeply demonstrated that evening.
As this early dawn begins after the wonderful week of being with powerful women from around Central New York, I am grateful for long lasting relationships. My 22 year dedication to women entrepreneurs and my 28 year marriage to a man who has never minded he shares my heart with women. When I say, “I love women,” he isn’t jealous because he knows my heart is big enough for everyone and he is fine with my passion to change the world for the gender I love.
As I mingled with women in the early hours of registration on Wednesday at the POWER event, the sun shone through floor to ceiling windows in the lobby intertwining with the energy of the women in the room. In the darker conference room, there was a brilliant, radiant light coming from the women gathered to unite, support, and collaborate with each other for one day. I said in my ending remarks, “I hope today we all ‘vow’ to support and collaborate with women entrepreneurs more no matter if they are 30 or 70, make millions or thousands, are white or black, straight or gay, Catholic or Jewish, been in business 1 year or 20. It doesn’t matter. Women TIES embraces everyone because we believe women must support women first and foremost in business, sports, equality and life to change the world.”
Women have a secret weapon in business – its compassion and love of female relationships. They can be strong mentoring relationships or therapeutic ones. The relationships can exist between women who are similar or different. We are willing to “tie or commit” ourselves in what’s best for not only ourselves, but for sister entrepreneurs, knowing the world, like my heart, has enough room for everyone.
As the weekend begins hopefully this post inspires you to cherish the relationships you have with women in business today, motivates you to search for new ones to develop tomorrow, and reminds you of the long lasting ones which have gotten you here today.
Thanks to my long lasting relationship of love for giving me the men I cherish in my life too. They also make me the strong woman I am today. Thank you Scott, Thomas and Adam.
Women ARE Powerful
Brown, White, Beige, 30, 70, Millions, Ten Thousand, Gay, Straight, Jewish, Catholic, Republican, Democrat, 1 year or 30 Years in Business – simply put all Women, Women, Women – supporting other women in one moment of time, under one roof, vowing to become more collaborative together supporting other women first and foremost in business, sports, equality and life issues. Period. Boom. Microphone Dropped. Day Over. Today it All Begins! How are you feeling?
That is what I saw yesterday at the Women TIES P.O.W.E.R. Event when I looked out from the stage throughout the day or look at the photos shared on social media or as I remember it this morning through pink glasses because that my female friends is what all women should see every day they have a chance to support a female in any aspect of life.
There are no words that can truly share the feelings I have in my heart, mind and lips today after witnessing what I saw yesterday. Accept to remind you that “Women are Powerful” – more powerful together than alone. I hope you remember that and join me throughout the year through Women TIES events produced to support women in business, sports, equality and community. I want you with me. I want to know what you are doing or need to succeed further with your personal dream and mission. I want you at my side at women’s sporting events, women’s business conference, equality walks, and supporting the women to follow us. As Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul said, “What will the women 100 years from now say about US and what we did?”
Yesterday was just the beginning. I hope you look through the POWER event binder and circle the names of the women you met, still want to meet, could sell to or buy from or generally support. First and foremost, for me today, pledge to buy from women first and foremost in life whether they live in your local area, regionally, statewide, across the USA or overseas! Yesterday’s event was meant to live in your heart as you move forward hopefully together with more sister entrepreneurs at your side.
Email me back if you want to be a part of one or more of these 3 areas Women TIES will focus on going forward:
* Business * Female Sports *Women’s Right/Equality. We will start bi-monthly meetings to gather like minded women together to advance these areas for women powerfully together. Women are the Future! Women TIES will be a powerful movement to be involved with so we welcome your passion.
The quote in my speech yesterday morning still stays it all, “When you are truly joined in spirit, another woman’s good is your good too. You work for the good of each other.” Ruth Senter. I am deeply moved by spending time with 120 women yesterday. Have a blessed pink day today my friend. I am here for you!
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” Melody Beattie.
