WMM~Carla Harris

I shared last week that I would attend Essence's Women Who Are Shaping the World Leadership Summit. The event was absolutely amazing! The day was filled with nonstop empowering information. For me, the highlight of the summit was keynote speaker Carla Harris from Morgan Stanley.

Ms. Harris was the summit's first speaker. Although she took the stage at 8:50 a.m. and only had 15 minutes to deliver her speech, Ms. Harris inspired the crowd. As a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley for its Global Capital Markets division, Ms. Harris is responsible for the structuring, marketing and execution of public and private equity financing. As you can imagine, her responsibilities at Morgan Stanley are a handful, which means being direct is the only option she has to get her job done.

Carla was one of many speakers scheduled for the Essence summit, but she certainly stood out. Her speech was right on time considering the economic turmoil we are experiencing. Carla stressed that the women in attendance have a winning attitude when it comes to living their lives. She stressed that a winning attitude also has to extend itself into the workplace. Carla mentioned the job cuts and layoffs that are occurring and made sure to inform attendees that it's in their best interest to hold their heads high and go above and beyond to ensure they are not apart of the ongoing layoffs. She made sure to note that their lives is what they make of it. After Carla's speech I was inspired to excel in both my personal and professional lives. Life is short and as Carla mentioned, we should live our lives to ensure that we are proud of our legacy once we're gone.

Carla is an inspirational woman because she has many talents. She's a career woman, but she also sings and is releasing a book, "Expect to Win: Proven Strategies for Success from a Wall Street Vet," next January. Carla's winning attitude has taken her far. Now is a perfect time to take a page from her book.

Ladies, start making your Moves today!

WMM~Essence Magazine

Each year Essence Magazine presents its annual Women Who Are Shaping the World Leadership Summit. Essence's editor-in-chief, Angela Burt-Murry, describes the summit as a signature event that brings together a wealth of speakers, seminars and motivational information for women. Attendees will leave the event empowered with tools hat can help them become successful.

Essence is known for hosting outstanding events centering around the mental, physical and spiritual well-being of women. Essence Communications, Inc. is Where Black Women Come First. Founded in 1968, Essence reaches millions of women through news and entertainment. As an Essence Magazine subscriber, I've attended a number of events hosted by the company. And on Friday, I'll take in the conference as a volunteer.

The list of speakers for this event is amazing. Women from all backgrounds are coming together to celebrate one another. Robin Roberts, co-anchor of Good Morning America, was just added to the roster of speakers. Also attending is Suzanne de Passe, CEO of Passe Entertainment Group; Michelle Singletary, syndicated financial columnist for the Washington Post; and famed publicist Terrie Williams. There are over 30 speakers scheduled to attend. CNN political commentator, Roland Martin and former Saturday Night Live cast member Finesse Mitchell are some of the men scheduled to attend.

The leadership summit takes place Friday, October 24 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in NYC. That means that there is still time to register. This event will be outstanding and I'm sure it will benefit the personal and professional lives of those who attend. What are you waiting for; sign-up now.

Women, start making your Moves today!

WMM~Women in Social Media

Ladies are you involved in social media? Some of the most well-known outlets to use social media are Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. I encourage you to get involved in social media ASAP! A list of the 50 Most Powerful and Influential Women in Social Media was released by Ron Hudson of the Immediate Influence Blog. Each woman featured were nominated from the Twitter community and have a high-profile among twitters users.

I've personally connected with several women via Twitter that made the list. Dr. Letitia Wright, Jamila White and Leesa Barnes are amazing women who've left their imprint on the social media industry. I applaud Ron for putting together this list. I'm sure he received flack from some who felt they should have been included as well. Their are definitely a number of women who have jumped into the world of social media. This list only scratches the surface. I've featured the first 10 women below. But please visit the Immediate Influence Blog for the full list. Kudos, ladies for this recognition!

Ladies, start making your Moves today!

1. Ann Handley www.marketingprofs.com

2. Michelle MacPhearson www.michellemacphearson.com

3. Liz Strauss www.successful-blog.com

4. Lynn Terry www.clicknewz.com

5. Justine Ezarik tastyblogsnack.com

6. Shannon Hutton sparkplugging.com/believer-in-balance

7. Maria Reyes-Mcdavis www.websuccessdiva.com

8. Amy Clark www.momadvice.com

9. Deborah Micek www.tribalseduction.com

10. Shama Hyder www.afterthelaunch.com

WMM~Twanna A. Hines

When I connected with Ms. Twanna A. Hines a/k/a Funky Brown Chick I immediately knew she was a Woman Making Moves. This women is absolutely amazing. Why you ask. Because not only is Funky Brown Chick a kicka** name, Twanna is a writer who focuses on sex, dating and relationships. And if this description doesn't grab your attention, visit her blog to read her crazy antics. One of my favorite categories is Manly Mondays,which focuses on boys, boys and more boys.

