Blogs

We headed with the family to Quebec’s Ice Hotel carrying suitcases packed with warm coats. Lots of them. It was our youngest child’s idea. Julien wanted to go so much that he pleaded with us for this to be his 13th birthday present. So we booked the trip (before the recession and ensuing stock market crash), and when the time came, there was no turning back.

PINK will not be "protesting" the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club come April 6th. (Don't believe everything you read). We do however enthusiastically encourage Augusta National's leadership to admit women as members. Doing so would go a long way toward supporting women in business (and women in general).

It is heartening to see that the Obama administration is prioritizing women’s financial independence. President Obama’s first signed piece of legislation sends a strong message that discrimination based on pay may not be tolerated as much in the future, though it continues to be tolerated every day, in every industry. After all, men earn $1.20 for every $1 a woman makes.

The year ended with number crunching – and recrunching – and excruciating cost-cutting. My gutsy business development director, Robin Washington, waved me toward the door early. “Go,” she said, beaming. “We’re about to have a meeting – and it’s about you.”

It’s the focus of numerous upcoming stories at PINK. We’re talking about it at our upcoming events too. Few are immune to the effects of this recession. Here at PINK, we are also taking steps to shore up business and operations, to cut costs and stabilize the balance sheet. These decisions are not easy ones to make. But with every challenge comes an opportunity.

My blog seems like a good place to brag (a little). We’ve just wrapped up our fourth annual fall conference tour, bringing nearly 3,500 ambitious women in seven cities face to face with America’s most influential businesswomen.

I couldn’t survive without ’em! My girlfriends. My husband is my soul mate, and yet I do not care to inflict upon him detailed conversations about HRT, designer-shoe discount sales, gender-related business challenges, gossip, health/balance strategies and the latest miracle face cream.

I just had lunch with PINK's finance editor, Mary Claire Allvine, who, as a certified financial planner at Brownson, Rehmus & Foxworth Inc., is working nonstop to help shore up individuals' crumbling financial situations. While it's a time of anxiety, she's excited about the good things women are learning: such as taking stock of what we're spending, for example, and addressing the "creep" (all those extra little things we've started buying just because we can).

The stock market's nosedive and the economy in shambles is affecting every business. I know this on a very personal level as a business owner myself. It isn't easy. You have a dream of building a company, and you have employees whose livelihoods depend on you. The other day, during a challenging moment – as I sat outside reflecting on the obstacles – my mind wandered to all the many women who every day lend PINK so much support.

There's a lot going on right now at PINK! With the wild economy and the upcoming election, our office is buzzing. Through recent appearances on shows like CNBC's On the Money (we talked about the recession – check out the article in our current issue titled "Recession Lessons") and last week's story in Time (yes, it's those pesky "Men Working" signs that just don't seem to go away), we've had the chance to share our perspective with a broader audience. Our message? The economy may be in a super slump, but there are opportunities!