It’s October and Renel Brooks-Moon will once again announce World Series games at the San Francisco Giants’ AT&T Park. Dare to be Fabulous is highlighting her DTBF story, “Finding My Voice” in honor of the occasion.
Renel Brooks-Moon at her announcing booth
“My first day of announcing was a totally out of body experience! Last week, I heard my voice announcing the Yankees line up and I was beside myself.” – Renel Brooks-Moon (excerpted from her DTBF story)
Ginny Lambrix is a DTBF contributor who has made a name for herself in the wine industry. . . literally! VML Winery, established in 2011 in the Russian River Valley, was named after her. Today, she oversees winemaking for this winery and for all the brands of Truett-Hurst.
Ginny’s DTBF story is about her path to sustainable viticulture and her love of wine.
Ginny wearing a DTBF tee in the vineyard (2009)
I raise my glass and offer a toast. . . to living one’s truth!
Also, we just announced the discovery of a stash of DTBF tees. If you’d like to purchase our tees (short and long-sleeve available), check out our re-uploaded boutique and inventory sale.
DTBF!
Johanna
Most women inherently understand the importance and benefit of diversity in the workplace. They know what women bring and how that generates positive returns. Former Citigroup CFO Sallie Krawcheck knows this first-hand. She is now the Chair of Ellevate, a global professional women’s network with its own socially-conscious mutual fund called the Pax Ellevate Global Women’s Index Fund.
Paul Solman of the PBS Newshour reported on this fund as part of his “Making Sense of Financial News.” I am providing a few transcript excerpts here. I also encourage you to watch the PBS Newshour segment.
Excerpts:
JOE KEEFE, President and CEO, Pax World: They want a fair return, but they also want to have a positive impact. They want their money aligned with their values.
PAUL SOLMAN: Sallie Krawcheck’s women’s fund invests in the world’s 400 most female-focused firms.
JOE KEEFE: We look at every one, and we see, how many women are on the board, how many women are in management, do they have women at leadership posts like CEO or chief financial officer? They’re companies that will make a commitment to women playing a significant role in leadership. And we think that is going to bear out well for them over time.
_________
BRANDE STELLINGS, Catalyst: There is a correlation between having gender-diverse leadership teams and better corporate performance outcomes.
PAUL SOLMAN: And so, says Krawcheck, data drives her fund.
SALLIE KRAWCHECK: Whether it’s higher returns on equity, whether it’s greater innovation, whether it is greater client focus, greater long-term focus, and, in fact, even lower gender pay disparities within the companies.
Click this link to watch the full news segment online.
Investing in women…and getting rewarded for it. Now that’s fabulous.
DTBF!
Johanna
“Angelou was little known outside the theatrical community until “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” which might not have happened if writer James Baldwin hadn’t persuaded Angelou, still grieving over King’s death, to attend a party at the home of Jules Feiffer, a cartoonist and writer. Feiffer was so taken by Angelou that he mentioned her to Random House editor Bob Loomis, who persuaded her to write a book by daring her into it, saying that it was “nearly impossible to write autobiography as literature.”
“Well, maybe I will try it,” Angelou responded. “I don’t know how it will turn out. But I can try.” (Excerpt from an A.P. article)
And the rest, as they say, is history. Aren’t we lucky that she dared to try?
What a book title, too. “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” Beautiful, powerful, resonant. As she was.
“She lived a life as a teacher, activist, artist and human being. She was a warrior for equality, tolerance and peace,” said her son, Guy Johnson.
She dared to sing her song, and out of the cage she flew.
Happy 2014! Here’s to new beginnings and daring adventures!
Our new DTBF story comes from Alison Levine, a history-making adventurer, explorer and mountaineer. Levine has climbed the highest peak on every continent, served as the team captain of the first American Women’s Everest Expedition, and skied across the Arctic Circle to the geographic North Pole. This, and a lot more.
Read about what it was like to reach the Summit of Mount Everest in her DTBF story, “On the Edge with Alison.”
DTBF!
Don’t you love it when you read back-to-back great books? I’ve been on a nice roll lately, and not just with books, but also with movies and documentaries. In this post, I offer two recommendations. (I will share more in future posts, as well.)
Diane Keaton‘s memoir “Then Again” is beautifully written and very insightful, not to mention, poignant, funny, and entertaining. Yes, you’ll read about her acting career and her relationships with Woody and Warren and Al, but more, you’ll read about her mother, Dorothy. Much of the book is comprised of journal entries and letters that her mother wrote over the years, so as Keaton explains it, this memoir is really written by both of them. Keaton, like her mother, kept everything in the recording of her own personal history, stashing every letter and even keeping some of her phone messages. When her mother passed away and Keaton began to pore through her many journals, she decided to weave together a combined memoir, using much of this wonderful source material. I, for one, am glad she did.
“A poem about women living in one another’s not uncomplicated memories. . . . Part of what makes Diane Keaton’s memoir, Then Again, truly amazing is that she does away with the star’s ‘me’ and replaces it with a daughter’s ‘I.’ ”—Hilton Als, The New Yorker
Miss Representation is a documentary by Jennifer Siebel-Newsom that explores how the media’s misrepresentations of women have led to the underrepresentation of women in positions of power and influence. Among the people featured in this film are Condoleezza Rice, Katie Couric, Margaret Cho, Rachel Maddow, Jane Fonda, Gavin Newsom, Rosario Dawson, Cory Booker and others. It premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and aired on OWN: Oprah Winfrey’s television network. Since then, it has grown into a movement, with its own action oriented website and a list of educational resources, including the option of purchasing DVDs for K-12 and university audiences.
