One of my favorite types of show on Oprah was the “do over” show – when someone submitted a friend, family member or co-worker for a style redo.  Some of those women were in their 50’s and had hair 5 feet long because they hadn’t cut it since they were in high school.  Others only had one uniform they wore all the time and  that was sweats and tennis shoes.  Others were living in the Dynasty 80’s and still wearing those huge shoulder pads in their jackets and waltzing into a room like Alexis Carrington.  Others wore their mother’s jeans.

And, the best part of the show was when the revamp was done and the “new” look was displayed.  The curtain would come back, the audience would gasp and viola!  – a fabulous, chic and stylish woman came out in all her glory.

This week, one of those magic makeover mavens is joining my guest co-host, Susan Bishop, and me on the show and we’ll be talking about how to upgrade your look from frumpy to fabulous.

Natalie Jobity of Elan Image Management is the bestselling author of Frumpy to Fabulous: Flaunting It.  Your Ultimate Guide to Effortless Style.  She works individually with women and groups as an image consultant, fashion consultant, personal shopper, branding/style coach and more.

Natalie is passionate about being the facilitator of transformation that is the hallmark of polishing and refining one’s image and presence.

Join us this week and find out how to release your image “saboteurs” and unleash your fabulous style potential.  When the curtains are drawn…watch out!

Saturday, May 19th, from 6:07-7:00 pm ET on Talkradio 680 WCBM Baltimore or “Listen Live” online   

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Be sure to check out last week’s show when I talked with Molly Shattuck of Molly Shattuck Vibrant Living about giving back to the community and making it a family affair.  As the founder and leader of the United Way of Central Maryland’s Families Living United program and the UWCM’s Healthy Food Ambassador, Molly shared the importance of instilling the giving back value in our children and the benefits that result for the family as a whole, individuals in need and the entire community.

If you missed the show or you want to share it with a friend, listen here.

“If nothing ever changed, there’d be no butterflies.”   - Author Unknown

I was thinking about this week’s topic and how we often get stuck in a rut…doing the same thing, looking the same way, and never venturing out of our comfort zone.

When it happens with me, I’m not sure if it’s because I’m lazy or if fear is holding me back.  But, it’s always one of them.

And, then, there are times when I don’t give myself credit for the forward movement.  I only look at what hasn’t been accomplished yet.  It usually takes someone on the outside to say, “Hey…look at what you’re doing!”, and, then I go, “Oh, yeah… I am.” 

I encourage you to do two things this week.  First, acknowledge what you do and get done on a regular basis.  It’s a lot.  Be sure to look in the mirror and give yourself some credit.

And…take a baby step towards making a change that brings you out of your autopilot comfort zone.  Go shopping and buy that bright tangerine top.  You don’t need another black one.  Get a new hairdo.  Take the zumba class instead of yoga.  Volunteer for a charity.  Take your kids or someone else’s to the zoo.  Speak up in an office meeting.

And, as the stars, planets, sun and moon align, the butterfly will emerge from its cocoon. You’ll be beginning anew.  All sorts of things are possible then.

This past weekend, Molly Shattuck joined me in the studio.  She’s a woman on a mission.   Several missions, in fact.

Not only does Molly believe that living a vibrant life involves giving back, she’s a big believer in teaching kids to give back.  And her own family practices what she preaches and she wants to encourage other families to join in.

Besides the obvious benefits of helping the community and having a tangible impact on another individual’s life, family volunteering can be fun; it can be a real bonding experience for family, friends or colleagues; and, it can be a child’s first lesson in charity.

As the founder and leader of the United Way of Central Maryland’s Families Living  United program and the Healthy Food Ambassador for UWCM, Molly helps coordinate many activities such as the Stone Soup Gatherings and the Harvest Helper events – perfect events for the whole family to support.  In four Stone Soup Gatherings over the past year, more than 460 volunteers of all ages have fed 4,000+ hungry people in Baltimore more than 550 casseroles and 3,200 sandwiches.  It’s amazing what can get done in these two-hour events!

