Events

"The joint was jumpin,'” as they say, at this morning's Multicultural Women's National Conference. A singing group treated the audience to a nontraditional warmup, and we all found ourselves dancing at 8:45am. What fun!

Carol Evans, President of Working Mother Media, is a pioneer and good friend of mine.  After conceiving the idea for the conference over a decade ago, Carol worked relentlessly with Bette Spence (the president of NAFE) and others to make it happen. The purpose of the conference is to deal creatively with issues facing diverse women and break down barriers to their success. This year, the dialogue focused on changes we can create during the next decade, as well as what strategies we can put in place to make them happen.

Denise Morrison (the CEO of Campbell Soup Company) was a featured speaker. When I asked how women can think bigger for themselves, Denise encouraged women to "have a vision, explore their dreams, and create a plan to achieve them." Rosalyn Taylor O'Neale (Campbell's VP and Chief Diversity Officer), who led the conversation with Denise, added that women need to be connected to what they feel passionate about. Much to Rosalyn's surprise, she was later crowned “Mother of the Year”! 

Thank you to Carol and all others involved for putting on such a wonderful event.

And to all of us marvelous women who are fighting the good fight!

If you caught our video feature on Ruthie Davis and her studded footwear (and star-studded clientele), you already know that Ruthie's confidence is infectious—and her wise perspective on the ups and downs of business is perhaps her most striking feature of all. Have a peek at some behind-the-scenes photos from our video shoot, or scroll down to find out how you can win one of Ruthie's designer handbags for yourself.

Ruthie's showroom, featuring a sneak peek at some of next season's styles. (Feathered chandeliers will also be huge this fall. Mark our words.)

Shoes on shoes (on shoes on shoes on shoes). Which style is your favorite?

Designer slash...foot model? Ruthie multitasks to fill the needs on set.

The shoot's unofficial mascot.

Craving some glamour of your own? Ruthie Davis has generously agreed to donate an oversized clutch purse like the one pictured above to one lucky reader. To enter, like our Facebook page and leave a comment telling us what makes you feel confident (a song, red lipstick, a lucky charm—whatever!). We'll select a random winner at 5pm EST on Thursday, June 28. Good luck, glamazons!

—Photos by Amy Stringer

It’s National Small Business Week! When it comes to business, we often think on a macro scale, of huge corporations and political regulations beyond our control. But making positive change in business is as much about improving the local community as it is about lobbying for national issues.

From left: Mark Jaffe, Jeffrey Carr, Karin Abarbanel, Buck Buchanan.

Last Tuesday, I attended the Hartford’s press conference and panel, "Taking the Pulse of Small Business." One of the panelists was Buck Buchanan, the owner of Lumpy’s Ice Cream in Wake Forest, NC. While Buck may not be a high-profile politician or a Fortune 500 CEO, the fact that he created seven new jobs by opening a store had a tangible and immediate impact on his community. Buck also demonstrates his commitment to ethical business practices by buying products made in America. Off the clock, he encourages his teenage daughter to pursue her dreams—ice cream-related or otherwise.

Another panelist was Karin Abarbanel, the co-author of Birthing the Elephant. Karin shared with the audience that female-owned businesses employ over 13,000,000 people in the United States. Clearly, women play an important role in the business world, and their voice is one that needs to be heard by major decision-makers. By using her knowledge to inspire other female entrepreneurs, Karin is also doing her part to effect change.

No matter who you are or how “small” your business is, you can always make a difference. Therefore, it is important that we support those just getting started. Small business owners can benefit from education and assistance on everything from managing time and money to filling out forms, and fortunately, there is local help available.  Groups like SCORE offer mentorship and support to small business owners, providing the resources needed not only to survive, but to thrive.

Happy Small Business Week! Let yourself be inspired by the spirit of these and other entrepreneurs.

The Heathcare Businesswomen’s Association awards luncheon took place this afternoon. HBA supports women in the healthcare industry, and the luncheon was held to honor the group's 2012 winners. Two of the speakers shared sentiments that I found particularly striking.

Michael Kaufman, CEO of the Pharmaceutical Segment at Cardinal Health, received the Honorable Mentor Award.  After being groomed for leadership by a woman at the company, he has become a real champion for women in business. His speech dealt with how equality in the workplace is a two-way street—men need to support their female coworkers, and women need to more readily say yes to opportunities for advancement, even if they don't already have all the necessary skills in place.

Carolyn Buck Luce, Global Pharmaceutical Sector Leader at Ernst & Young, was HBA's Woman of the Year.  She is an authentic leader who discussed the idea of knowing your unique destiny and allowing it to guide you. In front of at least a thousand women and men, Carolyn spoke with passion about the need for collaborative power. She urged women to wield their power intentionally and fully embrace their lives.

