Recently while working on my newest mosaic piece, I went to the garage and grabbed a fresh bottle of water from the case we keep out there – being winter right now it stays cool.  I set the bottle on my work table and went back to the business of gluing tiny ceramic tiles into my design.  I looked up and noticed that the bottle had a big green box on its label with the words “Our Commitment” in dark green text.  I got intrigued.  My initial thought was that Arrowhead would be committed to providing good quality spring water.  However that’s not what the stated commitment on the label was about at all.  The label says:

• …”We’ve always been committed to monitoring our springs in order to assess their health and manage long term water supply: both now and in the future.  Be Green….”

In part that sentence does refer to the quality of the water, but it also speaks to sustainability.  So I went to the website.  Arrowhead Brand Mountain Spring Water says that its message is in its mission and says its mission is, “…to responsibly manage resources, reduce waste and maximize recycling efforts. Protecting our world isn’t just important now – but for generations to come.…”

This company appears to be committed to more than just providing its customers with good quality, good tasting water…it is also committed to safeguarding the sources of their product so that others who use those sources and future generations will have access to that same water.  This is, to me, is an example of business being committed to something beyond the framework of commerce.

This idea of not just you as business owner being committed to your business’ success, but your business having a commitment to something made me look further.  As I’ve mentioned in previous writings, I’m a late adopter of new technology so I must confess I just now got a smart phone.  This past weekend I got an iPhone [wow! so cool!].  So, I got curious about what is Apple Inc.’s commitment.  Here’s what I found:

• “…Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through its innovative hardware, software and Internet offerings….”

Inside that mission statement I read a promise that this business plans to continually innovate.  In order to ‘bring the best personal computing experience…’ would by definition require innovation, invention, “thinking outside the box,” anticipating new technology, paradigm shifting and more…this is a huge commitment.

In my opinion the touch interface is just such an innovation.  As soon as I began to play with my phone I found its first obvious advantage: not having to use and navigate a mouse saves time and effort.  Using a fingertip to point and tap cuts out the need to negotiate a mouse – which also eliminates the need for added hardware…you don’t even need a stylus to tap…just requires the heat of your fingertip.

Is it a relevant question to ask of  businesses like that of life coach, business consultant, marketing consultant, web designer, writer, business coach and a host of other professions held by solo-preneurs and small business owners: what is your business committed to?  Beyond the initial vision when the business began, is there an element of something that is greater than the whole?  In years to come what would be the legacy that your business leaves to your successors?

What’s taken me awhile to figure out, however, is how to use the iTunes store.  I know that millions of people buy and download music, tv show, movies and more at iTunes, but for this old gal, it’s not intuitive.  I got in the mood yesterday for the music of my younger years, Simon and Garfunkle and Heart.  I made the purchase but then had a difficult time figuring out how to do the download and syncing…as I said, not intuitive.  Probably logical.

So what does all this have to do with business and my title of “A Sweet Song of Success?”  For any size business, from the tiny solo-preneur to the mega conglomerate, success is a matter of tonality.  Of chords that make sense and lyrics that speak true.

The iPod is a successful product for the Apple company because it provides (1) exceptional sound, (2) multi-functionality – you can listen to music, you can listen to books and podcasts, and you can view tv shows and movies, (3) portablity, (4) variety of options – everything from color to features, (5) accessories to tailor its use for the consumer and (6) value for pricing.  There are other provisions but these are good ones for any product.  Measure your product:

• Is your product exceptional?  Is it constructed well?  Will it hold up under ordinary useage?  Is it easy to use?  Does the paint chip?  Will it sun fade?  What is the shelf life?  If you have competitors who make something very similar, what is different about yours?
• Is your product a “do only one thing” product [nothing wrong with that] or does it have more than one function?  Multi-functionality can offset a product that generally is a one-time purchase rather than a repeat purchase item.
• Can your product be used in more than one location?  Is it easily transportable?
• Does your product have options?  Does it come in various sizes, colors or flavors?  Can you do more than one thing with it?
• Can the consumer purchase add-ons to extend the use and functionality of your product?
• Is your product priced competitively?  Do you believe your customers receive equal or greater value for the price charged for your product?  Do you offer any added value?

Interestingly, my iPod doesn’t replace anything – I have not gotten rid of our cd player…it has its place.  But I am enjoying both the small size of the iPod and, because of its size, the many ways and places I can use it.

