Tribal Alliance: The Antidote to Adversity

women together in strength by Suhyeon ChoiAt the 2009 Vancouver Peace Summit, the Dalai Lama predicted that Western women will save the world.  At the time, I believed that he was speaking about the impressive panel of female attendees, including three Nobel peace laureates, the Irish president, humanitarians, filmmakers—acclaimed peacemakers.  But through my work with Threads Worldwide and Emerging Women, our women Artisan Partners in developing countries, our Fair Trade Partners in the US, and the countless trailblazing women I have met on my journey, I have come to realize that the possibility he was talking about was me. He was talking about them. He was talking about you.

So I invite you to join me in this world-changing movement. I urge you to enlist in the tribe of empowered women who are making a difference, one dollar at a time, one necklace at time, one kneecap-to-kneecap conversation at time. Join us in creating a world that is fair, that is founded in compassion, that sees beyond gender, race, religion, and the depths of one’s pocket.

Surrounding yourself with Sisterhood = HOPE

Our vision has the power to equalize, and is built upon the notion that a seven-year-old Cambodian girl, sold into the sex trade, has the same amount to offer as a Fortune 500 CEO. She is equally worthy of love and joy and belonging.  She is equally deserving of the opportunity to contribute to her family, her community, and to help create a better world. That is her universal right. And it belongs to all of us.

This past weekend, surrounded by revolutionary women at our Threads Worldwide annual conference, I felt a gap close that had been welling over the past few months, blackened by mass shootings, suicide bombers, venomous political posts and mean-spirited debate. I felt hope. HOPE!

I understood, down to my core, that there is a way through. A way of being, of working together, of lifting one another up.

As women, we are inherently collaborative, compassionate, intuitive, and empathetic. We lead with our hearts and envision ourselves as part of the whole. These values—that I believe will save the world—have been undermined and devalued over the course of history. For our entire history, women across the globe have been told that our superpowers have no place in business, no place in politics, no place in any position of power.

Well, I say enough! THIS is our time. Our time to come together. Our time to live from a mindset of abundance rather than scarcity. Our time to walk our talk. Our time to lend a hand to someone who is struggling. Our time to fight injustice, to transcend senseless violence, greed, war, and the “us versus them” mentality that is pervasive and toxic.

Ways to stay hopeful in this troubled environment:

  1. Surround yourself with powerful sisters
  2. Face the challenging times by keeping the discussion going with others
  3. Turn conversations into actions that ripple into the community

There IS a way through. But it starts with you and me recognizing that we are all in this together. Let’s bring our tribes together with the understanding that our vision is only the beginning—that it is our alliance that will bring about change, much more effectively than our independent efforts.

We can do this. We really can. Let’s save the world. Are you in?


kara wiegandKara Wiegand has over 12 years experience in the non-profit sector with a focus on business development, sponsorship, accounting and finance. In 2011 she launched her own successful business, Threads Worldwide, which connects women in developing countries who make beautiful jewelry with women in the US who are interested in making money while making a difference in the lives of others. Kara believes in women supporting women to raise our collective voice and better our global community and standards of living.

Emerging Women Live 2014 in NYC

Dear Friends,

I am pleased to announce that registration is open for Emerging Women Live 2014! Join us for inspiration, authentic connection, and real support as you evolve into the leader you are meant to become.

 

Emerging Women Live is about exploring what it means to influence change in our world through a more integrated approach to leadership and business. As women seek a more conscious approach to success, we have incredible power as a tribe to reinvent our current landscape and positively shape our future – as well as the future of other women less fortunate than ourselves.

 

Learn more about EW Live here:

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Our first event in Boulder this past October was an incredible success. Whether you attended live, or tuned in via our live stream broadcast, or you simply heard about it through friends or our website, hopefully you can feel the power of the movement we have collectively created.

In 2014 we will be in New York City, where the creative energy and connection to a more diverse population will be welcomed as we grow our tribe to reach even more women both nationally and internationally. Our speaker list is still being finalized, and if you liked last year’s line up, you will be thrilled by who we are bringing in for 2014.

While we expect our numbers to grow, we plan to keep this event intimate so we can focus on the quality of connections we will inevitably make during our experience together. It is the power of these relationships that will propel us forward in our desire to fully manifest our lives.

Join me and the rest of the Emerging Women tribe for an experience that will last far beyond the four days we spend together. Early Bird tickets are available until July 31st HERE.