Congratulations to both of these strong leaders on their awards, as well as all of the other honorees—including the 2012 HBA Rising Stars. Their teams, friends, and families are lucky to have them!

Yesterday I was in the neighborhood of Macy’s and stopped by their annual flower show — I LOVE flowers — I buy roses every week for my office.

Below are some of the highlights to share with you…

Fondly, Helene

The 2012 Catalyst Awards Conference and 50th Anniversary Celebration was amazing. Several new initiatives were announced, like MARC (Men Advocating Real Change) and a bold new campaign for Equality in which Catalyst, the National Council for Research on Women (NCRW) and the White House Project, are committed to creating a culture shift on how Americans think, talk and take action around issues regarding pay, leadership and opportunities for women.

Today Ilene Lang, President and CEO of Catalyst, moderated a luncheon panel with speakers Denise Morrison, CEO of Campbell Soup Company, and her sister Maggie Wilderotter, Chairman and CEO of Frontier Communications. To the audience's surprise, their adult children were brought to the stage, as well as Ilene's daughter.

Left to right: Maggie Wilderotter, one of her sons, Denise Morrison, her daughter

The adult children talked about how they benefited from having strong women as mothers who were there for them when it really mattered.

Left to right: Ilene Lang's daughter, Ilene, Maggie Wilderotter's other son, Maggie

I asked Denise and her sister about their parents and how they supported them to be independent women (they also have two other sisters). Maggie and Denise shared a story from their early years when their father would come home from a long day at work and would talk about the details of his day. The two sisters consider their father a sponsor and through the years have learned business skills from him. They spoke about how important both their parents have been to them.

I am energized by the powerful work Catalyst is doing!

Yesterday I was privileged to be with several hundred women from P&G. I moderated a panel of women leaders: Linda Clementholmes, Bonnie Curtis and Shelly McNamara (pictured below). They were amazing and courageous, sharing stories for the benefit of the women in attendance. People walked away feeling inspired.

Linda (left), Bonnie and Shelly

I also did a book signing of my book In Her Power and several women said they looked forward to doing the exercises and following the reflections in it.

Photos courtesy P&G

Today, I went to the National Girls Inc. Luncheon to Celebrate Women of Achievement. There were some amazing leaders there and several terrific Girl's Inc. Scholars.  I also spoke with the host of the event, Soledad O'Brien, who is a wonderful mother, anchor and leader.

I love this organization and its mission. TO THE GIRLS!

Video Editor: Sarah Tobol

Today is International Women's Day. We've found inspirational quotes from three amazing women around the world.

You must learn to be still in the midst of activity and to be vibrantly alive in repose.
— Indira Gandhi, the third Prime Minister of India

It's a real focus on women as agents of change, women as leaders, and this is a really courageous group.
— Leymah Gbowee, Liberian peace activist responsible for leading a women's peace movement that brought an end to the Second Liberian Civil War

Don't follow the crowd, let the crowd follow you.
― Margaret Thatcher 

How are you celebrating? The Washington Post has suggestions of 10 ways, from the big — Defeat Sexual Harrassment — to the small — Wear Red Lipstick. Check it out here.

Click here for a story in the Christian Science Monitor about how countries around the world acknowledge this important day.

The first National Woman's Day was observed in the United States on February 28, 1909. The Socialist Party of America designated the day in honor of the 1908 garment workers' strike in New York. In 1975, during International Women's Year, the United Nations began celebrating the day on March 8.

This year, the theme of International Women’s Day is Empower Rural Women — End Hunger and Poverty. Rural women play a critical role in both developed and developing nations — they enhance agricultural and rural development, improve food security and can help reduce poverty levels in their communities. In some parts of the world, women represent 70 percent of the agricultural workforce, comprising 43 percent of agricultural workers worldwide.

Healthcare, education, gender inequality and limited access to credit, however, have posed a number of challenges for rural women. The global food and economic crisis and climate change have also aggravated the situation. It is estimated that 60 percent of chronically hungry people are women and girls.

So next Thursday, March 8, recognize the critical role and contribution of rural women in the world. Find an event to go to, if you can. More information here.

Diamonds, and crystals, and sparkles, oh my! We went to the Jim Kempner Fine Art Gallery in New York City to see its latest exhibit, Bling!, curated by Dru Arstark. The work demonstrates the many ways bling can be presented and interpreted. Take a look.

Video Editor: Aurora Lucia-Levey

We were at Heart Truth's Red Dress Collection 2012 Fashion Show, where celebrities like Rebecca Romijn, Gloria Estefan and Chaka Khan walked the runway in support of women's heart health. Take a look.

