Social Networking For Women – Braveheart Women Review
One in particular that caught my attention is Braveheart Women.
Braveheart Women is the creation of Dr. Ellie Drake. Her vision is to bring together women to support each other in creating purpose, passion and prosperity. The purpose of this site is to provide social networking for woman with a purpose. Ellie’s goal is to empower you to be empowered and to inspire you to be inspired. What distinguishes this site from all the others I participate in is that it regularly features interviews with a host of celebrity women.
Braveheart TV
Ellie and her panel regularly interview women who are making a difference in their fields. Her guests include celebrities, businesswomen, entrepreneurs and other women who have valuable insights and experiences to share with other women. I’ve seen interviews with Dr. Maya Angelu, Mary Ellen Tribby, Mariel Hemingway, Morgan Fairchild, Lindsay Wagner, Dr. Judith Orloff, Forbes Riley, Gloria Loring, Lisa Nichols and Estelle Harris, to name a few. The cool thing is that these interviews are not fluff. They’re really good. I come away from each one feeling inspired. Ellie digs right down into the heart and soul of what makes these women tick.
Forum Discussions
When I first joined as a free member a little over a year ago, I introduced myself on the discussion forum and began reading some of the other introductions. I saw a post by a marketing mentor and picked up the phone and called her, figuring I would get her machine and leave a message. She picked up the phone, and we made a great connection. I started working with her as a client, and within the last year, I wrote three ebooks and developed a brand new website to connect with other women in midlife looking to improve their health. You never know. Since then, I have watched Ellie’s interviews often and continue to be inspired each and every time.
RISE – The Braveheart Women Annual Event
Braveheart Women hosts an annual live networking event. This year’s event is in October in Beverly Hills. I did not go last year. I may be able to attend this year. It looks like they have a great lineup of empowered, inspired women. I was surprised to see to how inexpensive it is. I hope my schedule supports my attending. I’d love to bring my daughter.
Conclusion
This social networking forum gets a big thumbs up from me. You can read more about it on my blog.
Lori Somekh is an attorney and a business owner. She resides in New York and helps women transition into online business ownership. You can find out more on http://www.somekh1.wordpress.com
Whist at a Women in Leadership Forum in the Emirates, conference motivational speaker, Carole Spiers detects an abundance of confidence
“It is confirmed by a new forecast by global HR consultants, Mercer, that salaries are predicted to rise by up to 7.5 per cent in the next year, following a separate finding from the Dubai Chamber of Commerce, showing that the UAE is now firmly in recovery mode from the global downturn. So what conclusions can be drawn from my own varied schedule of meetings with all manner of people across the corporate, retail and government sectors? We might take note of the audience research from Naseba’s high profile Women in Leadership Forum, held last week in Dubai’s luxury Atlantis hotel, where I had the pleasure of presenting a well-attended workshop. Not only did these women represent a most impressive cross-section of both national and international executive, female talent, but I felt a strong respect for all these highly motivated women who were succeeding in so many different areas of commerce, business and the professions. However, concerns were expressed regarding long working hours, poor communications and, sometimes, management systems that were less than efficient. Nevertheless, I detected an abundance of confidence, along with a strong awareness of the challenges ahead and the need to adapt to the inevitable corporate change. In denial This corporate change has had a good deal to do with the UAE’s recent experience of its first recession — a traumatic experience, as I can personally testify. Throughout the past twenty years, there have been a number of economic downturns in Europe, but none to match the severity of this recession. This week has reminded me of one of my old clients in Abu Dhabi, from some years back. As he was a well-known name in the oil and gas industry of the ’80s and ’90s, I had better re-name him Ehab. He was a towering figure who had put his company firmly on the world map. In the good years, Ehab couldn’t put a foot wrong. But this recession affected him badly — and revealed unsuspected weaknesses. For he had been totally unprepared for such severe setbacks, and went straight into denial. When he was advised that he must make some of his own appointees redundant, he became literally incapable of making decisions, in a way that nobody had seen him before. In other words, he was good at building up a business during the good times, but hopeless at managing it through the difficult times. This required a whole different breed of manager. And before long, these new managers had to do the unthinkable, and make Ehab himself redundant. As I watched the Dubai lights twinkling below me, as I relaxed in my comfortable Emirates airlines jet, I remind myself that I am both an insider and an outsider, and it is this that gives me such a good perspective from which to evaluate the future of Dubai and the Emirates. I believe that the UAE will experience continued growth as an international centre of excellence and tourist destination. There is nowhere in the world that has built such an amazing infrastructure, incorporating the very latest advances in technical design and utilising the best talent from around the globe. Dubai already has one of the best international airlines and soon the world’s largest new airport for intercontinental travellers, and not to mention the world’s tallest building at over 800 metres — and the shrewd, global investments by the UAE will ensure that it is now an economic force that demands worldwide respect.” Key points: First recession Reliable economic surveys present a favourable outlook for the UAE A businesswomen’s forum confirmed commitment and thirst for learning Management needs to be proficient in skills that can handle recession The writer is a BBC broadcaster and motivational speaker, with 20 years’ experience as CEO of an international stress consultancy based in London.
