For those who thrive on flux, flow, and fluidity

Reformation of business doesn’t happen overnight. It comes in slow waves, evolving and building until it crashes on the shores of society. This is how the Renaissance took place―centuries of innovations that changed the way we understood science, the way we looked at art, and the methods of governing people and business.

It’s happening again, this time with women in business. We’re changing the way we look at occupations. More women are in combat roles than ever before. Women as angel investors get a lot of press. Female CEOs, though in short supply, populate the headlines and cover stories. The wave is growing. It may take centuries before it crashes on the shores of society, but the momentum has begun.

So how do we keep this renaissance moving? Barriers are down, but egalitarianism is scant. Stories of women facing adversity in technology, politics, law enforcement, and other areas of business still abound. The solution: networks. Women are finding power, support, and connections through various organizations that champion women in their fields of business. It’s the good ol’ boys’ club redefined. It’s a rebirth of the power society.

Pamela Ryckman (C&W Issue 2) unveils how women leverage connections in her book Stiletto Network. She articulates why women networks are important for personal and professional support. Academic theory calls this phenomenon “strong ties/weak ties.” A network of strong ties takes time and energy―they are very important to your success. But the people who are your weak ties network give you diversity, inspiration, and access to a larger network. Both are crucial. And in this business renaissance, the female ties are bridging gender gaps in the workplace.

Business is reborn, and she’s wearing heels.

Bethany Miller is an explorer in life and in business. She’s an airline pilot, veteran, and world traveler. Fascinated by global issues and the business of business, Bethany is a doctoral candidate at Université Paris-Dauphine in Paris, France where she researches extraordinary employees in chaotic work environments. www.GoodGlobalCitizen.com

Imagery by Janet Hill.

Spring cleaning isn’t just for your home. The cold winter months leave our beauty regimens yearning for a fresh take, making spring the ideal season to re-assess your cosmetic bag. Try these steps with me to eradicate the cluttered, clumpy, crusty and funky beauty items from our lives.

Step One: Toss

What items do you need to toss? Use your senses: Does it smell funky? Toss! Does it have a stick to it that isn’t supposed to be there? Toss! Bottom line, if you’d be embarrassed to show it to your coworkers or friends, it’s time to bid adieu and move on!

Step Two: Tweak

For the items you’re not willing to part with, consider giving them some TLC so they can remain front runners in the beauty bag.

Sharpen and Sanitize any eye, lip and concealer pencils. I like to do due diligence when cleaning any item, especially one that touches the eye area which is the most bacteria ridden area of our faces. This means sharpening the pencils and spritzing them with alcohol. It may seem like a bit much, but isn’t a little hygiene worth it when it comes to preserving our beauty?

For a dreadfully crumbled eye shadow, bronzer, powder or blush, ask first, “is there enough of the cosmetic left to make it worth saving?” and “Did the crumble happen inside the packaging?” If you’ve answered “yes” to these questions, then let’s set out to save it! Pull out your handy alcohol spritzer and your broken compact. First, slowly saturate the powder with the alcohol. Using a clean plastic spoon or knife, mix the alcohol and powder until they are a paste, even it out within the package, and press the product firmly back into place. Allow the compact to air dry overnight and wake up to find your favorite product fully restored (and sanitized)!

Step Three: Trade

The beauty industry upgrades products and launches new favorites before you can blink. It can be overwhelming, but there are some great reformulations and innovations that allow us to better care for our skin with the introduction of features like SPF and antioxidants. I am a huge advocate of the multi-purpose formulas like BB & CC creams, which can help minimize the number of items we use while maximizing performance. Pairing natural ingredients with lasting results is a win-win in my book.

Step Four: Breathe a Sigh of Relief

You’ve taken the challenge, tackled it with success, and now have a fresh start to maximizing your beauty more healthily and simply.

Vanessa Elese is a NY based, Emmy Award winning celebrity makeup artist and beauty expert. Vanessa’s most recent work includes Amazon’s Alpha House, Netflix’s highly addictive Orange is the New Black and Discover’s Deadly Affairs. Above all, Vanessa focuses her efforts to encourage and nurture a healthy inner beauty before focusing on the exterior. It is her mission to truly ignite women to perceive themselves with grace and beauty. http://www.thebeautyfairydiaries.com/

Imagery by Kristina Hultkrantz.