Simple Marketing Advice Today – Follow Your Favorites
Marketing wisdom for women entrepreneurs and small businesses
Today’s Monday Marketing tip is a short one because as CEO of my company WOMEN TIES I am preparing for a big 110 person event with 11 speakers and 20 sponsors on Wednesday to inspire my audience of women entrepreneurs. There are a lot of marketing details that go into planning that size event – all which I love to do.So my advice for you today is simply “watch and imitate companies you love” especially when it comes to marketing.
Last night as I watched my all time favorite group The Dave Matthews Band perform a charity concert for peace and unity in Charlottesville, Virginia, I was swept away with the speakers’ words, music, meaning and energy behind the event including tunes from Justin Timberlake, Stevie Wonder, Ariana Grande and more. The audience had to be 20,000 or more and everyone was loving the event. I thought to myself, I want my 110 women to feel the same way at my event – how can I do that?
I now plan on having a different marketing speech for the event – one with more energy and passion – to move my audience. Thanks to Dave Matthews I am inspired to market at this event differently.
You can do the same with your company. Take cues from your favorite brand companies, organizations and community leaders. Incorporate their marketing success strategies into your own. Rock it out if that’s what you like or prepare everything perfectly like Martha Stewart or be giggly like Rachel! You can create your own mood for your corporate events or client communication and by doing so you attractive similar women to run with you.
Be fun today. Be festive. Learn from others.
Sharing Your Platform With the World
Wisdom and Inspiration for Women
The fog sketching in and out of the giant maple trees out my office window caught my attention as I opened my eyes after listening to another brilliant Chopra Center Meditation to start my day. The meditation was called “The Visionary Me” which I think was written just for me as I prepare important opening remarks for my company’s annual conference of women entrepreneurs. I dig deep each year to create the most meaningful message in front of a room of 150 amazing women. I never take this appearance lightly. I challenge myself to find the right message to convey at this moment in time.
As if the words coming out of Deepak Chopra’s mouth on this morning meditation were taken from the description I wrote about our “POWER” conference using the word “twist” in his message, he also exclaimed, “There is a new twist on networking where we don’t feel we must ‘get out there,’ to meet others but because we can’t wait to be in conversation about our vision and enjoyment in fellowship of other human beings and the real excitement in every day life.
He reminded me that I have created an authentic platform to share my feminist spirit about women supporting women in business, sports, equality and life. Every woman has a chance to create her own vibrant platform. As I listened online last night to Kathrine Switzer talk in the Berlin Adidas store about her lifetime platform of giving more women the opportunity to run after years of women being banned from running in races, I really understood the deep connection you must have to your personal platform and the decades of work it takes to make it happen.
Women each have an authentic platform and we must not shrink down in our passion for it and profess it as often as we can – in a sense clearing the fog that lingers in your position on a subject. I have slowly seen myself get more clear through the hazy atmosphere of calling myself a “feminist” because I believe so strongly in elevating women so they can change the world with their unique platform whether it’s running a business, non-profit agency, running for political office, becoming an athletic focused female or getting women to support women more often in every decision they make.
I encourage you as the fog starts lifting this morning to take 30 minutes of quiet time to think about the platform that beats in your heart, steers your actions and sparks ideas and get living it now. It may take another 20 or 30 years to make a dent in what you want to change in this world. As Deepka says, “Speak freely about your dreams because by leveraging your voice you take internal thoughts and speak them into external possibilities so they can manifest faster.
Wisdom for Women Entrepreneurs, Female Athletes, Female Politicians and Women Who Support Women
Inspiration and Wisdom for Women Entrepreneurs, Female Athletes, Female Politicians and Women Who Support Women
As I began to turn off the morning show I was watching there was an advertisement for the new movie “Battle of the Sexes” about the 1973 epic competition between tennis players Billie Jean King and Bobbie Riggs. A few of the sentences I heard in the commercial were from Riggs saying, “I didn’t say women don’t belong on the court, they should be there to pick up the balls.” Followed by this statement, “Business, sports, you name it, men are at the top of the world.” I chuckled as they described Riggs as a bombastic male chauvinist pig and King as a hairy legged feminist. It sounds like the 70’s doesn’t it?
