Because Women | Inspiring women toward success

The Red Shoe Project: Three Ways to Tune in Daily!

admin — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 06:30:45 +0000

Join Gail on her quest to look for God in her Everyday Life…
At home, at work, at the gym, out and about town, driving the car, You name it!
Oh yeh… and occasionally at church.

Here’s 3 ways you can tune in daily to The Red Show Project:

1) Cut and paste the link below:
http://theredshoeproject.blogspot.com/

2) Friend Gail on Facebook “Gail Sullivan” and go to her homepage.

3) Email Gail personally and request the link.
Go to: Gail@Becausewomen.com

Be inspired by daily blogs and interaction.

The Red Shoe Project starts January 1st! Visit TheRedShoeProject @blogspot.com

admin — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 18:43:42 +0000

When I was researching for my book, The Yellow Brick Road, A Woman’s Journey to the Edge and Back, I came across something that I can’t stop thinking about. In the movie, The Wizard of Oz, who could forget when Dorothy is delivered into the Wicked Witch’s hands by those dastardly flying monkeys? In Baum’s book, we are given some interesting details that the movie lacks. Upon Dorothy’s arrival, the witch is quivering with fear. She realizes how powerful Dorothy is in those magical shoes! Then she steps back and realizes that Dorothy doesn’t get it. She doesn’t know how powerful she is, let alone those shoes. She has no clue!

So the witch starts talking a lot of smack to Dorothy and insists that Dorothy better do whatever she’s told, or else she’ll end up like her friends, whom Dorothy assumes are dead. So what does the Great and Powerful Dorothy do? She becomes the witch’s servant.

This concept got me to thinking. The Bible teaches… as Christians, the Holy Spirit, lives in us. That’s right, the Power of God lives in us. “The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in you!” So why then, when challenges arise, do we so often cower away… like Dorothy? Where is the Power of God in that? I must be missing something. And I’m determined to find out what it is!

Just how do these Red Shoes… that is, The Holy Spirit… work in my life? I must know!

So, I’m pulling out The Manual… The Ultimate User’s Guide, The Divine Directions for this Magical Set of Ruby Slippers… The Bible. And I’m going through it searching for details and answers.

BUT THERE’S ONE LITTLE PROBLEM!
I’m not very good at staying focussed on The Holy Spirit. I mean, He’s supposed to be my best friend… my partner in life but I’m having trouble staying consistently connected. Why is that? I start out in the morning praying… and sometimes, within minutes, I’m distracted. I wander off and more often than not, it’s quite some time… minutes… hours… or even days before I wander back to prayer. I know God is my friend, so shouldn’t I be His? What kind of friend wanders off in the middle of a conversation and comes back… whenever… acting like nothing has happened?

I determined that I’m easily distracted because I can’t see Him. At least not the way I can see you. With Him, it’s more His Works that I see.
So to resolve this problem…

I have decided to WEAR RED SHOES, EVERY DAY, FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR.

Red flip flops, Red flats, Red sneakers, Red wedges, Red high heals… what ever the occasion calls for… only RED.

I’m convinced this BOLD, COLORFUL, footwear will continually and consistently remind me of God’s Presence and Power in my Life.

Here’s 3 ways you can join me at The Red Show Project:

1) Cut and paste the link below:
http://theredshoeproject.blogspot.com/

2) Friend me on Facebook “Gail Sullivan” and go to my homepage.
or

3) Email me at Gail@Becausewomen.com and request the link.

I’m already thinking that there’s a new book in this.
Perhaps… “The Yellow Brick Road: A Year in Red Shoes“?

The Red Shoe Project starts January 1st.

BW Gals Get Together at Millie’s for a Holiday Breakfast.

admin — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 09:38:01 +0000

This was a tough year to get all our members together on a Saturday in December for a little fun. It just wasn’t happening. So, knowing that holiday schedules were jam-packed with completing year-end projects, holiday open houses, and festive celebrations of all sorts, we decided to pull together whoever we could early in the month and early in the morning to meet at Millie’s for breakfast.

I’ve come to enjoy our small, but intimate “members only” meetings. Unlike our monthly events, that as the facilitator tend to be “work” for me, these are close-knit, personal, and heart-felt. We meet around the table to eat. The air is filled with conversations amongst my girlfriends. Questions like: What’s happening in your life? What’s happening in your business? What’s going on with the kids? Where are you off to? What’s bothering you? What do you want to tell me? We huddle around until we’re full of one another.

I noticed that as we share… We smile alot. Sometimes we cry. We hug. We hold. We even pray for one another. I love my girlfriends! I remember when Because Women started in December of 2009… As I proclaimed that I was about to conquer the world, I asked, “Who wants to come along with me?” Several of those women are still with me. They’re my traveling companions. They’re my friends. They’ve kept me moving. We’ve kept each other moving.

