Do you ever stop and think about how much we learn from our girlfriends? We’re always passing on and sharing information about skin care, fashion, Hollywood gossip, child care, restaurants and many other areas of our life. Today, with social media available to us we have even more outlets for sharing.
When I think back to some of the most joyful moments in my learning process, I crack up. One of the most delightful professional experiences I’ve had was working as a CFO for an Internet start-up called GolfBetty, a custom designed clothing line for women golfers. Carla founded the company and Rene was our amazing designer. Rene has the most adorable figure and always came into our tiny but very creatively appointed office looking slim and bulge-less. She told us that her secret was layering several tank tops or tees and that sometimes she wore 3 body-hugging pieces at once! GolfBetty didn’t make it because the economy took a scary turn and not only were custom-designed golf clothes no longer in vogue, but the entire sport of golf took a beating. But the little secret for slim dressing that Rene shared with us keeps me feeling better about my age-induced, dreaded back fat, to this very day.
Fast forward to my new life in Tucson. I’m at one of my sweet friend Pamela’s swanky girlfriend gatherings and she announces that all she knows about layering, she learned from me! HA! Of course I take the credit for it right there and then as I picture Rene with her smooth figure and 3 layers of body-shaping camisoles. I learned how to cut a huge watermelon to look like a giant scalloped whale, I learned about a nail strengthening product, I learned how to set a beautiful dinner table, and I learned how to be a better girlfriend from my amazing female friends. Maybe it’s because I’m an only child or perhaps it’s because I believe that learning, creativity and purpose are key to our well-being, I always try to keep my ears open to new things and I share them with my girlfriends at a click of the mouse. Being a member of women’s business organizations or a subscriber to Today’s Woman Entrepreneur illuminates this girlfriend sharing notion for me. I’m always inspired by what this group of women (and men) business owners brings to my life.
Guest Writer – Barbara Peters
Barbara Peters co-founded the Body & Sol – Old Pueblo Women’s Expo to invigorate Tucson’s economy by bringing together local businesses, entrepreneurs, and artists with the energy, buying power and creative spirit of the women in this beautiful and soulful community. She graduated from Stony Brook University in New York and earned her MBA
from Nova Southeastern University. Her professional career has included key roles in the growth of companies in New York, Florida, Seattle, Washington and most recently here in Tucson, the town she now calls home.