Just yesterday I visited Juanita Perez Williams the first Latina female running for Mayor in a major city, luckily right here in Syracuse. I congratulated her on her primary win which was hard fought. She thanked me but said with emotion in her eyes, “Oh Tracy there is still so much to do to lift up women into leadership roles especially in politics. Already male competitors are taking personal digs at my marital status as a divorcee, although I have a great relationship with my ex-husband, and announcing in the paper who I’m currently dating. You don’t see anyone discussing the personal life of my male opponent.” I said to her, “Women have to keep backing women because we know that sexism still exists today whether it’s this example in politics, pay inequality for females in business, and the belief women still can’t beat the odds in a man’s world.” We feel like the world has become a 50/50 place for women and men in all aspects but it hasn’t.
When I heard the quote “Business, sports, you name it, men are at the top of the world,” it flashed me to the mission I came up with for Women TIES last year as I realized Women TIES has to be more than helping just women in business, we need to help women in sports, equality issues and life. The new mission statement, “Women Supporting Women in Business, Sports, Equality and Life” sounds similar yet so different than Riggs statement, don’t you think?
One week from today as I greet a hundred fifty women at the “P.O.W.E.R” event for an all female business conference, I will remind myself the reason I’ve produced this event for nine years – to bring strong, intelligent females to ones place to meet, create new economic and personal relationships and to reiterate the need for women to support women first and foremost in every aspect in life until we gain true equal status and respect. If we stand up for females, it doesn’t mean we are hairy legged feminists as Bobby Riggs so elegantly stated.
This Wednesday Wisdom should inspire you to think about the way every single day you are seriously supporting other women to lift them up. Are you buying from women entrepreneurs first and foremost? Are you showing up at female sporting events to fill the seats? Are you encouraging your young nieces or granddaughters to think about becoming a leader in her own roles in school or sports? Are you supporting political movements that strengthen and not weaken women’s rights and issues? Men aren’t going to change the world for women – women must do this for women.
1973 was 34 years ago and yet it feels like yesterday when you are reminded of the “Battle of the Sexes.” What are you going to purposely do today, tomorrow and the next day to lift up women?
A Monday Morning Business Marketing Reminder For Entrepreneurs
Marketing Monday Motivation for Entrepreneurs, Women Business Owners and Small Business Owners
Today I want to share a story which taught me something simple, yet strong about marketing to help you explain your business to women recruits, potential sponsors and others especially at upcoming events and social scenarios.
I sat in a winged back paisley chair facing another one occupied with a lovely woman with a British accent. I wondered where this complimentary 20 minute marketing discussion was going to go. Her first question out of the gate was, “Tell me the mission of your company in 15 seconds.” As I spoke her crystal blue eyes looked slightly confused. I thought I nailed the mission statement my intern and I had worked on diligently for a couple days in our office. My new British friend did not think so.
“Say it again Tracy but in a more simple sentence,” she said. Okay I responded, “I help women entrepreneurs increase their revenue potential by allowing them to use my 20 year marketing platform.” Her crystal blue eyes just stared at me intently and then I heard, “That was better. Remember to keep it simple and concise so people understand immediately what you can do for them.” Her cool stare alone imprinted that statement in my mind.
Business women love to embellish their mission statements because it’s the way we converse. I’m guilty of adorning my written and spoken words with descriptions to provide emotion. I learned from my British friend not to emote a simple mission statement. It should be delivered succinctly, concisely and quickly. There is no room for mumble, jumble language explaining an organization’s mission.
As I walked away feeling slightly scorned, considerably enlightened and grateful for the 20 minute crash course, I realized it is impossible to know enough about a business subject. I consider myself a marketing expert in many ways but this experience demonstrated I still need to keep learning.
