Women and Work: Bands are businesses too!

This is really a note of appreciation to a band: Heart.

I recently watched the TV special about the bands and artists that were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year. One of them was Heart, a band founded by two sisters, Ann and Nancy Wilson.  They have been together since the early 60s, almost as long as the Rolling Stones, but really became popular in the 1970s and after.

Photo courtesy Heart-music.com

As they accepted their award, it was interesting to listen to them talk about being women in business. They talked about having kids, working when their kids were small, and dealing with a male-dominated business all these years, too. It was interesting because you really don't think of a band as a business, but it really is. They are artists as well as entrepreneurs. Their business employs a lot of people and earns a lot of revenue. I saw Heart for the first time at the University of Illinois on November 15, 1978. They absolutely blew me away. I covered the concert for the yearbook, Illio, and in the yearbook I wrote that it was strange to see men carrying roses to them on the stage, and that they really had a cult-like following on campus.

After all these years, Ann and Nancy Wilson showed during their recent Hall of Fame induction that they have aged well, they appreciate their fans, they have remained with their band, and held their business together against many odds that have shattered and shuttered other businesses, let along bands. As a woman who came of age just a few years behind them, I appreciated seeing them in 1978, and they gave me a perspective on music that I didn't have before. This year, they gave me a perspective about being women in business and entrepreneurs that I didn't fully appreciate. I have tickets to see them this summer at Ravinia here in the Chicago area, and I am really looking forward to it. It is great to see strong, talented women who have beaten the odds, created amazing songs and memories for their fans, and earned their place in music history. Cheers to Ann and Nancy Wilson, and to the boys in their band too!

There's something to be said for leisure....

There's something to be said for leisure. One of my good friends recently reminded me of that line from one of our favorite movies, White Christmas. The line in the movie was in the context of the retired general remaining retired and being too old for active duty.  My friend reminded me of it as I prepared to leave one professional role and begin to determine what my next role will be. She assumed I would be taking it easy for a while while I had my thinking time.

My trouble is that leisure is not a word associated with me or my workaholic family. I come from a long line of people who think that holding down only one job makes you a slug. Most people in my family have a primary job and then one or more other jobs. It is probably the work ethic of my Polish ethnicity that has been handed down through the years.

So, as I determine what I want to do for a living for the next few years, I am very busy with non-profit work and for giving my skills to friends who own locally-owned businesses.

So I am sure there is something to be said for leisure, only I am not sure what it is!

What inspires you? Here is one of my inspirations.

"You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do." 

This was written many years ago by someone who has been a true inspiration to me for close to 30 years: Eleanor Roosevelt. Eleanor Roosevelt was born 129 years ago, but her wisdom is one for the ages. I began my fascination with her in 1984, during the centennial year of her birth.

In 1984, my husband and I were living in Washington, DC and had been there for about one year. The Smithsonian Institution, where we were members, put on an exhibit about Eleanor Roosevelt that was dramatic, poignant and yes, historical. This woman was remarkable, and it is clear to me that she was modern for her time, wise beyond her years, and cared deeply for humanity.

Starting in 1984, I devoured every book written by or about Eleanor Roosevelt. I found her inspiring, strong, and someone who I could model my behavior on as a young wife moving to a new place. To this day, I often read her words to give me inspiration. Sometime I wonder about how she would fit into today's world. I think she would fit right in. Her daily newspaper column would be posted online and perhaps she would have her own blog or web site. Her behavior, some of which at the time was deemed outrageous, would fit in today and some of her pro-woman, pro-diversity and inclusion opinions would still be ahead of the times.

We all need someone to inspire us, and I, along with many others, found Eleanor Roosevelt to be a perfect source of wisdom through the years. For those who have not studied her, you might be interested in reading about her. I highly recommend it. Thank you, Eleanor!

Some down time at last

Another Christmas Day is here. Time to reflect on the year and on those who have made an impact on me. Today is perfect. The snow is falling lightly, just enough to make things look festive outside but not enough to really impede travel. We will be spending time today with good friends and family. We spent Christmas Eve in Wisconsin with my sister and her family. My sister and brother-in-law led the music for the Christmas Eve service and it was beautiful as always. God has given them musical talent that they use to make others happy at this time and throughout the year. One of my nieces got engaged, and it is hard to imagine that since it seems like just yesterday that I was holding her in my arms as a baby.

