The energy around R Baby Foundation is swirling and quite remarkable. My in-box is brimming over expressions of gratitude for our roundtable but also with offers to do more to support RBF. The response to last Friday’s event has shown me just how powerful philanthropic moms can be. And this is right in line with my vision — the one where I am clear about just how much can be done through connecting for good.
My hypothesis for the day was simple — bring acomplished, strong, motivated, influential women into the room, introduce them to each other and to R Baby Foundation. Give them access to each other both personally and professionally. And of course, give them the tools, motivation and interest in applying their influence to the work of improving pediactric emergency care. Then, webcast out and tweet in a rich dialog with women everywhere — offering an intimate yet inclusive experience that all links right back to RBF.
Did it work – I would say so. Here are some stats for starters:
219 people viewed the event (from both USA and Canada).
The feedback from Friday’s event has been incredibly positive. I am thrilled that we’ve ignited the interest and opened the hearts of so many to R Baby Foundation. It was a most remarkable day. And I must add, one for the fashion records — everyone looked so beautiful! So I’d thought I’d share a little inside line on our looks and in specific, how to steal mine.
Hair: Blow, 14th Street – but of course (the official pre-event salon of Forty Weeks!). Kyle did a fantastic job of giving me just the right coif!
Brows: Red Door (really, really) — Bethesda based Nahid has been the keeper of my brows for as long as I can recall – and she earned that title yet again.
Make-up: Buffy and co produced flawless and individual looks for each of us. And, she did this as a gift to the Foundation. I could not take my eyes of off the stunning panelists. Here are a few of us, pre-program:
Beth Feldman, Lauren Parisier, Brenda Berg, Phyllis Rabinowitz, Nicole Feliciano and me!
My dress: Alice and Trixie – which I found locally (Luna, Bethesda) when I was helping IRLer Jamie Bernstein look for a dress – she ended up helping me!
Alice and Trixie Austin Dress
My Shawl: DVF’s new linen scarf has been as early go-to favorite and once again made the look! This was part of my February spree and really has already earned it’s keep!
DVF Linen Gauze Scarf in African Sugar
My necklace – I stumbled upon this piece at another local (Bethesda) haunt South Moon Under — I was on a mission for chunky (after IRL Alice and I failed on Valentine’s day to find something in Georgetown) and found this:
Leslie Danzis three loop with staggered tassel mesh necklace
Of course there was Spanx and boots (from another local -Bethesda’s own Zelaya) in the picture too. Frankly, I am ready for that season to end, but I digress!
Not bad for a girl who had no clue what she was wearing the week before the event! Thank you all for the incredible feedback. What a day – for fashion and for the Foundation…
I am still buzzing from yesterday’s energy. It was positively electric and contagious – and frankly game changing. Yesterday at the W, Union Square (to whom I owe lots of love and thanks), I gathered some of the most remarkable women I know to talk Priorities, Passions and Community. We came together in support of the R Baby Foundation and of each other – the results were big and bold – the stuff that lives on in your heart and mind forever.
Before we went live – I tried to express my gratitude to all the women in the room. Incredible moms and business women, bloggers and influencers who have been my friends (some new, some for many years) go-to women and partners – dedicated, reliable and encouraging without fail. I tried to articulate just what it meant to have such accomplished and caring women answer the call for me and for R Baby. And as I spoke I caught the eyes of these beautiful women -one by one – and what my words did not say, I know my heart did – “Namaste” – from the beauty and spirit in me to the beauty and spirit in you – and you know – that was the it, the moment, the mood and the energy. Share your grace and yourself with me and I will share mine with you – and together we will make amazing things happen. And we will…
We went live and got to it – sharing and discussing our lives in the raw. We all took great care neither to sugar coat nor to scare but rather to tell the truth about mompreneurship and our lives. The questions and the answers inspired a great deal of chatter on-line (over 500 tweets came in filled with questions, stories and encouragement). The information resonated and inspired. There is no question that anyone who participated walked away full of new considerations, ideas, inspiration and motivation.
