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Missouri Women’s Council<=
br>
Mary Cottom, Executive Dir.
PO Box 1684
301 W. High Street, Rm. 680
Harry S. Truman Office Bldg.
Jefferson City, MO 65102
wcou=
ncil@ded.mo.gov
Toll Free: (877) 426-9284
Phone: (573) 751-0810
Fax: (573) 522-5005
UPCOMING
EVENTS
If you know of an e=
vent
in your area that you would like to have featured in the Missouri
Women's Council monthly newsletter, please contact:
wcouncil@ded.mo.gov
June 1&n=
bsp;-
August 31, 2009 - Missouri Women's History Exhibi=
t
will be displayed at the Arrow Rock Historic Site in Arrow
Rock through August.
August 5=
, 2009
- Training opportunity sponsored by Partnership for the Ne=
w
Workforc=
e
and its partner agencies. Improve your online job search sk=
ills
with free computer classes. Choose your location, time and date f=
or a
3-hour hands on seminar. Training for this date is scheduled
for the St. Louis Community College, 11333 Big Ben Road, St. Louis
from 1 PM - 4 PM. Call 314-746-0716 to register or to find =
out
other dates, times and locations in the St. Louis area.
August 6=
- 9,
2009 - Nurturing the Spirit, Nurturing the Future.
Presented by the National Association of Women Law Enforcement
Executives. Training conference held at the Downtown Marrio=
tt
in Kansas City, MO. For more information go to website<=
/span>.
August 1=
2,
2009 - Each year, August 26 is designated Women's
Equality Day - celebrating women's right to vote. This
year, Governor Nixon will sign a proclamation declaring August 26=
Women's Equality Day i=
n
Missouri=
.
The ceremony will take place on August 12 at 10:16 AM in the
Governor's Office in the State Capitol. If you would like to
attend, call 573-751-0810 for more information.
August 2=
2,
2009 - The 22nd Annual Equality Day Brunch.
Presentations include awards, political action, women's equity and
election and legislative reports. Event held at the Crowne
Plaza Hotel in Clayton from 10 AM - 2 PM. For more informat=
ion,
call Shirley at 314-831-5359 or Lynne at 314-727-7175.
August 2=
3,
2009 - Sandler Training presents a free =
Executive Briefing
with Cathy Atkins from 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM. Event held at 19=
05
Cherry Hill Drive, Suite 302, Columbia. Seating is limited,
call 573-445-7694 or visit website<=
/span>
today.
August 2=
6,
2009 - Greater Missouri Leadership Challenge will=
be
hosting a luncheon in Jefferson City. The guest of
honor will be Senator Claire McCaskill. Reservations a=
re
required. Call 314-719-6561 for more information or visit website<=
/span>.
Septembe=
r 7 -
13, 2009 - Tour of Missouri. The 2009 race =
will
be contested over seven days and seven stages. There will be
two circuit races (St. Louis and Kansas City), one individual
time trial (Sedalia), and four point to point races (Ste. Genevie=
ve
to Cape Girardeau; Farmington to Rolla; St. James to Jefferson Ci=
ty;
Chillicothe to St. Joseph). For more details, go to website<=
/span>.
Septembe=
r 9,
2009 - Missouri Women's Council Board Meeting.&nb=
sp;
Meeting held in conjunction with the Governor's Conference on
Economic Development. Meeting begins at 12 noon at the Hyatt
Regency St. Louis Riverfront Hotel. For more information, c=
all
573-751-0810.
Septembe=
r 9 -
11, 2009 - Missouri Governor's Conference on Economic
Developm=
ent.
Conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis Riverfront
Hotel. The Missouri Women's Council will have an exhibit bo=
oth
during the conference. For more information on the conferen=
ce go
to website<=
/span>.
Septembe=
r 25 -
26, 2009 -
Highly
Empowered Women's Conference. In spite =
of
harsh ecomomic conditions, women continue to move forward. =
At
this conference, key issues affecting our lives will be addressed=
as
well as ways to gain knowledge and resources to move forward.&nbs=
p;
Event held at the Moonrise Hotel in University City. Cost is
$55. To register or for more information, go to website<=
/span>.
October =
15,
2009 - Build Your Business Network Event
Series. Olin Partner's Program, Women's Leadership Skills Seminar: Ha=
ving
Impact Through Influence.
Event held on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis.&n=
bsp;
For more information, go to website<=
/span>.
