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Posts Tagged ‘women of action’

The ‘Secret Sauce’ To Becoming a Woman of Action – With Sheri Salata

Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011

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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To Stay Or Leave – An Abusive Relationship

Monday, December 7th, 2009

Yesterday was a fun-filled day of parties for my family. We had my neighbor’s holiday party, followed by my son’s school holiday party. There were chocolates, candy, pinyatas and good festive fun. My hubby was on “Daddy duty” all day, because I had my 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 women of action.” 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).

Angeline Jolie in A Mighty Heart

Angeline Jolie in A Mighty Heart

Each year, the stories get better and better, and are exceptionally moving. This year was no different. I knew we were going to be hearing speaker Leslie Morgan Steiner, author of Mommy Wars and Crazy Love. I had not read her books, and only briefly read her story. I knew that she had graduated from two ivy league schools (Harvard and Wharton). A smart, beautiful woman with a  career on the rise. Brought up in a financially comfortable and loving family. She had the world by the tail… that is, until she married a violently abusive man and entered into a life of hell for four years .

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EnchantedMakeovers.org – Off The Fence and Making A Difference

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

When deciding what to write about today, I opted to bring a human interest story to you, my wonderful readers. You know how I feel about all things WOMAN. I love discussing all the issues that women of all ages face, and this story touched me deep in my gut. I hope after reading about an incredible woman and her story, Terry Grahl and her organization Enchanted Makeovers, you will be just as inspired as I was. Her energy and passion literally jumped out of the phone, and I had to pass her story on to all of you. Enjoy!

Terry Grahl

Terry Grahl

On January 15, 2007, Terry received a call from a gentleman asking for help. He was the black tie event coordinator from a local shelter. He said, “We would be so grateful even if you just painted one wall.” Terry, an award-winning interior decorator, was fearful of going. She really didn’t know what to expect. She had never been to a shelter. She decided to go and see how how perhaps she could volunteer in some way, with her expertise in design.

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