There was a man with an amazing smile who got my attention. He was very kind but seemed unsettled as I spoke to him. He had been in the Navy. It turned out he was new to the program and had just been given a service dog, named HEART, to assist him a few months prior to the event. I asked him about HEART and his new experience. We had a brief conversation about getting used to traveling with a service animal, but then he told me a story that I will remember forever. He spoke about how HEART helped him get through the stress of going into the grocery store – and while I could see the anxiety on his face as he told me the story, I thought to myself…I have seen this look before…on my father’s face. My dad might have had a better return to the workforce if given a service dog to help him. I didn’t come to that understanding until I had heard several other stories and the speech from another hero the following day: “If I can take care of him, then I can take care of my family. This dog is my family.” As I watched HEART lead his ward away from the crowd, I was in awe of the depth of service. The dogs who are offering a service, and at the same time being given a service (care)…dogs who have been trained to support Veterans, who have served our country…this cycle of service got me thinking about what ‘Service’ means to me.
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7 years and now a Print Magazine…
My team Empowers me every day to build a stronger #PumpTalk Community for the future generation. I truly enjoy every second of being the #LadyBoss to this outstanding powerhouse team! We are accomplishing much and loving every second… join us!
How are we Celebrating our 7th Anniversary in Business? By launching a *Print Edition*!!
We are Bridging the Gap in Media
With June 20th, 2018 marking Empowering Brands 7th year in business as a digital media and marketing services company, we have some exciting plans to share. We are going to print a copy of the most engaging online content. YES, PRINT! Read more about it below.
Learning to Lead By Example
We all need leaders!
Last month, you saw Cieana’s article, “We Cannot Be What We Cannot See“! This has been ‘front and center’ to my mind for some time. I do have many mentors, but I have been looking for more women to add to my circle. I need someone to “see”.
This past Tuesday, that is exactly what I did! Through LeaninEnergy, I had the opportunity to meet Katie Mehnert of Pink Petro, Experience Energy, and Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook and co-author of Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy. I have followed Sheryl Sandberg on Instagram for inspiration for some time now. I have always enjoyed a good keynote speaker who can connect inspiration, relevant information, and facts! Why is that? Because you are attending the speech to be inspired, but you are at the event to be educated. These ladies of course did not disappoint in any of those areas!
I was caught by surprise when I arrived at the event. Kelly Watson saw me enter the hallway and excitedly shouted, “Charli”! I was so surprised because no one knew I would be at Rice University, and I couldn’t place her. I thought, is she the event organizer? But how did she know my name? Embarrased, I inquired, “I’m sorry, who are you?”. I felt even more ashamed when she said her name and then excitedly declared, “My #PumpTalk star of the week!” I was only saved by the grace that we had not actually met in person… just virtually. I have a unique gift / ability where once I meet someone in person, I can remember their face… maybe not their name, but absolutely their face!
Anyway, the reason I tell you this story is because I was quite humbled by the experience. Someone I had never met knew exactly who I was and was so excited to meet me. How Ironic I thought … I am here to meet ladies I admire, and I run into a ‘Charli Fan’! I can’t explain how honored I felt. Thanks for making me feel like a celebrity, Kelly!
I am always amazed to learn about stories of influencing peoples lives without even knowing. Katie Mehnert is doing that for me. Katie built her company in the midst of a storm which I admire. She had a vision of connecting and mentoring women… so she is doing it! Someone at the conference told me, “It’s one thing to send out a social post about mentoring, it’s completely another to actually DO it!”
This stuck in my mind. This is what I am working on for the #WomeninthePumpIndustry. I want them to have the tools they need to be successful. So I found out… the tools are out there! Sheryl (social media) gives them to us! So, I may not have met Sheryl Sandberg officially, but I “see” her, and I sat across from her, and I Leaned In as she spoke… I listened and it is time to put our vision into action!
I want everyone to have a chance to make their ripple in making the world a better place for our children. I want equal opportunity for my daughter and my sons. I don’t want children to have to decide which spouses job is most important or find out they were interested in STEM too late. I want to help the employer understand that diversity is going to make their team stronger and more effective. And I want my place at the table before I have to prove I deserve it. YES, give me the opportunity… let me show you what a great decision you made!
Let’s keep this conversation going about how to empower, encourage, and support each other! There are many different ways you can get involved.
- Join our LinkedIn Groups to start a conversation – Empowering Women in Industry
- Join a LeanIn Circle – https://leanincircles.org/
- Email me if you have a question or want to talk! charli@empoweringpumps.com.
- Use hashtags #EmpoweringConnections to stay involved online.
Steve is the Real Hero in the Wonder Women movie
Spoiler alert… If you haven’t seen the movie. Stop what you are doing and go buy the movie. Yes, BUY… It is by far the best super hero movie of all time. I welcome your different opinions, if you have seen this movie. Mostly because, I want to watch any one that is better than this!
So, why do I think Steve is the hero. Think about it… Steve arrives just after Diana realizes she is strong enough to defeat the best of the Amazon warriors. He also gives her a mission and purpose to use those powers for Good. The only reason this works is because they are both on the same mission – to stop the war! They make a deal and agree on the terms and they are on their way. Just Diana and Steve start sailing to an unknown land (for Diana) and they have to trust each other. There is a scene where Diana was asking Steve why he wouldn’t lay beside her because there was plenty of room, and he explained how it is not right to assume these things. He is right and shows he can be trusted. Sometimes you need to be that close for protection or comfort, but it doesn’t mean Steve is not a gentleman. The next scene is them arriving in the port where they go to get Diana the proper attire to wear. You know… Suit up for the job you want… to go into a male-dominated meeting. I thought it was so funny when he put the glasses on her to try to hide her face because she is “the most beautiful woman in the world”.
So, when the time comes, when she needs to stand up for what she believes in, she is prepared because she has the right attire for whatever the occasion. This theme plays throughout the entire movie. I am especially fond of the blue dress that drew her enemy close. My favorite part though is when she disagrees with Steve’s comment “this isn’t what we came here to do” and she Suits Up and says “no, But this is what I am going to do”! Steve observes that she is successful and then decides… Ok, she’s leading the way – I think we can go help her now! And he does, and they save the day together! This is where Love arrives but it was a mutual choice! But this was about Steve… Sorry I got distracted by the love story – I’m a hopeless romantic…
OK, Steve is also on a mission. He needs to stop the war. When Diana kills the evil general and realizes men were still killing each other. She doesn’t understand and believes Steve is just like the rest of the men, because he kept her from saving the town from the general’s attack. But in the end, he was right. The general wasn’t Aries and she still had work to do! When Diana resisted, he didn’t force her to come with him. He said, please come with me. She refused and Steve took on the current problem… She began the battle with Aries who reveled himself to her even in her sadness she could see the truth and regained her focus on the mission.
Then, he saved the day… spoiler alert!
When Aries does indeed show up, the crew knew that only Diana could beat that enemy, so they would work on the problems they could manage. There was a plane filled with deadly gas on a timer… So someone had to fly it away or it would be more death and destruction. He runs to her, he says I have to do this job. I wish I had more time with you but this is something only I can do. And then he says…
“I can save today, you can save the world.” –Steve.
And he does…. And this Empowers Her To Save the World!
As we continue to move the needle, with the Gender Gap, we will need many Steves in Leadership to support Women who have shown they can exceed the standard and kick butt. I challenge you to support women because you are better with a woman by your side and we are better with a man by ours!
Who will be the Steve that supports you and who will be the Aries. Make sure you get the right one on your side!