As for my mention of the musicians, Simon and Garfunkle and Heart, they are proof that some “products” retain their “flavor” long after they are first produced.  How sweet is the success of having a product that retains a marketshare for decades.

• taking initiative
• building good relationships

Initiative has within it the idea that you go with an idea.  It is a “doing” word and means that you take action.  Successful entrepreneurs are those who can start something new and follow through.  In this time of economic downturn, more small and home-based businesses are starting up.  For some, a job layoff is an opportunity to follow a personal passion by starting a home-based business.  It takes initiative to:

• turn an idea into a business entity
• take that business entity to a functioning business

Once a business is up and running, it takes daily initiative (that ability to give energy to plans and tasks) to grow and prosper.

Building good relationships is what business is truly all about.  Relationships with:

• customers and clients – these are the people who already know you, love you (at least like you) and your products and services; these are the golden relationships because you want (1) repeat business and (2) referrals and (3) feedback.  Your current customers, if you ask them (take the initiative) will give you a heads-up on what they like and what they think could use improvement.
• potential customers and clients – how do you build a relationship with people you don’t yet know?  You make your public face approachable; you make your storefront friendly and inviting; you hang out a “welcome” sign.
• other publics: build good relationships with your community (through giving back, volunteerism – whatever fits with your business plan); your industry, your competitors

It’s not a rule that you should take initiative, nor a rule that you should build good relationships, but both are good guidelines  in building and maintaining a successful business.

*Yesterday on my own blog I wrote about the virtues of using old tried and true marketing methods like flyers, brochures and doorhangers.  In my community these marketing pieces are being used to great effect by tiny businesses like lawn care businesses, house cleaning business, independent real estate agents, handyman services and even independent direct sellers like Avon reps.  It’s kind of interesting however, the push me-pull you dance of these types of businesses…they are looking for homeowners in need of their services.  When the economy is tough, these are the types of businesses that don’t take a lot of capital to start.   However in a difficult economy it’s services like these that homeowners cut back on: lawn care-they’ll cut the lawn themselves; house cleaning-they’ll do their own cleaning; and purchasing cosmetics or other types of direct selling products, well discount chains’ products can fill the bill until the economy improves.  Yet for a healthy economy, it takes consumers who purchase the goods and services that small businesses provide.

*I was thinking about the “business” of golf yesterday as I was reading about the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am tournament in Monterey California.  While waiting in the doctor’s office a couple days ago [am fighting a bad cold like millions of others] I read about a woman who started a home business making golf supplies.  She runs her business online and is doing well.  Talk about finding and filling a need.  Golf seems to be one “industry” that doesn’t die in a down economy.  As a child I can remember lean times, but even in those times my dad still played his Saturday morning round with his friends.

*I’ve often thought that actors could think of themselves as solo-preneurs.  Their business is acting and their product is their talent.  Today I thought how risky that type of business can be.  I believe that we [whatever our business] should never think our future success can be determined solely on our past performance.  As with the stock market, just because a certain stock makes a profit one day in no way means it won’t fall through the floor the following day.  A good parallel to that was in today’s newspaper’s entertainment section.  A new motion picture, “The Wolfman” just came out and the reviewer in the paper gave it a “D” grade.  Interestingly it stars such actors as Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins and Hugo Weaving among others – all have enjoyed great success on other projects.  This movie, however, seems to hold that idea of not counting on success just because you had it in the past.  Yes these actors did earn their income, however their resumes now include a “bomb.”  Interesting industry!

*Another interesting industry that contains many independent or tiny business entities is that of salmon fishing.  This is a California story that mirrors the economic difficulties of the world.  The news today said, “…Sacramento River fall-run, which had been the backbone of a salmon fishing industry that in the 1970s generated $100 million and supported a fishing fleet of 4,500 boats, now appears certain to be off-limits to fishing for a third straight year….”  Four thousand five hundred boats represents a lot of families looking for alternative income sources.

While I was at my doctor’s office I asked her “how’s business?”  My family doctor is part of a very small practice – there are two physicians and a physicians’ assistant plus their clerical staff and two nurses.  She replied that actually business was pretty good because in her line of work winter brings in lots of “sick folks.”  Of course we didn’t talk about the nightmare of slogging through health insurance headaches and such; the point was she had “customers” which is something every small business wants and needs.

It’s a wide world of business and industry out there and I find it all fascinating.

