As part of Dare, Dream, Do's birthday month, I invited people who had contributed to the book to write a celebratory post. Some of you may recall Jean's prior piece The Tasty Cheapskate in which she shares what happened when she, to her surprise, she discovered she enjoys cooking. Here's a belated Mother's Day piece which I found quite lovely. Last September my mother died. As my birthday and Mother’s Day rolled out in quick succession, I expected to miss her desperately. My...
Artist Sue Shanahan reached out to me after reading about Dare, Dream, Do on Brene Brown's site (thank you Brene!). As Sue and I e-mailed back-and-forth, she shared that a high school counselor told her she couldn't be an artist. The counselor's words nagged at Sue for years, and until recently subtly held her back. In the interim, Sue has tried to open up the world for her daughter's dreams; she is now beginning to do the same for her own. Enjoy! *** "There is something in every one of...
Avni Patel Thompson first guest-blogged on Dare to Dream in 2010. It was a few months after we'd met, and I suggested (ok, dared) her to start writing a blog. She and her husband subsequently lived/worked in China for a year, before moving to Washington State and having her first child. Below she shares some of her wondering about how to raise her daughter. More than anything, I need to know that my daughter will not grow up to be ignorant. That she will be thoughtful and mindful of...
I first learned about Mom Corps' business model (think headhunter specializing in flexible work/workers) from Nadia McKay, president of Mom Corps Boston. Thinking this could be a terrific resource for those of you sorting through how to have it all, Allison O'Kelly, Mom Corps founder and CEO, shares her thoughts on the types of flexible work options and how to determine if you are ready for a flex arrangement. Enjoy. I often find myself wondering aloud to friends something along the...
Maria Carr is a long-time friend and contributor to Dare, Dream, Do, in which she tells her story of life before she and her family came to the U.S. as political refugees. I spent 8 years as the primary care giver, first for my ailing father and then for my mother. I’m just beginning to understand some of the lessons I learned during those years. When my father first became ill, he said he wanted to die. But as time passed, and many loving hands cared for him, he found inner...
Deb Mills-Scofield and I first connected on Twitter two years ago, then met at the Business Innovation Factory in 2011. If you want to get to know her even better, also read her HBR post Networking for Survival. In 1980, as an 18-year-old second semester sophomore at Brown University getting ready to declare my concentration, I discovered two other young women were creating almost identical independent concentrations and some freshman kids wanted to do the same thing. So, instead of...
Kristy Williams' essay is the second in a series of posts celebrating the 1st birthday of Dare, Dream, Do. You may remember her piece titled Five Dreams I Think I'll Date, followed by Five Dreams I Dated and A Dream in Progress: Women in Business Conference. Having had twins about a year ago, below is the latest installment in Kristy's journey of dreaming. “I can do hard things” is a motto I’ve always subscribed to. Having four kids under four seemed like a perfect way to...
Robin Cangie previously wrote a beautiful post titled Doubting for Dreamers which I included in the Dare, Dream, Do Circle workbook; I've also quoted her on HBR. In order to celebrate Dare, Dream, Do's 1st birthday, I asked her if she would again contribute. May you be as moved by Robin's writing as I am. “What would you do if money didn’t matter?” I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve heard this question. Whether from career counselors, life coaches, or well-meaning friends,...
Anne Deeter Gallaher is one of my Twitter friends who just published the book Women in High Gear: A Guide for Entrepreneurs, On-Rampers, and Aspiring Executives. Here she shares her story of moving into high gear -- it is delightful! One of the proudest moments for any mother is to watch her children supporting each other and looking out for each other. As the mother of three sons, all of whom spent elementary through high school years on the wrestling mat, I have witnessed a few of these...
"It's just not that easy," said my husband kindly, but with just a hint of exasperation. We were watching with our 12 year-old daughter Kurt Warner's The Moment, a new reality show about giving people a second chance to chase their dreams. Tracie Marcum, the episode's protagonist, had always wanted to be a photographer for Sports Illustrated. After an intensive 2-week one-on-one training with award-winning photographer Lou Jones, Tracie not only gets an interview at Sports...