We spoke a great deal about right brain thinking, intuition (gut listening as I called it) and questioning as cornerstones of our success. We talked about intention, clarity and family. We talked about what we’ve lost and what we’ve gained. We shared our source of motivation and support as well as our rituals. It was all there! We talked about our roles in helping to improve the state of pediatric emergency care not only by raising funds and awareness for RBF but also by empowering other women and their families to know their rights and responsibilities in an emergency medical situation. And of course, to exercise these knowing, as we do, that all emergency rooms are not created equal. The message and the meaning got through loud and clear. As my friend Ciaran Blumenfeld remarked (not in the room but certainly present on this project) – you’ve got to push, you’ve got to question, you’ve got to demand – both in your mompreneurship and also in any medical situation – show tenacity be your own advocate.
How will I ever adequately thank Emily McKhann and Beth Feldman for bringing the day to life through their incredibly engaging and vibrant moderation? Or Laruen Parisier, Nicole Feliciano, Brenda Berg and Kimberly Seals Allers for bringing their whole selves to the table to share the absolute truth about their lives as mompreuers stunningly raw and honest. Or my friend Phyllis Rabinowitz…pregnant and breathtakingly strong and vulnerable all at once – how to thank her for sharing the story of her harrowing loss and her journey back again to fight ( as she does every day ) to improve the quality of emergency medical care so that no parent, no family should suffer the tragedy of losing a baby? So really – I am not sure I can or will ever get it just right. The words, the deeds the expression – though I will try.
In the meantime – please watch our not yet edited version of Priorities, Passions and Community. Share it with the women in your life. This is my way of trying to both hold on to and share the wisdom and the love in the room yesterday – Namaste.
Bringing like minded people together is really one of best party tricks (after showing off my Gumby-like flexibility and encyclopedic knowledge of song lyrics that is) – connecting the dots well is just what I do. And I consider it a day well spent when a connection I’ve made works well, makes a difference and in the best case, makes the world a better place – benefiting all involved.
Friday promises to set a new standard for connection for good. I will be with my bloggy friends, my business friends and my beloved R Baby Foundation. We will join together to raise funds and awareness for improved pediatric emergency care. We will share in a roundtable focused on passions, priorities and community - examining how these there elements lead to success for women. It is my hope that all who participate in the roundtable will walk away with not only inspiration and connection but also a clear vision as to how they will step up and make a difference.
What I know is that each one of you has the power (and the goods) to ignite your passions, set your priorities and engage your communities in what is important to you. So tune in (webcast details are below), tweet in (#RBabyLive) and get ready — the world is about to change – for good!
Long ago and far away – in a city called New York at an event called Kids for Kids (to benefit Elizabeth Glazer Pediatric Aids Foundation) my little girl was just that (and proud too – to be making a difference the lives of African children)…time flies but the love remains! Wishing all of you love that grows and stands the test of time!
It’s the year of the Tiger – and here’s my Valentine!
Last week I let you in behind the velvet ropes of my latest bit of fun with the beautiful bump-goddess that is Jenni Hogan. I shared with you how we reached out to our friends (Song, Shannon and Jen that’s you) in maternity fashion land to help Jenni Hogan to find three frocks for consideration for her #GO RED Friday fun.
Jenni Hogan
All of my super wonderful friends offered up the best bump-fashion around and then went above and beyond – they all agrees to donate back to American Heart Association for anyone who used the code AHA. Talk about heart!
Here are the contenders – prepare to drool over these maternity dresses! And, the voting is still going on – join us pick, click and help us raise money for the American Heart Association…
Friday found me shivering over a steaming cup of latte with my IRL friend and on-line power-house Joanne Bamberger (aka PunditMom). We covered all the important topics – kids, home, restaurants and wardrobe (are we really dressing for the Mad Men party at Mom 2.0?!?!) and eventually settled into one of the very stimulating conversations that really is the cornerstone of our friendship. We were talking about mothers and activism, politics and causes. And I shared with her what I consider to be secret to all of this amazing female power (you will need to wait for her book to find out what that is!). I shared anecdotes of how mothers have rallied to support causes that feel both personal and profoundly important to them – engaging their friends, families and on-line communities for the greater good.
This morning I got an email from Brian Boyd telling me that we needed to bump R Baby Foundation’s Facebook friends to 100 ( at 10 am and before I got busy there were 25 friends) by Monday. And I took this as an outstanding opportunity to present my friend Joanne with hard evidence of the power of which I speak. And now, if you are reading this before Monday, you are part of a grand experiment. Can I do it? Can I harness the power of my twitter, FB, and IRL communities to help RBF reach their goal?
