Wednesday Wisdom: What’s Your Great Story
Inspiration, Wednesday Wisdom, Motivation For Women, Women Entrepreneurs
| When I first saw a button with the words “Live a Great Story” I was with a group of women entrepreneurs in my hometown region. The button was given to us by the leader of a beautiful outdoor retreat in a park I frequented with my parents in my childhood. The location took me back in time. The button made me trace my footsteps in life from that very locale to the present day. I asked myself, “Have I lived a great story the past 50 years?” |
| Like in chapter books, some parts of the story are wonderful, and others challenging. The chapters string together, peppered with good and sad, easy and hard, with lessons and just being. For the majority of my life, my story has been great. I have been blessed even with setbacks because everyone has them. No one is free from despair, adversities, and struggle over their life span. |
| But the button for me meant, “Are you living a great story in light of those setbacks?” I answered yes. Even without hair and the loss of self-identity, I found a better bald life through sports which continues to empower me even though I wish I looked the same as I did for fifty years. The truth is none of us look the same after fifty years so why should baldness lead to one not living a great story? |
| Women entrepreneurs live great stories every day they turn on their office lights, greet clients, accept new challenges, add new services, and delete unwanted ones. We also live great stories by sharing our news, meeting other like-minded women business owners, taking new classes, embarking on business trips, and keeping the mission we set. Great stories don’t have to be epic; they can be regular, consistent happiness in daily doings. |
| Because I believe so much in the line “Live a Great Story,” I am now representing the brand as an ambassador hoping the mission emboldens other women to take just one more step into the unknown to make their story even greater. You can buy wearables to publicly share your message with the world and embolden others you meet on your journey. |
| Today’s Wednesday Wisdom reminds you that you have only one life to live, let it be great. By great, I mean whatever “great” means for you. Perhaps it isn’t so much about living a great business story as it is a great personal story. If you have the positivity of a good life, share it with others who might need your example. Sharing a button or sticker with them, changing their perspective, and wearing the brand could lead you to a more positive outlook on life as well. |
| The link to my “Live a Great Story” page, which is opening soon, and gives you a discount on anything you purchase, is here. Tell or show me what you get so we can do a sport together, walk, enjoy a coffee, or simply meet to “live a great story together.” |
Ending a Business Love Story
Inspiration, Motivation, Questions to Ponder for Women Entrepreneurs, Female Business Owners
Sticking with tradition, I handed out white surveys to our guests. The survey wasn’t formal with many questions, but a short one with seven basic ones. The questions included date, time, length, weight, hair color and amount, and name; along with the person’s name and phone number to text them if they won the exciting Dunkin & Donuts $25 gift card prize.
The survey was given to men and women at the “Baby Girl Higgy Pool Party and Shower” we threw to gather loved ones and friends to celebrate the upcoming birth of our first grandchild, a girl, due August 6th. As a three-decade event planner, it was fun to use my planning, decorating, cooking, and hosting skills for a personal event decked out in my favorite color pink.
When I chose the date I thought my granddaughter might be delivered on the survey, I said, “August 8” as the date rang a bell in my mind. 8/8/1995 was the date I became a female entrepreneur, choosing the date due to its repetitive numbers. Later I would choose 3/3/2005 as my second company’s birthdate.
When I created my first company, Five Star Events on August 8, 1995, I was still employed with two young sons who I wanted to be with full-time and still earn money so entrepreneurship became my new career in the dawn of work-at-home entrepreneurial mothers and it was a decision I have never regretted over 30 years.
The question that befalls me now with my first granddaughter on her way and my company mostly retired from events, is whether I should choose 8/8 to officially close the LLC or to keep it viable longer so I can still be hired by other companies as an independent contractor and use the legal coverage if I still invite women to do athletic events with me. I never dreamed of ending my company when I started it like most other female business owners.
Today’s blog post isn’t filled with as much wisdom as I would like to give you on this topic since it is new to me. Perhaps today you can send me your thoughts on the best way to end my entrepreneurial love story. You might have the insight, I don’t have on what to do and when. If there is one thing I know for certain after being surrounded by thousands of smart women over the decades the answer lies with someone if you just ask.
As August 6th approaches, I will be focused on the birth of not only my granddaughter but the birth of my entrepreneurial venture that has led me to run two successful companies which opened doors to meeting the most amazing women I’ve ever met. Is there still time for me to do more or do I sail into the sunset with my bundle of pink in my arms? I welcome your thoughts.