We didn’t talk about all that everyone has accomplished this year. But as I looked at each one, and thought of a few that couldn’t make it, I realized that this has been a HUGE year of growth and accomplishments for each one of us. It’s been a challenging year, but a good one!

Now… it’s time to enjoy the holidays. We all left that day and went our separate ways… but I guess it’s just great knowing that we are all connected in a wonderfully, special way. It’s called Friendship.

Pictured here L-> R
Tammy Young, Your Exquisite Events
Freya Zollinger, Zollinger Mediation
Kathy Collums, Sabal Palm Bank
Gail Sullivan, Because Women

BW’s November Event: The Butterfly Effect – How Your Life Matters.

admin — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 02:12:45 +0000

Our November Because Women event is entitled:

THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT – How Your Life Matters.

Author, Andy Andrews, wrote the following in the Author’s Note of his book, The Butterfly Effect:

“Do you sometimes find yourself unconsciously judging your actions by level of importance?
For instance, the time you spend with friends is important, but the time you spend with family, is more important. You might rank an hour fishing as very important, thirty minutes visiting a sick friend in the hospital much more important than the fishing, and a sixty second conversation with a convenience store clerk as not very important at all.
When you know that everything matters — that every move counts as much as any other — you will begin living a life of permanent purpose. A life of permanent purpose will make you a better parent, a better spouse and a more valuable friend. Your productivity and financial success will soar to new heights while the old days of uncertainty, doubt, and depression fade into the past.”

We look forward to an exciting November event.
Stay tuned… More details coming soon!

Sarasota Women Impact & Influence One Another At the Round Table!

admin — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 01:00:55 +0000

Twenty-four local professional women came out to Michael’s on East for a “Meeting of the Minds” Luncheon on “Becoming a Woman of Impact and Influence”.

Tammy Young, CEO of Exquisite Events and Heart to Heart Ministries, opened up the event, greeting everyone in attendance.

Melissa Burtless, Cheif Development Officer of Girl Scouts of the Gulf Coast shared some Words of Inspiration on how The Girl Scouts is Dedicated to the Personal Development of Girls, of all ages, knowing that they will one day become the Women of Impact and Influence of the Future.
$200.00 was raised in our monthly raffle to support the Girl Scouts in their upcoming “Shooting Beauty” event.

Guests, of various professional backgrounds and levels of success, were divided into 4 tables of 6. While introducing themselves to each other, each of them shared what qualities they felt were important in a great mentor and why. (See our blog on “The Ultimate Mentor“). They also discussed amongst themselves their personal mentors (professional and personal), what those relationships look like, and how they are important. Some guests determined that there was a personal need for a new mentor or more mentors… and they discussed how to go about that. They finished off with thoughts of how they might be mentors themselves and how to take action on that. BW Members/Table Captains, Ann Roggero of United Way, Kathy Collums of Sabal Palm Bank, Ruth Anderson of Digital Image Business Solutions, and Tammy Young of Exquisite Events reported to the entire group a summary of their powerful discussions.

Gail Sullivan, CEO of Because Women, introduced her Mentor, Linda DeMello. Linda has a list of accolades, but Gail knows her primarily for her leadership in “Giving Matters” a local, Gulf Coast, Non-profit organization committed to helping educate women of all ages on the Importance of Philanthropy and Volunteerism. Linda shared some powerful Words of Wisdom with the group and presented everyone in attendance with the book, “The Gift of Passionaries CHANGING OUR WORLD” by Barbara Metzler. (See blog, “Linda DeMello Shares Golden Nuggets of Wisdom to Because Women”).

The meeting adjorned at 1:00 so people could get back to work… but almost everyone stayed and networked. The energy generated was positive and inspiring! No one wanted to leave!

Here’s What People Had to Save about the Meeting:
* Powerful!
* I was amazed at the qualities of the women in attendance!
* Great food for thought and action.
* The Best BW Event to date!
* Loved the reminder to TRUST WITHIN MYSELF.
* I valued the “Wisdom Tables”.
* The sharing of wisdom with the wonderful women at the table was powerful!
* Just knowing that we are in “it” together is valuable.
* We are Amazing, KIND, Connectors!
* I am Motivated to Improve! It was Wonderful! Thank You!!!
* The Interactive Discussion was Great.
* Very Good. Great Ladies! Excellent Sharing.
* As always… Incredible!!!

Pictured above
(Back L->R) Stacy Alario, Stephanie Hawkins, Kathy Collums, Maria Eberly (back), Freya Zollinger, Lisa-Marie Hintze (back), Melissa Burtless, Giovanna McGrath, Rhonda Browning (back), Mary Beth Wallace, Tori Wansley, Ann Roggero, Patricia Rogers, Tammy Young (back), Ruth Anderson (back), (Front L->R) Linda DeMello, Gail Sullivan, Judie Berger, Sue Hines, Amy Phillips, Carrie Rummery.