If you missed the show or want to share it with a friend, it will be posted in the podcast archive later on this week – around Wednesday or Thursday.  Listen in and find out how you, your family and friends can come together for the good.

Several years ago, I interviewed the amazing Bettie Youngs, Ph.D., Ed.D., a teacher of the year, a university professor and Pulitzer-Prize nominated author, who is one of the Founders of Kids Korps and one of the authors of Teaching Kids to Care.  During that show, Bettie talked about the importance of families and communities coming together to teach our kids empathy and integrity – teaching them to care, and overriding the tendencies of selfishness, self-absorption, complacency, bullying and isolation.

My guest this week practices that in her own life with her family and with the Baltimore community as a whole.  She’s on a mission to make a positive difference and she’s doing it.

Molly Shattuck is the creator of the Vibrant Living Philosophy.  A visionary whose energy is second only to her generous spirit, Molly has changed the lives of thousands with her proven approach to creating and maintaining a healthy and vibrant lifestyle.  Recognized for becoming a cheerleader at the age of 38 and after having three children, Molly knows how to set a goal and achieve it!

As an accomplished business woman and part-time coach of the Baltimore Ravens Cheerleaders, Molly fully embraces life by setting and achieving extraordinary goals.  “Can’t” is not in her vocabulary.

Molly has been an avid volunteer with United Way of Central Maryland for 20 years. She and her husband served as co-chairs of the 2011 private sector campaign.  In addition, Molly serves as UWCM’s Healthy Food Ambassador, and is the founder and leader of UWCM’s Families Living United program.

Molly believes that to live a vibrant life, it’s important to give back to your local community by helping others in need and by protecting the environment. And it’s our responsibility as adults and role models to set a positive example for our children  – our own and those who are in our lives.

Join us this week and find out how and why volunteering together with children and friends is so meaningful and contagious for all involved.  Making a difference and leading the way…what a beautiful legacy to share with others.

Saturday, May 12th, from 6:07-7:00 pm ET on Talkradio 680 WCBM Baltimore or “Listen Live” online   

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Susan, Amy, Jodi and Beth

Be sure to check out last week’s show when Guest Host, Susan Bishop talked with Amy Connolly, Jodi Hume and Beth Terrence about how women are influencing change in the workplace.  Tune in to find out how organizations are starting to honor and value the “feminine” traits for the purpose of greater effectiveness and success.

If you missed the show or you want to share it with a friend, listen here

“A woman in harmony with her spirit is like a river flowing. She goes where she will without pretense and arrives at her destination prepared to be herself and only herself.”   - Maya Angelou

About three years ago, I read The Queen of My Self: Stepping Into Sovereignty in Midlife to prep for an interview with the author, Donna Henes.  I recently picked up the book again, and realized why I loved it so much the first time.

Author Donna Henes, aka Queen Mama Donna – the City Shaman from Exotic Brooklyn, New York, spoke to my heart. She challenges the paradigm of the three stages of a woman’s life which has traditionally been broken down into the young woman (the virgin), the nurturer (the mother), and the wise elder (the crone). In between, the nurturer and the crone, Mama Donna adds the midlife “Queen” to the paradigm.

The Queen has a whole new lifetime ahead of her to let her self truly blossom. It’s the time when she can remember who she is, what gifts she brings, and start doing what will allow her to enjoy the fruits of an influential, passionate and powerful maturity.

Whoo hoo! Mama Donna makes it sound like so much fun! And, we thought we were supposed to dread getting more mature. Not a chance, sister!

And, on another note…Happy Mother’s Day to all of you moms and to all women who share their nurturing spirit with the world.