The dread of planning and preparing a meal for a group of friends should never keep you from entertaining. By following an outline, it will be just as easy to entertain for 12 as for 2. Stick to the basics (but do them very well), serve foods that work at room temperature and don’t require too much additional effort to multiply.

A Girlfriend Springtime Lunch:

1. Cheese board: 3 to 4 nice cheeses arranged on a cutting board with nuts, dried fruit and honey. If artisanal cheeses aren’t available or affordable, a simple log of goat’s cheese from the supermarket can seem special when presented this way.
   Portion size: 2-3 oz per person
2. Meat: Cured meats, smoked fish or even a plate of soft-boiled eggs halved and sprinkled with coarse salt.
   Portion size: around 1.5 oz per person
3. Leafy Greens: A big bowl of bright salad greens dressed in a simple vinaigrette.
4. French Lentils: Flavored with garlic, sea salt, pepper and lemon juice. Any dried bean or whole grain is delicious served this way.
   Portion size: 1/4 cup dried lentils per person.
5. Bread: For layering the cheeses and meat into miniature open-face sandwich bites, and for mopping up the last of the vinaigrette. Buy more than you think you need; leftover bread freezes well.
6. Spread: Avocado (my favorite), butter, hummus…anything that holds its own when spread on the bread but also complements the cheeses and meat.
7. Extras: A scattering of bowls filled with various treats to be eaten alone, or added to the lentils and salad. Options: segmented oranges, pistachios, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, crudités…

Result: a meal that’s elegant, pleasurable and simple.

Marci Cornett is a (mostly) plant-based chef who promotes health-supportive cuisine and the development of sustainable food systems. After graduating from the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York, she worked in several professional kitchens including the renowned vegetarian restaurant, Cafe Paradiso, in Cork City, Ireland. She develops and publishes nourishing recipes and writes about the latest thinking concerning nutrition and food issues on her blog, marcicornett.com. Connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

When did I become qualified to give career advice, especially to my family? Each time one of my siblings asks for my insight on career decisions, I’m both deeply flattered and slightly surprised.

I’m the oldest of the four of us, so perhaps being the frequent trailblazer for life milestones naturally adds gravitas to my professional perspective. At the same time, as adults, we are all carving our own paths and I sometimes wonder if my experiences are really relevant to their decisions. The weightiness of counseling my nearest and dearest can feed an imposter syndrome, and I worry about passing along bad advice.

And yet, they keep asking: will you critique my resume? What do you think about this job offer? Can we discuss the merits and pitfalls of one field versus another? I take this to mean that any guidance so far hasn’t been detrimental and our conversations might even have been valuable.

Considering all of this, I asked my siblings why they place confidence in my professional advice. They told me, yes, being even a few years older provides a longer view on work and life that’s helpful for early-stage career choices. It also matters to them that we have shared values. Any conversation about our careers can start from an understanding that we want to prioritize life beyond the office even when pursuing our professional goals.

I’m still humbled that my smart, accomplished, and uniquely talented siblings seek out my advice. I’m grateful that I get to play the role of the wise (slightly older) sage on work matters for people whom I love and admire.

While she’s almost an official New Yorker, now that she has spent the past eight years working for a large investment bank in New York City, Jean Blosser still cherishes her Midwestern roots, growing up in Columbus, Ohio. She is an alumnus of Boston College, enjoys her whiskey neat, and blogs regularly at http://www.skylineblossoms.com.

If you’re a solopreneur, I’m willing to bet you started your business to gain more control over your work, your process, your clientele, and your time. And that you dreamt of more fully pursuing a personal passion, once you weren’t squished under the thumb of The Man. I’d also wager that somewhere along the solopreneurial road, you were hijacked by your business―and your passion was taken for ransom.

I’m not the betting type, but I am a solopreneur. And I know my kind. We tend to be All About the Work―which, admittedly, is part of the deal when you run your own show, especially early on. But here’s another part of the deal: all work and no passion makes for a dull (and possibly grumpy/exhausted/disengaged) solopreneur.

In my case, while I’m a corporate communications writer by trade, I’m a storyteller at heart. And for years, I desperately tried to give this passion an outlet. I’d block an hour during the workday to crank out an essay, but client work would take precedence. I’d vow to write on Saturday or Sunday, but the last thing I want to do on the weekend is camp out behind my laptop.