 

Big love,

Chantal

Gratitude for Emerging Women Live 2013

Just how much love and connection can one let in over a 4-day period? Just when I thought I couldn’t take any more, somehow my heart opened wider to let in even more joy.

I am not sure exactly what the secret ingredient was that led to the BIG MAGIC that was present throughout the event, but it seems that we all brought our wands with us to Emerging Women Live, and I am still floating as a result.

I thought I would reach out while we are all in this power state of emergence, and let you know how very blessed I feel to have had the chance to share this experience with you all, whether you attended the event or joined us via livestream.

Thank you for holding the space for me to step into my being in the face of uncertainty that comes when one is emerging. I was living the truth of who I was and you all made that possible for me – aaaaahhhhhh that felt great.

I have so much gratitude for the level of presence and authenticity that you each brought to the experience. From the beginning, there seemed to be an environment of trust and openness that set the stage for the entire event, and now this has become the foundation of our tribe.

There is much I could say, and yet I have little brain power for words.  I am wanting to sit in the feeling of it all. I want to dive deep into my heart and my body to relish this vibration a bit longer before inviting my mind back in.

And so with this I leave you with a bow of appreciation, and a request to help me build Emerging Women into the movement it is destined to become.

With gratitude and big love,

Chantal

The FREE recorded version of Emerging Women Live 2013 is available for a limited time only. Watch #EWLive13 HERE.

Juicy Bites This Week: The Road to Accepting Your Feminine Power

This week we find out:

  • Tara Sophia Mohr’s interpretation of “purpose of life”
  • What are the 4 women’s issues that haven’t changed since 1911
  • How to unlearn in order to accept your feminine power
  • Why in order to succeed women need more ambition

At the end of this post, we encourage you to join us for a conversation. This week’s Juicy Bites question for you, dear emerging women, is:

1. Debunking the Whole “Life Purpose” Thing via Tara Sophia Mohr Wise Living

Tara Sophia Mohr believes that the traditional “life purpose” that each of us is searching for with angst, can actually be something that we don’t even acknowledge in our lives. In this blog post Tara also offers a short practice of how you can connect with your true purpose every morning.

“Here’s the truth: Your purpose is to bring more love to this earth. It is to heal where there is brokenness. It is to bring light where there is darkness. It is to restore sanity where insanity reigns, kindness where fear has taken over.”

Continue Reading…

2. Four Women’s Issues That Haven’t Changed Since 1911 via Huff Post Women

Over 100 years ago, radical writer and activist Emma Goldman penned the essay “The Tragedy of Woman’s Emancipation.” Goldman explored issues of equal pay, the tension between family life and home life, and the obstacles that inhibit true gender equality. Many of  the issues Goldman fought for feel nearly as relevant now as they must have then. Here are 4 of them:

1. Men dominate many of the most esteemed professional fields — and get paid more for their work.

2. Work stress disproportionately impacts women.

3. The “freedom” the workplace supposedly offers women sometimes doesn’t feel so free at all.

4. Women are doubling up on work at home and outside of the home.

Continue Reading…

3. Unlearning to find your way via Role Models Wanted

I had the great pleasure to be interviewed by Jenn Aubert, an entrepreneur, acupuncturist, business mindset coach, and writer. Her mission is to help women entrepreneurs get out of their own way so that they can live big. She helps female entrepreneurs bust through limiting beliefs, fears and self-doubts so that they can build and grow successful businesses.

In this interview we talk about the road to accepting your feminine power, and learning how to incorporate more feminine leadership qualities into your professional life; how to achieve true connection, collaboration and how to allow yourself to be vulnerable.

Continue Reading…

 4. Women Need More Than Confidence to Succeed, They Need Ambition via Huff Post Women

More than 70 percent of high school valedictorians in 2012  were women and it’s a well known fact that for decades, more female students than male students have graduated from college. Later on numbers drop dramatically for women: to 37 percent for mid-managers, and even lower, to 26 percent, for vice presidents and up. Women head slightly more than 4 percent of Fortune 500 companies. Continue Reading…

Dr. Peggy Drexler explains:

“Could bias, in fact, happen not only from the top down but also the inside out?It can. Persistent bias felt or perceived at any point in a woman’s career can erode her own ambition by causing her to feel less confident about her skills and abilities. She then strives for less. She doesn’t get the promotion or the raise not because it’s given to a man, or because she somehow doesn’t measure up, but because she’s voluntarily taken herself out of the running. It’s not confidence or ability that women are lacking, but ambition they’ve lost–or let go of–along the way.”