Remember as a new or mature entrepreneur you do not know everything there is about certain business topics, that’s why it is essential to keep learning. Whether you sit down with an English woman for 20 minutes, attend an educational program at a special event or listen to a tutorial online for an hour, realize there is always more to learn in business to make you more successful in your endeavor.
Vibrant, Powerful Cooperation Leads to Business Success
Wednesday Wisdom, Inspiration, Advice for Women, Women Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners
When I finally got home from a long day of appointments, I noticed a shining glimmer across from my house on the rich, green farmland. The yellow light drew me out of my car and over to the other side of the road to take a photo to capture the essence of the moment. It was too beautiful to ignore. The light felt as if it was a gift for my decision at the start of the day to lift the spirits of as many people I saw. Sometimes I challenge myself to be someone’s sunshine in a day.
About a half hour earlier I left a bustling office full of young twenty year old volunteers, blue and yellow signs and a nervous, yet optimistic energy about the day. The phones were ringing. People were speaking with strangers encouraging them to vote. Older volunteers stop by me to grab a cup of coffee and say a few words. The hustle and bustle of that office in the hour and a half I was there was upbeat. I was witnessing collaboration at its very best – when people from different parts of life come together with one common goal.
What I realized about collaboration last night was how people are willing to mutually align with others because the cause and outcome of their joint efforts are important to their beliefs and future. As Hillary Clinton once said, “It takes a village to raise a child;” it also takes a many people working cooperatively towards a common end to change the community.
Collaboration is the main reason this year’s 9th Inspiring Success Retreat has a one year twist on it and renamed “POWER.” Women from different business backgrounds, sizes, products, services, revenue figures, and years in business will be intertwined for a day in one common place with one common message of working together better to make this region of New York State the most productive and successful for women business owners. We need your individual presence there to make this event work the way it is intended.
Today’s Wednesday Wisdom is to remind you as the bright sunlight comes through your window as you work or drive today to realize business life could be better when you come together with other women to move everyone’s business forward. Gone are the days when competition was the best way to survive and thrive in business; because we know better than that. Let today be a new dawn for you in this area of your life.
Remember to let the sunshine in, soak up its glorious rays, fill your spirit with the sense that you are not alone in entrepreneurship, but rather a part of a vibrant group of women working together towards one common goal of success for all.
My Peaceful 9/11 Tribute About Fear and Freedom
Inspiration and Wisdom about Fear and Freedom this 9/11 Anniversary
As the beautiful old Christopher Columbus sailing vessel replica took off from Battery Park, the sun shone brightly across the New York City harbor. I’ve loved sailing since I was young growing up on a lake when I would take my sunfish out by myself to catch some air and peace of mind. It was just like Christopher Cross’s song, “Sailing takes me away to where I’ve always heard it could be. Just a dream and the wind to carry me and soon I will be free…” I wanted to give my sons a taste of that freedom after a long work week.
Fear has a way of stopping you in your tracks sometimes. As we set off on our sail with the brilliance of the sparkling sunlight hitting the new Freedom Tower erected after the #September11 attacks where I lost my good friend Dan Brandhorst in second plane that hit the second tower, I didn’t feel anymore fear like I did for years after the tragedy. I felt peace glancing at the tower upon this beautiful sailing vessel. Perhaps it was a gift from my friend who I’ve honored the past 16 years.
My oldest son turned to me and said, “Mom, you know we are going right past the Statue of Liberty don’t you?” I cringed at the thought since that statue has always frightened me since visiting it up close when I was young. I know it is a crazy fear but fear is illogical. As the warm breezes greeted my face with my two sons at my side, they made someone take a photo of us in front of Lady Liberty dissolving my fear. The love of others in moments of fear can help dissipate the emotion.
I thought I would need more than one cocktail to get me through the September 11, 2001 visions in my mind or the great size of Lady Liberty but instead as my sons chatted to each other, I embraced the feeling of peace hearing the lapping water, feeling the breeze in my hair and warmth on my face and the realization that fear can be overcome in a simple sailboat trip in a harbor. Your heart has to be open to receive the blessing and your mind ready to move forward.