Susan Bishop, Amy Connolly, Jodi Hume & Beth Terrence

Since before my 20s, I’ve longed for what I term the “Star Trek World.” For those of you familiar with that show – specifically Next Generation – you know exactly what I mean. For those of you who aren’t, Star Trek Next Generation painted an inspiring picture of what organizational culture could be – a space for creativity; time for reflection; care of self; acceptance and honoring of others – and, especially, acceptance and honoring of what we in the U.S. refer to as traditionally female traits: Empathy, Receiving, Openness and much more.

And just a HUGE SIDE NOTE HERE that Feminine/Masculine are just easy ways to categorize traits – yin/yang is another – and these traits are in ALL OF US – men and women. HISTORICALLY, though, “masculine” traits were thought to be the most effective for productivity, profit and success at work – and that the “feminine” side of each of us needed to be kept in check.

Anyway, this past Saturday night, I had the pleasure of interviewing three women who are making my Star Trek World a reality in the workplace: Amy Bloom Connolly, Jodi Hume and Beth Terrence. I’ve known each of these women for quite some time, so I knew going into the show that they were involved in amazing work that was transforming organizations and that their work was part of a larger effort and movement in our country to honor and even accentuate “feminine” traits in organizations for the purpose of greater effectiveness and success. From practices such as Talking Circles and Mindfulness and to concepts like Emotional Intelligence and Peace-Making, organizations everywhere are recognizing the value of the “female” side of the equation and making a shift to a wholly new way of leading and working together – one in which wholeness and humanity are highly honored and in which we can all be more fulfilled and engaged.

What I did not realize before the interview was how incredibly far organizations have come since I first became interested in this topic. When Amy Connolly gave her list of where Mindfulness is being taught and practiced in the working world, I nearly fell off my chair. If the U.S. Army has found value in reflection, receptivity, taking our time, then, well, my Star Trek World is more than well on its way to becoming a reality – it happening RIGHT NOW. In fact, when I asked directly, “Why now? What has made organizations finally open their eyes to the power of the “feminine?” Jodi Hume’s response further verified that this new thinking is not just some woo-woo idea being forwarded and adopted by “granola-y” experts in California, it’s everywhere because we now have the science to back it up. So while I went in thinking how difficult it might be for organizations to adopt practices such as those Beth Terrence shared (which as she stated are designed to enable wholeness and authenticity for individuals, as well as for the organization overall), I left understanding that, very soon, the only people on the fringe will those organizational leaders who refuse to budge from the old model.

I’m never going to do justice to all my three guests shared on Saturday’s show in this post – and I don’t want to slaughter what they said. I encourage anyone who missed the show to check out the podcast as soon as it goes up. If you’ve ever felt that there is something just not right about the way we work – if you’ve ever longed for a Star Trek World -  I think listening will leave you as inspired as I am. And if you are one of those people who knew it was already here, I think you’re going to be interested in some of the studies, books and resources mentioned on the show.

I’m starting this work week heartened by how open to change the world is. Anyone going to work today who thinks their organization is stuck in dysfunction can be assured that thought leaders like my guests are doing more than talking. They have taken action – perhaps action that’s coming soon to a workplace near you.

Although women have been in the workplace for decades, only relatively recently have organizations begun to truly recognize how much traditionally female traits and styles bring to the corporate table in terms of success. As practices such as increasing/supporting emotional intelligence, coaching, peacemaking and other “soft” approaches to productivity and profitability make their way into the corporate world, women have increasingly had the opportunity to take a personal stand for femininity at work and, as a result, are proving that these touchy-feely concepts are more than passing trends, but the beginnings of what is likely to be an enduring transformation of how we all work together and even what work means.

This week on WomanTalk Live, guest host Susan Bishop and a panel of organizational coaches, trainers and facilitators discuss the evolution happening in organizations today, what feminine energy means in the workplace and how all women can play an active role in forwarding the next evolution of organizational growth.