 

This week’s Juicy Bites question for you, dear emerging women is:

“How would describe, in one word, feminine power?”

Let’s start a conversation. We would love to hear from you! Leave a comment below.

Power Party New York, September 10, 2013

Emerging Women is hosting another fabulous Power Party, on September 10th, this time in New York City at The Lounge at WeWork. Power Parties are authentic networking events that aim to bring together brilliant women ready to influence real change in the world through “the how” of what we do.

The line up for Power Party New York  will rock the city for sure – featuring Mama GenaKate Northrup, Robyn Hatcher, and  Amy Ferris, all successful visionary leaders, entrepreneurs, and creatives who are trailblazing a new way of influencing positive change in the world. Expect authentic sharing of what makes these women tick and how they were able to achieve uncompromising success by living the truth of who they are.

Join us for a night of drinks, authentic networking, real connection and FIRE!

Register here: ewpowerpartyny.eventbrite.com

If you can’t make it in person to Power Party New York, you can still participate via live-stream. We will share the live-stream link closer to the date. Stay Tuned! Live Stream RSVP on Facebook HERE

Speakers: 

Mama Gena

Regena Thomashauer (Mama Gena) is a revolution: an icon, teacher, author, mother and one of a handful of pioneers on the planet researching the nature of pleasure and dedicating her life to the discipline of pleasure and fun.

Creatrix and CEO of both the School of Womanly Arts and Relationship Technologies, Regena created the sassy and sexy TV series, Mama Gena’s School of Womanly Arts, in partnership with Mag Rack, based on her bestselling book and school of the same name.

Regena is also the bestselling author of three books published by Simon & Schuster—Mama Gena’s School of Womanly Arts: Using the Power of Pleasure to Have Your Way with the World (2002), Mama Gena’s Owner’s & Operator’s Guide To Men (2003) and Mama Gena’s Marriage Manual (2004). She has been a guest on NBC-TV’s Today show and has appeared on 20/20 (where one of her segments garnered a 20/20 record of more than one million website hits), and has been interviewed on a multitude of national and regional broadcasts including NPR’s The Next Big Thing.

Regena’s programs at the School of Womanly Arts have been profiled in The New York Times, Elle and New York Magazine. Her views on personal development and the power of women have been featured and quoted in several national publications including Glamour, Newsweek, Marie Claire, Allure, Self, InStyle and The Washington Post.

Kate Northrup

Kate Northrup is a professional freedom seeker and creative entrepreneur. She created financial freedom for herself at the age of 28 through building a team of more than 1,000 wellness entrepreneurs in the network marketing industry. Her philosophy is that if you free yourself financially you can be fully present to your purpose on the planet. She’s writing her first book, Money: A Love Story and she continues to mentor entrepreneurs in creating financial freedom. Find out more and download her free guide, The 5 Things You Gotta Do to Create Financial Freedom.

Robyn Hatcher

Robyn Hatcher is an author and communication skills expert and Founder of SpeakEtc., a boutique communication and presentation-skills training company. Once an extremely shy child, Robyn is now passionate about helping individuals express themselves effectively and powerfully.

Robyn has helped thousands of business professionals improve their presentations and interpersonal communication. Prior to founding SpeakEtc. Robyn worked as a professional actress, appearing on stage in New York and surrounding region, as well as in television commercials and dramas.Robyn served as a writer for two daytime dramas and has frequently appeared as an expert guest on HuffPost Live, was a contributing media expert in PRNEWS 2013 Media Relations Guidebook, and wrote a personal essay that became a part of the published anthology Dancing at the Shame Prom (Seal Press, 2012) Her first book, Standing Ovation Presentations (Motivational Press, 2013), is a complete presentations skills guide that contains a unique communication-style system called ActorTypes.

Amy Ferris

Amy Ferris is an author, screenwriter, playwright, and editor.