The Univ=
ersity
of Missouri Extension's business development program =
exists to help Missouri's
entrepreneurs succeed in private enterprise and to promote the
economic development of the state of Missouri. It performs =
this
vital service through a network of business counseling specialists
located throughout
the state. =
; For
a complete calendar of events see the Missouri
Business Development Program Calendar of Events.
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Missouri Wom=
en's
Council Past Newsletter Issues
2008 Newsletters
2007
Newsletters
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This month we welcome Senator Rita Heard
Days, an invaluable member of the Missouri Women's Council, =
as
our guest columnist.
![3D"http://www.marketvolt.com/mvappnew/data/images/807-90032.J=](3D"AugustNewsletter2009_files/image008.jpg") =
How D=
oes it
All Work: Finding Time to Find Yourself
Women are often faced wi=
th
multiple responsibilities. Most likely you work in or outside of =
the
home; you have a family; and you have other outside activities th=
at
require your time, such as church, sorority, or other social
organizations. And then there is you. How do you fit all of your
responsibilities — taking care of your home, family, and
don’t forget yourself — into 24 hours? <=
/p>
Obviously organization is
the key and a commitment to doing what is necessary to make it all
work is should be in the forefront of your plans. Many times we h=
ear,
“the busiest people accomplish the most” or something
similar to that. That just means those who work hard are often as=
ked
to do even more. By then, it feels like you can barely stay
afloat in your pool of responsibilities.
Prioritizing your daily
tasks is a must, and unfortunately, it can be a challenge. Life
experience has taught me that you have to put your family
first. However, if I am going to benefit anyone, I must be =
at
the top of my game, and this means I need to be on point, rested,=
and
ready for what my pop up in my busy schedule. So the question is
— where am I in the organizational pecking order?
I am not an expert in th=
is
field. I have always put my family and their well being bef=
ore
myself. I would not have considered entering politics if my family
would be adversely affected. Seeing that I had the love and
support of my family members, I decided to pursue politics, and t=
hat
revealed new and different level of involvement. This decision al=
so
added a new responsibility that had to be put into the mix.
How do I fit my
responsibilities into the organized chaos I call my life:<=
/p>
1. Delegate.
We often want to control every aspect of our lives and those we l=
ove.
It is virtually impossible to do it all. Yes, you can have it all,
but not at the same time. Your job, family, and social life can a=
ll
work, but which comes first. Someone else can take out the trash =
or
pick the children up from an activity. (I do believe that was the
reason for inventing car pools.) Someone else can load the dishwa=
sher
or fold some laundry. It won’t be “perfect” like
you like it, but it gets the job done.
2. Learnin=
g to
say “NO.” This is probably the hardest thing to do
because we sometimes feel that we will disappoint others if we tu=
rn
them down. The real truth is that people really care less for you=
if
you commit to do something and for whatever reason, it just
didn’t get done. It becomes easier to say “NO” =
the
more you do it. Practicing “NO” becomes a license for
freedom and empowerment — it becomes an opportunity to real=
ly
say what you feel.
3. DonR=
17;t
forget rest and relaxation. Is there a time when you can actu=
ally
“sleep in” and not think of what you have to do when =
you
get up? Can you watch an episode of your favorite television show=
or
listen to a CD that inspires you or mediate without
interruption? Having some personal time is required if you =
have
others that are depending on you. We are often made to feel
guilty for taking some time for ourselves. It is a matter of
survival. You can only go so long without respite care.
4. Pay
Attention to your love life. The most important person =
in
your life should never be reduced to “left over” time.
Make a date and keep it. Remember the bond that brought you both
together — most times this is free and makes more of an imp=
act
on your relationship that you might think. And don’t forget=
to
make time for other special people in your life. (I enjoy
spending time with older people from the church and special
friendships I have developed over the years.)
5. Provide
space for your spiritual side. This is by no means the =
last
consideration. Your spiritual life — whether it’s
meditation, prayer, or a spiritual exercise — should be
incorporated into your daily routine. An out-of-the-way place to
reflect on the day’s activities or a quite place to start y=
our
day (or maybe both) will yield immeasurable dividends by increasi=
ng
your energy level. This will increase your capacity for getting
things done and make you feel better.
As a legislator, my job
requires multitasking on many levels. It also requires valuable
assistants that allow me to feel comfortable about delegating tas=
ks
and trusting that the job will get done. I don’t know of an=
yone
that accomplishes their life’s goals without help.
Remember, as a woman, we feel we should be able to have it all an=
d do
it all. However, it’s okay to receive some help.
It’s there – we just have to ask!