Fourth of July Inspiration, Women Entrepreneurs, Females, Wednesday Wisdom
| “I haven’t ever liked the word feminist,” a woman said to me as I explained a funny story my son told his third-grade teacher calling me a feminist to her. “Why don’t you like it?” I asked. She replied, “It means you don’t like men and put them down;” I answered, “No that isn’t it at all. I love men but am pro-female trying to help women in all areas of inequality, especially in business and sports.” |
| I proceeded to give her examples of what I say and do hoping she will understand better: |
| * When I go to a car dealership to buy a new car, I specifically ask for their female car salesperson who can get the commission because we don’t have a pay equality law yet. Women traditionally get paid less than men. |
| * I am a survivor of #MeToo and support every female’s right to her own body and decisions about it. |
| * If I attend an SU Men’s Basketball Game, I commit to attending an SU Women’s Basketball Game. Women need fans as much as men do. They also need the revenue and exposure for NIL deals similar to men. |
| * On primary day, I voted for the female on the ballot because I knew she understands what females need when it comes to legislation better than her male counterpart. We need more females making policy decisions with us in mind. |
| * 120 women rode on two Women TIES buses to the Women’s March in DC in 2017, not to protest the new president, but to remind him that women make up 52% of the population and we stand up for our rights. |
| In light of this week’s Supreme Court decision and a fear that a convicted felon and rapist will possibly take over the reins of our beautiful democracy again, and as the Fourth of July reminds us, freedom can be fleeting, I vow to be more vocal about my personal and political beliefs even if it decreases my reader or follower numbers. |
| I have written these Wednesday Wisdom blogs since 2005, dedicated to inspiring, educating, and promoting women. I will continue to do that but with the stakes high this November, I pledge to report on more female platform issues we must be aware of before election day. |
| Today’s Wednesday Wisdom invites you to consider the mantra I lay before you below in italics. Please think about yourself, your daughters, granddaughters, nieces, and future female relatives when you have to decide, say, buy, or vote on something that benefits women in the future. If you have news or events you want me to attend with you or promote related to this topic, please send it to me and invite other women along with you. We are most powerful in numbers. |
| I honestly believe the only way the world will change for women is if women change the world for women. It is up to us. Happy Independence Day 2024. |
Wednesday Wisdom: Green Spaces in the Workplace
Inspiration, Wednesday Wisdom for Women Entrepreneurs, Female Business Owners
| Standing forty stories above West 60 Street in Manhattan, we had a panoramic view of iconic structures including St. Paul’s Church, the Dakota Building where John Lennon died, Fordham University, and the magnificent Lincoln Center. Sprinkled between these historical buildings, and even on top of the buildings where we were perched, were green spaces, gardens, and trees for residents to enjoy. |
| Also within our aerial view were playgrounds, a soccer field and basketball court, trees on top of other shorter buildings, and the grand Central Park. If you blocked out the mirrored, brick, or concrete high-rises, you would think you were in a residential area anywhere in America. |
| Realizing how much New York City has grown on me since both sons have lived there for a decade, it’s really within these natural nooks and crannies of the urban landscape that make me realize how special the Big Apple is for people who reside there. City planners have taken into consideration the need for humans working in a steel landscape to have the ability to immerse themselves in nature even if they are dotted within the city grid. |
| Thinking back to volunteering at Upstate Hospital this winter, they also had chapels, serenity spots, and outside courtyards for patients, visitors, or staff to rest and escape the cement walls to experience calm, nature, and peace. Although the busy hospital cafeteria was buzzing consistently, people seeking solace found alcoves to tuck into when they needed . |
| Today’s Wednesday Wisdom asks you if you seek out quiet places, nature, parks, or patios to gather yourself or center your thoughts during busy days and times. Do you have special rooms or outside areas for yourself or your staff to relax and enjoy during their breaks? How important is stillness and quietness to get through a workday? Could more harmony lead to better productivity? What sounds, sights, smells, or touches could you add to make your workplace a more serene haven? |
| If you aren’t sure where to start creating something special, walk outside on the next beautiful summer day, pause and notice what you see and feel, and write it down or draw it out. Also pay attention to what you hear – birds, chimes, water flowing – for more inspiration to bring to your workplace setting. |
| Please consider making a special place in your work environment to experience the same calm that New Yorkers find right outside or inside their workplaces or living spaces even in a metropolis of millions. Peace equals productivity. |
Wednesday Wisdom: Girl Spirit = Women Spirit
Wednesday Wisdom, Inspiration for Women, Female Entrepreneurs, Girls
| It was 95 degrees as I approached the field ready to referee girl’s lacrosse for the first time without shadowing my instructor. The heat dome over the northeast was firmly in place and the sun was baking people like humans do blueberry muffins for brunch. Never someone to complain about the weather and dressed in all black from head to toe, I was ready for this attempt at something new. |