She has written everything from YA novels – a greater goode (Houghton Mifflin, 2001) to memoir, Marrying George Clooney, Confessions From A Midlife Crisis (Seal Press, 2010). Her memoir, Marrying George Clooney was produced and performed as an Off-Broadway play (CAP21 Theater Company) in 2012. She co-edited the anthology Dancing at the Shame Prom: Sharing the Stories That Kept Us Small (Seal Press, 2012), and has contributed to numerous anthologies: He Said What? Exit Laughing,The Drinking Diaries, and The Buddha Next Door to name a few. She was Editor-in-Chief at Milford magazine, and a contributing editor and monthly columnist at Urban Refugee magazine. Her blog Marrying George Clooney was named one of the best blogs for women over 40 by More magazine. Amy co-wrote the films Funny Valentines (Julie Dash, Director; Starring Alfre Woodard, Loretta Devine – BET Networks, Starz Networks) and Mr. Wonderful, (Anthony Minghella, Director; Matt Dillon, James Gandolfini, Mary Louise Parker and Annabella Sciorra – Warner Bros, The Samuel Goldwyn Co.) Amy serves on the Board of Directors at Peters Valley Art and Education Center, and the Advisory Board of The Women’s Media Center. She is on faculty at the San Miguel Literary Festival. Amy lives in Pennsylvania with her patient and loving husband, Ken, and their two cats, Bella and Lotus.

Reserve Your Spot at EW Power Party New York HERE

Power Party New York is an event in support of Emerging Women Live, October 10-13, 2013, a national event at the St. Julien Hotel which will feature the following speakers: Brené Brown, Elizabeth Gilbert, Eve Ensler, Alanis MorissetteSobonfu Somé, Ani DiFranco, Kelly McGonigal, Tara Mohr, Tami Simon, Kristin Neff, Jennifer Lee, Sera Beak and many more!

Check out the Emerging Women Power Party in action:

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Juicy Bites This Week: Authentic Networking Makes for True Connections

This week we find out:

 

  • Arianna Huffington’s re-imagined definition of success
  • How to avoid forced networking and achieve authentic connection
  • How the success of a women, from a remote Indian village, is the foundation for many more leaders and game changers to emerge
  • Why women should not be afraid of failure
  • What are the habits of wildly successful people
  • How we adapt when it comes to learning under stress

 

At the end of this post, we encourage you to join us for a conversation. This week’s Juicy Bites question for you, dear emerging women, is:
 

“How would you describe, in one word, authentic networking?”

 
We would love to hear from you, so make sure you leave a comment at the end of this post.
 

1. Arianna Huffington: ‘The third revolution is to change the world that men have designed’ via The Telegraph

 

This week, Arianna Huffington was in London, leading The Huffington Post UK’s first-ever women’s conference, “The Third Metric: Redefining Success Beyond Money and Power.” The focus of the conference was to discuss a more sustainable definition of success, one that includes well-being, wisdom, and our ability to wonder and to give back.

‘It’s a model of success that’s not working for women, and it’s not working for men, either. Our workplaces are fuelled by sleep deprivation,’ says Arianna. The term ‘success’, she believes, should include the values of wellbeing, wisdom and kindness. Go-getters, she hopes, will become ‘go-givers’.

Arianna Huffington sees women leading the charge because, by coming later into the boardrooms of business, women have the clarity of vision to see them for what they are.

Continue Reading…
 

2. Permission to NOT network. (And to wear gold pants.) by Danielle Laporte

 
Danielle Laporte comes out with the truth and says: “Networking? Loathe it. And unless there’s a dance floor, I always leave the party early.” She makes the point that there are important distinction to make about networking: “ There’s fear-driven connecting, and there’s pure-enthusiasm connecting. There’s having unrealistic expectations about a connection, and there’s in-the-realm-of-possible kinds of connections.” Danielle encourages us to ease up on the forced networking and embrace true connection, and to try this:
 

“Only bust a move when you’re truly enthusiastic about doing so; when you feel you have value to offer; when you can feel a beautiful pull.”

 
Continue Reading…  
 

 3. Innovation Lessons from Shantha Ragunathan, an illiterate woman from a remote Indian village via HBR

 
Shantha Ragunathan lifted herself and her family out of poverty, bought a home and put her kids through college — all because a microfinancing scheme allowed her to buy a cow.

Shantha had strong business acumen and innate leadership qualities, even though she had no formal education. “Although she was poor in resources, she possessed the innovation mindset shared by many game changers,” write Vijay Govindarajan and Srikanth Srinivas. Continue Reading…
 

“Shantha Ragunathan is truly a game changer. Shantha’s success spread in a ripple effect from her family and her village to dozens of neighboring villages, ultimately affecting thousands of individuals. […] Even more important, by serving as a role model, she created the foundation for many more such leaders and game changers to emerge.”