Mentor, Linda DeMello of Giving Matters, Shares Golden Nuggets of Wisdom with Because Women.

admin — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 23:55:58 +0000

(Pictured L->R Linda DeMello of Giving Matters and Gail Sullivan of Because Women).

This month, it seemed appropriate that I not only ask my mentor, Linda DeMello, to join me at the Because Women Luncheon on “Becoming a Woman of Impact & Influence”, but also to share some Words of Wisdom… some Nuggets of Truth, with those in attendance. WOW! She did just that.
You know… there’s something about the PERSPECTIVE of a Mentor... Someone who’s Been There, Done That, Overcome the Obstacles and Achieved Success. She was so collected in her thoughts and delivered them with such Grace and Humility. I felt privileged to call her My Teacher… My Coach… My Inspiration and My Guide on this Professional Road to Success. I am Grateful to have her in my life… to have access to her… to call her My Friend.

Now I share, with you, a mere synopsis of the Words of Wisdom she shared.

**********
1) There is Value in TRUSTING YOURSELF.
We give so much to everyone around us, and so often neglect ourselves.
Being “AUTHENTIC” is being who YOU really are.
With that in mind…
What is it that’s important to You?
What really matters to You?
Don’t lose sight of that.

2) At the beginning or end of each day, ACKNOWLEDGE SOMETHING YOU ARE PROUD OF.
What did you do well today? What did you accomplish?
What makes you feel really good about being you?
What are you proud of?
What are you grateful for?

3) VALUE AND DEVELOP NETWORKS.
Strong Networks help us to understand ourselves.
Cultivate those relationships.
Care for those who are closest to you.
Weak Networks are important in that they provide many connections that can result in opportunities.

4) Remember these THREE IMPORTANT THINGS IN LIFE:
“Be Kind.
Be Kind.
and
Be Kind.”
(Henry James)
How we feel and how someone makes us feel is important.
Kindness Transforms!

**********
As October comes to an end and we go into “THANKSGIVING“, I want to exhort you to take a few moments and think about the top 5 people who speak into your life. What can you do to honor them? Perhaps you’ll take them to lunch? Maybe a gift? Send a card? Whatever the case…DON’T MISS THIS PERFECT OPPORTUNITY!
TELL THEM HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE!
THANK THEM FOR ALL THEY DO!
TREASURE THEM. HONOR THEM.

See you soon,
Gail

Your Ultimate Mentor… What does she look like?

admin — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 23:13:26 +0000

When 24 professional women gathered together to discuss “Impact and Influence”, here’s how they described their “Ultimate Mentor”.

What qualities are important in a Great Mentor?

She is…

Ahead of Me.
Authentic.
A Coach, Teacher, Instructor, Counselor, Advisor.
Collected in her thoughts and Delivers them clearly.
a Confidant.
a Connector, Door Opener, Introducer.
Encouraging.
an Example.
a Friend.
Generous with her Time, Thoughts, and Ideas.
Grounded.
Highly Regarded.
Honest.
Insightful.
Inspirational.
Intelligent.
Kind.
Knowledgeable and Loves Learning.
A Good Listener.
Loyal.
A Motivator.
Non-Judgmental.
A Nurturer.
Not afraid to Correct Me.
Not afraid to Re-Direct Me.
Not afraid she’ll hurt my feelings.
One who pushes me where I’m afraid to go, but need to go.
Positive and Encouraging.
Prayerful.
A Presenter of Opportunities.
A Problem Solver.
Professional.
Relevant.
A Risk Taker.
Savvy.
Sees the Big Picture.
Strong.
Supportive.
Thinks BIG… Lives BIG… and Operates in a BIG arena!
Trustworthy of my thoughts, ideas, successes and failures.
The Wind Beneath my Wings.
A Winner… Consistently Giving Her Personal Best.

The Ultimate Mentor has…

A Sense of Humor.
Clout.
Experience. She’s Been There, Done That, Overcome the Obstacles, and Achieved Success.
Insight.
Integrity.
My Back.
Patience.
Perspective.
The Ability to Love me Unconditionally.
Solid Values.
Wisdom.

Becoming a Woman of IMPACT & INFLUENCE * Tues., Oct. 23rd * REGISTER HERE!

admin — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 17:26:12 +0000

This BECAUSE WOMEN luncheon is a “Meeting of the Minds” discussion with local professional businesswomen focussing on the topic of “Becoming a Woman of IMPACT and INFLUENCE”.

* Who are the women who influence and impact our lives today?