| Suddenly, I was amidst rosy-cheeked seven- and eight-year-old girls with their eye gear, game shirts, and pink lacrosse sticks all rearing to play. Their parents made mention of the hot conditions, but not the girls. They were too excited to be around friends and play the game. |
| Even though I didn’t look like the girls playing, I was as new to the game and my role as they were. Girl’s lacrosse has more rules than boy’s lacrosse, which I didn’t know until I signed up to referee the girls to demonstrate that women could referee and support the women’s game. So there I was not getting my whistles and hand motions correct at 59-years-old feeling like a 7-year-old learning to ride a bike for the first time. |
| After one goal, I went up to the goalie who looked at me sadly as she handed me the ball and said, “I’m not good at this,” her brown eyes staring up at me. I responded, “I’m not very good at whistling either.” She smiled slightly, and then I said, “Stick with it, you are doing great. Keep trying!” After that, she stopped more goals, and every time I got the ball from her, I told her how awesome she was, getting bigger grins from her every time. |
| All of my readers are grown women, perhaps distant from their girlie spirit, but we can relate to the little goalie. We often say to ourselves, “I’m not very good at this, maybe I’ll give up.” And maybe, like that little girl, all we need is another woman to say to us, “I’m not good at everything either, let’s keep working and supporting each other,” smiling at each other and knowing how they feel. |
| Today’s Wednesday Wisdom is to remind you that girls who have grown up to be women still have trepidation in new areas of their lives, and female business owners face the same anxiety every time they branch out, produce new services, take financial risks, change direction, or have to deal with technologies. Inside all of us grown girls lies the heart, spirit, and need for others to support us with a word of hope, belief, or confidence. Don’t forget that the next time you see someone who could use your words or support. |
| I left the lacrosse field soaked three hours later and joyful after acknowledging my limitations to my fellow referees as they told me to keep up my efforts. I realized they did the same thing for me, as I did for the goalie. Human praise and acknowledgment cut through any dampening thoughts. Bring light to others and you’ll receive it yourself. |
Wednesday Wisdom: Passion Projects
Wednesday Wisdom, Inspiration, Motivation for Women Entrepreneurs, Female Business Owners
| The grey, drizzly morning couldn’t dampen my mood as I reminisced to this past winter when a mother in the Golisano Children’s Hospital Cancer wing, told me her daughter had just received her first chemotherapy treatment when I entered her room to see if she wanted any toys or books. As the eight-year-old girl with a shaven head, looked sheepishly at me from under her blanket, I softly smiled at her hoping she felt my empathy. She ducked back underneath quickly. |
| Later that same morning, I was visiting another child and ended up in his room as he asked his doctor, “Why can’t anyone cure cancer?” I tried to be invisible as the doctor conversed with him. All I was there to do was bring him some games to play with and ginger ale. His mother thanked me as I quietly left. |
| These precious, yet difficult, real-life insights made running in Paige’s Butterfly Run, a must this year. I ran it in 2014 but haven’t been back, only donating money each year to the fundraiser. This year, having volunteered with children with cancer, I had to run. How hard was a 3.1-mile run in the drizzle to raise awareness and money for pediatric cancer? |
| After the run, my husband and I went to support the Uticuse Women’s Rugby “Ruck Cancer” Tournament where buying a t-shirt, raffle tickets, and food, went into a fund supporting a member in the rugby community dealing with cancer. The action took a small-time commitment, a short drive, and cash, to watch, buy, and think of how someone in need would be helped. |
| When tragedy or illness strikes individuals, families, and communities, the best of its citizens generously help and support them. Many of the best-known non-profit organizations, locally and nationally, were started due to misfortune. But that misfortune combined with a vision, hope, action, and resources, can create positive ripple effects for generations to come, just like Paige’s Butterfly Run has raised over 5 million dollars since its inception. |
| Today’s Wednesday Wisdom hopefully motivates you to take a tragedy in your community, workplace connections, or personal life and turn it into one of those positive ripple effects. If you don’t have anything immediate that has occurred, maybe think about the type of change you want to help make out of personal passion or your corporate mission, and start something on your own; or start reaching out to non-profits in your area to see how to align with them and their efforts. |
| Sometimes the simplest way to create change is to get involved, show you care, and help in any small or big way to make a current or future difference. Life and business are about giving as much as we can when we can. Your heart will be full when you do. |
Tuesday Thoughts, Wisdom, Life Lessons for Women, Women Entrepreneurs, Women in Sports
There I was centerfield in a muddy patch with two teenage girls with my hands clamping their lacrosse sticks together. Their sticks needed to be the same height, straight, with the ball in between their nets equally. With my whistle in my mouth and my arm raised, I yelled “Ready!” and instead of backing away three steps away from the draw, I blew my whistle and the lacrosse sticks and ball came jutting up into my face.
