A Day to Plan 2010

by Adriana Dakin, Advisory Board Member

In early January, the YWSE-SF board met in a sunny recreation room at an Oakland country club to plan 2010. We took pictures to share with you ...

From left, back row: Lindsey Franklin, Emily Sadigh, Angela Diaz, Han Pham, Adriana Dakin, Laura Peck (facilitator), and Toni Truong. From left, in front row: Jacqueline del Castillo, Koy Hardy, and Teresa Kong. (Not in photo: Liz Zirk.)

YWSE board meetings are often a good excuse for our own professional and personal development. Many of us enjoy the check-ins at the beginning of the meeting, when we share what's going on for each of us, most of all!

At the retreat, we launched an Advisory Board for board members who have served at least one year. The Advisory Board, led by Emily, Adriana, and Toni, is taking on some fun projects such as an online directory of the network to connect needs and resources and a digital story about the organization.

Koy Hardy said afterward, "There was a moment during our 'break' when I looked up and realized that amidst the munching on hummus, crackers and finger-fruit, catching up with each other, and bathroom runs, we had all spontaneously broken up into intense brainstorming pods. I could see and hear that the next big ideas — for our community, for ourselves, for us — were being born at that very moment!  Our meetings consistently feel like awesome events in and of themselves — full of energy and inspiration!  I am so grateful for YWSE, a supportive community where one can cultivate and share their gifts, desires, passion and skills."

To prepare for the meeting, we had all read members' descriptions of their fields of expertise and what they're looking for in YWSE — such as collaboration, potential partners and colleagues, mentors, inspiration, leadership skills, entrepreneurial tools, awareness of issues in the social sector, like-minded others, and effective business practices. (See image below at left.)

We also put ourselves in our shoes next December, with 2010 behind us, to say what we had accomplished. (See image above at right.) These included: we streamlined systems, we had a 100% membership renewal rate, we got to know members deeply and worked on big paid projects together, every event has a volunteer handling logistics, we have been able to create impact with ease, we have ignited YWSE in new circles with a digital story, and we have ways to track YWSE's impact.

Thanks to everyone who helped make our January board retreat a great success. Special thanks to Laura Peck from Claros Consulting, and to Emily Sadigh for introducing us to Laura.

We are looking forward to a great year!

YWSE Takes On…The Feminine Super Power of PAUSE

A first-hand account of the wisdom shared at the January 7^th YWSE workshop with Christine Arylo

By:  Madeleine Anderson, intern for Madly in love with ME

For many of us high achieving women, January is a time of planning: of vowing to do more, to aim higher, to be better. We make New Year’s resolutions, vow to keep them, and then beat ourselves up when we ultimately fail to complete all the tasks that we set out for ourselves. The question is: who are we really doing all of this for? What are we trying to prove? And finally, is there another way?

Christine Arylo shows us that there is. On January 7^th, I accompanied Christine to a gathering with the Young Women Social Entrepreneurs, where she spoke about how the energy of self-love can guide us throughout the year and help us live our truest, deepest and wisest selves.

The Feminine Superpower of PAUSE

Let’s be honest, the way we normally approach the beginning of our new year is exhausting, unrewarding and tired. Unmet resolutions, goals that we always fall short of, and well intended intentions that never become a priority over day-to-day life.

What if this year, instead of trying to do it all and do it all yourself, you tapped into your feminine super power of PAUSE so that come December 2010, you can celebrate that you’ve accomplished what was truly important to you, made your goals and dreams realities and that you did it without having to exhaust yourself to ‘get it done.’

Begin your 2010 with a new, sustainable approach toward New Year's planning...and Life!

Live the Power of Pause! Christine Arylo will guide this workshop, a full three-hours where you will benefit from reflection and pause by...

• Starting the New Year (and every year from now on) with intentions that stick and that matter vs. resolutions that get forgotten or goals that create stress and fatigue

• Getting more done every day by doing less, just by refocusing 10 minutes of your day

• Finding time for yourself, and everything and everyone else you love, without spending all of your personal energy to make it happen.

Learn more about this illuminating, fun and interactive New Years workshop!
Reclaim you approach toward the New Year.

Early Bird discount til Christmas Day - 12/25: $10 Members, $20 for non-members
Regular Price: $15 Members, $25 non-members
Volunteer for this workshop (5 spaces available): Attend for FREE
Contact Koy Hardy, misskoy@aol.com to Get Involved

About Christine Arylo

Christine Arylo is an inspirational catalyst and the leading self-love expert for today's woman. An m.b.a. and former marketing executive, Christine traded in building images for big brands like Gap and Visa to teach women how to break free from the images they feel pressured to fit into.

