WIN

WIN (Women's Investment Network) will begin in January thanks to the shot-in-the-arm I got from my neighbor Ellen. She is about 20 years ahead of me in terms of dreams and knowledge which makes her a great guru. She handles the finances in her family and does her own investing. When I told her about my idea of an investment group she said she would love to do it with me. Jackpot - someone who actually has working knowledge of this who is willing to join. I am so excited to get this going. I came home from her house with several more books to read and know that I have a lot to learn. I am so thankful to have such great friends.

"PINK magazine: Women Gurus"

Needing some inspiration or motivation I did a lot of reading this morning. I'm always interested in advise from successful women. Here' some that resonated with me found in an online interview with PINK. http://ff.im/cwV70

How have women as professionals evolved, and where do you see us going?
Marianne Williamson: "My generation of women, the baby boomers, made a big mistake. We were living our lives in reaction to our mothers. We saw the limitations in our mothers' lives but we failed to see the abundance. I believe that the next generation of women won't be forced into a choice between work and home. They will embrace a more expansive notion of what 'home' really is. What I have learned as a woman, as a mother, as a businesswoman and as a person is that what goes on in the home is every bit as important as what goes on in business because, ultimately, they are inextricably linked."

What advice do you have for women trying to stand out from the crowd?
Charlene Li: "Women don't network enough. We don't do enough in the branding area, perhaps because we don't feel like we should be tooting our own horn. I advise women, if anything, to trumpet from the hilltops how wonderful you are. Use technology to do it. Hire a PR person or go out and do your own PR. Talk about it; go up to people and introduce yourself. The key is not to be shy. That's how I stand out."

What's next for women of your generation? Charlene Li:
"I also think that women no longer have to set up a boundary between work life and home life. One of the hallmarks of my thinking is that I bring a lot of my personal life into my work. That's a huge advantage I have over men, who may feel they have to separate the two."

Thanks again Whitney.

The Mentoring Continues

I met with a great woman, SueAnn, about possibly working for her doing mortgages. She is very successful, smart, friendly, helpful, and so forth. Though it is illogical the enter the mortgage business at a time when seasoned professionals are dropping out, I see it as an exciting possibility. She validated me immensely when she said that people approach her all the time to work with her and she is not interested, but that she sees herself in me. Initially I told her I wanted to start in a couple of years, when #6 starts preschool, so when I called her to tell her I might be ready now she said great - "I thought I'd have to wait for you." Here's to lucrative refi's.

I should mention that I called a good Texas friend who has her own very successful mortgage brokerage and she thinks I'm crazy to do this now. She also thinks some other bad things will happen. I am not discounting her advise. I probably talked to her for 2+ hours. I am SO happy for the friends that I have who give of themselves so willingly.

One Up on Innovation

Though these books are not new I am already seeing their value for me. I am reading them simultaneously which makes me want to spot disruptive technology so that I can buy copious amounts of stock. I always thought I'd have to pull out my stats and math skills to analyze potential stock buys - and maybe I still will - but it will significantly more fun to do it in a market research way and in a logical way. I enjoy that both authors are from this area. I love where I live!