In the art classes I’ve taught, many times students would ask me about the “rules.”  The “you should always” things.  My response to that is that there are no rules.  Not in art.  What there are are techniques and skills.  Once you learn how to use your materials then throw away the rules and let your creativity fly.  Experimentation is all about the “what if” factor:

• what if I were to paint on glass instead of canvas? How would the paint react and what would be the effect of light?
• what if I were to position the images at the far right of the canvas, totally unbalancing it visually?  Is this “allowed?”
• what if I were to put all the cool colors in the foreground and the warm colors in the background?

In art there are rules to be broken in order for creativity to blossom.

I seem like a maverick don’t I?  Well, I’ll turn this around and now say that there are some rules for business that ought not to be broken.  That there are contexts in which you truly do want to stay “in the box.”  What might these rules be?

Rule #1:  Show up every day.

• One of the beauties of having a home-based business, or being a solo-preneur is having the freedom to set your own hours and work when and where you want.  That’s fine.  It is one of the perks that I happen to love.  Having said that, if you want your business to do more than just survive…if you want it to thrive…you have to show up every day.  It might mean that you stay on top of your email.  I’ve read about people who only read and answer emails once a week.  That won’t work if you have set up a business that relies upon people being able to contact you and you them in a timely fashion.  Personally I check my email frequently throughout my work day.  It does not take me long to handle email…either I answer it, file it or dispose of it.  If its something requiring more than a moment or two I will set it aside until an assigned part of my work day when I can devote time to it.
• Showing up might mean staying current with your blog posting or website updating.
• Showing up might mean staying current with your industry through reading and research.
• Showing up might mean staying current with networking – both social and socio-business.

Rule #2:  Polish your products and services to a shine.

• My grandfather told me once that if his name is associated with something then he wants to make sure he can be proud of it.  My grandfather was an artist and only signed and showed/sold his best work.   Don’t have a “grade A” product and a “grade B” product.  Either you are proud to offer your products and/or services or you’re not.
• Your customers and clients deserve to purchase the best you have to offer.  A tiny business like mine cannot afford a “discount bin.”

Rule #3:  Ignore your customers and clients to your peril.

• That might sound a little strong, but without profit your business will fail.  We truly operate in a global marketplace now due to the internet.  Today I joined a [new to me] businesswoman’s networking website that is international.  The founder lives in Iceland.  What this equates to is that competition for consumer dollars is fierce – never think for a moment that your product or service is so unique that there is no other that a potential customer could turn to.  Give your customers and clients your attention.
• Give superb customer service and added value.  And ask for the referral.  And ask for feedback.

Break rules when doing so will spark creativity and leave room for “aha!” moments; but keep the rules that give your business cohesiveness and competitive edge.

Consistency has as its meaning that of holding together, adhering, maintaining its shape – whatever “it” is.  It has a nuance of harmonious agreement between elements of a thing.  Thought of in terms of a business, consistency could apply to:

• a suite of services or products
• policies of customer care
• a business’ reputation
• the idea that our “walk” is in harmonious agreement with our “talk”

Is our business’ stated goal and vision in line with [consistent with] the products and services we offer?  If my stated business is as a life coach, then my product offerings will not include workbooks about investing.  If my stated business is as an insurance agent, then my product offerings will not include workbooks about self-improvement.  This is a very simplified example, but to the point.

If my business website claims that customer care emails are promptly answered…are they?  Are my actions consistent with my stated policies?  Do I wait to hear from my clients or do I have in place a system of contact from me to them?  If I state, somewhere in my business materials, that I care for my clients, then do I follow that with actions?  For instance, if my business were that of a life coach and my clients signed a contract for services that spanned several months of consultation, do I have built into it a way for myself and my client to give one another non-consulting feedback?  I would want to know if the client had questions, if the client understood clearly, if the client were doing the exercises, if the client were regretting the association.  Not only do I want my clients to be “happy,” I want them to be getting the value from my business that I say they will.

I think a business’ reputation depends in part on consistency.  Do you, in your business, do what you say you will do?  Does your product do what you say it will do?  Does your service deliver what you say it will deliver?  Every product should perform equally with every customer who uses it.  Same product.  Same service.  Client to client.  Customer to customer.  There should never be a time when favoritism gives one client advantage in your business from another.

Walking the talk and talking the walk are cute but true ways to say that you deliver what you advertise.  Every time. That your products and services are in harmonious agreement with your business goals and vision.  I have a favorite asian food eatery in my community that has a particular dish I really enjoy.  This business also offers home delivery.  Over the past two years, I have ordered this dish about eight times utilizing their home delivery option.  Every single time, the food is delivered in the space of time the hostess said it would arrive; it has been hot; it has been packaged in such a way that none spilled; and it has been consistently delicious.  Every time.

