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about accomplishing whatever task is put in front of you” and to “be excellent at everything.” She even admitted that when she first came to New York, she started proving herself by sharpening pencils.
Obviously, with the recent release of her fifth novel, One Fifth Avenue, and her dream of a day job — producing the NBC show Lipstick Jungle — Bushnell’s 2009 is far from her pencil-sharpening days.
As you continue on in the year, take note from a woman who’s living the dream: Cherish the people who encourage you, give encouragement to others, work hard and do everything with excellence. By having the best of intentions, the best will come to you — both in ’09 and beyond.
New Year, New You, New Thoughts on Being Fabulous
February 28, 2009
Amidst the bright pink walls and glittering staircase of the Diane von Furstenberg showroom, Candace Bushnell addressed the crowd: “Tonight is a night about female friendship.” Dazzling in a silk, coral-colored mini-dress, stilettos and a stacked cuff of black and white diamonds, she radiated a supreme sense of confidence, intelligence and success. “Believe me — one of the most important things in life is support from your girlfriends.”
NYWICI’s Feb. 26 event, “New Year, New You,” was held at von Furstenberg’s in the West Village. With complimentary champagne, Godiva chocolates, hors d’oeuvres and a 10% discount on von Furstenberg’s collection, Bushnell was right: The night was most definitely a celebration of female friendship. But as the famed writer and producer took center stage, a very real conversation about women supporting women and about achieving personal success broke through the glitz and glamour. “We have to stop criticizing other women in the workplace and around the world,” Bushnell urged. “We all want the same things; we have to remember that.”
This is very appropriate, agreed Stretch Inc.’s Sonia Estreich, “especially at a time where the economy is less than it could be and people of all ages are looking for jobs. We’ve been taught to compete with each other. But that’s not the answer.”
Another theme of the night was Bushnell’s secrets to success. She revealed that success isn’t about being born a genius. Instead, “It’s
the last 25 years than most people understand. It’s true there are still far fewer women than men, but their number is growing at a great speed. One of the reasons it hasn’t grown even faster is because women have made their own choices. More and more women are willing to take jobs that are not the very top job in the old-fashioned sense, but where they can do something and really make a personal impact. All of the strengths that women have are becoming more important — in politics, in banks — so many of the problems that we’ve had have really been a breakdown of communication, creativity and the practical running of things. Women are in the process of running the world.
What advice would you give professional women to inspire them to keep accomplishing even if they are struggling in the economy?
Nobody should struggle. I understand that may sound ridiculous to people who have lost their jobs, but, in general, if a woman is struggling, it means that she’s either approaching her business incorrectly, she’s in the wrong business for herself or she’s in the wrong particular aspect of the business she’s in. You shouldn’t be struggling. Working hard, yes, but struggling is something else, struggling suggests there’s an inner misery. Maybe you should get out of that business, take a big chance and go try something else. Maybe you need to refresh yourself by broadening yourself, by doing something very unusual and coming back charged as a different person. Or maybe you’re really not in your dream. If you’re very far removed from your dream, get out of what you’re doing, the sooner the better. There are so many possibilities and so many opportunities, and if you aren’t living your dream, you’re crazy; there’s so much more to life than that.
You are known as WoW's “Gypsy” because you've been living on your yacht, traveling the world for over a year. What's that life like?
My entire life has been a life of travel. I can’t imagine living in one place. My home is Mustique, a little island down by Barbados, and I have an apartment in Vancouver, which I think is the prettiest city in the world. And then I have a boat. It’s an ideal life for me. What’s it like? It’s thrilling. Every day there’s something new; every day there’s a new adventure; every day, I learn something that I didn’t know before; every day, I see something, I never saw before. I see through new eyes every day. I’m never bored. Never. Not for a second.
Do you have a favorite ad campaign of late?
I don’t. I think advertising should make you nervous that you don’t have a product, and I don’t find that in campaigns. There’s been a loss of heart. Advertising depends so much on the general state and the direction of its clients, and it thrives on change and making people live differently. If you’re in a very conservative environment with very conservative clients, you can’t do that, so you’re not in a position to change the world. At the moment, the world doesn’t need anything and clients are still very cautious, but that’s going to pass. Somebody’s going to break through and then all of a sudden, wham, it’s going to be thrilling! And the technical aspects are riveting. It’s going to be an extraordinary world. Give it ten years, you won’t recognize it. If there were ever a business to go into, advertising would certainly be it, because the future is going to be spectacular.
What’s next for you?
Well, I am interested in everything, and I get an idea every day about something to do. I have an idea of what I’ll do next, but I’m not going to give it away just yet.
Mary Wells skyrocketed to legend status when she founded the wildly successful advertising agency Wells Rich Greene in 1966. Her latest project, “The Women on the Web” (WoW), a site for sophisticated women over 40, has captivated an audience across the nation.
Read on as the epitome of style, ambition, intelligence and triumph reveals the power of women in business, and why everyone should live the life of their dreams.
In today’s economic doom and gloom, women-led companies are thriving. The Center for Women's Business Research reported that in 2008, women-led businesses in the New York metropolitan area brought in over $93 million. Last December, WoW received $1.5 million in venture capital funding, and the Huffington Post has received a whopping $25 million. Why do you think women-led ventures are shining in the recession?
Well, some of that is accidental, but women have been better off in business in
5 Questions For... Mary Wells
March 4, 2009
effects on land prices and food supplies. We now find those same people, who praised corn ethanol, condemning it.
Do you think the press has done a good job of educating people about the facts of climate change?
There are extraordinary journalists in independent and mainstream media, who have really helped us, understand climate impacts. But there has also been a lot of challenge responding to those [who are] trying to present "both" sides of this issue. That kind of reportage has distorted science and presented a challenge in terms of public buy-in and understanding.
As consumers, information about living greener seems to change. What should everyone do and what should we ignore?
The most important thing to do is pay attention and understand why you are doing what you're doing. Overall, we should limit our reliance on plastic and on coal; they are both damaging to the planet. We should support local, organic small-scale farming. We should reduce, reuse and recycle. We should hold officials accountable once they are elected. But we should do these things because they make sense for us, for our lifestyle, our families, our wallets and our values.
What inspired you to become an eco-expert?
Honestly, I failed the one environmental course I took at Smith College and never took a journalism class. What I cared about, and continue to care about, are the ways in which communities are impacted by our use and abuse of natural resources. I believe that we all deserve access to clean air, clean soil and clean water. I hope that by shedding light on these issues and the impacts of how we live, we will slowly move from changing our light bulbs to transforming our world.
Want more dirt? Check out Simran at the Sundance channel’s The Good Fight and read her blog at The Huffington Post.
Her titles include journalist, professor, author, “Eco-Hero of the Planet” and “The Green Messenger.” She leads Sundance Channel’s breakthrough environmental programming, exposes issues in her Huffington Post blog and chats with everyone from Al Gore to Ellen. When it comes to Simran Sethi, one thing is certain: She makes Green red-hot.
What are the leading Green issues with regards to businesses?
Whether a company is changing its light bulbs to compact fluorescents or installing solar panels on its roof, it must show that it will benefit stakeholders and shareholders over the long term. But, I would say companies should really start to consider their greenhouse gas emissions. Legislation is likely, so companies that find ways to measure and mitigate them will be one step ahead when policies surface.
How much power do the media have when it comes to influencing public opinion about green issues and initiatives?
The media wield tremendous power, which is why it is so important for journalists to get these stories right. Take corn ethanol, for example. Many communicators sang its praises without fully understanding the energy inputs and outputs, the impacts on soil, water and other natural resources, and the
5 Questions For... Simran Sethi
December 4, 2008
