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Tory's Hiring Now & Dishing, Too

Hey everyone—hope you had a great weekend.

I’ll be on my way to Tulsa (my first–ever trip to Oklahoma) after a live Good Morning America segment from Dallas Monday morning. This follows a mother–daughter weekend with Emma, my 13–year–old, in Denver. But it’s my trip last week to Boston that’s really on my mind. (Racking up those frequent flyer miles!)

I served as a keynote speaker at the Massachusetts Conference for Women, which hosted its largest audience ever: more than 6,500 women—and a few wise men.

The lunchtime program featured a series of speakers, culminating with Christy Turlington, Gloria Steinem and me. Yup, you read it right—even though I can barely believe it as I type.

After sharing the stage with these incredible women, I can officially say I was the iconic Gloria Steinem’s warm–up. That was a pretty incredible experience for me given how meaningful her work is to me. She’s paved an unparalleled path for women to succeed.

When it was her time to shine, she shared so many nuggets of wisdom, a couple of which I want to paraphrase and share:

Live for right now. If you had a miserable childhood, there’s a danger of always living for the future as you push to escape the past. If you had a sensational youth, there’s often a desire to go back in time to relive it. But you can only be truly present and find real beauty in what’s here right now. Make today count. Make this moment matter.

Speak your mind. “A bird doesn’t sing because she has an audience. She sings because she has a song.” Are you waiting for approval from others before you can act? What’s stopping you from doing exactly what you were meant to do right now? Get busy and people will notice.

Trust your gut. “If it looks like a duck, acts like a duck, and smells like a duck, but your gut tells you it’s a pig—it’s a pig.” (That drew big laughs.) Ignore that crazy little voice in your head that says don’t do it. Instead, listen to that crazy little voice in your heart that says go for it—and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

I’ll savor the memories of our backstage meeting, including Gloria’s graciousness in complimenting my speech about hustle.

Just before I spoke, I listened to Christy’s story. While everyone knows her career as a supermodel-—she started working at 14, signed an exclusive big bucks contract with Calvin Klein at 19, and broke every earnings record in her field—it’s Christy’s work today at 41 that’s even more impressive. She’s traveled the world to report on maternal health for a powerful documentary that will premiere on OWN in the spring, which accompanies her advocacy work that can be found at everymothercounts.org.

Now a married mother of two, Christy could have easily chosen to retire after banking millions in the modeling world. Instead, she devotes her time and talent to being a model citizen with a big heart and curious mind for philanthropy. Christy is using her platform to give a voice to women who’ve been silenced around the globe and to an issue that goes largely unreported: poor women who die every day during childbirth — deaths that could be prevented.

How are YOU using your voice? What will you stand up for in the new year? Where will you make your needs known? And how will you go about making great things happen for yourself and those around you?

Take a moment to declare your intentions here. Once you commit to it aloud, there’s a greater likelihood that you’ll put action to your promises. We’ll hold you to it.

Comments

  1. Angie S.

    I am determined to have my first annual Women Empowering Women Expo in June The Washington Convention Center will be the place.

  2. Rebecca Ortega Martinez

    I have always and continue to use my voice by signing petitions that impact lives not just in our cpointry, bui throughout the world. By always standing up firmly for what I believe using words or solemn, this includes getting onvolved when I see something wrong that requires a phone call to police for a recklace driver etc,,, I always get involved. Helpoing others by doing their resume, tax returns, research, putting the seatbelt correctly in a baby car seat. In the new year, I plan to copntinue to do the same and professionally I will put some of Tory’s advice into action to make my business a profitable one. More specifically, not to focus or worry about the fee but rather o offer a service that comapny’s need. I want to pass my company to my son’s and leave a legacy, whereby my company will offer complimentary job seeking training to all of my applicants.

  3. Shari

    I intend to launch my website and utilize the wealth of resources, both personal and professional, that I have and will acquire. I intend to pay it forward.