Makes me wonder if some people get into a business and don’t realize that they might have a “hit” or two that people will want time and again.  Makes me wonder if these people realize they will have to deliver this “hit” many, many times and that it will need to be consistently wonderful each time.  Musicians are like that…there are some songs a singer becomes famous for and that song will follow that singer for the rest of time…and crowds will want to hear that particular song sung by that singer and will want it to be sung just as beautifully as the first time.  For the business person, being consistent with products and services can get tiring…but these same products and services are new to each new client and customer.

Healthy businesses are those who are consistent with every aspect of their business, from products to customer care.

• the title character were a woman instead of  a man
• the title character were 75 years old and slightly deaf
• the title character had a side-kick who was independently wealthy
• all the action took place over the course of 3 days
• the setting was ancient Egypt
• the setting was in the Dark Ages
• the setting was 10 years into the future

A creative writer doesn’t see the “what if” question as risky…rather she sees it as opening doors, possibilities and opportunities.  Without the convention of the “what if” it would be difficult to posit the possible.  The same is true in a business.

Having a business of your own often involves risk and wondering “what if?”  What if:

• you decide to go it alone as a solo-preneur…what are the implications of that?
• you decide to go into business with a partner…what would that look like?
• you limit your business to your local community only…does your community have the population size in your business niche to offer you enough business?
• you decide to have both a local business and an online presence…can you handle the possible case overload?

In building your business asking yourself the “what if I did this or that” kinds of questions can help to direct your creative thinking and help you to evaluate what you really and truly want to do.  Once the business is up and running, there is still risk…still the “what if” questions to ask.  What if:

• you take a vacation…can your business handle your being away from it for 5 days…10 days?
• you become ill…do you have a procedure built into your business to handle the inevitable down days?
• an outside, unforeseen natural or economic catastrophe occurs…do you have contingency plans in place for things like fires, floods and recessions?
• your business becomes too popular…can you turn away clients/customers?
• your business requires a new marketplace…can you retool?

Without risk there is no business; but risk doesn’t have to be thought of as negative.  Rephrased as “what if” questions, risk becomes a way to look anew at your business…and keep you fresh and on your toes.

First, however, I want to give you my definition for marketing – it is not quite what others might say.

Marketing is telling everyone, everywhere:

• what your business is, where it is, how to find it
• what your product/service is, what it can do for the consumer, why they need it, why they want it
• how your business differs from others that are similar – what your uniqueness’s are, what makes your business so very special
• why the consumer should/ought to exchange their precious dollars and cents for your product/service

Marketing is telling everyone, everywhere in every way that people can and do receive information:

• newspapers, magazines and direct mailers – the hard copy kind, the newsprint ink that smears on your fingers and the flyers, brochures and sales letters that come in the snail mail; AND the online versions: newspapers online, magazines online and email ads that come both solicited and unsolicited
• television ads, radio ads – both via traditional tv and radio vehicles and online versions
• internet banner ads, classified ad sites, display ad boxes on social media sites
• social media relationship building
• weblogs and forums and other self-publishing arenas where messages about anything and everything under the sun, moon and stars can be shared

A business’ marketing department is usually tasked with:

• designing the message
• crafting the message delivery system
• delivering the message
• measuring the results of both the message and the delivery system

My prediction about marketing for 2010 is that we all begin to realize that calendars are human conventions and that time is an amorphous mystery – we are actually calendar-less.  What 2010 is going to bring is already around us.  I came across a great article on Social Media Today that has some fantastic information on this very topic.  The article, “2010: The Year Marketing Dies…(Subtitled) Or at Least Marketing as We Know It!” by Augie Ray, has these points – among others – that I find worthy of comment here [from the article]: “… Of course, if marketing burns to the ground in 2010, a new and more powerful marketing will rise from the ashes.  The role of the new marketer [I picked the 3 of Mr. Ray's 8 points that spoke to me the most]:

1. Won’t be to plan bursts of communication on a yearlong calendar but to respond to and be part of the ever-changing dialog with consumers,
2. Won’t be to count friends, page visits, eyeballs, readers, or viewers but to measure changes in consumer attitude and intent,
3. Won’t be merely to talk at consumers but to listen and engage one to one….”