The cookies are baked, the other food is prepared, and we are relishing the quiet and down time. We have seen more movies in the past couple of weeks, which shows that we are trying to make time for our "dates." We saw The Hobbit, which is good but so far not as inspired as the Lord of the Rings. Perhaps we are all too jaded and spoiled from that magical trilogy. We also saw Skyfall, which is probably my favorite James Bond movie to date. I wonder what it means that I liked it more than my husband, who is the hard-core James Bond fan? If it appeals more to women, is the Bond genre losing its "edge"?

So as we head into another new year, I hope you all find peace and contentment through this holiday season, remember those who are gone fondly, and treat others kindly. For that is really what matters in the end.

Time to slow down

This time of the year usually feels so rushed. This year I am going to try to slow down and enjoy my friends and family. The decorations are up, the gifts have not been bought yet (but that's OK) and I have begun my annual baking today.

Keeping things in perspective is important. I think about the strife in the world and feel blessed to live where I do in a free country, despite our political divides. As a former journalist, I watched yet another decline in journalistic / media civility this week when some radio hots made a prank phone call to the hospital where one of the British royal family was, and a nurse subsequently committed suicide, apparently over the call. Perspective. It's important.

Enjoy the holiday lights. Enjoy your families, Enjoy your friends. Be happy to be alive. If you have good health, be grateful for that. If you have an extra few dollars, give to a non-profit that helps others. The feeling you have at this time of year is more important than the things you have. Slow down and enjoy.

Lincoln: the Movie

I just saw the new movie about Abraham Lincoln in the last few months of his life. As a history buff and movie lover, I found the movie fascinating and interesting. I highly recommend it. The authenticity is remarkable, and it also humanizes and brings Lincoln to life in a way that the animatrons at DisneyLand cannot.

I am sure that Daniel Day-Lewis will be nominated for an Oscar, and so might Sally Field. James Spader was magnificent as a scoundrel who helps Lincoln pass the 13th amendment. I read that even the sounds in the movie are authentic: the ticking of Lincoln's watch came from Lincoln's real watch that was found in a museum. The squeaking of chairs and floorboards, as well as the creaking of old doors, came from actual sounds recorded at the White House from furniture, floors and doors that Lincoln really used. A former high school classmate of mine, Gary Rydstrom, has won many Academy Awards for sound and I saw his name in the credits for Lincoln, too, so he may add another statue to his collection. We will see what the Academy does with nominating Steven Spielberg - he so deserves to win more statues.

If you like history, if you like to see the sausage-making process that goes into making a bill become law, or if you simply just like a film with great dialogue, I highly recommend the investment of your time to see Lincoln.

Is Twitter the new AP wire?

Why do people like, and some even love, social media? The Internet has been around for a long time now, and the rise of social media has eclipsed some of the more meteoric technology advancements of the recent past. In my opinion, what is important is the engagement and sense of belonging that people get from this medium. As a former journalist, I find the rapid fire reporting on Twitter to be similar to the old days of the AP / UPI wires. The difference, however, is that in the "old days" of the AP wire, the facts were checked and the information was considered reliable. Today, you have to be your own fact checker. I really like Twitter for the information it carries (knowing I need to check the facts), and for the engagement it can inspire. But beware that most items are opinions and some can be really off the rails. That is also the fun of it.

Twitter, like Facebook, Pinterest, and other social avenues, requires interaction to really get the most out of it. For all these media (dare I call them that?) you will get out of them what you put into them. Responsiveness is expected, maybe not immediately but soon; and you should be authentic in how you present yourself and your ideas. This is another difference between social mediums such as Twitter, and the " old days" of journalism. In the past, if you were a writer you were not expected to have an opinion. Now, it is "opinion-palooza" all the time! People who engage with you want to hear and read your personality and followers you have want to learn from you and hear your opinions.

If you are just starting out and learning about social media, dive in. That is the only way to learn about it. You will make mistakes, but that is OK. Have fun and engage. I will be interested in hearing about your experiences!