 

 4. Five Reasons Why Women Fear Career Failure (And Why We Shouldn’t) via Huff Post Women

 

Women entrepreneurs deal with plenty of obstacles, but, according to a new study, the biggest challenge they face is something self-created. It’s the fear of failure which disproportionately impacts women. Julie Zeilinger identifies 5 reasons why women across career fields fear failure:
 

  1. Women’s unique history of exclusion adds pressure not to fail.
  2. Women define success differently — and thus what works for us may look like “failing.”
  3. We’re taught to view success as a linear progression — and anything that deviates from that progression as failure.
  4. We believe failure is permanent.
  5. When women do experience failure, they try to hide rather than acknowledge it. This silence creates the myth that they are the only ones who have failed.

 
Continue reading… 
 

5. Getting ahead: Habits of wildly successful people via Fast Company

 

There is no recipe for success, but, you can definitely move ahead by developing healthy habits. Here are some of the habits of highly successful and productive people:
 

  1. Get up insanely early
  2. Keep promises, no matter how small
  3. Learn how to tell stories
  4. Lead, don’t dictate
  5. Don’t be afraid–or embarrassed–of your failures
  6. Ask questions, a lot of them

 
See the entire list here
 

6. Balancing yourself: Study Shows that Brain Makes Adjustments to Learn Under Stress via Huff Post Women

 

Our brains are pretty adaptable when it comes to learning under stress. When we have to acquire new knowledge under stress, the brain generally employs unconscious rather than conscious learning processes, a Ruhr-Universität Bochum study finds.

Although it’s quite an interesting study, we know that the brain functions optimally when it’s not under stressed. Previous research has shown stress to have a significant effect on cognitive functioning including poor memory, decreased focus, and trouble learning. Continue Reading…
 

“To minimize stress and super-charge your brain power, try incorporating mindfulness into your everyday life. The practice of cultivating mindful awareness has been associated with lower stress levels.”

 

This week’s Juicy Bites question for you, dear emerging women is:

“How would you describe, in one word, authentic networking?”

Let’s start a conversation. We would love to hear from you! Leave a comment below.

Emerging Women Live, October 10-13, 2013

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Look around you – do you see many women just like you lit up with desire for success and self-expression?

Emerging Women Live is for women entrepreneurs and creatives who share a vision to change the world by living the truth of who they are. These are women who are burning with desire to to fully express themselves through the work they do, while promoting a new paradigm of success that leverages the incredible power of the feminine: collaboration, community, intuition, receptivity, sensuality and heart.

We will cover many areas of the “emerging” process such as inspiration, creativity, courage, and personal voice, and we will also dive into the nuts and bolts of starting or scaling a business in today’s tech-savvy marketplace. There will be practice sessions, workshops, and authentic networking throughout the event, in addition to keynotes and panel discussions, and we will come together as a tribe to support each other in our self-actualization. Ultimately, the aim of Emerging Women Live is to promote the rise of women across the globe – to create a world where we women have a strong voice and can fully participate in the creation of our future in all areas of life.

Speakers at Emerging Women Live include:

Join us for what is sure to be the most impactful and transformational event for women leaders today!

Register Today!

Sign-up for FREE Live Stream.

Continue reading “Emerging Women Live, October 10-13, 2013”

Power Party Seattle, August 14th, 2013

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Emerging Women is hosting another fabulous Power Party, on August 14th, this time in Seattle, WA at HUB Seattle. Power Parties are authentic networking events that aim to bring together brilliant women ready to influence real change in the world through “the how” of what we do.

The line up for this Power Party Seattle is crazy inspiring – featuring Danielle LaPorte as our main keynote! Three speakers, all successful visionary leaders, entrepreneurs, and creatives who are trailblazing a new way of influencing positive change in the world. Expect authentic sharing of what makes these women tick and how they were capable to achieve uncompromising success by living the truth of who they are.

Join us for a night of drinks, networking, real connection and FIRE!

Reserve your spot: powerpartyseattle.eventbrite.com  & RSVP on Facebook: HERE

Continue reading “Power Party Seattle, August 14th, 2013”