Point One I find significant and is one with which I totally agree – marketing is no longer a ‘January through December’ message plan – in fact I’d say this has been outmoded for some time now.  Consider that technology moves so quickly that in the electronics industry, as example, things are outmoded within a couple months – what good is a 12-month message plan for something that has a version 14.0 coming out only 6 weeks after version 1.0? [okay that's exaggerated, but not by much].

I think what is important is to have a message that is not so much crafted as it is a photograph or hologram of what the product or service actually is and what it’s value  actually could be to the end user.  In other words, not one message for niche A and a different message for niche B…the same message but told in as many ways as is relevant to the receiving system in place.

Point Two is very important and very misunderstood.  I’ll be the first to recommend to a business, large or small, that having a business profile on Facebook and LinkedIn is a good idea.  However, it is not the number of friends and contacts the profile has…rather it is the quality and the reason for putting up the profile.  You might have a business profile on Facebook because it is one place where you can link your Twitter updates and new blog posts…it gives you a wider population for sharing news and views.  Let’s say you launch a new product.  You write a post about it on the blog on your business website.  You announce the new product release in a Twitter update AND you tweet your blog post – both of these show up on your Facebook profile as new updates…in this tiny example you can see that three separate populations now know about your new product release.  The ROI will not be in numbers of page views or friends but in the chatter about your business and in sales.

Point Three is awesome.  Traditional marketing is indeed talking at the consumer.  New marketing is talking with the consumer; it is a conversation.  One cool way of marketing is being done online with the vehicle of reviews. Right now my husband is researching plasma television sets and blue ray players.  Yes, we have gone to the retail stores and looked at them and spoken with the salespeople.  He has read what the “experts” are saying about the various brands but what is having the greatest impact on him is what other consumers are saying.  Amazon.com has used the review feature for some time and it is a great way to gauge what some people’s experiences are with products.  The example I’ve linked to here is for Paula Deen cookware – towards the bottom of the page are the consumer reviews.

I think what marketing needs is a change of clothing.  Instead of marketing being about selling your product or service, marketing ought to be about engaging the consumer in a conversation about his or her needs and wants and how your product or service can meet or fulfill that.  In 2010 pure sales won’t be enough.  Added value will be key.

Happy Holidays!  May the New Year bring you and your family many joys.

Forbes [dot com] on December 16 had a great article by John Zogby doing a bit of forecasting for 2010 – the highlights from his article:

• “…Look for sluggish consumer spending to continue-If you produce or market luxury retail products, the keywords should be high value, high quality and longevity
• The Misplaced Assumption: That the unemployment rate really reflects employment. It has always been a lousy number. It ignores people who have given up looking for work as well as part-timers. What we really need is an indicator of how people survive. Who are the potential entrepreneurs?…”

I think the end of the year is a good time to reflect on what has transpired the preceding 12 months.  In my personal experience I know of two businesses that have closed; one business that had to close their brick-and-mortar shop and operate strictly online; and one person who was laid off in 2008 and still has been unable to find employment – he has now started his own business, but in an area totally unrelated to his working skill set.  Layoff was even a specter in the company for which my husband works – twice during this past year pink slips were handed out.  Even in my own business I have made changes.

So, what is my point?  My point is that people who do have jobs, do have businesses and are looking ahead to 2010 might take a second thought to what they might do to secure long-term solidity rather than how they will meet next month’s bills.

Entrepreneurs are forward-looking, innovative-thinking creative individuals.  Starting your own business in the first place took courage, research and passion.  I think it’s going to take those same things to see us through the recession.  While sitting of an evening during these holidays with a cup of eggnog and plate of decorated cookies, maybe have a pad of paper and pencil and do some revisiting.  Remember back to when you first began your business – what was your belief level:

• in your initial business idea
• in your dreams
• in your goals and milestones
• in your company and product or service

Has anything changed?  Has the current economy changed your direction?  Have you lost clients or customers and now you need to either (1) find new markets or new ways in which to communicate with your market; or (2) find a new product or service that will better serve a more spending-conscious consumer?  Or, maybe the change in the economy has brought you even more customers and clients [some types of business consultancies or life coaching businesses]- maybe what you need now is a re-evaluation of your abilities to handle a larger client load and ask (1) can you continue to offer the degree of customer service you were previous to the new case load; and (2) are you still able to give added value to each and every consumer experience with your business?

