As I’m preparing to wind down for a couple of weeks, I can’t help but reflect upon the past year. 2011 has been, well… one of the most interesting years of my life.
There were highs:
We took the kids to Disney World for the first time (it was my first time too).
The plane ride home
In January, I was named to the coveted list of The Top 20 Women in Canada.
After over a year with lawyers and trademarking, I officially got the gold stamp of approval in the mail yesterday. Yes, Women On The Fence is now a REGISTERED TRADEMARK.
Serious stuff. 
But now, reality check– onto making sure my son’s bowling birthday party today with 25 of his four and five year old friends is all organized. That seems harder than work.
I am thrilled and excited to announce that I will be the Brand Ambassador for Our Generation Dolls.
When I heard about this line for girls, I knew I was the right person to represent this brand and showcase it to my large audience of women and moms who have daughters, nieces, granddaughters and great granddaughters of their own.
A spokesperson for collectible dolls, you might ask? Well, these aren’t just any dolls. They have a unique and inspirational message to share.
Instead of putting it into my own words, I think the Our Generation Dolls (OG Dolls) story speaks best for itself.
By Guest Blogger Jon Gordon
Like most people, I have failed more times than I care to remember. I’ve struck out playing baseball, I’ve failed to win the client, I’ve lost the big opportunity at work, I’ve had to close two of my restaurants, I lost my race for city council of Atlanta when I was 26, I was fired once, I was once a month away from bankruptcy, I was initially rejected by over 100 publishers, I’ve made mistakes as a parent and boss and the list goes on and on and on.
Yet, when I look back, I realize that every failure has moved me forward. Every failure taught me a lesson and made me stronger, wiser and better. I failed many times, but I failed forward (I first heard this term from John Maxwell).
I told you last week I was given an award for ‘Outstanding Achievement in Leadership’ for my volunteer work in my community. Here is a memory of that night.
I have been a volunteer for numerous organizations since the age of 18. I taught the elderly how to exercise in wheelchairs. I volunteered for years (up until I got pregnant) in the Emergency Department at the local hospital, bringing warm blankets to patients, or showing a fearful wife whose husband just had a heart attack, what room she can find him in. I have organized business cocktails, women’s luncheon’s, galas, mentored entrepreneurs, and worked with mentally ill children in the psychiatric ward at the hospital.
I’ve got it ladies. I’ve got my first case of writer’s block.
Ack!!
The best I can do today is declare a day off, and return when the fog lifts.
Got any cures?
xoxEDxox
My hubby was on “Daddy duty” this past Sunday during our yearly women’s luncheon for Breast Cancer Research: “Women of Action, Pink Lady Fund.” Each year, three outstanding women in our community are honored for their accomplishments and tireless dedication to their work and community, and for being “a woman of action.” Six hundred women strong attend. The highlight of the event, is always the guest speaker. The event is only a few years old, but over the past few years, we have seen the likes of Marianne Pearl (who was portrayed by Angelina Jolie in the movie A Mighty Heart), Margaret Trudeau (former wife of our former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, who suffered with mental illness), and Jeannette Walls (author of the best-selling book, The Glass Castle).
This year, we did things a little differently. We didn’t bring in a woman who had been beaten, captured, or suffered from mental illness. We simply brought in a powerhouse with a great story. No, a lovely woman, with a great story. I had the pleasure of meeting Sheri Salata, President of Harpo Studios and The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) for the second time in only a month. And 600 women in my community also had the pleasure of listening to a true woman of action.
At The Oprah Winfrey Conference in Atlanta, last month
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