B the Word...Cathy Williamson

Cathy

Williamson

The Middle Page

In 2013, Cathy Williamson made a discovery. Fashion blogs for women over 50 didn’t really exist. As a designer and a self–proclaimed Fashionista, she decided to do something about it and created The Middle Page. ( https://the-middlepage.com). Her mission was to beautifully celebrate women over fifty and create a space to talk about fashion, beauty, lifestyle, hot flashes, and all the adventures that come with learning to embrace age. Little did she know that just two short months later, she would be diagnosed with breast cancer. Rather than abandoning the Middle Page, Cathy decided to share her cancer journey with her readers while continuing to share her sense of style and fashion. In doing so, she became an inspiration to many women going through similar experiences. Cathy exudes the B-Word - Bond as she forged a bond with her readers as they supported each other as she fought cancer with grace, faith, strength, and style. Seven years later, both Cathy and the Middle Page are still going strong.

EFF Cancer - Survivor

Cathy Williamson - Thriver

Here is Cathy’s story:

TK: I love the Middle Page blog and Instagram account (@themiddlepageblog) . How did you start your business?

CW: In spring of 2013 I noticed that there were no women in their 50’s creating fashion blogs. So I decided to do something about it and started my own. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing but I did it anyway. As I was figuring out camera angles and developing fashion, beauty and lifestyle content, a routine annual medical exam turned into an unexpected, life altering cancer diagnosis. I had triple negative breast cancer. It had spread to my lymph nodes.

 TK: What lessons can you share with others going through something similar?

 CW:  Typically I am a bit of a hypochondriac and my normal response to the diagnosis should have been hysteria. Yet something came over me and I shocked myself at how positive and calm I became during the treatment process. I believe the Holy Spirit gave me strength and my faith gave me the gift of a positive mindset. I realized that the cancer diagnosis was taking a toll on my family. They were looking to me to see how I was handling it. It was important for me to show them that in the face of a dire diagnosis, I was strong and remained positive. That gave them the strength to mirror my reaction, and do the same.

The Williamson Family

The Middle Page blog became a place of encouragement and a refuge from my diagnosis as I shared my treatment journey with my readers who provided support, prayer and community.

Your book, “The B Words” has a chapter on “Beliefs.” I, like you, believe that your mind, words and thoughts has a great impact on the healing process.  Worry and angst only contribute to stress. My advice to anyone going through a significant illness or challenging event is to remember your words are so powerful. Speaking positively over the situation is one of the best things you can do. Life is hard, but being down on yourself only makes things worse.

TK: You have a great relationship with your adult children and grandchildren.  What advice do you have for women on how to create healthy relationships at home?

CW: I am so lucky that we are so close to my children and grandchildren.. I raised my kids with love and discipline but also made sure that they knew that whatever they did wrong, we were always going to love them. As they have become adults, we have so much fun together and truly love to be in each other's company. 

TK: What are some of your secrets for staying fashion forward and looking confident?

CW: Staying fashion-forward and confident is really simple to me. Knowing what works for your body type and a huge smile goes a long way! Sticking with classics but adding a twist is a way to be fashion-forward. For example, wearing a pair of jeans, white tee, and a navy blazer is classic, but adding a pair of leopard heels gives it a more fashionable look. 

TK: Do you have a favorite quote or words to live by that you would like to share?

CW: My favorite quote is:

“Life is like a camera
Focus on what’s important
Capture the good times
Develop from the negatives
And, if things don’t work out 
Take another shot”

— Ziad K. Abdelnou

The Middle Page & LuMaMi Bags https://www.instagram.com/lumamibagsmexico/

TK: How has COVID impacted fashion?

CW: COVID has impacted fashion trends by creating a Working from Home Chic. Cool athleisure wear is more in trend than ever. It’s about feeling comfortable while still feeling confident and put together.

TK: What advice do you have for women over 50 thinking about how to start their next chapter?

CW: I want women to know that just because you are a certain age, it doesn't mean you can't try something new. If you want to start a business or get more education, don't wish you could, just try it! As far as fashion goes, wear what makes you comfortable and makes you feel confident!

And, no one says you have to cut your hair short after 50! 

Cathy & Tricia -2 Dallas Red Heads!

The B Words: 13 Words Every Woman Must Navigate for Success

By Tricia Kagerer

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B the Word...Anastasia Kraft

Anastasia Kraft - Founder Xena Workwear

As technology advances at lightning speed, the gender & diversity gap in STEM fields continues to widen. Women make up 50% of the labor market but only 28% of the STEM field. Attributing factors include: 

• A lack of female role models in leadership positions – only one out of 10 board positions in the information technology industry are women. 

• Women in the STEM field are more likely to leave than men due to isolation, hostile work environment, and ineffective feedback. [1] Women continue to gravitate toward traditionally "women's work" jobs, including nursing, care-giving, adminstration and teaching.

