Why women will change the world, and how you can help

Angela Rose, seizing the day

I am the mother of a bright and loving three-year old daughter. She is funny, she is sassy, she is intelligent, and she is creative.

As she goes through her life, I will do my very best to remind her how powerful and capable she is. I know her father will do the same.

I hope she finds work that is engaging and fulfilling. And if she decides to buck the convention of her parents, who are both entrepreneurs, she may decide to become a corporate lawyer, or Vice President of Engineering at Intel. Having kids who work in cubicles would be poetic justice, don’t you think?

What I want her to know, and what I want everyone to know, is that she has lots of options for how to provide for herself financially. The world of work is not the same as it was at the beginning of my career, not to mention the beginning of my parents’ careers. In this new world of work, we need new models for how to navigate and thrive.

To this end, I am very proud to have contributed a pro-bono lesson on Career Invention to Fresh Start Women’s Foundation, a Phoenix-based organization which is expanding its reach across the country in the form of a dynamic online learning and resource site.

Fresh Start has been an amazing resource to our local Phoenix community, serving over 200,000 women from all kinds of backgrounds, and dealing with issues ranging from homelessness to domestic violence to unemployment to childcare.

The term Career Invention comes from the program I co-developed with my dear friend and business partner Michele Woodward. It is based on our belief that the world of work as we have known it has blown up, bringing brand new opportunities to people who embrace working in many different ways, under many different work configurations (employee, contractor, freelancer, entrepreneur, etc). (Michele is also contributing a module to Fresh Start, which I will share when it comes out).

Fresh Start has produced a number of web-based training modules for the members of their site which help them develop skills, increase financial strength, gain confidence and open up opportunities in their career path.

Here is a snippet of my  Career Invention module, which comes out today, and is available to all members of the site:

I am passionate about Fresh Start’s mission for a number of reasons:

• Online education knows no bounds. It is the singular thing that can cross all socio-economic lines and reach women who want and need to grow and develop.
• Support is critical. Many women in challenging situations like unemployment, domestic violence or single motherhood lack the support that will feed and sustain their strength and drive.
• Research shows that investing in women and girls is the fastest way to change society for the better.

As Desiree Adaway wrote in her post about the power of education for girls, The Center for Global Development stated:

“When women and girls earn income, they reinvest 90 percent of it into their families, as compared to only 30 to 40 percent for a man. When you teach a woman to fish,  even a young woman, everybody eats.”

Katie Couric is a big supporter of Fresh Start and had this to say about it in her public service announcement:

If you are passionate about increasing the support, capacity, strength and financial power of women, here is how you can help the Fresh Start Foundation:

How you can help:

1. Donating

Every donation 
helps provide interactive e-learning courses to women in 
need of resources. All check or online donations are tax deductible. Visit: https://www.wehelpwomen.com/support-our-mission/make-a-donation

2. Sponsoring Fresh Start scholarships for women

Sponsorship opportunities or to provide scholarships for women, please contact Lisa Beck, national strategy officer, at lbeck@fswf.org.

3. Underwriting an e-learning course

Courses focus on the areas of career, finance and personal development for women. Whatever the industry, there is the opportunity to identify or help create a course. Seize the chance to get some great publicity and make a difference in a woman’s life! For more information, contact Lisa Beck, national strategy officer, at lbeck@fswf.org.

4. Writing a blog post about our new website for women

Know a fantastic blogger who empowers women through their writing? We love to create these kinds of relationships and would show our support for such a person or business!

Have a question? A new idea? Contact Lisa Beck at lbeck@fswf.org or  (602) 261- 7126.

Twitter: twitter.com/wehelpwomen

Facebook: facebook.com/wehelpwomen

YouTube: youtube.com/freshstartcommunity

I am so proud to bring my message to a new audience of bright, strong and capable women. Thanks for your support — together, we can make a big difference to many lives.