A self-admitted, but recovering, achievement junkie and doing addict, Christine is a teacher, writer, coach, speaker, and sought-out expert with the media on the topic of today's woman and her struggles with life and love. Since the release of her book, "Choosing ME before WE, Every Woman's Guide to Life and Love," she has appeared on E! Entertainment, CBS, ABC, and FOX, over 100 radio programs, and in publications like the San Francisco Chronicle and the Daily Om. When not talking or writing, you can find her teaching her "Dare to Be Loved" and "Feminine Super Power" power-shops around the country.

In 2008, Christine launched Madly in Love with ME, a self-love movement that includes an international holiday (Feb 13th), a line of apparel and jewelry, and events in major cities around the world. She also created Self Love Studio, a series of up close and personal tele-conversations on the topics of self-love with the wisest and most real women of our time.

YWSE's Take On ... I'm my own PG & E

by Vera Devera

What comes to mind when you think of women and money?

Shoes.
Prince Charming.
I can save later.
I don't have enough.

That last one is sticky. How many times have we heard it, from ourselves or from our friends and family? The reality is, we all do have enough and are in position to be prosperous if we think about money differently.

That's what was so empowering about the YWCA of Oakland/Berkeley's Young Women and Money Conference that I attended with YWSE on December 5. We heard from three distinguished and inspiring keynote speakers throughout the day: Veronica Dangerfield (Inspirational Speaker and Marketing Manager at Patelco Credit Union), Valerie Coleman-Morris (former Business Anchor at CNN) and Kathleen Ronald ("Queen of Business Networking" and founder of Speakacular). The overall theme woven through each of their "pep talks" was that we all have the power within ourselves to take control of our money and that saving money is easier than you think -- as long as we put our minds over matter.

For some of us, dealing with money is like dieting. You slip up once and say to yourself, "Well, I screwed up so I guess indulging again today isn't going to make a difference -- I've already lost the battle." To make yourself feel better, you treat yourself to a new purse, a $30 meal, or a pair of jeans "on sale" and charge it to your card. Emotional spending, like emotional eating, is dangerous! Before making any impulsive purchases, ask yourself, do you really need it, or do you want it? Why do I want or need this?

By being honest with yourself, you will be taking the first step towards sound financial health. Even more importantly, if you do make a mistake, don't beat yourself over it. Forgive yourself for missing a credit card payment or opening another store credit card. Many women beat themselves over failure and fall into a vicious cycle of letting the failures pile up instead of looking at mistakes as guidelines to success. It's never too late or too early to start a healthy financial life, so don't sweat the small stuff. Just learn from your mistakes and move on.

Another recurring theme was self-reliance: "Pay yourself first." For every paycheck that you earn, be sure to put a percentage of it directly into a savings account that you cannot easily withdraw from. That way, you can start building your savings without really ever knowing you "had" that money. Or you can start as simply as saving all your loose change or a $1 a day. When you pay yourself first, you are investing in your future financial success.

Valerie Coleman-Morris shared these guidelines, which she called "Muddisms," or pearls of wisdom from the mothers in her life:

• Be deliberate
• Set small goals
• Achieve a them and set bigger ones
• Learn to function in chaos and you will finish in style

Valerie's tips coupled with Kathleen Ronald's advice to dare to dream, build a team (such as recruiting the support of friends and a certified financial planner)  and have faith, were very inspiring. It all went back to what Veronica Dangerfield called "ashay," an African term that means we've all got the power within to make our dreams come true. Veronica made us repeat many times,"Today, I've got ashay and I am my own PG & E." Although we can certainly seek support and resources to achieve what we want, that desire is powered by you! If you want to own your own home, build your business, or have a great nest egg when you retire, it's all possible as long as you realize you are your own "PG & E" and that money doesn't give you power, rather you give it power to achieve your dreams.

If you missed this conference, don't fret. Go out and get a certified financial planner, open a savings account (separate from your checking), start saving, be conscious of your spending habits, and dare to dream and reach for them. With faith in yourself, you'll begin to live a prosperous life.

Here are some additional resources:
The Thin Pink Line
Practical Money Skills
Jean Chatky's: The Difference

About Vera Devera: Vera Devera is a do-gooder by day (Account Executive at Donordigital, an online fundraising and advocacy nonprofit consultancy) and also moonlights as a special event planner (Va de Vie Events). She is a featured Weddzilla.com bride blogger and FoodBuzz featured publisher, and also blogs about her $10,000 wedding at "A Splendid DIY $10,000 Wedding."

Holiday Party + Member Marketplace

Let's Celebrate Together: Join us Sunday, December 13, 2009, and enjoy warm company, delicious food, celebrate the successes of your 2009, and MORE...

