Hi! I’d like to welcome you to my new blog. It’s a way for me to post my observations about the many interesting people, events, and things I come into contact with through my business, and my past-life as a news anchor.

It’s not often that I’m asked to deliver a keynote speech (only a few times a year), and while I certainly take a lot of  time to come up with what I believe are relevant and interesting stories to share, I also find that I enjoy the experience immensely, because it brings me into contact with such wonderful people.  Such is the case this past weekend with the Steppin’ Up Women’s Conference in Gig Harbor, put on by Sue Braaten of the Best Western Wesley Inn to benefit her dream, The Homestead at Alder Cove, which will eventually be home to foster children near Vaughn on the Key Peninsula.

Kathy, Margo, Sue in Gig Harbor

The Conference: This past weekend’s conference drew about 125 women of various ages, interests, and backgrounds — but they all share an interest in learning how to take time for themselves, improve their lives both at home and in their businesses, and network! In fact, ‘being connected’ was one of the main points of my talk, because connectedness in women helps us deal with stress and the curveballs that life can sometimes throw our way.  At least one study has found that women react to stress entirely differently than men, and when we’re stressed, we tend to reach out and connect with other women. That in turn, is believed to release a hormone that prompts us to ‘tend and befriend,’ which helps calm us down and deal with stress. This UCLA study suggested it might be one reason why women tend to live longer than men.

Stories from Broadcasting:  Of course, I always like to share some of the fun and interesting stories from 25 years in broadcasting, from meeting everyone from then-Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton when I covered a regional story in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to hanging out with Clint Eastwood at the world premiere of his movie “Unforgiven” and having Magnum P.I. actor Tom Selleck and his wife at my table, as well as the late singer John Denver. And while it’s kind of embarrassing, I do tell about my flight in an F-18 with the Blue Angels where I didn’t get sick, but did ‘pass out’ due to the many G’s we pulled during the some of the stunts.  But this talk at the women’s conference revolved around some of the lessons I’ve learned in the past year being ‘out’ of broadcasting, and how much more freedom I have being my own boss.

Lessons from the past year:  I’ll share a couple of things with you in this blog that I take away from my experience being out of news.

Number 1 — “Be positive.”A good attitude is everything. And it makes life more fun for the people around you than if you go around with a frown on your face, saying ‘poor me.’ Or if you are angry all the time.  Who wants that? Be positive.

Number 2 — -“Be grateful for family and friends who offer support.” Family and friends are gifts, and you can’t do it alone. Along those same lines, it’s okay to ask for help. You don’t have to do everything yourself. People are willing to step up and help, if only you ask.

Number 3 — “Roll with the changes.” Not everything will go as you plan. Sometimes you have to adapt and change direction mid-stream.

Number 4 — And this is a big one: “Take time to figure out what’s right for you.”I’d never taken much time off during my career.  Self-reflection isn’t a bad thing, and it’s okay to think about yourself and what you need to be happy and productive.

Number 5 — “Be open to new things.” Just because I’ve worked in news 25 years doesn’t mean I need to stay there. It’s okay to branch out and learn new skills, meet new people and try new things. It helps keep us fresh and interesting!

Number six — “Don’t give up.” I attended a recent business breakfast, and the speaker pointed out that Colonel Sanders – the guy behind Kentucky Fried Chicken – was NOT an overnight success. He had worked at a number of jobs during his life, but he came up with this special pressure cooker and a recipe of 11 herbs and spices to cook chicken.  At the age of 65, when most people retire — he decided to take his idea on the road.  He’d cook his chicken at a restaurant, and the deal was —  if they liked it – they’d pay him a nickel a chicken for using his recipe. He pitched his idea to more than a thousand restaurants before he found one willing to say yes– and in two years, only signed up 5 franchises.  But we all know today how successful  Harlan Sanders’ plan was in the end. So – if you have a good idea — don’t give up. Persistence pays off.

I do want to thank the wonderful women I met on Saturday in Gig Harbor, and especially Sue, for inviting me to attend. You just never know who you will encounter, including a sorority sister from WSU, and a longtime high school friend whom I hadn’t seen in years. I love those connections.

And with that, I hope you enjoy this new blog. Please feel free to drop me a line or comment. I’m happy to hear from you.

Margo

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