Quote of the Day: Diane von Furstenberg

One of my favorite shows is CNN's "Leading Women".  I watched last week's episode today and when the news anchor asked Diane von Furstenberg about all of her years of success and the pinnacle of what made her success, she elegantly replied: 

"I didn't necessarily know exactly what I wanted to do but I did know the woman I wanted to become.  I followed the doors that opened and ultimately, the door that helped me become the woman I wanted to be was through fashion."

Lessons:

• Focus on the woman you want to become
• Don't worry about knowing exactly what you want to do
• Follow the open doors

What Really Matters: The 1 Million or the One?

A few weeks ago I was chatting with a fellow blogger and she needed help figuring out how to grow her audience from a couple of thousand per month to tens of thousands per month.

Around this same time I was focused on being excited that I'm starting to see a few notable people follow me on either Twitter or Instagram. 

Just as I was about to get "puffed chested" about the new notable follows, my Instagram notified me I had a new follower.  The notification showed that the new follower said she's inspired by my posts and on her profile she was celebrating the fact she finally made it through to being sober for 14 days (after multiple times of failing).

Seeing this new follower's bravery and struggle brought it all back down to earth for me: 

What really matters? The quantity of followers or the lives you impact...even if it's just one.

I'd be the first to say that the internet and social media has created instant celebrities, more easy ways to share globally and a connectivity amongst people that never existed before...but don't let this phenomenon jade your perception of what really matters. 

We all have an ability to impact the lives of people at our jobs, on the subway, in our community and even within our families.  That's the real goal of an authentic life...the importance of even the One.

#PeopleOverProfit with Dale Partridge

Dale Patridge: "World Change is How We Roll"

Recently, I was selected to be one of the Launch Team members (out of 3000 requests!!!) for a new movement lead by Sevenly CEO Dale Partridge and his upcoming book "People Over Profit" (release date May 5, 2015).

Why #PeopleOverProfit?

"Serial entrepreneur and business visionary Dale Partridge reveals seven core beliefs that create success by putting people first.

Every day major headlines tell the story of a new and better American marketplace. Established corporations have begun reevaluating the quality of their products, the ethics of their supply chain, and how they can give back by donating a portion of their profit to meaningful causes. Meanwhile, millions of entrepreneurs who want a more responsible and compassionate marketplace have launched a new breed of socially focused business models.

Sevenly founder Dale Partridge uncovers the seven core beliefs shared by consumers, starters, and leaders behind this transformation. These beliefs have enabled Dale to build a multimillion-dollar company that is revolutionizing the marketplace. He believes they are the secret to creating a sustainable world that values honesty over deception, transparency over secrecy, authenticity over hype, and ultimately, people over profit." (from Amazon)

As soon as I was notified about this book, I was immediately interested in being apart of the Launch Team!  Social capitalism is at the heart of how I believe business should be done.

I'm still in the process of reading my preview copy and to sum up what I think thus far regarding the book:  "For the first time in my life, I cried reading the introduction of a business book."

Stay tuned for more about this movement and my belief that this book will absolutely change the way business is done in the marketplace...no longer will it be just about profit, but profit will be centered around people and their contribution to a company's influence, profits and charitable reputation to its community.

Join me for a free #PeopleOverProfit call where I will share how amazing the book is and why you need to pre-order your copy so that you can join a movement that will change the way business is done!

Knocking It Out the Park: A Story of Authenticity

Kathleen with Her Husband

I am apart of a great women's group on Facebook called "Create the Life You Crave" created by the fabulous Jai Stone.

One of the weekly posts that Jai creates is "Fab Friday", an opportunity for community members to share something that happened in their life in the past week that made them feel fabulous.  I don't normally participate in these because I genuinely like reading them only.

On last week's post, a particular comment from fellow member Kathleen Williams stood out to me.

Kathleen's post:

"I went to an "invitation only" event on Monday with my husband (VP of Marketing/Sales for NightLife Hair Wrap) where I had to do a presentation...on the 45 minute drive to the venue he peppered me with advice on how I should present the information...well needless to say, my nerves were a bit at edge when I arrived. But once at the venue..I knew that I had to be me and only me! I knocked it out the park!!! And my husband (a very seasoned sales professional) couldn't praise me enough all evening long. I respect his opinion...but I KNOW whats best for me and it proved correct. I felt fabulous!!"

I loved reading Kathleen's post because it was another example of how when you tap into the power of your authenticity by choosing to be you and only you, it has a way of releasing a power within you that touches others and leads to a confidence that can't ever be taken away!

I hope you are as inspired by Kathleen as I am and I hope you have an opportunity sometime this week to feel fabulous by choosing to be you and only you...

India Hicks Dallas Launch Party: #LiveExtraordinary

Last night will forever standout in my mind as one of the most F-U-N nights ever!

A few weeks ago I mentioned that I became an India Hicks Style Ambassador. Last night's party marked the official launch of the brand in Dallas as India swept through Texas...from Austin to Houston to Dallas!

Last night showed the power of how when a woman builds a company around her authentic story and you couple that with quality fragrances, accessories and handbags and an opportunity for women to join the company as Style Ambassadors, you get a very powerful mix that takes on a positive tribe effect that is palpable.

The party was hosted at the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek in a lovely suite fit for the stylish and fun women who had gathered.  I was most excited with the diversity of the women who all found India Hicks to be unique in her own way...there were stay at home moms, professional women, decorators, the fashion obsessed and every thing in between. I loved it!

India spoke about her reasons for creating the company and how, instead of selling her products through one of the high-end department stores, she chose to offer up a selling opportunity that would empower women to #LiveExtraordinary and empower them to do business on their own terms.

The thing that stands out the most is the quality.  The handbags are manufactured in the same facility where Ralph Lauren's handbags are made, for example.  India spent 18 months building the company in order to make sure she could stand behind each item that bears her name and signature.  In my opinion, she got it right!

Curva-Lish is an official Style Ambassador because I really believe in the quality of the products and wanted to offer it to our readers who believe in quality and style but also I love any cause that lends itself to empower women!

You can shop the amazing products but you can also check out if you want to become a Style Ambassador and take advantage of this great ground floor opportunity to expand your world and #LiveExtraordinary...it's apart of the life of being also Curva-Lish!

Shop the range of India Hicks products at our India Hicks Curva-Lish website HERE