We all are aware of the amazing women in the world that have changed history, made the world a better place, were courageous in the face of hardship and/or in a more surpressed time in society…names like Mother Teresa, Maya Angelou, Florence Nightingale, Oprah Winfrey and many more…..closer to home, there are probably some amazing women that were a personal inspiration to YOU…..maybe not someone that is a name the world would recognize, but someone that either helped you or made an impression on you that affected your life…..for me, it goes without saying that my mother – Ginger – was a huge inspiration, for the many style and life lessons I share on this blog…..there are three other ladies that have made a lasting impression on me and I share them with you today…..

The year was 1976 and I was a freshman at Boston University, studying nursing….Two required classes were psychology and sociology, and I was fortunate to be assigned to Freda Rebelsky, who was known at BU for her dynamic, thought provoking lectures…..at the tender age of 18, it was my mother who was the prime ‘teacher’ of life lessons thus far – a mother who viewed the world as very black and white and was quick to make judgments when others did not abide by her standards (like heaven forbid going to someone’s home for dinner empty handed…)…..I so clearly remember one of Professor Rebelsky’s classes on tribes in Africa – people living their day to day lives COMPLETELY different from us – and that was the simple lesson that stayed with me from that day on: people can behave and do things VERY differently than we choose or are accustomed to, but that does not make either of us right or wrong, it’s just different……WOW. Lightbulb moment. Wow…..this may not seem earth shattering as you read this, but to me it was life changing. Thank you Freda!

Moving on to 1984, I was working as a Sales Specialist for Kendall, a division of Colgate-Palmolive, and had the exciting opportunity to join hundreds to attend my first National Sales Meeting at a luxurious resort in California……on the last night of our meeting one of our presenters was the Motivational Speaker, Loretta Malandro….she was everything a motivational speaker should be, and the audience was engaged from beginning to end…..she spoke of the keys to being successful, the ways to develop relationships in business that lead to more sales….And finally, three specific phrases she actually had printed on a card that I carried with me for years:

1- People like people who like them.
2- People like people who are like them.
3- People like people who like people.

Another WOW for me. If you think about each line, it is so true and can explain a lot about why some relationships (personal or business) do or do not work. Thank you Loretta!

Fast forward to 2014! I am now a middle aged woman, working full time running a nursing company, with an exploding passion for style and glamour….If you saw my recent post (My TV Debut!) you know about my recent interactions with Yolanda….aside from the fun I had on her show, she made an impression on me that will be hard to forget. This week she celebrates her 80th birthday and could not be more glamorous or engaged in life. She has inspired me with the following:

Be true to yourself.
Do what you love.
Age is not an obstacle to anything.
Being a nice person will ‘wow’ people as much as your glamour.
Don’t give up the high heels.
Thank you Yolanda!

OK, ladies…..I know you are all thinking of women in your life that inspired you…..I would love to hear!!!