Category Archives: empowerment

follow your heart and make a difference

Lead with your heart and success will follow

Jane Chen, of Embrace Innovations, has created a wrap for premature babies to keep their body temperature stable–a big risk for these babies. Her baby warmers are significantly less expensive than incubators and one model has an insert that can be warmed with hot water, eliminating the need for electricity. Jane is making both an impact on thousands of lives and a profitable company. Now that is thinking with her heart and outside the box!

Most people think of helping poor impoverished adolescent girls as charity. However, the Girl Effect Accelerator (GEA) thought differently. Sponsored by Nike, GEA has sponsored 13 entrepreneurs who had product ideas targeted exactly at this market of low income young women, especially in poorer areas.

Ayzh, another GEA company, has a low cost clean birth kit to decrease infections during and after child birth. According to BBC News, Zubaida Bai, the company’s founder, says that companies such as her own, with the support offered by GEA, are helping to challenge the mistaken belief that only charities can assist people living in poverty. I love this idea that we can create profitable companies that do good!

These women had ideas and got the boost they needed by getting information and mentoring from the GEA initiative. (GEA does not fund the selected companies–which may be what Nike needs to think about next, since access to capital is often the missing link in women with great ideas getting them to the level needed to make an impact.)

If you had the needed capital, mentoring support and a team with the right skills, what idea would you pursue to make the world a better place? Wait a minute, let go of that thought that you can’t because you have bills to pay, kids to raise, or some problem to fix, first.

Just imagine you have everything you need. Now ask yourself again, if you had the tools and support to make it happen what idea would you pursue that could improve the world?

Take 5 minutes every day to journal and imagine what this would feel like to pursue. Add in the details of what you would do, who you would be helping, and what it would look like. If you do this regularly with enough imagination you might find yourself one day living your dream!

 

the law of attraction

What is beneath your snow storm?

Do you feel covered over in a blanket of to-do’s, as if you’ve been buried in a snow storm? Maybe something big has happened that was unexpected and unpleasant; leaving you feeling tumbled by an avalanche.

Somewhere in that tall drift of heavy snow is a hidden gem; something totally beautiful.

As you remove the snow (read obstacles) from your path, take your attention off the weight of the snow in your shovel and the pain in your shoulders and view your surroundings.

Take a few deep breaths and think of something you are grateful for. Then with your attention off the obstacles in your life, look around from a wider perspective.

You will soon notice the little blessings and momentary beauty like this statue of Quan Yin in my friend’s yard one recent morning. Quan Yin’s serene morning reflection in her cloak of snow is no doubt gone today. However, she offered her blessing at the moment of this picture.

Widen your vista and your own blessings will appear. They are there to lighten your load and give you momentum that no amount of force or attention to your problems can bring.

the role of women in politics

Women in Politics

The 2014 midterm elections marked a series of exciting firsts for women in politics.

Did you know…

  • the first black Republican woman was elected to Congress.
  • the first 30-year-old woman was elected in Congress.
  • Congress amassed 104 female members for the first time ever.

Yet, there is still so much more ground to gain. Why? If we want to be fully represented by our government, we need women to be involved in politics–running for office, helping in campaigns and voting for women.

95 years after we have won the ability to vote, we are still far away from equal representation.

Here are some other interesting statistics from MAKERS:

  • Today, the Senate includes only 20 women.
  • Women make up nearly 60 percent of college students, and law schools are half-female–but Congress doesn’t reflect those numbers.
  • The number of women chairing committees has actually been reduced from 9 to 2, leaving less women in powerful positions.
  • 63 other nations have had past or present female heads of government.
  • 95% of American voters would vote for a well-qualified woman (up 20% from 1978, according to a Gallup poll.)

To feel fully empowered in our society, we will have to be creating the rules that govern us and have our views be part of the very fabric of each important discussion. Look hard each election at how you can help our daughters live in a world where women in leadership is a given, not a goal.

 

stop violence against women

One Billion Rising

Did you know that one out of every three women will be beaten or raped in her lifetime? That is one billion women!

This was a statistic that both knocked me off my feet and brought tears to my eyes. I am a mother of three beautiful, vibrant young women and that statistic hits much too close to my heart.