  4. J

    Been laid off for awhile, no money, car on its last leg. Trying to keep up the spirit but really hard. I plan on selling my house and moving back down South. Much harder to feel sorry for yourself when the sun is shining and 80 outside. I will turn my life around right now and pray harder to God to help me do it.

  5. Great day all around, Tory. You *more* than held your own with Christy and Gloria… a perfect pairing of speaking styles!

  6. 2gether We Build

    The irony Tory, after just reviewing your recent webpage submission regarding Gloria Steinem and the model Christy.
    I feel like I am a mother that definately doesn’t count right here in the good USA.
    I have been a stay at home mom too long.
    I am looking to get out of the house and reinvent myself.
    Where do I go? As Gloria Steinem said the moment is now!
    That’s an understatement for me.

  7. Deborah Shane

    There is an expression: you can’t keep it unless you give it away. I will continue to wake up every day grateful to have the opportunity to be an autonomous, empowered and inspired womanpreneur, that can be a catalyst and mentor, and support and pass on my wisdom, passion and experiences to others. I am an advocate for anyone struggling in their career transition and reinvention. “Everything you need is already inside of you”. 2011 is the year of my book launch, new collaborations and meeting more amazing people. “Sparks are flyin”.

  8. For December so far I’ve written a business plan for my company, “A Word in Season Tutoring Service”. Now I need to expand my outreach across southeast Queens to include all of New York City.
    I’ve written grant letters/proposals and sent them to funders who give grants to women owned small business start-ups.

    Still working on the sylabus for the creative writing Continuing Education course that I will be teaching at York College come spring semester Feb. 2011.

    Currently I’m developing a future specialized curriculum tentatively called, “Black Men as Heroic figures in Art and Literature”. My course will link art, specifically paintings to creative writing while addressing social issues.

    Finally as in 2010 I will continue to write more poems and short stories for my writing blog.

    I fully expect to enter into My Year of Jubilee in 2011!!!

  9. Diahann Boock

    I will continue to grow Women’s Ally, a career planning and leadership development site for professional women. 2010 was a good start. 2011 will put us on the map!

    Diahann Boock
    http://www.WomensAlly.com

  10. Kathy Brocks

    @2gether we build, stay at home mom.
    Hey being a stay at home mom you develop valuable skills like money management (pay bills, grocery, # clubs you can afford to sign kids up to play), Supervisor ( arrange family events, school, husband events, me time),customer service negogiator( manage curfews, allowance for completed tasks, cheer on your kids at talent shows, sports games, tennis with husband business partner or do the bar-b-ques)You have value so do not talk your worth down. Everyone you meet will believe whatever you say about you. So, say good things about you. And if you want to get out of the house go volunteer and put those skills to use. Or learn a new skill by volunteering in an area you are curious about but was afraid to ask. You can also take a class at the community college. In college a few of my class mates were well over 50 while I was only 18 and I loved it cause they had more life experience and I just soaked it up. You can do anything you set your mind to do. So, just do something “2gether we build”, anything positive is ok!

  11. Pam

    I find myself in a quandry. I was laid off 18 months ago after 14 years of outside sales and cannot seem to find my way. Mass confusion exists in my life now. I know that I have the ability to be really great at my own business but cannot seem to pinpoint the essence of what I really want to do. This websit might just be the beginning of my discovery to where my self-employment path might lead.
    Thank you!

  12. Deb Bisacchi

    Although I am passionate about teaching kids with learning challenges I just left public school teaching, worn out, not by the children, but by the system with its layers of politics and all kinds of hurdles that get in the way of teaching.

    I am both tired and fierce, didn’t let breast cancer get in my way last year worked through my recovery, and healthy now, WHOPPEE. My point? Oh yeah. My life thus far: I never met a hurdle I didn’t like. Running and jumping to meet goals was par for my life of obstacle courses. Lots of effort in that. Now, I am finished but I am by no means done. Repairing the world well my little piece of it, is still my mission. I trust I will find out how to proceed with patience and reflection. When I do… …. it will be like a walk in the park.
    Thanks for your forum.

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