I saw looks of slight terror on the girl’s faces and other players on the field, as well as the coaches on the sideline. I said, “My mistake, I’m new. Sorry, let’s try this again,” as my lip bled and I wondered if I chipped my front teeth. Thankfully my whistle prevented that. As the second draw went off smoothly, this old dog learned her lesson. Don’t blow your whistle until you are out of the way.
No one asked if I was okay, probably to minimize my embarrassment. As the game ended and I headed to my car, I stopped at the slushie tent to buy and suck on the flavored ice on my way home. “How dumb, Tracy,” I heard myself say as my lips touched the flavored ice. Maybe you are too old to learn and referee a new sport.
As I drove home, my youngest son, an avid lacrosse player, called me to ask how the games went. I told him what happened. He said, “Mom, don’t give up. I’m proud of you for doing this!” I thought back to the times I said the same thing to him during his lacrosse years from youth to college. “Okay, honey. I won’t.” Trying anything new, especially a new career as a 59-year-old woman, who retired from her company after two decades, will take patience. My brain might not work quite as fast as it did giving sage advice to women in business, because I’m learning new rules, lessons, and experiences. If we can tell our children, not to give up, and to keep trying after an incident, then we can give ourselves some grace too.
Everyone is learning something new every day if they are living a good life. Perfection doesn’t happen in the blink of a minute or in my case at the sound of a whistle. It takes time to hone new skills no matter what age we are. When they say, “You can’t teach an old dog, new tricks,” I’m hoping the adage is wrong because I plan on getting back on the field and trying refereeing girl’s lacrosse again, this time wiser than I was at the last game.
Wednesday Wisdom: Pride Month for Entrepreneurs
Wednesday Wisdom, Ideas, Inspiration for Women Entrepreneurs, Small Businesses
| “I just want to be who I am,” someone said. It has been my sentiment too since becoming bald five years ago. ‘Coming out’ as a bald woman due to alopecia meant letting go of what I thought others thought of me. |
| With rainbow flags flying everywhere in June to mark Pride Month, reminds me of when my cousin ‘came out’ to our family years ago. Even though Ellen DeGeneres had spoken the words, “I’m gay” publicly, not everyone embraced her or the gay community because she made the announcement. Coming out for many people has taken years, and some don’t ever come out for many reasons. |
| I remember being so worried about what I looked like after losing my hair that crossing my road to get the mail made me run to the mailbox hoping a car wouldn’t see me ‘nude’ (aka bald). They probably didn’t know or care what I looked like, but I did. It mattered to me what others thought – even strangers in a car. So, I can only imagine how difficult it is to come out as an LGBTQIA with so many societal biases. |
| The person who touched my heart most about “Pride” was a 14-year-old trans girl on a DC subway sitting next to me coming back from the Women’s March in 2017. She was carrying a pride flag and shared her story with me. She was there to speak up for her rights proudly – trans girl’s rights – in hopes it would make it easier for others someday. I told her to keep speaking up and believing in herself. “I will,” she said as she waved and smiled at me jumping off at her stop. |
| Life isn’t always easy. Everyone has a personal story, an issue, a problem, and an insecurity they deal with. It is not up to us to judge others but to care. |
| Today’s Wednesday Wisdom, during this month dedicated to Pride, is to ask you to be compassionate to all your customers, staff, friends, neighbors, and people you meet who are wearing rainbows this month. If you are a supporter, consider flying a rainbow flag at your door, putting a symbol on your website or social media marketing sites, or offering discounts to the Pride community, to show you support the cause. It might be a nice way to develop a different type of brand image for those looking for a sign. |
| I must admit I don’t have a rainbow hat to wear over my bald head to show I care about the LGBTQIA community. I try to do that by getting involved in their sporting communities sharing news and treating them with love and compassion, but I think I’ll order one today and wear it more often. Love is love. |
Wednesday Wisdom: Next Steps
Wednesday Wisdom, Inspiration, Motivation for Women Entrepreneurs, Female Business Owners
| As the sun rose over our pond and light filled the screen porch with a golden glow, my 22-year-old niece, a recent college graduate, sat having coffee with me. Having a few minutes together after throwing her a Memorial Day Graduation Party, I asked, “How do you think you’ll succeed in your next stage of education in graduate school since you did so well as an undergraduate?” She said, “I’ll do the same thing I did for four years, dive right into my studies and work diligently for two more years to get my Master’s Degree and then decide if I want to stay at the college to get my Ph.D. after that.” |