This is not a statistic you can ignore and think it is someone else’s problem (or only happens in impoverished areas or countries).

I love what Eve Ensler is doing about it. She has started a movement called One Billion Rising and they are working to end violence against women. Each year, they ask women around the world to come together to sing and dance raising their voice in union.

Here is what she says about it:

“We rise through dance to express joy and community and celebrate the fact that we have not been defeated by this violence. We rise to show we are determined to create a new kind of consciousness – one where violence will be resisted until it is unthinkable.” – Eve Ensler

At last week’s Academy Awards, President Obama, in his recorded message, asked those in the entertaining arts to help end violence against women and girls through their power over our cultural view of what is normal.

Changing this is a group activity. Only when we stand together can we actually change this horrific statistic. A woman individually can attempt to remove herself from violence, but women collectively can create a power that changes it permanently. Men raised by strong women–who are not abused–are less likely to abuse. Girls raised by compassionate men–who do not abuse–are less likely to get into an abusive relationship.

Look around your own community. Are there groups you can help? Are there programs in your schools to help empower the girls? What might you do that could make a difference? Every act helps. Every step that empowers our young women and demonstrates to our young men women’s value takes us closer to the world Eve speaks of–a world where violence is unthinkable!

Interviews with Influential Women – Monica Dodi

Success requires knowing who you are and what you want, being willing to take risks, and adapting. At least, that’s what I deduced after chatting with Women’s Venture Capital Fund Co-founder Monica Dodi. In this Interviews with Influential Women, we discuss the key components leading to Monica’s success that are critical for other female entrepreneurs. We also discuss the much-needed focus for successful women to play a bigger role investing in their counterparts.

Please give my readers a short background on your personal journey that brought you to today.

I was born and raised in New York City by immigrant parents. I always helped my mom in her beauty salon and dad in his restaurant. It was this entrepreneurial spirit that influenced just about every job I’ve had (even my first one at eleven years old). After attending Georgetown University, I joined a start-up, providing a service similar to Lexus Nexus (only for engineering). I was fortunate enough to be involved with one that was a big hit, and it enabled me to ride the wave. In five years, we sold out to a German conglomerate, which was when I went back for my MBA at Harvard. Soon after that, I worked for MTV, as their number two person in Europe. From MTV, I ran Disney’s Consumer Products in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. I left Disney to start my own private company as a Disney licensee. When I finally came back to the states, I moved on to Warner Brothers and American Online (AOL)—working within start-up divisions. Now, I’m on the other side of the start-up world—the funding side as a venture capitalist, helping entrepreneurs. 

What are the most important things you do (or did) that contribute to your success?

While launching MTV Music Television in Europe across 16 countries, I learned some big lessons. I ran the business side of things dealing with revenue and distribution. Every country in Europe had different ways of doing things. Cable television was just starting there. We broke even after a year, but only by breaking through a lot of barriers.

Advertisers were accustomed to budgeting on a country-by-country basis. Even though many Fortune 500 companies (such as Coca-Cola) were natural advertisers for the MTV market of young adults 18 to 34, we could not get advertising deals because they would not commit on a pan-European level. We almost packed up and left. However, I ended up going to the headquarters of companies like these, bypassing the advertising agencies—which were none-to-pleased. This fearlessness to break the rules has been my number one key to success.

I also learned that opportunities are not always in the place you first look, so your willingness to stay open and jump when you see an opportunity is critical. When I joined Disney, they were looking to break up into various parts. Usually, that’s when people often leave, but I joined anyway. It was at that time Roy Disney brought in Michael Eisner and Frank Wells to turn it around, which began the era of The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast and so forth. It was fun to be part of it. We restructured and reorganized the whole business in Europe.

Being part of Disney during that time, I witnessed licensees making a lot of money, so I jumped from Disney and started a paper products company mainly in greeting cards. I sold my products to major retailers and later cashed out to American Greetings. This is another component of entrepreneurial success—figure out what your exit is because that’s how you really make your money. Selling to American Greetings was an opportunity to get the return on my investment.

What are the most important things women need to do or consider when charting their next chapter of life, whenever that may be for them?

