I was nominated by Saunders and Cash for an Entrepreneur of the Year award. They had these characters made of us. They gave me quite a neck trim, and got the nose on the nose! I spent most of yesterday feeling a bit nervous. I had a short but important presentation to give late Friday afternoon, so the appointment was on my mind. I may look calm and smooth on the outside, but like most people, I’m paddling like hell on the inside! I don’t think there’s anything wrong with be

“If your brain was a stove, what would be on your front burner?” While this is probably the worst pick-up line I’ve ever heard

I’ve been single for several years now and I’m okay with that. I did the math and figured out that I’ve been paired up 87 percent of my adult life, so a little time off has proved to be a good thing. This time alone has given me the chance to get to know myself better. Just like any relationship, improving the connection I have with myself takes work. The classes at the Finishing School for Modern Women is certainly part of this journey. Especially in the beginning, many of t

Marion City Library, located in a 1912 Santa Fe Depot One of the things I love the most about the Finishing School for Modern Women is community. It doesn’t matter if we’re working on ourselves, or on a public project, bringing people together to make things better is powerful. This weekend has been a loving example of this for me. I witnessed community coming to action to connect neighborhoods divided by a highway, through stories and artwork to build cultural bridges. The F

It’s taken an entire year, but at long last it’s DONE! Just this past week we ran the final tests and, fingers and toes crossed, at long last the online subscription classes are ready to go! It’s been a quite a journey over the past year, tangoing with technology, learning more new skills than I’d ever imagined, and peeling the layers back one by one until – voila! It’s soup. Thanks to my far-flung friends, for putting the idea into my head at the National Federation of Pres

When I started the Finishing School in September 2015, I had no idea where it would go. I started out doing classes at the Wichita Art Museum, Harvester Arts and Watermark Books to test the concept and to decide if I really wanted to spend all my extra time and money giving classes to help women own their power. It only took three months to convince me that not only did I want to continue, but that I wanted to go all in and find a dedicated space to house the school and my bu

At the beginning of this quickly passing year, I tried a little something different for my New Year’s resolution. I had given up making actual resolutions long ago, as I explained in an end of year article last year, deciding to set goals instead. I’ve known for a long time that resolutions rarely stick, and have had good successes reaching my goals, not just at New Years, but all year long. Then I heard about an idea with such beautiful simplicity, I had to give it a try. Th

I’ve given and lot of thought into what I want to write in response to everything that’s been going on the past few weeks in the political arena, and all the issues the appointment of this Supreme Court Justice has brought up. I’ve experienced a full gamut of emotions. I’ve been heartbroken, pained, inflamed, disappointed, distressed, despondent – and tired. I think it’s weighing heavily on all of us. Have you noticed how tense and hostile it’s feeling out in the world? Peopl

My Great Uncle, Dad, and Grandpa I always had the feeling that my father would have liked his first born to be a boy. But he got me instead. Not that he was disappointed at all. I just think he wanted to share “manly” tasks and hobbies with a son. Eight years later when my brother came into the world, my Dad finally had a boy he could do things with. In the meantime, I got to be his “big helper” and help him work on our car and things around the house. When I was little, my

It’s an odd feeling, to be exhausted and replenished at the same time, yet here I am. In the past seven days I’ve been part of two incredibl

In the Turning Anger into Power class we offer at the Finishing School for Modern Women, we talk about the importance of not labeling emotions as “good” or “bad,” and see them instead as clues that hint at action that needs to be taken. For example: Anger is a catalyst, to spur you into action to go from “Oh, hell no,” to “Now what.” I take what we teach seriously, and work to live my life by our teachings. My anger over what I learned from the statistical data from the Focus

My six-year-old birthday "tea party." I realized when I decided to go with the name “Finishing School for Modern Women” for empowerment classes, there might be some confusion. When most people think of finishing schools, they think etiquette classes, especially for young women. I chose to go with it anyway, to put a spin on the tradition and start a conversation about changing old-fashioned ideals about women. Don’t get me wrong. While I think good manners, poise and grace ar

Usually I’m the one who people turn to for help and I’m always glad, if I can, to give it. So, I’m not used to asking others to help me

Since we opened in September 2015, over a thousand women have attended our classes. So far, students have had to come to the Finishing School, at a specific time, to take these classes. Unfortunately, this has meant that people who have time conflicts and commitments, prefer to learn on their own, or live outside the Wichita area, can’t come learn with us. I'm going to need your help. I am super excited to announce that I am taking the Finishing School for Modern Women online

Forgive for being so predictable, in writing about gratitude this week. Since Thanksgiving is nearly here, being thankful is on my mind. It is interesting to me that one day a year, while we fill up on food and togetherness, we pause for gratitude. Of course, thanks to Oprah, most people know about gratitude journals and how important it is to be thankful every day. Researchers have found that writing down a list of positive events at the end of the day makes people happier a

What could be better than celebrating our friendships with the women we love most?

In my head, I will always be this woman, although the mirror tells me a different story. Not that I mind getting older. I don't

Have you noticed an increase of tension in your life? From what I've been reading on my friends' Facebook posts, I know for certain

Since I was a little red-headed girl, I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up – a business owner. I didn’t know what kind of business I wa

An event crossed my feed on Facebook this week that got my attention. Smaltz Brewing Company has brewed a special beer, She’Brew, to celebra