“It is confirmed by a new forecast by global HR consultants, Mercer, that salaries are predicted to rise by up to 7.5 per cent in the next year, following a separate finding from the Dubai Chamber of Commerce, showing that the UAE is now firmly in recovery mode
from the global downturn.
So what conclusions can be drawn from my own varied schedule of meetings with all manner of people across the corporate, retail and government sectors?
We might take note of the audience research from Naseba’s high profile Women in Leadership Forum, held last week in Dubai’s luxury Atlantis hotel, where I had the pleasure of presenting a well-attended workshop. Not only did these women represent a most impressive cross-section of both national and international executive, female talent, but I felt a strong respect for all these highly motivated women who were succeeding in so many different areas of commerce, business and the professions.
However, concerns were expressed regarding long working hours, poor communications and, sometimes, management systems that were less than efficient. Nevertheless, I detected an abundance of confidence, along with a strong awareness of the challenges
ahead and the need to adapt to the inevitable corporate change.
In denial
This corporate change has had a good deal to do with the UAE’s recent experience of its first recession — a traumatic experience, as I can personally testify. Throughout the past twenty years, there have been a number of economic downturns in Europe, but none to
match the severity of this recession.
This week has reminded me of one of my old clients in Abu Dhabi, from some years back. As he was a well-known name in the oil and gas industry of the ’80s and ’90s, I had better re-name him Ehab. He was a towering figure who had put his company firmly on the world map. In the good years, Ehab couldn’t put a foot wrong. But this recession affected him badly — and revealed unsuspected weaknesses. For he had been totally unprepared for such severe setbacks, and went straight into denial. When he was advised that he must make some of his own appointees redundant, he became literally incapable of making decisions, in a way that nobody had seen him before. In other words, he was good at building up a business during the good times, but hopeless at managing it through the difficult times. This required a whole different breed of manager. And before long, these new managers had to do the unthinkable, and make Ehab himself redundant.
As I watched the Dubai lights twinkling below me, as I relaxed in my comfortable Emirates airlines jet, I remind myself that I am both an insider and an outsider, and it is this that gives me such a good perspective from which to evaluate the future of Dubai and the
Emirates.
I believe that the UAE will experience continued growth as an international centre of excellence and tourist destination. There is nowhere in the world that has built such an amazing infrastructure, incorporating the very latest advances in technical design and utilising the best talent from around the globe.
Dubai already has one of the best international airlines and soon the world’s largest new airport for intercontinental travellers, and not to mention the world’s tallest building at over 800 metres — and the shrewd, global investments by the UAE will ensure that it is now an economic force that demands worldwide respect.”
Key points: First recession
Reliable economic surveys present a favourable outlook for the UAE
A businesswomen’s forum confirmed commitment and thirst for learning
Management needs to be proficient in skills that can handle recession
The writer is a BBC broadcaster and motivational speaker, with 20 years’ experience as CEO of an international stress consultancy based in London.
Gender equality so close,yet so far
‘lets unite and make the road from a declaration to a Protocol,campaign for Gender Protocol,move from an era of commitment to an era of implementation’.(Permanent Secretary of Women Affairs Gender and Community Development)
But an honest criticism is hard to take particularly from a relative ,a friend an acquittance or a strange but in this case from a female counterpart towards gender equality.
The struggle for gender equality amongst men and women is far from being won.
Men are still reluctant to accept women as their counterparts
The question still rings in my mind,’How far true is it that women are equal to any task given the platform and can they work alongside their male counterparts?’
‘For women and men to work together we need to progress the dialogue from dependency of women through independence to interdependence(Dr Olivia Muchena Minister of Gender,Women’s Affairs and community Development)
Meanwhile ,many questions still remained unanswered,will women dominate in all sectors?
