I am really proud of what has become a true labor of love: Advice For My Daughter. This project began quite simply as a way to hopefully inspire the future version of my daughter with advice from some fantastic women. I am still in shock that so many people decided to participate. I have been able to include women who are truly accomplished, inspirational role models. One of my observations was that several of the women had career reinventions, which speaks to me on a personal level since I have embarked on that path. Among the people who have participated are journalists, Olympic Gold Medalists, CEO's, non-profit directors, authors, an artist, a Reverend, a sexologist, and several of my former classmates. Here's to some equally fantastic participants in 2015.
Here are highlights from 2014.
An interview with basketball legend Swin Cash.
"The great thing is you have a young mind to shape. I love talking to my daughters about things I've learned and knowing that they're not going to hear me until they have the dilemma that I faced. It will come back and ring in their ears at some point. But, I keep saying the things that I learned. Treat people the way you want to be treated. That's one of my messages, and they haven't heard it yet. But, they will."
- Yvette Campbell, President & CEO of the Harlem School of the Arts
"It's never too late to turn the car around and take a completely different road."
"I have always believed that I have been fortunate enough to be raised with privilege in a lot of different capacities. I believe that when you have privilege it is your responsibility to put yourself out there and use that privilege to benefit the greater good. So I really am happy to work through the adversity, because if I don't do it, I'm not sure who is going to."
- Dr. Logan Levkoff, Sexologist, Sexuality Educator, and Author
"Sports can teach people so many different life lessons, including (but not limited to!) dedication, perseverance, grit, determination, learning to be a good teammate, learning to take orders from a coach, among so many others."
- AJ Mlescko Griswold, Olympic Gold Medalist and TV Broadcaster
"The truth is life can be difficult, but I feel fear is not a place from which we make healthy decisions."
- Reverend Yejide Peters, Rector of All Saints Episcopal Church
"You will need to have a thick skin, though, because there are a lot of other writers out there, which is not to say there’s not room for more. It simply means there’s a lot of competition for attention, so try as hard as you can not to let attention be your primary goal. The most successful writers are the oneswho write because they enjoy it and because they feel they have something important to say, and I do believe that before your work can mean something to others, it has to mean something, truly, to you."
"My advice for anyone considering starting a business is to follow your gut! Choose to work with amazing people who you’ll learn from and whom you trust. Don’t get too hung up on others’ expectations of you, and instead choose the path that’s really right for you, even if it’s winding or seemingly nonsensical at times."
- Sara Sutton Fell, CEO and Founder of FlexJobs
"One of the biggest things I'm learning is that the inspiration doesn't usually come first--it's the reverse, the work causes the inspiration."
- Jenny Ziomek: Painter and Illustrator
"To me, what is most rewarding is to share the things I love with them. Every morning when they wake up, my room faces east, so we have a great view of the sunrise. Every morning, we watch the sunrise and read books together. Especially given my situation and not having Todd to share that with, there is something so magical about sharing it with the boys and really imparting that love of nature and our environment and where we live with them. It's really beautiful. I don't take one second for granted."
- Amanda Costanzo McGovern, Director of Seas It
"And finally my mother always said to me when I was fussing about my appearance, "Honey, it is more important what's in your head, than what's on it." Concentrate on the important things and don't get distracted by the little dumb things in life, which sometimes masquerade as something meaningful."