The most important thing to remember is the only sure thing is change. You have to be flexible if you are going to be successful.

I had a job at Warner Brothers when I first returned to the States. A merger with Turner stopped their entry in the market I had been hired for, which looked bad but led me to becoming CEO of brands at AOL—a much better job. While at AOL, they merged with Time Warner and moved their entire operations to the east coast. I did not want to uproot my kids again, so I stayed in California, which got me involved in the venture capital arena.

None of these changes were in my plans, and sometimes they didn’t look good at first sight. However, each one has led to amazing opportunities.

When I first entered the venture capital world with Software Technology Ventures, I found out that less than 7% of venture capital goes to teams that have women as part of the founding team. This is despite all the research showing gender diversity results in higher productivity, profitability and return on investment. These studies and more are linked on our website, Women’s Venture Capital Fund. Any woman looking to raise money should become familiar with these statistics, so she can sell herself better.

Wanting to change the amount of capital available to women entrepreneurs, I started my own venture capital firm with Edith Dorsen, who brought fiduciary rigor. and discipline to balance my entrepreneurial spirit. This is something all entrepreneurs must recognize—know your strengths and weaknesses and surround yourself with good people who do well the things you don’t.

We raised our first stage money from our close network of friends and family—a step many female entrepreneurs see as a detriment—then we started fundraising. This was during the depth of the recession, so it was challenging. Really challenging. There were many times that we thought that we should just pack up our bags, but we stuck to it. Many are not prepared to stick it out during tough times, but that’s what being an entrepreneur is all about.

As of now, we have invested in five companies and plan to invest in two to three more in the coming year. Our goal is to raise another fund that’s bigger, better and faster, but in this stratified environment of venture capital, we will have to prove our investment track record as a team especially because of our focus on women-led companies. 

Who are your top 3 female role models, and what about each inspires you?

Ironically, one of my favorite role models is Lauren Bacall. Sadly, she passed away last year. When she first started, she did not experience much success. However, she got advice from some big shot (I believe, Samuel Goldwin) and became a woman that men respected. She gave them as much grief as she took—whether it was Humphrey Bogart or Jason Robards, Gary Cooper or Clark Gable. She had a robust sense of humor. She was a person of her own mind. She said what she thought. More importantly, she just didn’t take anything they said seriously.

Not taking things seriously has been my guiding principle. It’s not that I shrug off work, but I don’t let it consume me. You’re in control of your own work. You can’t let work control you. With my kids or work, I want to do it with pleasure and joy.

My second role model is Lucille Ball. You have to know your own mind. You really do. And Lucille Ball knew her own mind. She knew what she wanted to do and was the driving force of the I Love Lucy show.

Barbara Standwick would be my third. She was also a woman of her own mind. I love that. She set her mind on something and just got it done.

Don’t go for the “hat in hand / please help me” kind of attitude. In a business scenario, people won’t touch you (or your idea) with a 10-foot pole. If you exude more than just confidence (perhaps determination), you are likely to achieve whatever your goal is.

What challenge (s) did you face & overcome to get to where you are?

Every day has challenges. It’s often not the big stuff but the little things that trip us up. 

Probably my biggest challenges have had to do with my children. That is where I have put my priority. My first boss always used to say, “The most fragile thing are people.” Money and resources can be manipulated, but people are fragile. If your child is having a difficult time, you have to take time to be there for them. Those challenges are the ones that keep me up late at night worrying, not the ones in business.

At work, the toughest feat is finding opportunities to find happiness in. I was really fortunate, and part of that happened by merely putting myself out there. I believe that if you make a move, the universe fills in the rest. I’ve really enjoyed myself. And when you’re having fun, you just perform better.

What do you consider the top issues women face today?

The problem is that on the other side of the table from women entrepreneurs—there are only men that invest. So I ask women, “Do you invest in startups?” There are many high net-worth women out there. Why not get in on it and start investing in them? It’s not just the fault of the men. Women need to step up and start writing checks.

If women with money set aside 10% for riskier assets as angel investors (like big portfolios do), it would help ENORMOUSLY in setting up a pool of money to invest in women and make a huge difference in the paradigm that we’re talking about. There are a lot of female entrepreneurs out there. There is no lack of that. There’s a lack of female investors.