* Who specifically impacts and influences you? and why?

* What are the qualities of women who Impact and Influence?

* What effect do Women of Impact and Influence have on you?

* Are there women of impact and influence in your life?

* How can you be a Woman of Impact and Influence to those around you?

* We will be discussing these questions and more.

Don’t Miss It! Register below. All tickets $50.00
Tuesday, October 23rd at Michael’s On East

A Successful “Wrap Up” at Digital Image Business Solutions!

admin — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 17:26:20 +0000

What a GREAT TIME we had at Tuesday Night’s BW Event:
“Wrapping Up Your Business for Greater Holiday Success”!

The evaluations concluded that truly it was a profitable event for all!
Here’s what people had to say:
- Great Contacts!
- Very Uplifting and of Great Value! Totally Enjoyed it!
- Excellent “Wrapping” presentations!
- It was nice to meet different people of all different businesses and learn their gifting ideas.
- I value meeting women from the community and networking.
- Timely!
- What’s Hot and What’s Not was so informative!
- I value the energy, networking and creative ideas.
- I realized that right there at that meeting were women who could help one another succeed!

I want to give a big THANK YOU to all our attendees for their GENEROSITY in GIVING to
The American Cancer Society for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.
We raised $170.00 with the raffle… and there still may be more coming in!

THANK YOU again to Tammy Young of Exquisite Events for the amazing decore and catering!
and
THANK YOU Ruth Anderson of Digital Image Business Solutions for your presentation on
What’s Hot and What’s Not in Promotional Products this Season.
The “Hot” items seem to be “Post-it Packets”…we all love those boxes of colorful stickies!
The “cutting board” with logo was a WOW!
Sip and Chill cups are the new thing out there… but we all still seem to love those mugs with our logos on them!
“Out” items consisted of cheap stuff: cheap pens… koozies… stress balls and too much “informational” paper!
Don’t waste your money.

Be sure to contact Ruth if you need more assistance with choosing promo products that are win-wins for both you and the receiver. (Ruth@dibsfl.com)

In our presentations, we talked about WHY WE GIFT.
- To say THANK YOU.
- To Raise Money for a cause.
- To bring attention to our company.

How do we GIFT during the holidays?
-Open Houses, Gift Bags, Catered Parties, Cards & Letters, Raffle items, Persoalized Gifts, Promotional Gifts, Gift Certificates both for our own products and services and for others’ products and services.

What should we keep in mind when GIFTING?
- Make it Nice…not cheap!
- It should be something interesting…or unique, special, personal.
- Something people want… Chocolate, Wine, Tickets, Trips, Salon visits.
- Something usable…practical…re-giftable!
- Stick with Your Company’s Branding…. color, theme, message, etc.

Notes:
- 501C3 company’s need to be “simple” and not overly expensive.
- 501C3 raffle gifts should be practical and promotional.
- If you are not creative, consider Gift Basket Services through Tammy Davis. She can help!
- If you are not creative, consider a Cupcake Delivery through Kissa Cupcake!
- If you are not creative, consider an Open House or Party… Tammy of Your Exquisite Events can help!
- We also got some great tech ideas from Evelyn Magley and Lisa Marie Hintze. Ruth won that beautiful bracelet by “raffle texting”.

Wrapping up Your Business for Holiday Success! Tuesday, August 28th at Digital Image Business Solutiions.

admin — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 15:15:17 +0000

Can you believe the summer is over, kids are going back to school, and season is just about here? You know what that means…

Christmas is just around the corner!

That’s why we are meeting NOW to talk about what we’re going to do this year for Greater Holiday Success.
Every November… as soon as Thanksgiving is over… the big question arises,

“How can I THANK my customers?”

Intertwined with that is “How can I promote my business?”

Ruth Anderson of Digital Image Business Solutions is opening the doors of her office to host our August Networking event
and will be giving a presentation on What’s HOT and What’s NOT when it comes to this year’s promotional products.

There will also be Displays and Presentations by several of our attenders on How to Package Your Holiday gift… Whether it’s a THANK YOU to a customer, or a Gift bag at an Open House, or a Raffle Item for a Good Cause.

Our attendees will all be participating in Discussion Circles to talk about what’s important… what works and how you can better package your company or service for better success all around, this holiday season.

SAVE THE DATE:
Tuesday, August 28th
5:30 Wine and Networking Reception
Display Tables open for viewing
6:15 Formal Program Begins
8:00 Conclusion

* All display gifts will be raffled at the end and the proceeds will go to The American Cancer Society – Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.

Tickets are $50 and allow you to bring a first time BW Guest for FREE.

Please email Gail@BecauseWomen.com to participate in Display Tables.

Thank you to Digital Image Business Solutions for hosting this event.