• STEM women continue to be paid less than their male counterparts.

Finally, a hidden issue plagues the STEM industry; Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) designed for men. How can women dress confidently and portray a professional image when faced with oversized clothing, boots, and safety gear. As a female engineer, Ana Kraft experienced this dilemma daily and decided to do something about it.

Ana is living the B-Word "Bad Ass" as she founded Xena Workwear to provide women with stylish, comfortable safety shoes that never existed on the market. Women can finally feel confident and express their personalities at work. Ana’s vision is to increase the number of women in STEM and the trades by strengthening the community of female leaders and inspiring more girls to explore these rewarding, well paid careers.

Ana speaking at 20 Start Ups Watch Event

“Great shoes
take
you places”

— Anastasia Kraft

TK: Tell me about your journey and why you decided to start the Xena Workwear company? 

AK: I started the company out of frustration. It all started with the shoes. I was the youngest, only female Project Manager leading planning sessions for multi-million dollar projects. Yet every day, I either put on my ill-fitting, uncomfortable, oversized boots and dressed like a lumberjack. Or I dressed professionally but had to take a detour back to my office to change my shoes each time I entered the production floor. It was a distraction and a deterrent. After complaining for years, I finally decided to do something about it. And that is how Xena Workwear was born."

We officially launched our business in May of 2019 with two models in 2 colors. The response was overwhelming. By word of mouth, orders flooded in from around the world. We have received orders from 5 different countries and all 50 United States. 

The latest design… The Omega

We set up an active Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/xenamoves ) to align our product development to meet our customers' needs. Our latest design – the Omega boot provides ankle coverage and a lower heel. It is designed based on our customers request.

TK. What are your 5 Leadership Lessons?

AK:  Lesson 1: Build the right team

Inspired by the Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, I wanted to build a team of self-starters. I believe when you have the right people in the right seats and give them the right tools and autonomy to do what they do best, you will see great results. 

Lesson 2: Value transparency and communication

I value honest and direct communication. It is probably my German way that can sometimes be difficult to handle, but instead of sugar coating things, I directly express what I like or dislike and expect the same from my team.

Lesson 3: Implement a strong routine that works best for you

We all have different biorhythms and perform best at other times of the day. Although I am a night owl and do most of my creative work in the evening, I found it very helpful to have a better morning routine that will set me up for a successful day. Before I check emails and start dealing with problems, I do a workout, a meditation, and review my daily goals. Only then I begin tackling the most important tasks right away and try to get them done before noon.

Lesson 4:  Focus on becoming a better version of yourself

Instead of getting distracted by comparing yourself to the competition and other people, it helped us focus on what we do best: developing high-quality products based on women's input and providing excellent customer service. 

Lesson 5: Take a break to recharge

In the beginning, we worked every single day of the week. I quickly realized that productivity goes down if you don't allow your body and mind to recharge. Now I take one full day off every week to start my new week focused and energized.

TK:  What are some of the unique challenges women face when "dressing" for work in non-traditional roles? How does it impact a woman's self-confidence? 

AK:  Historically Safety Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for women followed the "Shrink it and Pink it" philosophy. Ill-fitting, pink PPE can undermine a woman's confidence and become a distraction. As a Project Manager, I was the only female, leading a multi-million dollar team. I have been fortunate to have very positive experiences as the only woman on the team. But I did have to work harder to prove myself, and self-confidence is a big part of success. 

Inscribed inside every Xena Shoe box

TK:  Each Xena box has a quote. What inspired you to choose that quote?

AK:  A lot of thought went into that quote. It reflects what we stand for as a company. 

• Be safe – safety is our number one priority at work and by providing PPE women love we hope to create enhanced safety..

• Be you – be yourself and express your own personality. Embrace all aspects of yourself.

• Be a badass – Women pursuing STEM fields have very few role models, and they are a bit rebellious. They are embarking on the unpaved path. They live life on their own terms.

TK: COVID has drastically impacted women in the workplace. Has your company been impacted? What are some recommendations for others? 

AK:  The COVID Pandemic has drastically impacted our sales for the first have of 2020. As a new company, it could have been devastating. And yet we are still here, and we are going strong.

I have learned to focus on the positive. We launched our Sheroes campaign (  https://xenaworkwear.com/blogs/blog/stories-of-our-sheroes) blog, where we highlight the less-covered stories of women who are doing everything from building face masks to replenishing our food supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

TK: What is next for Xena Workwear?

AK: We are working on apparel and specifically designing more functional work blazers. Women on the shop floor must carry their safety glasses, pens, earplugs, etc. We are creating a fashionable, practical blazer that looks as great on the shop floor as it does in a board meeting. The pocket design is big enough to carry a passport or a cell phone and will feature a pocket clip to hold jewelry safely. 