We need to look for ways to change the way we look at where women are today and create solutions outside the box like the Women’s Venture Fund. We started this new fund by targeting women, rather than force change in the current private equity arena.

What are the biggest opportunities available to women today?

Women need to wake up to just how much power and influence we actually wield. Women control billions of dollars of assets. Women direct billions of dollars of consumer spending. Companies are starting to wake up to the market women represent, and if we step up, women could be influencing a great wave of innovation on the horizon.

Is there anything else you would like to share? 

People will bend over backwards for you, as long as you make it fun and interesting (or if there’s a lot of money to be had). Yet, even if there’s a lot of money and you have an excellent business plan, things change. Investors, employees and suppliers entrust those with the ability to adapt. They want to know you’re not only going to survive but shine. That’s a characteristic that has no gender. Then again, in times of war throughout human history, it was women that kept civilization going.

—–

Monica Dodi is an international, entrepreneur. A visionary on the cutting edge of the high-tech landscape, she has founded four highly successful companies, spearheaded rapid turnarounds and negotiated numerous licensing deals with Fortune 500 companies. 

As co-founder of MTV Europe and head of Business Development, Monica’s marketing expertise, operations and negotiating skills led to MTV becoming the fastest growing channel on the continent. She then joined Walt Disney where, as head of European Licensing, she was responsible for the successful turnaround of their Consumer Products business.

Returning to the U.S. to help Warner Bros. roll out television channels worldwide, Monica was recruited by Brandon Tartikoff to be CEO in charge of launching AOL’s Entertainment Asylum which soon became the fastest growing entertainment destination on the web.

At Softbank Technology Ventures, Monica focused on new media investments and served as the Fund’s Entrepreneur in Residence. She continues to be a sought-after advisor to and angel investor in new ventures spanning internet innovations, content creation and data technologies, mobile applications, and social media.

As Managing Director and Co-founder of the Women’s Venture Capital Fund, she spearheaded the formation of this fund focused on investments in new companies with gender diversity, an overlooked, yet high potential for growth, sector in venture capital.

empowering women and girls

Lessons from the Always #LikeAGirl Campaign

Sometime back, I tweeted and posted on Facebook about the Always video #LikeAGirl. It became an online sensation for a while and if you missed it, watch it here for a quick lesson on empowering our daughters and each other.

Raising three daughters, I am always thrilled when messages come out that collaborate lessons I am trying to teach them, since, so often, what they see does not.

This ad reminded me of a group of women who came to my zipline canopy tour business called, Ride Like A Girl.  It was a mountain biking club and they were all women, with bumper stickers on their cars and wearing t-shirts sporting the slogan, “I ride like a girl.”

My girls were young (7,10 and 12) when these fun and wild women came through our doors. I remember one of my girls looking at me and asking, “What does that mean–ride like a girl?” I said it means they are really strong.

When I worked in corporate America I spent a great deal of energy making sure no one noticed I was “a girl.”

Don’t show your feelings. Don’t be too soft on people when they have problems. Be logical, decisive and forceful. Do not let them know you used your intuition for any decision, even if you do–find facts to prove it after you already know. And most important, laugh at the jokes about women and don’t act offended.

I learned early on that to get ahead I could not be #likeagirl. I am glad every time someone tells my son and my daughters that being like a girl is a good thing. Because if you have to hide a very basic fact of your being to be powerful; you learn to doubt every other part of yourself, too.

Are there any parts of being a woman (or a girl) that you have hidden away to be accepted or powerful? Maybe it is time to reclaim all of you.  Because when you bring all of you to your life again, you also have all that energy you’ve been using to keep these parts of you hidden.  It takes a lot of energy to not be you.

What do you do #likeagirl?

A Shifting Wind in the Portrayal of Women in the Media

For years, you and I have been fighting the forces of media that label women as sex objects to sell beer and cars or represent strong women as androgynous or overbearing. I sense a shifting wind towards the portrayal of women in the media.

Today, media–in advertising, movies, and music–is starting to portray women as both sexy and strong; quiet and bold.