The issue emerged from Parliament debates but matters of the government are generally seen as a prerogative of men in Zimbabwe .Although women constitute 51 percent of the population ,women are grossly under-pressure in Parliament
Women are outnumbered in positions, politics in particular as the main factor limiting them from participation in politics is gender composition of leaders in the political parties and the procedures for parliamentary elections .Political parties are in general,dominated by men who silent candidates or influence the selection at the constituency and provincial levels.
Women politicians are not heard relative to their strength in parliament but by any miracle they happen to be elected they are only figures in name not in power
The global political environment is becoming competitive can women survive?
‘We are not clambering to displace men but we only need an additional chair.” Dr Utete Permanent secretary of Gender ,Women’s Affairs and community Development.
Right away from the onset God created man and he made it clear by first creating men and from men’s side he formed a woman.Had he created them together what would have happened
Iam not saying women are not important,men are important no get me right.
Journey of a thousand miles starts with one step.Its not over until its over.A bend in the road is not the end of the road unless if you fail to make a turn.
Meanwhile women are advocating for the ratification and domestication of the Gender Protocol in Parliament which was signed by SADC leaders early last year.
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Women Friends
Men, for most of my life I’ve been surrounded by men. Oh, not in the way you might imagine. They’ve just been everywhere!
I remember growing up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, my brother was my first playmate and friend. Okay that explains one male, but for some reason the entire time I was growing up from very small throughout my teenage years, most of my friends were boys and then of course young men.
I grew up and married a wonderful man, and went on to have three sons; do you see a common theme? I chuckle when I realize that even the dogs who have shared my home since I’ve been married have all been male. Now the holistic life coach part of me says that this fact that I was surrounded by men led me to more likely continue to be surrounded by men, and I think that’s correct. Like energy attracts like energy, pretty simple, basic and true. Even now, some of my closest friends are men and I love every one of them. Still, I have to admit, I don’t understand from a personal viewpoint a lot of what makes them operate in the fashion that they do. Their brains don’t always work the same way as mine. I appreciate that, but sometimes I crave someone who does think more as I do.
Enter the women. While as I said, most of my friends have been men, I’ve always had a few very dear friends that were women and I cherish those friendships. These days I find that my life is filled with more and more powerful, smart, exciting and simply fun women. Yahoo!
Circumstances have changed. My sons grew up and I’m no longer involved in Boy Scouts and all of the largely male dominated activities that accompanied raising boys. In the past few years choices regarding the way I want to spend my time have led me to spend more and more time with women.
Changing careers was part of that shift. When I became a holistic life coach I began realizing that I was dealing with women more frequently than with men. It soon became clear to me that while I was attracted to working with men here and there, I had moved to a place in my life where I was much more attracted to the idea of working with people who shared some of my life experiences from my perspective, those who were more likely to be wired to think in a similar fashion to the way I think. I realized that I wanted a stronger connection with my own kind so to speak. It’s been interesting for me to realize how much I value the strength and the warmth of these women. They’re fun, engaging and determined to move forward in their lives in a deliberate, productive manner.
Reiki has been much the same. While it’s true that I decided to work with a man while going through my master/teacher apprenticeship, almost every one of my other connections concerning Reiki have been women. I’m not at all sure why that is. Well, that’s not true. Once again I know that is what I am attracting into my life and the truth is that I’m very grateful. That energy of excitement, contentment and gratitude continues to attract more women into my life on a continual basis. Most of the Reiki clients that I see are women. And then there are the amazing women that I have come to know and love that gather with me once a month for a Reiki share. We could not be more different in age, background and life experience. But we have come to appreciate and love one another.
For me, that’s the power of women. Politically correct or not, I believe that nurturing on some level comes very naturally to most women. I find that the lovely ladies who I am now proud to call friends actually care about one another, are pleased to see one another succeed and support one another without hesitation when a call is put out. Part of me has been surprised to realize how seamlessly women integrate personal with business.
The women that I am now proud to call friends come from all walks of life. Some are professional, with their own businesses or working for large businesses. Others go to work for someone else every day in grocery stores, restaurants, etc. Still others stay at home, raising families and taking care of the home. Age range has become much more diverse than I would have expected several years ago as well. I have friends from their early 20′ to mid 80′s and we all have enough in common to keep us strongly connected. Politics, food, sexual orientation, religion, food, hobbies, wine, food, sex, gardening and men. We talk about it all, ask questions and try to understand one another, and yes we usually manage to bring a bit of food to the situation as well while we are solving the problems of the world. I think it’s part of that tendency to nurture one another, make each other comfortable and show that we care about one another.
