FIRST THOUGHT: Beating the Blues
Today’s all about doing what makes you happy. When I was a kid, joy was the sound the ice-cream truck made when it turned the corner.
Things are different when you’re an adult. These days, seemingly boring things make me just as happy as a fudge pop, like when something’s on sale (Score!) or I actually check an item off that miles-long to-do list.
What are you going to do today that makes you run-to-the-ice-cream-truck happy?
WOMEN IN NUMBERS: 30 Percent
There’s one thing that men and women can both agree on, and that’s their favorite color. A recent Dulux Paints survey found 30 percent of women and 42 percent of men worldwide prefer the color blue.
Whether it’s cobalt or lapis, people can’t get enough of this color, no matter the shade. Light blue can represent healing and softness, while dark blue embodies knowledge and power.
Blue also signifies the sky and the sea. It gives us a sense of tranquility and calm, and I think we could all use more of that.
WOMAN TO WATCH: Conni Reed, Owner of Consuela
If Conni Reed had a theme song, it’d be “Don’t Worry; Be Happy.” When she went on her annual vacation in Cozumel, Mexico, she found peace and joy in the big blue ocean. It was much needed after suffering a late-term miscarriage. When Reed returned home, she said “adios” to the corporate world—a place she’d been a part of for the past 16 years––so she could pursue her dream to design a lifestyle brand.
Reed grew up with troubled parents and was basically self-sufficient from the time she was 15. She earned her computer-science degree and followed that trajectory. Reed took inspiration from the contrast of the two places where she’d lived: a small town in Texas and the big city of Boulder, Colorado.
When she made the leap of faith into the design world, she started small when developing her brand, Consuela. But then, during her first tradeshow in Dallas in 2008, she sold 400 of her one-of-a-kind handbags. She knew she’d made the right decision.
Now, Consuela products, including lots of colorful bags, shoes and accessories, are available at more than 1,000 stores nationwide and online. An added perk to the success? Travel. Reed has happily soaked in other cultures by visiting places like India and China.
Consuela pairs bright color palettes with unconventional designs. If you like color, you’ve come to the right place. From rainbow-colored sugar skulls to bananas set against baby blue, these ain’t your grandma’s accessories. They’ll make you feel like you’re on a tropical cruise, even when you’re in the boardroom.
This spunky designer usually spends her days makeup-free and casual. She lets her accessories do all the talking. Her resplendent spirit exudes through every detail of her handbags, shoes and accessories.
Reed’s advice for career contentment is easy: Just listen to yourself. You never know where it might take you.
QUITE THE QUOTE
The funny lady who can do it all, Amy Poehler is always full of wisdom. She said,
“You attract the right things when you have a sense of who you are.”
That’s all for now. Be sure to share this so more women can have a voice! Thanks for getting ready with us.
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