Joining Susan in the studio:

Amy Connolly is the Founder and Director of the Center for Mindful Awareness.  She teaches formal and informal mindfulness practices to individuals, families, communities, and businesses, so they can respond to life’s challenges with greater balance and ease.  Amy can be contacted at abcshines@gmail.com 

Jodi Hume, CPCC, Founder of The Business of Life is a Time Strategist, Executive Coach and Facilitator.  She works with busy leaders who want successful lives AND businesses, without always feeling pulled between the two.

Beth Terrence is a shaman and facilitator focused on helping organizations increase their clarity and purpose, communication, collaboration and conflict solving abilities.

Susan Bishop

Guest host, Susan Bishop, CPCC,  of Unlocked Box, is a personal and business coach who supports individuals and teams who want to increase their impact, enhance their focus and inspire action. She challenges her clients to expand their vision and put their unique gifts in play. She has smashed a lot of boxes in her own life and knows the courage it takes to bust out.  WomanTalk Live is proud to have Susan as our “Creativity Expert”.

Tune in this week to find out how women are influencing change in the workplace.

Saturday, May 5th, from 6:07-7:00 pm ET on Talkradio 680 WCBM Baltimore or “Listen Live” online  

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Ellen Koronet, Ann, Andrea Hylen &
Lisa Stearns

Be sure to check out last week’s show when I talked with Andrea Hylen, the founder of Heal My Voice; Ellen Koronet, who owns and operates a full service marketing research and creativity firm, LNK Creative: Focus Groups & Surveys for the Entrepreneurial Spirit; and, Lisa Stearns, a successful coach, athlete, teacher, author, wife and friend, and the creator and coach of the Finding Your Voice™ Program.  We talked about the very first Heal My Voice Book Circle Project which resulted in the book, Fearless Voices: True Stories by Courageous Women and about writing to heal.

If you missed the show or you want to share it with a friend, listen here.

“If every day is an awakening, you will never grow old.  You will just keep growing.”  Gail Sheehy

I remember thinking years ago that there would come a day when I knew all I needed to know.  That I would just somehow “get” everything I needed and that I would finally graduate and become totally knowledgeable in life’s lessons.  Naive, I know.  That’s way before I understood that you never get to that place unless you just turn off the lights and all input.  I wasn’t ready to turn off the lights or the input and like Gail Sheehy says above, just about every day proves to be an awakening.

About a year ago, I had one of those weekends, too.  I was lucky to be able to attend the kickoff of the Awesome Women Hub Tour right here in Baltimore.  The brainchild of Robin Rice, Awesome Women Hub was a traveling Re-Think Tank – pulling together a group of women to re-think in a spirit of true collaboration.  As Robin says,

“For women, how we do what we do, and who we do it with, is just as important as what comes of our efforts. We intuitively know this and we yearn to live by it. Today there are emerging and effective ways for us to live this out. We are dreaming them together.”

So, we had an incredible weekend talking, discussing, sharing, visioning, dancing, singing, laughing and playing.  We were asked, “What does the world need next?”  Based on what we know deep down in our inner core, how should we be living our lives, doing our businesses, raising our families and making this world a better place?

We were asked what we are willing to do to help build on this model and how can we bring our best self and best gift to the world?  How can we be fearless?  And, here’s what we came up with – a music video that says it all set to the beautiful music of Claudia Carawan’s song, Fearless:

I’ll push outside the comfort zone
Remembering I’m not alone
I’ll follow the path of my heart
and make my life a work of art
Call me fearless…  I am fearless.
I’m stronger than I realized!  I am fearless!

words & music Claudia Carawan
copyright  August  2008 Heart Over the Bar publishing

My first music video?  Yep.  My last?  Not sure!  But, I love the message in this one.

What’s even more amazing is that out of that weekend, twenty incredible women came together to participate in the very first Heal My Voice Book Circle Project.  The theme of the first book?  Fearlessness, of course!  And, Fearless Voices: True Stories by Courageous Women shares the stories of how these women are leading more fearless lives.