| I was amazed at the clarity of her succession plans. She succeeded in high school and college and planned on doing it again in the next stages of her career plan. She’s always been a confident girl, but this time I saw her differently as a smart, mature woman with a plan to branch out while continuing her work in and on the ocean. |
| I was not like her after completing a Bachelor’s Degree. Going right into a Master’s program wasn’t a natural decision and surely a Ph.D. wasn’t on my horizon like it seems today for graduates. I felt lucky to get an undergraduate degree and eventually half a Master’s Degree, only because my employer paid for tuition, once I started my career in higher education. |
| I returned to take more business courses once I became an entrepreneur because I needed it and knew it was a natural step to succeed. Online courses, Zoom programs, and in-person conferences helped my intellectual prowess as a business owner. “Never stop learning,” is a truthful quote. |
| On June 5, you have a chance to learn insights from 100 women who share their wisdom in business to help propel you forward in the next step in yours. The new book “Women Mean Business”, co-authored by Andi Simon, Ph.D., asks you to consider these critical questions: Where are you going? Who can help you get there? How can you achieve and embrace the best possible outcome? How can you remain resilient? |
| As I begin refereeing women’s lacrosse periodically, to combine leadership, sports, and an interest in helping women’s athletics, I realize this next step is just a progression of a part of my career – helping women, leading, staying active, and hopefully inspiring from the field. |
| Today’s Wednesday Wisdom encourages you to think about your perception, action, or next step in your business or career. Are you good at taking the next step to improve your life or career? Are you too scared to move to the following place in your journey? What holds you back? What could propel you forward? If you are stuck, please join us on June 5th and hopefully get inspired by other women’s suggestions. |
| As my niece learns how to map the ocean floor in her next degree (photo above), I’ll be inspired by her actions to lean into my next steps on the field. Will you be joining us? |
Wednesday Wisdom: Divine Timing
Wednesday Wisdom, Inspiration, Motivation for Women Entrepreneurs, Female Business Owners
| I woke this beautiful warm spring morning to a message from a dear friend who is traveling in my favorite state of Maine where memories of my father lie in the seashore’s sand, ocean waves, and tall mighty pine trees. Having never been to this region of the country, I shared with her some of my favorite places including a Franciscan Monastery with walking trails and an outdoor sanctuary to Mother Mary, a favorite restaurant overlooking the sea marsh with exceptional lobster bisque, and a winding trail next to a harbor I run every morning on my vacations. |
| My friend is a gifted intuitive woman who vibrates energetically at my same level. Several years ago I asked her to conduct a special visioning session she does with clients to help me see into my spirit and future. During the session, I witnessed myself doing things in the future related to my business and life I had not thought of before. Only within this contemplative journey did I see something to look for. This morning she sent me a sign from Maine related to that visual session that reminded me when seeds are sown in our minds, they eventually spring into action. |
| Writing a business plan is another contemplative tool for women entrepreneurs to use especially as they begin their companies or are in the midst of one as the business road curves and winds. With a business plan, the entrepreneur must also envision, create, and vocalize their intentions into a document to remember what they have seen and want to plan. Typing out a commerce document isn’t nearly as fun as delving into the depths of a mind to extract a vision but it can be especially this time of year when we witness the bald earth growing its grass in the beauty of the warming air and sun reminding us our positive thoughts produce outcomes. |
| I am sure today you want to abandon desk work to be outside and embrace this beautiful day. I suggest if you do contemplate the vision you hold for your future, take a pad of paper and pen and write down what you see leaving the computer behind. Sometimes going back to basics like holding a pen and seeing our handwriting injects ideas more solidly into our minds. Sitting or strolling in nature’s elements can also open creative and intuitive vibes ready to be felt, seen, and heard to remind us of dreams we have inside. Abandon the traditional way you work today to take in the beauty of the day and its gifts. |
| Today’s Wednesday Wisdom is to remind you the seeds you plant today will sprout shortly if you take time to nurture them. Take a minute and think back to a time when a dream or vision for your business turned into reality. Perhaps the outcome didn’t sprout right up or develop as fast as planned, but it did in its own time. I refer to that as “divine timing.” It happens in both our personal and business lives if we let it. |
| Perhaps today find time to acknowledge the perfect timing of a dream or goal when it arrives one morning unexpectedly. Like me, you’ll be enriched when it appears reminding you to trust in yourself and what life has in store. |
Women TIES 