Video Editor: Victoria Ng

We were at the NAFE Women of Excellence Awards Breakfast in New York City, which honored women who have overcome obstacles to achieve success and who give back by helping others. Betty Spence, President of NAFE, and Carol Evans, President of Working Mother Media, are the amazing leaders who hosted the event.

Here are the 2011 Women of Excellence awardees:

• Woman of Achievement: Irene Rosenfeld, chairman and CEO, Kraft
• Global Woman’s Champion: Marilyn Johnson, vice president, market development, IBM
• Service to NYC: Cynthia, Jennifer and Heather Flood, founders, the Flood Sisters Kidney Foundation
• Mentorship Award: Ann Bordelon, chief financial officer, Sam’s Club
• Outstanding Entrepreneur: Elise Mitchell, president and CEO, Mitchell Communications Group
• Healthcare Champion: Lori Beer, executive vice president, Enterprise Business Services, WellPoint Inc.
• Digital Trailblazer: Monica Luechtefeld, executive vice president, global e-commerce, Office Depot
• Rising Star: Rebecca Johnson-Stone, founder and CEO, W.A.R-Walk Against Rape
• Activist Award: Marie Quintana, senior vice president, multicultural sales, PepsiCo
• Community Service: Tami Erwin, west area president, Verizon Wireless
• NAFE Ace Award: June Davidson, president, American Seminar Leaders

Watch our video with highlights from the breakfast.

Video Editor: Christina Raia

Get into the holiday spirit with these amazing window displays. It's the store on 5th Ave. in New York City. Watch our video and if you are in town, check them out in person.

Video Editor: Christina Raia

Music: Kevin MacLeod

This week we were at the Annual Gala of the Worldwide Orphan's Foundation where Dr. Jane Aronson, its founder, set the stage for an outpouring of love. There are 157,000,000 orphans around the world who need our help.

Among the actors who joined Dr. Aronson were Amy Poehler, Will Arnett, and Andrew Garfield. Here's what they told us.

Video Editor: Christina Raia

Carol Evans, President of Working Mother Media, is a dynamo—a committed leader who is passionate about creating change in the work/life arena. I attended the Work Life Congress last week. Here are some of the highlights from one of the morning sessions, including a discussion between Carol and Billie Williamson, Americas Inclusiveness Officer of Ernst & Young.

Check out the What Moms Choose report (pdf), which was released today.

Video Editor: Christina Raia

I was at an event last night held by New York Women In Communications—they are a great group. Mika Brzezinski of "Morning Joe" (left) was there speaking about her book, Knowing Your Value.

Bottom line—you deserve equal pay to men and if you don't ask for it, you won't get it. Mika says you have to realize what your worth and what value you bring to the table. You have to find out what men are getting paid for doing the same job, and if there is a discrepancy, don't take it.

Mika was confident with her message. Definitely food for thought.

(Read our review of Mika's book on our Bookshelf.)

Halloween wouldn't be complete without a carved pumpkin. We visited Hugh McMahon, pumpkin carver extraordinaire, who has been carving for celebrity clients since 1976. These are no ordinary jack-o'-lanterns, however. He showed us some of his masterpieces — President Obama and Michael Jackson in pumpkin form, anyone? — and demonstrated his technique. Take a look.

Hugh has also just released a children's book, Night of the Pumpkinheads. Find out more about his art here.

Video Editor: Christina Raia

Chefs and celebrity sous-chefs gathered together to create a fun-filled evening of tasting culinary delights in support of SHARE.

Support groups for women with breast and ovarian cancer are so important, not only to the women, but also for their families. SHARE has been a leader in this cause for 35 years, and we were at its eighth annual "Second Helping of Life" benefit in New York City.

Executive Director Alice Yaker expressed that, although we have come a long way, we still have so much further to go. Helene has been involved with this group for years, they have helped her on several public television health shows aired nationwide.

Enjoy the festivities. Take a look. And keep in mind that September is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, and October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Video Editor: Christina Raia

Last night we were on the scene at the Season 2 premiere of HBO's Boardwalk Empire, as stars hit the red carpet. All involved were excited about the twists and cliff-hangers of the upcoming season, and the first episode, which airs Sunday, Sept. 25, at 9 p.m., started with a bang.

Steve Buscemi, who plays Enoch "Nucky" Thompson with Ricky Gervais
Photo by Christina Raia

Kelly Macdonald, who plays Margaret Schroeder,
a woman who can hold her own with powerful men
Photo: StarPix

Michael Pitt, who plays James "Jimmy" Darmody
Photo by Christina Raia