Like several of the women featured on Women Making Moves, Twanna and I connected via Twitter, the social networking site that I've encouraged my readers to join. We officially met during a lunch Tweetup, a meet-up of twitter people. Twanna is warm, open (she discusses her sex-life via her blog), creative and overall a great person. If I haven't gushed over Twanna enough for your liking, read below for my interview with the one and only Funky Brown Chick!

Q: What prompted you to create FUNKYBROWNCHICK.com?
A: I moved in NYC in early 2005. I started my website, Funky Brown Chick, after hitting really tough times in the city. Nothing seemed to be working out. I had a job I hated. I was having problems making new friends. The typical "I'm new in town" stuff. I'd started blogs before and I wanted something new that would last -- something permanent. I chose the name "Funky Brown Chick" because it totally describes me. I'm quirky. No matter what you call my race/ethnicity, I'm always going to have brown skin. And, I can be somewhat femme-y, girly, chicky. I'm really honest about my dating experiences and my sex life on my site. I love it when people find things there that resonate with them. I'm got more than 7,000 user comments and I've written hundreds of blog posts. At the moment, the site has higher traffic than many smaller women's magazines' monthly circulation.

Q: Have you always had the desire to write about sex, dating and relationships?
A: Absolutely. I wouldn't say I knew I'd be doing EXACTLY what I'm doing now, but I've always been a writer and I've always been charmed by human relationships. I've kept a written journal since I was 14 years old. I wrote articles for my high school newspaper and I was one of the students on the yearbook staff. In undergrad, I interviewed a never-married, female minister about her sex and dating life and gave a presentation about sex and religion. I have a B.S. and M.A. in Sociology because I'm absolutely fascinated and turned on about understanding the way people relate to each other. I wrote a blog dating column for Nerve magazine. I've written about sex and dating topics for Huffington Post, Fast Company, the website for Lifetime Television for Women and other publications. Newspapers, magazines and websites on both coasts have written about my site.

Q: What's your fashion style?
A: I rarely wear pants because I can't find many that fit well. I have a tiny waist, wider hips and really long legs. So, I'm almost always in skirts and heels.

Q: Now that Sex in the City is no longer on the air, what show has the best fashion trends?
A: I know it's cool to hate on Sex and the City, but I actually thought it was a good show. It brought discussions about sex and relationships to television in a really entertaining way. I think it's funny when people say, "You're just like Carrie Bradshaw." I don't think my life is like Sex and the City. The show was entertainment; that's all. About fashion, I don't really dress by fashion trends. I wear what suits me. Generally speaking, I think people look best when they wear clothes that compliment their personality and body type. Don't be a fashion follower! Be a fashion leader!

Q: What was your first job?
A: I was a "paper girl." I delivered newspapers to my neighborhood's subscribers at the crack of dawn when I was 15 years-old. My tie with media goes way back. When I was really young, I actually took a tour of my hometown's newspaper offices, The Pantagraph, to meet journalists and see how newspapers are made.

Q: What book(s) are you currently reading?
A: Too many to count. I'm reading one called "Late Bloomer" or something like that. I like it because it's about a woman who found her dating stride later in life and only after several horrible dates and failed relationships. One guy dumped her only a week or so after announcing (at a family wedding) he was going to marry her. Painful. I'm also reading Michael Kimmel's "Guyland." Good stuff. I've been reading "Love in the Time of Cholera" off and on for like a year now. I get started, but then I get pulled into reading something else.

Q: What's your favorite movie and why?
A: I'm a film nut! I tend to favorite New York directors like Spike Lee and Martin Scorsese more than the LA filmmakers because I like this city more. I think I usually have a soft spot for movies about neurotic 30-something women really fucked up love lives because, ahem, I can relate. In any case, I have pretty broad tastes. My favorite German film is "Run Lola Run." I loved "Memento." I just finished watching "Puccini for Beginners." "2 Days in Paris" and "Broken English" rock. "Something New" was awesome, but I didn't like "Lakeview Terrace." "Moulin Rouge" was great.

Q: What makes you a Woman Making Moves?
A: I go after what I want. You'll rarely, if ever, hear me say the words, "I wish I could ___." If I want to do something, I do it.

