By an odd synchronicity, when I went to Barnes & Noble to buy "Ladies Who Launch," the book's theme sprang to life. Filling a display rack behind the counter, the books - with a glossy cover photo of authors Victoria Colligan and Beth Schoenfeldt - were hard to miss.
I asked the salesgirl for a copy and assumed she would reach back for one. Instead, she picked up the phone. Moments later, another woman hurried over. They consulted. And I realized they did not see the book.
Isn't that what many of us do - look outside ourselves for our goals? Women have tried to fit models of success invented by men. When our way calls from within us. As the mythologist Joseph Campbell suggests, follow your bliss. But that is vague. How does a woman follow a joyful ambition and pay the bills, put food on the table, take care of a family?
A creative idea for a business or project can come to a woman even when she's pushing a stroller, say Colligan and Schoenfeldt. In fact, it is in the inherent creativity of daily life that one can find inspiration.
They believe the glass ceiling denying women ascension may be a fable. It is the male model to amass power, climb the corporate ladder and get to the top. The female model includes others. That there are not as many female CEOs doesn't mean women are less good. Women's way of cooperation brings a badly needed balance to society.
The usual business plan not only can rob a woman of her enthusiasm, Colligan and Schoenfeldt say, but also make her mistrust her innate way of being. Creativity "is so crucial for women that without an outlet for creativity, a woman will be frustrated, depressed, and may engage in addictive behaviors...."
When a woman has a great idea for a project, the traditional business plan tells her to get out a calculator and planning sheet and figure the statistics. Before she begins, she must find an exit strategy. Her enthusiasm drains away.
Had they followed that model, the Ladies Who Launch network would not exist, nor have become a nationwide phenomenon, Colligan and Schoenfeldt observe. It grew step by step, following intuitions and joys. Planning went into it, even a business plan, but at certain stages.
The nationally acclaimed organization blends online social networking with an offline support system of workshops and events. Also provided for the many thousands of members are channels for marketing, public relations and distribution.
Incubators, in-person workshops located in more than 40 cities in the United States, support and encourage women as they go on their journey of making a dream come true. This four-step process is being made available for the first time in book form.
The approach encompasses the ordinary things of a woman's life - such as buying and preparing food, having coffee with friends, choosing flowers for the table and being with children - showing how they mix into the creativity that leads to success. As Colligan and Schoenfeldt say, it is not only a network but "a way of thinking and being."
"Ladies Who Launch" offers something new, emerging from decades of change. It reclaims women's unique approach to creativity, which has been neglected and misunderstood for centuries. In support of the theme, statistics, charts and inspiring stories weave through the book.
Of course it's easier to read a book than to launch a dream. For those who want a firsthand experience, Ladies Who Launch incubators are offered in Seattle. I took one last fall and it surpassed my expectations.
For more information, go to www.ladieswholaunch.com.
Ina Gilles is a freelance writer living in Queen Anne. She can be reached for comment by email at rtjameson@nw-link.com.
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