It is refreshing to find images that support our young women growing into their adulthood with at least some images that propel them to be who they choose instead of who they feel compelled to be in order to be liked.

It may not be a perfect set of messages our girls are exposed to, but it is changing. When big names like Dove, Pantene, and Gillette make women’s empowerment their theme, you know the winds of change have taken force.

I have shared with you Pantene’s ad Sorry and Dove’s wonderful videos about media distortion of what women look like.

Here’s another ad from Gillete.

I like it. Whatever you think of their company, I am glad to see major female consumer products putting their large ad dollars into messages that empower our girls.

How about you, are you feeling the shifting winds?

How do you describe yourself?

My 26 year-old-son forwarded this Dove YouTube video to my daughters and me.

It was overwhelming–both in the message and the messenger.  I remember crying deeply after receiving his email with the link.

I wonder how many women could describe themselves accurately, including the beauty they possess in their description.  Is it one in a hundred that see themselves as beautiful?  One in a thousand?  Or is it even less?  I know interviews with famous beautiful women often convey a deep seated doubt in their looks and their beauty, even though they are receiving great attention because of it.

How do you describe yourself?  Are you quick to point out your own flaws?  Can you even see your own light?

Yesterday, I was traveling and went into a convenience store for a bag of nuts to hold me over through the long day.  As we were talking, the young man behind the counter looked at me and said, “You are a very beautiful woman!”  I was speechless and struck.  Finally, I caught my breath and thanked him for the complement with a big smile.

I am so grateful for this stranger who reminded me I am not flawed, as the media would like me to believe so I will buy their product.  I am not many of the things my inner critic makes me feel.  I am beautiful.  And so are you.  And the funny thing is, the more beautiful we feel the more beautiful we become.

Look yourself in the eye tonight when you are at the mirror and tell yourself, “You are beautiful!”  And tomorrow, find another woman to remind of this same thing.  We hear far too many messages we are not enough.

Let’s help each other remember we are perfect, just the way we are!

 

Superwoman not to the Rescue

Does your success come at too high a price?

Or have you forsaken achieving success because you were unwilling to pay the price?

Bonnie Marcus wrote a great blog about this awhile back, that I still relate to a little more than I would like to admit.  She talks about breaking through any obstacles with strong intention, passion and energy to power through.  Does that sound a bit familiar?

Each of us has our own way of countering burnout that comes from this over-achiever mindset; whether it is meditation, yoga, running, journalling, or a night out with friends.  But in some ways these positive habits just keep us stuck in this pendulum pattern similar to enabling an addict.

Maybe the trick is not in pacifying our tired, stressed out soul with a quick fix; nor is it giving up achieving altogether.  

Perhaps we need to stop pushing through and start listening to our inner voice that tells us something is not right.  What if the struggle is more about not following the question that would help us achieve our goal with ease?

Somewhere, you and I were taught that to get anywhere,  we had to work hard ( in fact harder than everyone else if you want to be on top).  But have you ever noticed how many truly successful people are actually enjoying what they are doing, and work does not appear to be a struggle?

It is time to start asking if the struggle is because what we are doing is not what we really want to do, or is it a struggle over what we think we should be doing.  Maybe you spent a lot of time in this industry and think it is where your strength is even though it does not inspire you?  Or do you feel tied to what you do because of all the bills, debt or maybe your children’s college expense?

Bob Proctor recently gave me two incredibly simple, yet life changing, questions that I will now give you.

1.  How does this make you feel?

2.  Do you want to feel more of this?

If it makes you feel good and you want to feel more of it, then you are on the right track and there won’t be a need to be superwoman because you will be enjoying what you do.  If it does not, then listen to that voice and take action.  No more ploughing through because you are tough enough to do so.  You will be amazed at the energy burst you get when you start to listen to this voice.  I know I was.

And did you know there is a bonus gift to doing so?  Prosperity will find you much easier when you are pursuing your dreams. It will also find you happier than when you are struggling, pushing through, and being superwoman.

So relax and start to enjoy the journey.  Ask yourself these two simple questions regularly, about little and big things.  And see what magic starts to happen.