Senator Rita Heard Days serves approximately 165,000 citizens
located in a portion of St. Louis County in the Missouri Senate.<=
/i>
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/td>
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Customer Loyalty
![3D"http://www.marketvolt.com/mvappnew/data/images/807-90259.j=](3D"AugustNewsletter2009_files/image011.jpg") Small companies must
use a variety of ways to maintain loyalty. Many use social
websites, get celebrities to try their products, giveaway samples=
and
other freebies and already having loyal fans doesn't hurt
either. "As you grow, you have to maintain that quality
and specialness," says Stephen Burnett, professor of strateg=
ic
management at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of
Management. Find out how several small businesses turned th=
eir
initial rush of success into long-term customer loyalty. Read Mor=
e...
=
Businesses Share Space to Save Money
![3D"http://www.marketvolt.com/mvappnew/data/images/807-90281.j=](3D"AugustNewsletter2009_files/image013.jpg") Co-working provides
small businesses with lower overhead and networking. Co-wor=
king
is a rental agreement in which the tenants share space and pay a
short-term lease. Some of these spaces have groups of desks=
in
open rooms, some have individual offices, some even share a
receptionist, kitchen, conference room and office equipment.
Co-working is not a new concept, but the economy is prompting a m=
ore
efficient use of funds. Many professionals find co-working a
better alternative to working from home. Find out more
about co-working.
Read Mor=
e...
SBA ARC Program
The SBA began guaranteeing America's Recovery Capital
(ARC) loans on June 15. ![3D"http://www.marketvolt.com/mvappnew/data/images/807-86844.g=](3D"AugustNewsletter2009_files/image014.gif") These loans are
available to established, viable, for profit small businesses that
need short-term help. Businesses that are suffering
financially due to the slow economy may be eligible. A=
RC
loans are deferred-payment loans of up to $35,000, inte=
rest
free, 100% guaranteed by the SBA and have no SBA fees associated =
with
them. Read Mor=
e...
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Women Owned Business Network
(WOB).
The WOB Network (www.wobnetwork.mo.gov)
is dedicated to helping women-owned businesses succeed by servi=
ng
as a network of professional women looking to expand their cust=
omer
base by reaching out to new markets.
It is the hope of the Missouri Women's Council that this new
network of women-owned businesses will make it easier to seek o=
ut
other companies owned by women and support the products and
services that they offer. In addition, it will help female
business owners to network with each other and to share their
enlightened principles and practices of how each runs their
business.
If you operate a women-owned business in Missouri and would lik=
e to
be a member of the Women Owned Business Network please register
using the online
registration form or contact the Missouri Women's Council at (877) 426-9284.<=
/span>
Friends of the Missouri Women’s Council
The Friends of the Missouri Women's Council was established=
in
1998 by women whose concern, insight, and knowledge foresaw the
need to raise monies to support and enhance important programs =
that
promote economic opportunity for Missouri Women.
The Friends of the Missouri Women's Council is a 501 (c) (3)
not-for-profit organization governed by a Board of
Directors.
Supporting memberships may be obtained by paying annual dues of=
$25
for an individual membership or $50 for an organization<=
span
lang=3DEN style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-s=
erif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#990000;mso-ans=
i-language:
EN'>. Friends of the Women's Council Application. =
; =
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MBE/WBE Certification<=
/b>
(Minority/Women Business Enterprise) provides greater opportuni=
ties
for minority and women-owned businesses to be eligible for bene=
fits
such as, supportive services, technical and non-technical
assistance, and the opportunity to better access State-aid
contracting programs.
If you are interested in applying for certification, the blue l=
ink
below will lead you to a page on
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Click on blue link to apply
the Women's Council Web site with more information and a link to
the application for MBE/WBE
certifications.
Missouri Women’s Council Pink Plate
You can help increase breast cancer awareness as well as
provide much needed funds for breast cancer services by display=
ing
the official Missouri Women's Council Pink Plate on your vehicl=
e.
![3D"http://www.marketvolt.com/mvapp/data/images/807-47404.JP=](3D"AugustNewsletter2009_files/image019.jpg")
Click on pink plate to apply
Funds raised through the sale=
s of
the Breast Cancer Awareness License Plate are designated for the
sole purpose of providing breast cancer services, including but=
not
limited to screening, treatment, staging, and follow-up
services. The application for the Breast Cancer Aware=
ness
Pink Plate is now available for download by selecting
the above link.
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Check out the Missouri
Women's Council website<=
/span>
for more information.
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