Finally, on New Year’s Eve 2014, I made one resolution: to really, truly, no-excuses carve out time for passion projects. I crunched some numbers and figured out that I could write for clients four days a week and dedicate the remaining workday to writing for myself.

Since January 1st, “Passion Project Fridays” have produced a short play and eight essays. And they’ve reminded me that solopreneurial life should not be All About the Work. My business may have kidnapped my passion, but I paid the ransom and got it back. We’re finally reunited―and it feels so good.

Nicole Christie is a writer and storyteller who splits her time between Seattle and Montreal. She is also the principal and creative director of NICO, Inc.―a one-woman firm specializing in fresh, honest, engaging employee and marketing communications for Fortune 500 corporations, leading-edge creative firms, and rapidly growing new technology companies. You can soak up her solopreneur wisdom at http://nicolechristie.com/.

“Our playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.” -Marianne Williamson

Raise your hand if you’ve ever said something like this: “Well, it’s not as big of a deal as it sounds,” or “Anyone could do it; it’s nothing special.” In the interest of modesty and politeness, there can be an impulse to downplay your job title or level of responsibilities. The reality is often much different than how we portray it. No, not just anyone is committed to working late nights or deftly handling complex data like you.

It can be especially tempting to tone down your strengths when you are around those who are insecure or easily intimidated. Many a professional woman has struggled to contend with a colleague or acquaintance’s inferiority complex. A passive-aggressive aside at a networking event or a brash remark in a meeting can give even the most confident of us pause.

More than once, well-meaning strangers have peered into my office and asked if I am an intern or how I ended up in such a nice office suite, as if it were surprising for someone young and female to serve in an influential position.

Here’s the thing: when you are in a situation where there is pressure to tone down your capabilities, don’t do it. You’re not helping anyone by dimming your light. Take ownership of your worth, and don’t shrink from the ugly glare of envy.

Furthermore, when you encounter an accomplished person who has an impressive career, don’t eye her with resentment; take notes. Ask questions. Learn from her hard-earned lessons.

Most importantly, don’t play it small. By sharing your dedication with others, you will inspire them to carry out achievements as amazing as your own.

Elizabeth Roach is a graduate of Furman University and the Columbia University Publishing Program. She has worked in Kentucky government and politics for more than seven years and is currently Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear’s scheduling director. Based in Lexington, Kentucky, Elizabeth is a frequent traveler who writes freelance articles about bourbon, baking, and her culinary adventures. elizabethroachwriter.com

She tells stories, runs a business, inspires women young and old, encourages people to spend time outdoors, and hikes long distance trails at record-breaking speeds. Jennifer Pharr Davis offers insightful perspective and chronicles a transformational journey of her five-month hike of the Appalachian Trail, a 2,185* mile footpath that stretches from Maine to Georgia, in her first book Becoming Odyssa: Epic Adventures on the Appalachian Trail.

Her thru-hiking adventures began immediately after graduating college as a classics major. Suitably, Pharr Davis selected the trail name Odyssa when she started her hike because she thought about what the name meant and considered that maybe she was a wanderer on a long journey back to her home. She spent the next five months hiking, listening to others tell their stories, telling her own story, gaining confidence, exploring her options in life, and deciding she needed to spend her life doing something she enjoyed instead of sitting behind a desk. She figured out what she wanted to do and “knew that something deep within connected with nature, hard work, and simplicity.” She started an outdoor hiking company.

Pharr Davis recaps each section of her 2005 journey on the Appalachian Trail with one-word. This collection of one-word chapter headings ranges from ‘love’ to ‘perseverance’ to ‘optimism’ to ‘homecoming’ in the final stretch. This isn’t just a book about hiking; it’s a story of a young woman finding and transforming herself from the naïveté of Jen to the experience of Odyssa. “I knew that I was beautiful, despite what other people said, and I appreciated my body based on what it could do instead of on how it looked.” She describes home not as a physical place but a state of truly knowing self and feeling at peace.

Following this epic adventure, Jennifer Pharr Davis went on to claim the women’s speed record for hiking the Appalachian Trail in 57 days and then later set the overall record hiking faster than any man or woman by completing the 2180 + mile trail in 46 days 11 hours and 20 minutes in 2011. Read about the record-setting hike in her book Called Again: A Story of Love and Triumph.

*The exact number of miles varies slightly from year to year when the Appalachian Trail Conservancy paints fresh white blazes (small white rectangles) on trees and posts denoting the path each year.