On twitter I have reached out to some passionate, engaged women who I feel certainly qualify as Philanthropic Moms; strong, community-minded, well-regarded women with a clear voice and passion. This is simply a random cross section. I actually think most of the women who I follow and engage with on twitter are just that (and exactly why I follow them) and for the sake of this live case-study/experiment this is the list:
And for you — if you are reading this, you are invited, encouraged and asked nicely to please go to RBF’s Facebook page and be a friend! Help me show Joanne the power of Philanthropic Moms.
Please forward along and keep checking back for the tally! If I can get us there by Monday one of the Moms listed above will will a pedicure on me (with me if you like!!!)!
You all know about my commitment to connecting consumers, causes, celebrities and corporations. It is the cornerstone of Philanthropic Moms. I live it, I breathe it – and all who work with me help me build from that essential foundation. Here is what you don’t know:
A few months ago my friend Kara Matuszewski , introduced me to one of her on-air pals , the newly pregnant Jenni Hogan via twitter. Jenni and I began to follow-each other (on twitter) and over the course of the subsequent weeks cultivated a wonderful relationship built around her super sassy smarts, interest in pregnancy fashion and our mutual desire to make good things happen.
And happen they have…
Jenni and KIRO Seattle are a supporters of the American Heart Association. As part of their GO RED DAY they asked her to please wear red on Friday, February 5, 2010. Jenni asked me to style her and I agreed. But Jenni and I have a tendency to get excited by the infinite possibilities and then we, like super-cute super heroes spring into immediate action (no traffic jam here!!). True to form, Jenni and I got our heads together and gave birth to this:
*Rocking the Red, Fashion Frienemies Face off, with Heart!
(*this is my totally typical and unapproved title, look for a better one from Jenni and Brooke soon!)
One very adorable Jenni Hogan will model three haute maternity looks from Belly Dance, Due and Pickles & Ice Cream. Viewers can log in and vote on KIRO’s website with a dollar per donation going to AHA – donated by Macy’s. All three retailers have generously offered to donate partial proceeds from any purchase using code “AHA” to American Heart. All good, and you know, we were pretty pleased…
What happened next? Well, Jenni’s fashion frienemy Brooke Fox heard about Jenni rocking the red for AHA and wanted in. So she grabbed her gaggle of female listeners from The Ladies Room on Seattle’s MOVin 92.5 and joined in as well. And you guessed it – each vote triggers a $1 donation to AHA. Macy’s agreed to suit her up in red (and you know she will look adorable but nothing like our Jenni from the Bump) for Friday as well. It is a fashion frienemy face off with heart – LOVE IT!
As of yesterday additional sponsors were lined up to donate funds and support the AHA. On Monday, consumers (YOU!) will be invited in to start picking, clicking and donating to raise more money. How much will we raise? Well, I will keep you posted on the dollar proceeds. And beyond that, what we raise in good-will and awareness – I would say will be priceless…
Some people call it my soft spot – I would not agree. I would say that rallying the Forty Weeks troops to benefit those in need is an act of strength and an amazingly powerful and appropriate use of our skills, connections and know-how. This is a part of the Forty Weeks DNA, and I do this on a very regular basis.
There are those whose talents (yes Lisa Bernstein, I am speaking of you) far eclipse mine – whose unwavering commitment to making the world a better place, to building programs and initiatives for women, in specific mothers (and expectant mothers) is unparalleled. Lisa’s work as the Executive Director of the What to Expect Foundation is just one shining example of the potential for progress when left in the right hands.
Me, I am the one who steps in not to advance the public heath conversation as much as I am the one called in to move the conversation to the consumer (the supporter of the foundation). I am the call that is made when the idea is there but perhaps the funds and awareness are not (or not at the level where they should be). I am the call when the foundation is not acting like a brand (yes, non-profits can and should function like for profits, really!) and when it is time to synch up the vision and the metrics – in other words, when it is time to soar.
When I am introduced to organizations with incredible potential to change the conversation I ask a lot of questions. Because another thing that Lisa Bernstein, Bob Burkett and my other talented friends and mentors have taught me is that intention is only one marker of a foundation’s potential for success. The real list is much longer. I spend a great deal of time teasing information out of groups who come to me – looking for signs that they are in fact ready to “go there”.