We will continue to listen to our customers and design boots that are functional and beautiful so women can finally be themselves as they pursue their career aspirations. After all, Cinderella did get one thing right…"A pair of shoes can change your life!"

Gravity Boots

https://xenaworkwear.com/

The B Words: 13 Words Every Woman Must Navigate for Success

By Kagerer, Tricia

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[1] https://www.builtbyme.com/statistics-facts-women-in-stem/ August 21, 2020

B the Word... Mary Higgins Clark

We forget the power of an act of kindness. Every moment, one person has the ability to change the trajectory of another’s life. Mary Higgins Clark was a best selling author, a role model and an inspiration. This is the story of how one request, one day and a cup of tea changed my life.

---

On November 11, 2010, I felt my soul officially come back to life when I found myself sitting next to my cousin Laury at the home office of Mary Higgins Clark in Saddle River, New Jersey. Mary was pouring us a cup of tea as she described the purpose of the piles of paper on the floor beside her desk, which would soon become her forty-first book, titled I’ll Walk Alone.” As she set down the tea pot, she held up two book covers, one with a red background and one with fuchsia. I sat on the small settee in Mary’s loft office in complete amazement as she asked us, “Which do you like better?”  We both replied in unison, “The red one.” Mary laughed and decried, “Red it is.” I was dumbfounded as to how Laury and I, newly self-proclaimed authors, found ourselves sitting in this amazing office overlooking the snowcapped forest, having tea with Mary Higgins Clark. The only explanation was that my mother’s bold, unending love was sending me signs from heaven, convincing me that she was watching over me. My doubts were so big that they required big signs from heaven. As celestial doors began to open, I came alive again, and the gigantic crater in my heart that had existed since Mom’s passing on December 18, 2007, filled.

Mom’s passing was the worst thing that ever happened to me. She was my rock, my best friend, and my biggest fan. I was lucky enough to know unconditional love my whole life. When she suddenly passed away, I felt lost, terrified, and lonely.

Me and my Mom - 2006

Although I was surrounded by my husband, my children, my best friend, and my family, I felt completely alone. I was going through the motions and faking it. With two amazing kids and a great husband, I had all the trappings of a perfect life. I had a demanding, fulfilling career, but I spent the next year in a haze. By all appearances, I was coping. Even though I made it a priority for my kids to be fine and for my career to be successful, deep down, I was broken. At night, my mind drifted to how much better it would be if I could just die and be with my mom. Grief was deep in my thoughts, and every happy occasion was punctuated by a cloud of despair. I could see the despair. I could feel the despair. The thick cloud choked me. I knew in which moments I was supposed to feel joy and gratefulness, but my emotions were foggy, just out of touch.  

The fog stayed with me for well over a year. It was a secret that only my best friend Debbie shared. The idea of a good night’s sleep was a fond memory from the past. I found myself rising earlier every day and beginning to write. Laury and I had this idea for a book celebrating strong women with a connection to Ireland. Our grandmother and my mother were the strongest women we knew. As cousins, we both attributed our successes in life to our Irish upbringing. Our grandmother Peggy Prendergast lived to be ninety-five, immigrated to the United States in 1930, and never forgot she was Irish. She created a little Irish family in the middle of the desert in El Paso, Texas, where she retired.

Laury and I came up with the idea to find other women who felt the same way as we did about their Irish connection. But how could we find them? They were few and far between in Texas. One early morning, at 4:30 a.m., I was literally staring at my computer as I asked the question in my mind, “Mom, how do I find people who love Ireland like we do?” I distinctively heard Mom’s voice respond, “Find Jane Treacy (https://www.instagram.com/janetreacyqvc/?hl=en) on QVC. She will help you.” Was I losing my mind? But Mom and I were proud QVC Queens, big fans of the annual St. Patrick’s Day program that Jane started, so I obediently typed www.qvc.com into the web browser and scrolled to the bottom of the page. There was Jane Treacy’s email address, so I simply drafted an email to her. I waited. Two days later, Jane Treacy emailed me back: “I would be honored to be part of your book. When will you be in Philadelphia?”

QVC Here I come!

Cousins and co-authors

We immediately set up the meeting. Within days, I found myself at QVC sitting next to Jane Treacy, who I had loved and admired from afar for so many years. During the interview, she suggested that Mary Higgins Clark would be a great fit for the book. I called Laury; we went to work to find a contact email for her. Jane was right: Mary was thrilled and immediately invited us to her home in New Jersey for the interview.

Our day in Mary’s home was life changing. She described her connection to her mother, who had helped her raise her children while she pursued her dream of becoming an author. Since this was so eerily parallel to my own experience, I knew that I was meant to meet this angel. