My vision... What's yours?

As I sit in the business office at the Woman's Club of Minneapolis and check emails, I find my self reflecting on the great women I've met here and about town as well as my vision for myself, Polish Your Star and women of tomorrow. First some of the women at the club:
* Maryna Chowhan, our fearless BNG committee chair and fearless business woman
* Cathy Clairmont, committee member and speaker at this mornings breakfast - truly a leader in her industry helping families dealing with memory loss
* Nicole Mittendorf - on channel 5 at 6 a.m. this morning at the same time she's working out - brings multi-tasking to a whole new level (Also winner of Top Women In Finance award, featured in Finance & Commerce along with another winner Karen Myers and new FWI president Regina Barr.)
These are but a few of the amazing women I am getting to know and admire. I look forward to meeting and recommend more in the years to come. We will be vibrant members of the business community only if we support each other. There is place enough for us all to succeed.

For myself, I want to live comfortably with a happy and healthy family, to travel, to use my talents, skills knowledge and abilities fearlessly to make this a better world, to be challenged and engaged by my life's work and to leave a financial legacy that continues to empower women world wide. What is your vision for your life? Writing it down, checking your actions against it and making decisions based on your vision are powerful steps toward achieving it.

For Polish Your Star, I envision a growing, profitable company with a mission to empower women by providing the tools that help women grow the economic pie. I hope through the process to also refocus business from marketing to women by holding up unrealistic and antiquated images of who they are and "should" be, to marketing to the intellect and emotion of what individuals can do to make this a world a more peaceful and vibrant environment for all to grow and flourish. Nothing in for-profit says don't do good in the world, but that's the way its perceived by many. You can make a profit and make this world a better place, they are not mutually exclusive. Let's lead the way! What is your vision for your business? Have you written it down, checked your actions against it and are you making decisions that match your vision? If you're not sure, ask your clients and business advisors.

For women of tomorrow, I envision a world in which we don't allow others to pigeon-hole our desires, don't pit women against other women who make different life choices, and don't excuse half of the population from responsibility for the care of dependents, whether children or elderly. I envision a world in which we value equally all contributions of effort and time toward making this a better world (whether its tied to a dollar sign or not.) I envision a world in which both genders have an equal place at the leadership tables - whether in for-profit, non-profit, academia, political, or government sector. And in which decisions are based on empowerment and growth, rather than guilt, obligation or fear. What is your vision for the world? Write it down, check your actions againsat it and make decisions that match it.

I can't wait to see what we create!