So today I am grateful for my friendship with Dan Brandhorst, my love for water and sailing and my sons who with their presence elevated my spirits during the meaningful trip. Just like song said, “The wind will carry me and soon I will be free.” #NeverForget
Wednesday Wisdom: Teamwork in Business Leads to Success
Wednesday Wisdom for women entrepreneurs, female business owners, small businesses
The new dance partners sashayed out to center stage on Good Morning America as the network promotes the 25th Anniversary of the award winning show. When you glance at the pairings contemplation begins on who will be the best teammates eventually winning the coveted mirror ball trophy. The winning team in this scenario involves who works best together improving their dance skills and moving the voters until the final show.
As the new Syracuse University Women’s Basketball season begins with teammates practicing drills, passing to each other and creating successful plays, teamwork once again will be the deciding factor of whether the women’s basketball team goes to post season play. Winning in sports as a team means gifted players in the right positions complimenting each other to create winning games. The better the team works together individually and collectively decides their fate.
Entrepreneurship provides team mentality too. Staff members become a woman entrepreneur‘s assistants in completing work. Reliable vendors offering competitive pricing and stellar service become a part of a winning business. Finding like-minded woman entrepreneurs, in similar or differing industries, also showcases teamwork as they work cooperatively towards a common goal.
This year The POWER event, more than any event we have produced before, will display teamwork throughout the day especially when two non-profit organization leaders share collective marketing advice on how they work together to market each other’s organizations in a limited fundraising market. They find success highlighting each other’s non-profit agencies while both working towards a common goal of helping families facing cancer issues.
Today’s Wednesday Wisdom should inspire you to think how your business survives and thrives on teamwork in the office, with a board of supporters or within the community of like minded businesses. Could you be doing more to foster new partnerships and team members? Who would be part of your “dream team?” Could someone you know bring exposure to your company while your business returns the same favor?
In order for the Dancing with the Stars couples, Syracuse University Women’s Basketball team or Central New York women entrepreneurs to “win,” we must acknowledge we can’t do it alone. Today is the day to start dreaming and creating a stronger team.
“Back to Business” Special Marketing Ideas for Women Entrepreneurs
Business advice and entrepreneurial marketing tips for women entrepreneurs and female business owners
In the United States, the day after Labor Day means school starts for children age 5-18. College aged sons and daughters made their trek to their higher education institutions a week ago. All the advertising on television, newspapers and radio talked about “Back to School Specials” hoping to land attention and sales.
For the women who now juggle their children’s school schedules, work, volunteer responsibilities and additional family duties, on top of their own businesses, finding time to market their companies can be overwhelming along with their other duties. Somehow we think customers will just find us because we exist but in a world of thousands of communication messages, it is up to us to produce eye catching specials to attract business.
Here are a few “Back to Business” Specials you could implement this month:
* Plan – Pull out your calendar and plan marketing topics or themes from now until December 31st. Create some “themed” business specials, events or even community service events for your staff, customers and prospects to participate in together or volunteer events you can do as a group. Create good will and good feelings at events to create more loyalty.
* Produce – Produce a flyer to advertise some of these monthly events. Be creative on your flyers with quotes from members, images from past runs, holiday clip art, inspirational quotes, etc. Use Constant Contact for example to create a communications template to send monthly. Hire a graphic designer if you don’t have artistic talents.
* Distribute – Dispense the calendars the good ole fashion way – printed – to your current clients, associates, staff and board members with additional copies to distribute to any of their acquaintances to invite to special events as an additional sales tool.
* Post – Post the creative flyers or monthly schedule on your Facebook page. Tell followers to inquire about distributing flyers to their own circle of friends. If you ask for help you will find it.
Sometimes, it takes a “tribe” to create awareness of a business. Summon your tribe and seek their help in promoting your business and activities. The more invested clients and staff are in the organization, the more leaders you’ll find to help share the word about your business.
Women TIES 