When I was invited to speak at the first-ever HCA Virginia Spirit of Women Girls Day Out on Friday, October 29, 2010 it was a bit overwhelming: why did they ask me? Was no one else available? Would I be able to entertain/inspire? It was such a compliment to be asked, yet still a daunting task.
I assembled some thoughts from the heart and the gut, invited my closest friends and family, and showed up in my prettiest dress. And it ended up being just like a cocktail party in my livingroom. Truly.
One of my dearest friends, Allison, suggested I tell a silly joke to start off, and it got everyone laughing. . from there on out, it was how/why/what was Richmondmom.com and how did I get here from there.
To be more specific:
There: a mom-of-three standing in November 2008 holding a pink slip.
Here: a mom-of-three who owns a business, Richmondmom.com with a site readership of of 112,000 since then, who is able to earn a living as an entrepreneur.
Key lessons if you missed it:
1) tons of support.
2) finding a team–for me, it was my running team.
3) having fun & reminding yourself that every day’s work counts
4) treating yourself: for me it’s with this guy: 
on television, of course. and occasionally while getting a massage.
5) do what no one says you can do. I wanted to write and publish Richmond Rocks within the same year. Some said it couldn’t be done. Why not?
6) give credit where credit is due: for me, it’s largely to my mom, who raised four of us single-handedly. We applauded her. We cried. It was the best gift I could ever give her, and I meant it.
7) laugh at yourself. Even when being bitten by a dog while on your morning run, roll with it. What else can ya do?
Bottom line: We are infinitely able to do far more than we can imagine. The women who came up and spoke with me personally mirrored this sentiment. I knew they knew it about themselves, they just needed a little reminder. What do you want to do? I’d love to hear.