We all need to pay the monthly bills of course.  But this past year’s burden of trying to stay ahead can have the result of putting us in “survival mode” and cause us to forget what we’d like our business to look like in ten year’s time.  Survival business tasks are very different than long-term business building tasks.  We may need to do both.  The point of my conversation is that in surviving we ought not to forget the long-term.  Remembering where we’d like to go with our businesses may stimulate some creative thinking to get us there.  Happy Holidays.

Looking back I’m grateful to past employers because it allowed me to feed my family, pay my bills and get on with living.  And now I’m at a place in life where I do get to choose my work and it’s a great joy.

I love knowing what other women choose to do for their work.  I have a friend, a true entrepreneur, who is both a painter and a gallery owner.  She loves both sides of her life – the artistic creator who paints her fantastic surrealistic pieces, and the business woman who plans and markets and keeps the books.  I have an aunt who, after the passing of her husband, has taken a huge role in the operations of his business…something she previously did not do – and she’s discovered she’s quite good at it.

On December 1, a new book in a series of “Heart of…” books became publicly available [Borders bookstores and Amazon.com] titled, “Heart of a Military Woman.” Now there are a couple women’s stories in this book that I want to mention because of the work they chose to do, but I want first to mention the authors themselves: Sheryl L. Roush and Eldonna Lewis Fernandez.  What these two women choose to do as their work is fascinating and exciting.

Sheryl Roush is, from the book, “…an internationally top-rated speaker, and was only the third woman to earn the elite Accredited Speaker designation from Toastmasters International…she is the President/CEO of Sparkle Presentations, Inc…”  From her website, “…She has presented over 3,000 programs in nine countries….”  I think this is terrific, that there is a woman in the ranks of top inspirational speakers in the world.  This is a business category that needs more woman role models for up-and-coming female speakers.  Public speaking…not to mention inspiring and encouraging others from a stage…is something I have no gifts for and I admire those who can.

Eldonna Lewis Fernandez is a retired Air Force Master Sergeant with 23 years of honorable military service.  Her choice of work in the military is one of the stories in the new “Heart” book [in the same chapter in which is my own short essay - I was a journalist during my service in the U.S. Navy] that I find fascinating.  She served in the Honor Guard.  How many of us have ever given much thought to the Honor Guards we see at military or presidential funerals, leading off parades and even at airports welcoming international dignitaries?  Even when I was in the military, I didn’t give thought to this crack team.  From her essay Eldonna says, “…The Honor Guard is about precision in military honors…My entire experience on the Honor Guard is one I’ll cherish for a lifetime….”

What she chooses to do now is just as fascinating [Pink Biker Chic - what a cool name!] – from Eldonna’s website: “…serves on the board of the International Empowerment Education Foundation, and coordinates the speaker’s bureau for the Women’s Peace Campaign. She is also a member of the District One Toastmasters Community Speakers Bureau…Eldonna is affectionately known as the Pink Biker Chic^™, a biker and empowerment coach for women – utilizing the PINK principles of – Power, Integrity, Nurturing, and Knowledge….”

The “Heart of a Military Woman” book has another essay about a woman who chose a job unusual…one you don’t hear about or read about – that of cargo handler.  I know that planes get loaded with “stuff” and that someone has to do the loading, but I never gave thought to the importance of it until I read this essay.  It’s written by a marine captain who saw this woman’s skill and leadership for himself when he worked with Petty Officer Raquel Santiago, USN.  There is a romantic ending as these two people ended up marrying before he spent a tour in Iraq.

Raquel’s story as described by Captain Gravseth is heartwarming and motivating.  Raquel’s reserve unit was called to Singapore after that horrible tsunami in 2004.  Cargo came into the area by the tons but it wasn’t leaving in an organized fashion to help those who needed it.  From the essay, “…Orchestrating the action, the feisty Latina from New York inspired her weary team to continue. With entire nations depending on these supplies getting to their devastated homes it was the cargo handler’s most important mission ever…For the first time since the global disaster, a U.S. Navy cargo ship would leave Singapore at full capacity.…”  This is inspiring work that shows the power of leadership a woman can bring to an unusual job.

None of us is one-dimensional.  Raquel is also a jewelry artist, her designs, RSVanity, can be found here.

I still see articles in news magazines about glass ceilings, but I’m convinced that there is no work a woman cannot choose to do.  Yes, she may have to fight her way in and yes there may be some work that will require adaptations in order to do – women will never be as physically strong as men – but we can adapt.  Someday it will not be headline news when a woman achieves leadership.