I encourage you…tap into a tribe of women, gather together and ask, “What does the world need next?  What can I share fearlessly with the world?”

And, be prepared to create some magic.

For twenty women who participated in the very first Heal My Voice Book Circle Project, the past year has brought much awareness and growth.  Committing to write their stories of “fearlessness” to help heal an old wound brought unexpected gifts.  Their stories were compiled in a heart-touching book,  Fearless Voices: True Stories by Courageous Women

Joining me in the studio this past week to discuss the book and the gifts it brought were:

Andrea Hylen, the founder of Heal My Voice;

Ellen Koronet, who owns and operates a full service marketing research and creativity firm, LNK Creative: Focus Groups & Surveys for the Entrepreneurial Spirit; and,

Lisa Stearns, a successful coach, athlete, teacher, author, wife, other and friend, and the creator and coach of the Finding Your Voice™ Program, providing women the tools they need to express themselves with confidence and clarity.

If you missed the show or want to share it with a friend, it will be posted in the podcast archive later on this week – around Wednesday or Thursday.  Listen in and find out how writing, sharing and being supported by others can transform your story.

Joining me in the studio this week for a Conscious Conversations Café show are three amazing women:

Andrea Hylen, the founder of Heal My Voice;

Ellen Koronet, who owns and operates a full service marketing research and creativity firm, LNK Creative: Focus Groups & Surveys for the Entrepreneurial Spirit; and,

Lisa Stearns, a successful coach, athlete, teacher, author, wife, other and friend, and the creator and coach of the Finding Your Voice™ Program, providing women the tools they need to express themselves with confidence and clarity.

I’ve known Andrea Hylen for several years and have always been amazed at how she taps into the heart of any project she is working on and consciously creates projects that help heal.

Andrea is the Founder of Heal My Voice, whose mission is to empower women and girls to heal grief, loss, and trauma, and reclaim their inner authority, so they can discover and use their leadership skills in their homes, communities, and the world, by developing collaborative projects that encourage leadership, community building and the reclaiming of each woman’s voice.

In the spring of 2011, several of us – friends and strangers – came together (Andrea was part of the group) at a weekend retreat where we discussed how we would be fearless in our lives, live with courage, and hold a space and encourage other women to do the same.

In late spring, several of the same women gathered to kick off a book based on the theme of being fearless. Through the months, guided by Andrea and other women in the group, we met, we had phone calls and we wrote our stories. How had we or were we becoming fearless? How did we or how were we finding our own voices?

Fearless Voices: True Stories by Courageous Women is the very first book in the Heal My Voice Book Circle Project.  It provided the opportunity for twenty women (including me) to share the stories in their lives that needed some healing.

Join us this week as we talk about finding our voices through sharing the stories.

Saturday, April 28th, from 6:07-7:00 pm ET on Talkradio 680 WCBM Baltimore or “Listen Live” online  

Also, join us for the Fearless Voices Book Launch
 and Heal My Voice Fundraiser

Sunday, April 29, 2012

2:00-5:00 pm
Homewood Suites by Hilton
8320 Benson Drive
Columbia, MD 21045

Music, dessert, silent auction and book signing. Come meet the authors and connect in a loving, supportive community. Inspiration! Books will be available for purchase.

Open to the public.

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Barbara Holt Streeter, Ann, Cheryl Wood & Sonya Smith-Valentine

Be sure to check out last week’s show when I talked with Cheryl Wood, award-winning author, speaker and Empowerment Coach and the founder of Women Entrepreneurs Partnering for Profit (WEPP), and Sonya Smith-Valentine, CPA, Esq., and CEO of Financially Fierce, LLC and Barbara Holt Streeter, founder of The PR & Protocol Group to talk about what happens when women entrepreneurs come together to support, encourage and collaborate with each other.

If you missed the show or you want to share it with a friend, listen here.