I so appreciate the diversity of these women. I am learning so much! I’ve found that even when we have discussions where our thoughts and beliefs are very different that the conversation doesn’t become hostile. It certainly can become lively, but it stays respectful and I always come away seeing another point of view a bit more clearly.
Of course this appeals to both the life coach and Reiki parts of me. I believe that we get what we ask for, whether it’s deliberate or not. As a holistic life coach I am very aware that every one of these friendships supports me on both a personal and professional level. That gives me confidence to expect more of the same and as I go about my day I realize that I am meeting and getting to know more women who are simply adding to the richness of my life on every level, every day. It’s easy to be grateful for all of this and to expect more of the same or even better the next day. It’s a wonderful cycle. And it’s been an awful lot of fun. 
So, thank you ladies. I’m grateful and proud to call you each of you friend.
This week, I encourage you to take a look around you, notice and appreciate the fabulous gifts that you receive every day from the women in your life.
Warmly,
Sandy
Sky is no longer the limit for Women in Business
Women in Business
If you are women in business the sky is no longer the limit, with more and more work from home mums becoming business women each year and working to improve their businesses into an established company throughout the business World, it does seem that the sky is no longer the limit.
There are many national and some local networking groups, and sometimes even a global business womens clubs and there are plenty to choose from these days too.
There are literally 1000s of these clubs around the World and you will find one close to you in your town with their popularity growing at an incredible rate.
Business Clubs are becoming more and more popular each year and so are clubs specifically for women in business, such as the Ladies Business Club for example.
The Ladies Business Club is a blog website that brings together news and information about women in business, hints and tips and helpful articles plus there is other information you cant find anywhere else.
Bringing business women together is the sole aim for these business clubs as within these clubs there are people who can help each other with advice and information, presentations and demonstrations from other more successful women, men are usually excluded from these clubs.
Not only that, they usually have regular meetings where you can get all the information about what is going on in the World of business and maybe you can do some business yourself, you never know who you will meet at these events.
Over the past few years the pace has grown rapidly for women in business, many large companies have been established by women and often with a large corporation these days, you wont be surprised to find a women heading the board.
There is normally a fee to be paid when you join a womens business club, such as a membership fee and then so much per meeting and then an extra fee per month for something else so they are mostly not free to join but you can certainly justify the cost when you start to gain leads that you would otherwise would not have had.
Often when a women has been married and had her children she will start to think about starting her own business, they want to get back into work but with schooling etc there really don’t have the time available to them to go out and find full time employment, and often, a part time job is not an option due to the cost of child care etc.
Mothers tend to have some time on their hands once the children are off to school and often develop a business idea that they can run from home, and with a lot of these business clubs being held in the evenings its and ideal situation for them as they can leave the children with their husbands.
Promote your business and add your own articles, read the articles and contributions from other women in business. This site will grow in time and develop into a huge resource of helpful news and information.
What Is Women-Owned Business?
Federal and state government agencies do not provide any special structure to register or form women-owned companies. There is no special terminology used to form a women-own company with the federal and state. But there are some special programs are available on federal, state and county levels.
There are some agencies helping promote the development of business enterprises and non-profit organizations owned and operated by minorities or women.
You can contact the following organizations for any assistance regarding women-owned business schemes and if any help or grant available.
National Association of Female Executives
The largest women’s professional association and the largest women business owners’ organization in the country, provides resources and services – through education, networking, and public advocacy – to empower its members to achieve career success and financial security.
National Association of Women Business Owners
Membership organization providing networking, advocacy and resources.
Women Entrepreneurs of Oregon
Provides education, professional support and networking opportunities for women business owners throughout the state of Oregon.
Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan
A non-profit membership organization that works with women who are considering a career in business, starting a business, or operating an existing business. Programs and services offered by W.E. include business advisory services, lending services, business development workshops and seminars that focus on entrepreneurial skill development, and business publications.
Women in Technology International
A worldwide network of women in science and technology with information on current issues and new technologies.
Recommendation:
Since obtaining grants, financing or any help from the institution is not an easy process and Federal and state government agencies do not provide grants to women to help them start a business. Grants may be available from non-profits and private organizations; however, these are very rare and usually focus on helping minority and women in economically disadvantaged communities. However, there are a limited number of loans available to specifically to help women start and expand their businesses. So, instead of just simply waiting to get it approved to form or register women-owned-business you can setup a home based business and can join any affiliation or re-sellers program to help you.
“Grants may not be required to pay back but very hard to get and private financing may be very expensive and may take forever to pay it back with interest. There is no such registration available with either secretary of state or division of incorporation”
Source http://www.infotaxsquare.com