Renee Boss is an educator and activist who believes access to quality education is a right for everyone. She is also a book lover, who has made it her goal to devour a book a week. She lives in Lexington, Kentucky with her husband and two sons. www.reneeboss.blogspot.com

I recently had a dear friend come to me for advice, because she was feeling bogged down by the weight of her everyday routine. She could catch only a glimpse of the beauty of life, and that did not satisfy her.

But I did not feel adequate to impart wisdom, because so often I, too, feel lost in a world of stress, meetings, and obligations.

Regardless, I offered her this: As cliché as it may be, notice the world around you for everything that it is. Savor this season of life.

And when we met last week for dinner, she and I did just that. We joined another sweet friend and sat in a little restaurant, brimming with character. We ate succulent avocados and juicy sandwiches. Our conversation was real and relatable. We talked about problems and shortcomings but also about triumphs, successes, and joys.

When I recognize that dinner for all that it was, we were sisters, embracing and navigating this unpredictable season of life together. This is what it means to take notice of life. Appreciating the small things doesn’t have to be some gushy, crying affair. It happens in quite the sincerest form when the voice in your head says, “Cherish this,” while laughing with your friends between bites of avocado.

Elaine Bailey is currently a full-time student majoring in writing, rhetoric and communication. When she’s not working on papers, she is spending time with her family and friends or pursuing her passion for travel. She lives life joyfully and wishes to radiate that joy, zest, and excitement for life to everyone she meets.

There’s one day a year when we lose all our inhibitions – we drink, we gamble, and we wear ridiculously big hats. You’ve guessed it, it’s Derby Day. Whether you’re celebrating at Churchill Downs or at home with friends, nothing says “derby” quite like the mint julep. This year I’m giving this Southern classic a fresh twist and serving up the perfect trifecta – mint, sage and thyme juleps. Get these recipes below and start placing your bets. Cheers!

Classic Mint Julep

Mint Simple Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 bunch fresh mint, torn into pieces

Ingredients
1 ½ oz Kentucky bourbon whiskey
1 sprig of fresh mint, for garnish
1 oz mint syrup
Crushed ice

Directions

1. In a pot over high heat bring water and sugar to a boil and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until sugar dissolves. Muddle mint slightly to release natural oils, stir into the syrup mixture. Set aside to cool for about 10 minutes.
2. Fill an 8 oz julep cup with crushed ice. Pour whiskey and stir. Top it with mint simple syrup and sprigs of mint for garnish.

Sage Julep

 Sage Simple Syrup
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
10 fresh sage leaves

 Ingredients
2 oz Kentucky bourbon whiskey
1 tablespoon sage infused simple syrup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 sprig of fresh sage, for garnish
1 splash club soda

Directions

1. In a pot over high heat bring water, sugar and sage to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 2 minutes. Turn off heat and allow the mixture to cool completely for 10 minutes, then remove sage.
2. Fill an 8 oz julep cup with crushed ice. Pour whiskey over ice, add the sage simple syrup and lemon juice. Top it with a splash of club soda and a sprig of sage for garnish.

Thyme Julep

Thyme Simple Syrup
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 bunch fresh thyme

Ingredients
2 oz Kentucky bourbon whiskey
1 tablespoon thyme infused simple syrup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 sprigs of fresh thyme, for garnish
1 splash club soda

Directions

1. In a pot over high heat bring water, sugar and thyme to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 2 minutes. Turn off heat and allow the mixture to cool completely for 10 minutes, then remove thyme.
2. Fill an 8 oz julep cup with crushed ice. Pour whiskey over ice, add the thyme simple syrup and lemon juice. Top it with a splash of club soda and sprigs of thyme for garnish.

After beginning her career as an intern at Vogue Magazine, Colleen Kennedy Cohen went on to manage events in-house for renowned brands such as Donna Karan, Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino and Cartier. She has been planning luxury events throughout the U.S. and Europe for major fashion houses since 2006.  After the birth of her daughter, Colleen launched Colleen Kennedy Events to bring her luxury brand experience to private clients. Currently, she lives in New York City and works as an event planner and certified health coach. With a love for all things beautiful, coupled with an eye for design, Colleen brings a versatile and fresh approach to each project she takes on. Follow her: Instagram: CKCohen; Pinterest: Colleen Kennedy Events.

Imagery by Charlie Juliet Photography.