Member Marketplace:  This year, in the spirit of giving and sharing, we're adding a new element to our party -- a Member Marketplace! It's simple to participate and open to young and well-established businesses.  We're eager to support your products/services in any stage of development -- the YWSE community would love to share ideas, support you, and give feedback!  Interested in participating? Contact Jacqueline del Castillo at jackiedelc@gmail.com with "member marketplace" in the subject line. [Note:  it's not too late to participate -- even if you already registered for the party.]

Start Celebrating our First Ten Years:  Yes, YWSE turned ten years old this November!  We'll be bringing you a year of communications and events to celebrate this momentous anniversary.  We would love for you to join in the ten year celebrations and to honor your contribution to our rich community.  Your first opportunity is to attend this Holiday Party + Member Marketplace.  At the Party you'll hear from our YWSE founding members, get back in touch with the story of YWSE, and learn other ways that you can join the celebration.

This will be a fun and memorable evening.  We can't wait to share it with you!  Register Now.

French social entrepreneur at Social Capital Markets Conference

By Emmanuelle Larroque

[Note on the author: Emmanuelle supports young social entrepreneurs at a French NGO in Paris called Entrepreneurs Sans Frontières (ESF, or Entrepreneurs Without Borders). She visited the Bay Area recently and reached out to YWSE-SF. Below is her report on the 2009 Social Capital Markets Conference held in San Francisco this September. She notes that this is her perspective as a French woman with degrees in business and innovation and a background in IT consulting and CSR. It's fascinating to think about the differences in social entrepreneurship around the world, and encouraging to be reminded this is a worldwide movement.]

I was thrilled to be part of a meeting of major players in mission-driven investments. An international foundation for the promotion of social business, Artemisia International, had invited Entrepreneurs Sans Frontières to participate in SOCAP to get an understanding of how the social capital market was being shaped.

YWSE's Take On ... Craigslist Foundation Boot Camp – Lessons on Social Entrepreneurship

By Erica Hewitt

This past June, the Craigslist Foundation held its annual Boot Camp offering resources and workshops catered towards non-profit organizations and people interested in making a change in the world. As a participant in the corporate world during the week, I enjoyed spending a Saturday to feed my passion for change and collaboration.

I learned ways to change the world for $10, how to use social media to market my organization, and loved hearing keynote speaker Arianna Huffington explain how the current recession has provided the world with a chance to make more meaningful decisions for the good of our global community. I also stopped by the YWSE table, of course!

YWSE's Take On ... Reflections on the Annual Retreat

By Elizabeth Zirk, Member

It had been a while. My shoulders were weary. My heart seemed a bit less full. All in all, I was worn. An old sock with the heel fabric growing thin, I was ready. I had been seeking something. I didn’t realize it until I journeyed (yes, journeyed!) to the YWSE SF chapter’s annual retreat.

I am seen.

30 women gathered over a weekend to listen, laugh, exchange stories, and find their inner social entrepreneur. With a full schedule of workshops including everything from visioning our inner wisdom to discovering our personal leadership style, every woman at the Marin Headlands Institute on September 12th and 13th noticed a little something special in herself. Sylvia Warren, MBA enhanced that inherently special quality by allowing us to see each other in a new way. We did not ask how we were doing or feeling, we simply chose to see each other. Our eyes would meet and it was if we could see through to that person’s heart.  Whether or not our hearts were ready to be seen, we felt satisfied that someone had noticed us, that we were acknowledged.

YWSE's Take On ... Learning from the Trail

What's your next big bold action?

Adriana Dakin, YWSE-SF Board Member

Every August, we've made it a tradition to lead a hike as one of our annual YWSE events. This time, we invited Greta Franklin, who hiked the Appalachian Trail last year (all 2,176 miles of it, from Maine to Georgia during the course of 5 months), to tell stories of her bold life-changing experience on the trail while we walked.

Our group of about twenty-five women, two men, a baby and a dog hiked along a ridge in the Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve in the hills above Oakland, then down into a shady valley where we stopped for lunch, and back up a valley to our starting point.

YWSE's Take on... Adventure

This month, intrepid YWSE members Greta Franklin and Christine Sculati provide different perspectives on what it takes to be a "Women on Top of Business and Life."

Going Beyond Limits Set by Others... Especially Yourself!

by Greta Franklin, an experienced outdoors- and business woman as well as an awesome storyteller

A soft, knowing chuckle rose from the crowd as Emilie Cortes described how her mountaineering training mindset tended to differ slightly from her majority male climbing partners.  Throughout the event entitled, "Women on Top: Lessons for Life and Business from the Mountains," Ms. Cortes tied together perspectives from the wild world of mountaineering with the structured world of business.