This morning I will donate my time and that of my team to BabyLove, DC. This is Ali Wentworth’s answer to the overwhelming disparity between middle-class mothers and babies in DC and those with at risk in some of the city’s most challenged neighborhoods. This is her attempt to help level the playing field by collecting gently used items and corporate donated goods with the goal of putting them in the hands of those in need. It is my sincere hope that today’s strategy and planning session with Ali and her amazing team will create a roadmap for real success for BabyLove now and moving forward.
So keep your eyes out for more on this. Expect to see more BabyLove, DC on your radar screen in the very near future. Because Babylove, DC is ready and Forty Weeks is prepared to make it so!
There is a great deal of chatter out there about finding the perfect gift for each and every person on your list. And I agree – there is great satisfaction to be had by wrapping your loved ones in the softest cashmere or fortifying your kids with a big stack of books. It is all good. And before your gift giving is though, please consider how you might be able to help those well outside of your inner-circle.
Yesterday I sat in on Jewish Women International’s (JWI) Women to Watch symposium. This featured the 2009 Women to Watch nominees including: JJ Ramberg (the adorably pregnant co-founder of GoodShop.com), Laurie Ann Goldman (the steel magolia CEO of Spanx), Ruth Marcus (the warm and prolific Washington Post columnist) and Estee Portnoy (the tireless marketing and business manager for Michael Jordan) among others. The list read like a who’s who of philanthropically minded, accomplished and frankly, inspiring women (they were all quite beautiful as well). The room was filled not only with JWI supporters but also the family and friends of the ten dynamic women who were being honored (at a luncheon emceed by Blossom herself, Mayim Bailik).
One topic that came up was how to best teach our kids the Jewish value of tzedakah (giving, though interestingly enough has its roots in the word for justice). As well was how philanthropy becomes a way of life, passed down from generation to generation. And certainly this is not a uniquely Jewish concept – we can and should all find ways to share our commitment to caring for others with our children. Many thoughts were shared – dedicating one holiday night to giving outside of the family (we already do this in our home) was one that is easy to implement and quite rewarding. In fact, I tweeted about it yesterday, and got a lot of positive feedback.
That said, the possibilities are endless, and not at all limited to this time of year. I suggest you take a look at some of the causes nearest and dearest to my heart as you begin to open yours up – for good!
The What to Expect Foundation– Heidi Murkoff’s What to Expect When You’re Expectinghas been called “America’s Pregnancy Bible.” But many expectant moms cannot afford to buy a book or do not have the literacy skills they need to read it. The What to Expect Foundation was conceived to provide empowering information, support, and literacy skills to underserved, at-risk parents so they too can expect healthier pregnancies, safer deliveries, and happier babies.
R Baby Foundation R Baby Foundation® is the first and only not-for-profit foundation uniquely focused on saving babies lives through improving pediatric emergency care. R Baby Foundation is dedicated to ensuring that babies, including those in the first month of life suffering from viral infections and other infectious diseases, receive the highest quality of care and service through supporting life-saving pediatric training, education, research, treatment and equipment.
JWI Jewish Women International(JWI) is the leading Jewish organization empowering women and girls – through economic literacy; community training; healthy relationships education; and the proliferation of women’s leadership. Our innovative programs, advocacy and philanthropic initiatives protect the fundamental rights of all girls and women to live in safe homes, thrive in healthy relationships, and realize the full potential of their personal strength.
Children’s Institute, Inc.Los Angleles (CII) serves more than 17,000 children and their families in the city’s most challenged neighborhoods, and trains more than 9,000 professionals in the realm of child development, mental health and welfare. CII provides healing so traumatized children can recover and lead healthy lives, while working to shape the field of children’s services through innovative research, demonstration projects, and professionally accredited training programs.
Breastcancer.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing the most reliable, complete, and up-to-date information about breast cancer. BCO’s mission is to help women and their loved ones make sense of the complex medical and personal information about breast cancer, so they can make the best decisions for their lives.
So give, give, give — teach your children well by example and do all you can to keep the holiday glow alive and well in your home by giving outside of it!
