Today is International Women’s Day.
Each year International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8. The first International Women’s Day was held in 1911. Thousands of events occur to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women. Organisations, governments, charities, educational institutions, women’s groups, corporations and the media celebrate the day. Source: IWD site
“Inspiring Change” is the theme of 2014 International Women’s Day.
[This International Women’s Day post first appeared on LinkedIn.]
How do you inspire change?
As the mother of a daughter, and a woman who named her company after her mother and grandmother [CoryWest Media], I have a keen interest in women who pass on legacy and leadership throughout the generations.
Today, I am thankful for all the women in my life, then and now, who inspire change in the families, their work, and the world. Here’s a look at a few of my early role models . . .
Every Sunday growing up, our family gathered around a table set by inspiring women who changed the world.
My mother, who was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was three, was kind of a living medical miracle who defined the word survivor. Mom way outlived the short-term prognosis and lived to see me, the first person in her family, go off to college. She taught me to appreciate the wonder in small moments as well as the importance of having a future vision.
Aunt Mary was the first woman to hold what we call the CFO position at a manufacturing company. When Aunt Mary retired, she managed the accounting operations for an entire village. Aunt Mary was the one I would go to for business advice in my first management position.
Aunt Ruth was the first woman to work in General Motors’ Tilton production plant. Even though she wore tough mens’ work clothes, she always showed up for work with great hair and Million Dollar Red lipstick. Aunt Ruth drove me to every lesson: ballet, tap, piano, clarinet, poetry. And, she funded all of my lessons.
Aunt Aggie, an RN with COO skills, managed one of the busiest physician’s offices in town. She was also a very accomplished cook and a talented seamstress who loved sharing secrets with me like how to make a real Hungarian paprikash.
Aunt Helen, also an RN, was like the CIO for an entire floor of a hospital. At home, she and her husband ran a farm where every chicken had a name. Aunt Helen, who always joked that she liked to serve Oreos for dinner, was a poet who loved animals and always asked about our pets.
Like many of you, I was blessed to grow up surrounded by inspiring women who each quietly changed the world; all of them leaving a legacy that lives on in my generation, my childrens’ generation, and those to come.
Happy International Women’s Day!!
International Women’s Day Resources
International Women’s Day on Facebook
International Women’s Day on LinkedIn
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About the Author: Barbara Rozgonyi leads CoryWest Media, a women-owned strategic marketing consultancy that attracts attention, builds brands and connects communities with the WIRED system. A founding member of Social Media Club Chicago, Barbara is a keynote speaker, social media/LinkedIn trainer, and a business development coach. For more ideas and resources, visit Barbara’s top 50 marketing and PR blog, http://wiredPRworks.com. Connect with Barbara on social media at http://about.me/barbara.rozgonyi.
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