I Am Woman

**To all the INCREDIBLY AMAZING SUPER-MOMS out there…This one’s for you! Happy Mother’s Day ladies! xoxoxo**

Many of you know, I am NOT a morning person. At. All. So, the fact that I woke up at 6:30 am to drive into Manhattan, during rush hour from Westchester, I might add, should give you an indication of how determined I was to go to the DivaMoms 1st Annual Mom Mogul Breakfast co-hosted by More Magazine, this past Tuesday, May 7th, at Bond 45 in NYC.

Before I go any further, I have to tell you guys, driving into the city at this time was probably one of the stupidest things I’ve ever done. I was meeting my girl Jen (she only had to take a cab from her apartment) at the breakfast, and let’s just say, on time, I was not. (I know that doesn’t come as a big shock to some of you.)

That’s Jen and I at the Mom Mogul Breakfast. (Copyright Heidi Green Photography 2013.)

Okay. On with the event.

FabuLYYS. The Mom Mogul Breakfast was truly fantastic. I really can’t think of enough astounding adjectives (you like that one?) that appropriately describes the morning!  But, I’ll give it my all. Gosh darn-it! (That just felt like it belonged there.)

The most amazing “Power Panel” of Mom Moguls, had the entire audience of 200 women, and a sprinkling of men, totally enraptured. We couldn’t get enough. The Panel discussion, which was co-moderated by Lyss Stern (one of my favorite people on the planet), founder of DivaMoms.com, and More Magazine’s Sabine Feldman, could have gone on forever.

“They’re real and they’re fabuLYSS.” (Photo courtesy of Heidi Green Photography)

The “Power Panel” from left to right, top row; Designer Rebecca Minkoff, Glam For Good Founder Mary Alice Stephenson, Model Veronica Webb, Flywheel Founder Ruth Zukerman, More Magazine’s Sabine Feldman, and Divamoms.com Founder Lyss Stern. Bottom row; Jewelry Designer Jennifer Fisher, Gilt Groupe Founder Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, and Celebrity Fashion Stylist June Ambrose. (Photo courtesy of Heidi Green Photography 2013.)

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I’ve been to a fair amount of Lyss Stern’s DivaMoms events, and they’re all pretty superb. Well, she outdid herself with this one. Outdid herself, I tell you.

Check out these absolutely beautiful photos from New York’s very own Mom-A-Razzi, and woman extraordinaire, Heidi Green (© Heidi Green Photography 2013). This woman is so talented it’s ridiculous.

Mom Moguls rocking those high heels! I seriously think we women think better in heels. The higher the better!

I really tried to take copious notes for you guys. And, if any of you went to high-school with me, you know how I am about my note-taking. I do not mess around. So, in the spirit of mommy-hood, womanhood, sisterhood, and “sisters doing it for themselves,” here’s a little flavor of what these incredible Mom Moguls shared and some sentiments which really resonated with me….

Ruth Zukerman, and Jennifer Fisher had the most compelling stories of how their businesses got started. (Photo courtesy of Heidi Green Photography)

Ruth Zukerman: “It’s so much about being passionate about what you want to do. I got divorced when my children were 6 years old…I had to start all over again. I was like a fish out of water. I had found spinning and it had actually helped me through my divorce. I got hooked and knew it was something I wanted to build a career in…I started out carrying my spin shoes from gym-to-gym just teaching spin classes…I believed in it…and it happened.”

Jennifer Fisher: “I had a different experience. My business started because I was told I would never have children…I ended up getting pregnant naturally, and I decided to keep the baby. That’s my son Shane. And, he’s the reason the company started. When he was born, it was such a big deal. I wanted something to represent him…something that felt really really important and special. And, that’s how my company started.”

June Ambrose and Lyss Stern hanging out. (Photo courtesy of Heidi Green Photography)

June Ambrose: “I wake before the quake.” (I love this. June described how she gets up an hour before her two children, ages 11 and 9, so she can center herself, meditate, and get herself ready for the day ahead.)

Lyss Stern: “I started my business 9 1/2 years ago, and I remember people saying things like ‘Why are you doing this?’ My answer was, I believe in this. I was passionate. I felt there was a real need for what I was doing. So, if you believe in something do not listen to the naysayers. Stay focused. Stay down that road. It will happen. Don’t let people tell you you can’t do it, because you can do it.”

Rebecca Minkoff, Mary Alice Stephenson, and Veronica Webb offered some real pearls of wisdom. (Photo courtesy of Heidi Green Photography)

Rebecca Minkoff: “Growing up, I was raised that if I wanted something, I had to make it. So, my Mom would provide me with fabric and she would teach me how to sew but she wouldn’t buy me the dress…And, that’s the lesson I’m going to try to teach my son.”

Mary Alice Stephenson: “If your dreams don’t scare you, then they aren’t big enough.”

Veronica Webb: “If we can raise children, we can start a business.”

The Power Panel enjoying themselves. (Photo courtesy of Heidi Green Photography)

Alexandra Wilkis Wilson: “Don’t be shy. Ask for help. Those are two really important skill sets…being able to ask for help and not being shy about it.”

Sabine Feldman: “I’m a publisher when I leave the house, and a Mom when I’m home.”

I told you I took a lot of notes. And, don’t ask what I had to cut-out. Do you sorta feel like you were there with me? I hope so. 

You all know how much I love to mix and mingle, so for me, the best part was when I got to chat-up some of these amazing women. My first victim was June Ambrose. I actually first met June, back in February, at the Nanette Lepore Fashion Show, and I fell in love with her. I have no problems, whatsoever, proclaiming my girl-crush on Celebrity Fashion Stylist June Ambrose. From the first moment I met her, she could not have been nicer, more genuine, and all around more kick-ass.

I swear if we had a 1/2 hour coffee date, I think our next step might be BFF necklaces. Whatever. You get my point. Check out my personal photo diary of the Breakfast. Unfortunately,  all photos are courtesy of my IPhone so don’t get too excited about the quality. And, my photographer, ahem, Jen, might be getting fired if she doesn’t learn how to focus. Just kidding my girl. You can still be my IPhone Photographer.

That’s me and June. She’s so awesome!!

June decided we should take some selfies. She looks gorgeous. I look ridiculous. I don’t know what the hell I was thinking with that face.

My second victim, Mary Alice Stephenson, who was so nice and engaging. Could we be any more out-of-focus???

That’s me and my girl, Cakes. She’s the one who made the aforementioned piece of edible art. I LOVE LOVE LOVE her!

I’m feeling so empowered right now, totally inspired,  and incredibly schmaltzy about my fellow sisters out there in the trenches. Because, as women, and especially as women who are also Moms, we engage in some form of battle every day.

Well, get ready, because I’m going full out schmaltz. Girls, we need to dream big and think big, preferably while wearing our stilettos. We need to support one another. We need to help each other. We need to encourage one another. We need to be passionate about our endeavors. And, we need to remind ourselves everyday that “We can do it!” Whatever, “it” is for you. (For me, the “it” is writing the books that have been on my project list for quite some time now.)

And, most importantly, we need to remember that we’re role models for our children. We’re teaching them how to forge their own paths in life, how to become self-reliant, how to be courageous, how to deal with failure, how to be respectful of other’s differences while feeling confident in their own skin, and of course, how to feel like they can do anything and be anything they want.

In the words of Mom Mogul Lyss Stern, “We’re fierce. And, we’re fabuLYSS!”  You said it sister!

If you’re a Mom, stay-at-home or working out-of-the-home, what do you hope to instill in your kids?