The term “media literacy” is unfamiliar to many people, which is a shame, given the amount of media saturating our daily existence. Even if we think we’re well aware of media bias and how the mainstream (or as some might call it, the “lame stream”) media works, there is much to learn from watching films like this one. I particularly recommend it for girls in junior high school, when much of what the media depicts can become particularly impressionable. You’ll be amazed by some of the statistics this film offers. (It also has a fabulous soundtrack, featuring songs from Metric.)
To watch the film, you can add it to your Netflix queue, get it through iTunes, or purchase it from a film distributor. You can also look for a local public screening…or even host one of your own.
“A searing critique.” – Fortune Magazine
“Oprah stamp of approval could make Miss Representation the Roger & Me of media reform.” – Bitch Magazine
DTBF!
Johanna
We’d like to share an update we received from Tabra Tunoa, author of “The Adventure of Changing One’s World,” one of our DTBF stories. We’ve also attached some photos that Tabra sent to us from Costa Rica. As you will see, Tabra continues daring to be fabulous. We love what you’re doing Tabra, and send you all our best wishes!
August 19th, 2012
Dear Friends,
I’ve arrived back in the land of smoking volcanoes, green steamy jungles, beautiful empty Caribbean beaches and the Sacred Jaguar. I just love Costa Rica.
Arrived on Mother’s Day, so everything was closed down – no food at the hotel, stores all shut up for the big day. Everyone with a mama was home paying homage. Luckily I had a big bag of almonds, and three cookies I brought with me.
I’ve got to hit the road running – lots to do – meetings with my lawyer, my banker, my property caretaker, a rental car agency to rent a four wheel drive truck of some kind so I can get out to the Banana River Property – “Quetzalcoatl” – again. That’s on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. I’ve never driven a four wheel drive vehicle before, but I’d better learn fast. No way to get to the property without crossing a wide, fairly shallow river, but with some swift, cold water. So, it’s four wheel drive or swim.So here’s the over all plan (which changes almost everyday, as new information comes in, or inevitable changes occur):
A snapshot of the water as Tabra tours the river
Get set up for an Organic Farm – lots of cacao, mangoes, bananas of course and then tomatoes, okra, green beans, etc. – some to sell and some for a small artist community to live on – kind of off the grid, when possible. Lots of good fishing (Costa Rican Bobo Fish) as well as lots of other tasty types. Over time the plan is to attract good artists to come down to a pleasant, healthy retreat for a few weeks or months (or even to retire) and give classes to young Costa Rica women who want to learn crafts. There are many indigenous tribes in the general area that could benefit from learning basic crafts (from successful American artists) and combining those skills with their own history of Meso-American and Afro-Caribbean design.
Tabra makes lunch on her property by the Banana River.
Of course, this will be more than just an Organic Farm or an Artist Community as all talented people will be welcome, who are interested in trying out new directions. Builders with Artistic Skills, Medical Workers, Wild Animal Lovers and Caretakers, Gardeners and of course Guests who love Artists. As the world around us becomes more economically and politically difficult, this just might be the place you have been looking for – to spend some time in. There’s more than 300 acres – so lots of room for lots of directions. It will take years for it to all to come together, but that’s the fun of it. It’s a long-term project.
Tabra hiking near her property in Costa Rica.
Since a new government road is just being completed that directly leads to “Quetzalcoatl” on the Banana River the river (doesn’t have the bridge across the river completed yet, but that should happen in the next year or so) and a new port is being built for the big tourist ships that regularly come to the Limon area – only 45 minutes away by car or bus – I am hoping that some kind of “Tourist Destination” can be established to sell the art that is created by the Artist Community on the Quetzalcoatl property. For those of you who are curious and have questions or ideas – write them down and let me know – ’cause I’m interested.
Tabra Tunoa near the border of Panama
I plan to keep traveling back and forth between Bali and Costa Rica. I love both countries and I still love to design Beautiful Jewelry as much as I ever did. I don’t seem to be able to stop myself. So, look forward to some new jewelry directions in the future and hopefully some design influences directly from the “Sacred Jaguar” and “Quetzalcoatl” – the Feathered Serpent God. I’ll keep you informed.
“Quetzalcoati”- the Feathered Serpent God
Jaguar in Costa Rica
You can keep in touch with me, through my website.
Tabra
Women…Choose your Magic carefully and keep it with you always
Terri Lyne Carrington backstage with her GRAMMY
“…as cliché as it may sound, I am finally daring to be my fabulous self, however it may turn out.”
So writes Terri Lyne Carrington in her DTBF story, “Full Circle.” Well, she’s doing a great job at it! Terri Lyne’s “The Mosaic Project” is up for Best Jazz Vocal album at the Grammy Awards this Sunday. It’s an album she produced and which features the talents of other fabulous female jazz artists, including the ever lovely Dianne Reeves, another DTBF contributor (“Talking to the Devil.”)
We celebrated their album when it came out last July. This Sunday, we’ll be applauding them again.
DTBF!!