Interviews with Influential Women – Sandy Gallagher

The new year brings a wealth of opportunities, but without the proper perspective, you’ll continue to overlook the chances at achieving the new life you inherently desire. Co-Founder and CEO of the Proctor Gallagher Institute, Sandy Gallagher substantiates this point by reiterating that our lives are only limited by our imagination. In the second interview for my Interviews with Influential Women Series, she sat down with me to discuss her journey to finding her passion and outlines the steps on how you can get there by asking yourself just one question.

In 200 words or less, please give my readers a short background on your personal journey that brought you to today.

In 2006, I was in the midst of a very successful legal career and an equity partner in a major Seattle law firm—a career I’d worked my whole life to achieve. One day, a friend invited me to what she described as a “leadership seminar” being conducted by a man I’d never met, named Bob Proctor. It sounded interesting, so I accepted the invite, but I didn’t go into it with any particular expectations. I certainly didn’t expect the entire course of my life to change.

Yet, early on in his presentation, Bob posed a question that did exactly that: “what do you really want?” Amazing as it may sound, it wasn’t a question I’d ever been asked or had asked myself. Once I did, I found myself facing some very surprising answers.

As I sat there in Bob’s audience, taking in the ideas he was sharing, I realized that I was in the presence of a truly extraordinary human being. That day, in response to that question, I wrote down a new goal for myself: to become a part of Bob Proctor’s inner circle of advisors. Soon thereafter, I was. And today, Bob and I are full business partners and co-founders of the Proctor Gallagher Institute.

Who are your top 3 female role models, and what about each inspires you?

I’ve been fortunate to know many amazing and inspiring women throughout my life. My stepmother, Margel Gallagher, is definitely up at the top of the list. Margel inspires me because she is a woman of velvet and steel and balances both perfectly.

I’ve always looked to Sandra Day O’Connor as a great female role model and found her life story to be a source of inspiration and encouragement. She moved into an area of power and prestige that had never been extended to women before. She did what had to be done to get where she wanted to go.

I am also so inspired by my dear friend Cynthia Kersey. Cynthia has dedicated herself to educating people who otherwise have no hope of being educated. She found and followed her passion, and she is truly changing the world as a result. I admire tremendously the good work she is doing through her Unstoppable Foundation. We support it in a big way through the Proctor Gallagher Institute.

What are the 3 most important things you do (or did) that contribute to your success?

I’ve had two very different careers now, and there are definitely some common denominators that have contributed to my success in both. One thing I do (and have always done) is go into every situation consciously expecting success—whether it’s a speech or a meeting or simply the day ahead of me. Interestingly enough, our outcomes almost always conform to our advance expectations. When you expect things to go well, they tend to go well, even if you’re thrown a curve ball. And of course, the opposite is also true: if you expect a bad day, meeting, or trip, that’s probably what you’ll experience.

Another thing I try to do is respond to problems by immediately stepping back and looking for a solution or opportunity rather than reacting emotionally or allowing them to overwhelm me. Unforeseen challenges and glitches are an inevitable part of life, but they only get in the way of you achieving your goal if you allow them to. There is always, always a way forward. Things are rarely as bad as they can seem at first, and very few things are unfixable. I can’t tell you how many times a so-called “problem” wound up being the best thing that could have happened. It’s really a matter of trusting your vision and keeping your mind focused on that ultimate destination, then staying calm and recalibrating your route as needed when roadblocks show up.

Finally, years ago, I began setting aside time at the beginning and end of each day to focus on the specific things I am grateful for. The impact it has made on my life is immeasurable. Gratitude is such an enormously powerful force. It has the most amazing way of multiplying the good things, and makes it almost impossible to get stuck in the bad. In fact, if I could give someone only one piece of “life-changing” advice, it would be to start a dedicated, daily gratitude practice. The effect on your mindset and outlook is instantaneous, and it’s a gateway to so many other epiphanies and long-term transformations.

What do you consider the top issues women face today?

