Last week I attended a workshop on How To Put Together a Business Plan. The seminar was organized by Leigh Mitchell's Women in Biz Network. Teaching us were my friends Cora and Kathryn from Mom Central and Amy and Danielle, YMC Mom Ink bloggers.
It's hard to turn your dreams into a reality; to have the stamina and determination to beat the odds and make things happen. Especially when you do it in public in front of your peers. You need guts to put yourself out there - and be cool with the way cookie crumbles along the way.
Last night I met a young woman who inspired me. I also had dinner with the new Magnum heir. As luck would have it, they were one and the same. Twenty-one year old Shawna Howson, a self-professed content creator for the web was impressively strategic about winning this online contest.
Last spring, to introduce the extremely rich and decadent Magnum Ice Cream bars to Canada, the confectionary company invited anyone so inclined to make a compelling video about why they should be the new Magnum heir for a chance to win the $250,000 grand prize.
It's no secret I'm a fan of Rockport. These boots have been my favourite ever. Not only are they stylish, but they are comfortable. Platforms always work for me because they create the illusion of heels and height, but they are easy to walk in.
When YMC started almost five years ago, it was just me - an exhausted, confused mom of a two and five year old, trying to connect with other like-minded moms.
Fast forward to YMC today - a vibrant, passionate community of close to 70,000 parents who connect virtually through this site. To say I'm proud is an understatement.
But what makes me pinch myself daily is the incredible talent I've managed to pull together over the years that are responsible for creating, brainstorming, building and writing this site.
Clearly I didn't read the invitation properly. "Would I like to spend a week test driving a Chevy Orlando Crossover in Orlando with my family?" Sure - kids were finished camp, I had caught up on my work, let's go to Florida!
I guess I missed the fine print which said something about driving the entire distance from Toronto to Florida in the car - without a DVD player or Navi. By the time I figured out the amount of time I would be forcing my kids to endure in the back seat of a car, I had already agreed to the trip.
I love how a couple of disparate events come together to make something useful happen - like how going to see the band Journey helped me save $502 on my Christmas vacation.
I'm in the process of planning our family holiday for the winter break. It's kind of mind blowing how expensive it is to travel at that time! But, it's the only time the kids aren't in school and my business is in slow mode. I suck it up and fork it out.
Back-to-school = stress. Forms to fill, carpools to organize, and new schedules to plan. My nemesis is shopping for school supplies, probably because my son's school list is insanely long and specific. It usually takes me three or four shops to get everything his teacher requires.
Spending a couple of days at BlogHer reminded me, once again, that my own daily struggle to balance family and career is a huge issue with so many other women. At the Success on our Own Terms panel, author and entrepreneur Jane Buckingham, spoke about how challenging she found it to find time to get her to do list done. She admitted, almost confessed, to hiring a nanny. She seemed embarrassed to admit to having "help".
Last week I attended a workshop on How To Put Together a Business Plan. The seminar was organized by Leigh Mitchell's 
It's no secret I'm a fan of Rockport. 