Q: Do you have any advice for women wanting to make their own moves?
A: BE YOURSELF. Decide what you want to make moves toward it. Don't let others decide that for you. It's always better to be the best YOU you can be than a knockoff of someone else. I can't stress this enough. Too often, women fall into common traps, they don't know who they are or they try to be someone else. At it's core, I think that signals a lack of self esteem -- something women struggle with more often (at least openly) than men. So, if I were to give women advice about making moves, I would say that, be yourself. Don't let me define what moves you should make. Make your own.

Women, start making your Moves today!

WMM~Barbara Stanny

Barbara Stanny is a timely feature considering the economic situation that's occurring. Barbara is an authority on women and their money. She's also a motivational speaker, financial educator, career counselor and former journalist. With these qualifications, I would be honored to have Barbara guide my finances!

Barbara empowers women to make the best decisions about their money. A number of financial resources are available on her website to help women live the live of their dreams, earn the money they deserve, establish long-term wealth and have fun with their finances. (I'm not sure how fun finances can be, but hey I could be wrong. LOL.)

One product that stood out is Barbara's Seminar-in-a-Box. The seminar is based on Barbara's best-selling books Overcoming Underearning: Overcome Your Money Fears and Earn What You Deserve; Prince Charming Isn't Coming: How Women Get Smart About Money; and Secrets of Six-Figure Women: Surprising Strategies to Up Your Earnings and Change Your Life. Women can expect to gain inspiration to manage their finances after completing the Seminar-in-a-Box.

Barbara's financial expertise doesn't stop with her Seminar-in-the-Box. She also provides personal coaching and training and in-person appearances at seminars and events. Women needing financial advice should join Barbara's Inner Circle Club or visit her blog for updates. And did I mention that her website has tons of information to help women become financially savvy. You can also add Barbara as your MySpace friend.

Barbara Stanny is an exceptional resource for women wanting to take control of their finances and their lives. Sometimes we need a push and a helping hand to reach our goals. Barbara is just the woman to do that.

Women, start making your Moves today!

WMM~Linda John (More to Life)

I thought I would share some information I received at a work seminar. Like many organizations, my company participated in the Lee National Denim Day to raise money for breast cancer research. This program is a big hit because it allows employees to wear jeans to work and raise money at the same time. In addition to my company's fundraising efforts, a speaker from the Corporate Family Network, an employee assistance program, conducted a breast cancer seminar. The Corporate Family Network's More to Life campaign provides monthly tips for workers to live a balanced life. Research if your employer is a member of this organization. The information that's provided can be very beneficial.

The seminar's speaker, Linda John, was open and honest as she provided tips on staying healthy. Linda stressed that healthy living is one of the most affective ways to combat cancer and other diseases that women are diagnosed with. We are mothers, wives, daughters and sisters. This means that we often put ourselves last, including our health. This can not continue if we want to stay healthy and happy.

Cancer's that affect women are talked about often in October because it's National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. But I also learned that September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. This form of cancer is becoming more prevalent in women, but it's not as well talked about as breast cancer. Both cancers can be devastating if not properly diagnosed. Essence Magazine recently provided some easy tips that can help prevent breast cancer. Initially, I wasn't going to attend the seminar, but in the end, I'm happy I did. I took away from this event that I have to take care of myself first before I can take care of others. Ladies, let's all take this advice and learn to put ourselves first.

Women, start making your Moves today!

WMM~Give 'N Take Network

I'm not sure if my readers have noticed, but I enjoy networking and connecting with others. It's in my blood and it's what I do. When I came across the Give 'N Take Network, I immediately became a fan.

Give 'N Take's motto is "You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours!" This is a great motto, right? Give 'N Take is a barter-exchange network for women entrepreneurs and executives. Women are given an opportunity to come together and create a supportive network for start-up companies and and entrepreneurs. Give 'N Take members connect at various networking events and get down to business. Schmoozing is not required, but making connections to benefit your business is. In addition to the organization's in-person events, members can interact via an online community.

The Give 'N Take networking system is simple. During events, members write on index cards what services they can "give" and what services they would like to "take." Members hang on to their cards and work the room to find out whose card relates with their needs.

Give 'N Take is a wonderful way to connect with driven women who are ready to take their businesses or careers to the next level. I'm encouraging my readers to join Give 'N Take. Connect with Give 'N Take via MySpace as well. I'm not a member yet, but I'm joining today!

Women, start making your Moves today!