On a global level, there are still so many places in our world where women and girls face unimaginable obstacles to education. Every day they quite literally risk their lives to receive what we enjoy as a fundamental right. This past year, we saw some particularly horrifying examples of the lengths certain groups will go to, to prevent female education. And this is something that impacts all of us. Educated citizens—men AND women—are what will bring stability and peace to their nations, and ultimately to the world. This is why I am so committed to our work with the Unstoppable Foundation. As I said before, this organization is doing such amazing work, and I am extremely proud to be a part of it.

What are the biggest opportunities available to women today?

First of all, I absolutely believe that (in the time and place we are fortunate enough to be living) any woman’s opportunity is only limited by her imagination. But what I see that is different today (versus say 20 or even 10 years ago) is women having a much greater ability to follow their passions, share their gifts, earn a healthy income doing it—and really do it all on their own terms. Technology has made it so much easier to find and connect with people who share our interests and who need what we (as individuals) have to offer, and people are increasingly comfortable using these technologies in every aspect of their lives. And as a result, many of the old constraints are no longer relevant. You don’t need to subordinate your personality or interests to fit into a traditional corporate mold. You don’t need to uproot yourself or your family, or stay in a certain place in order to have that “dream” career. You don’t even need to leave your home. We have female bloggers who are making a living simply by putting their personal stories and perspectives out there. We have female entrepreneurs who have a product or service they believe in, build a website to market it and attract customers from all over the world. We have women like you, who have taken your skills, experience, and passion and forged something completely new out of them, and created this incredible online resource and attracted a huge community. This is real; this is the new economy! It’s just a fantastic thing, and I do think that women in particular are benefitting from it.

What are the 3 most important things women need to do or consider when charting their next chapter of life, whenever that may be for them?

Start with the question that started it for me: “what do you really want?” Get quiet, let your thoughts follow your heart’s lead and give yourself permission to step outside of your current parameters and think big and boldly. Don’t let your mind get hung up on doubts, such as “people will think I’m crazy.” You’re right. Maybe they will. But who cares? And don’t get sidetracked by practicalities—things like “where would I get the money?” Remember that your job is to take care of the “what,” do that and the universe will take care of the “how.” Take the time and space you need to get to the right answer. When you land on it, you’ll know. It feels a lot like falling in love!

Once you’ve figured out what you really want to do, create a specific goal that will manifest that vision, and make it a good one. We always say a goal should be big enough to excite and scare you at the same time. So if you get that little clench in your chest when you think of it, that little impulse to pull back, you know you’re on to something! Picture your goal as clearly and in as much detail as you can. Get yourself emotionally involved with it— see and feel yourself doing this thing. That’s what is going to bring your subconscious on board and start automatically moving you toward this new reality.

Finally, ACT. Take some action, every single day, that brings you closer to achieving that goal. And remember that not every action needs to be monumental. Some days, you’ll take big leaps. But even the smallest, most mundane step is progress, and the universe will reward it. In The Science of Getting Rich, Wallace Wattles says that thought is what moves your goal towards you, and action is what moves you towards it. So get dreaming, get goal setting, and get things moving!

Is there anything else you would like to share?

I’d like to thank you for the opportunity to share my story with your readers, Amy. I love the work you’re doing here. You’re providing such a valuable resource to women out there looking to find their path and realize their dream. You are living YOUR dream, and elevating others’ lives in the process. That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? I wish you wonderful things as you move forward on your journey!

Sandy Gallagher has traversed the business world of high finance. As an esteemed attorney in banking law, Sandy regularly handled billions of dollars in mergers and acquisitions, IPOs, and other big-ticket transactions, and was an advisor to boards and top executives of Fortune 500 firms.

Yet, an encounter with Bob Proctor set Sandy on an extraordinary new path — one that would ultimately change not only her life, but countless others. Through Bob’s teachings, Sandy finally understood the “why” behind her lifelong success. Now she has left her high profile law practice to teach others how to do what she had done joining forces with Bob . After their first collaboration, Thinking Into Results — Sandy’s brainchild, which is widely acknowledged as the most powerful corporate transformational program of its kind — she quickly became CEO and President of Bob’s organization, Proctor Gallagher Institute.

Today, Sandy shares international speaking stages with Bob and works closely with him and their team of professionals to provide coaching, training and consulting on the most profound, powerful, and transformative concepts and strategies humankind has ever known.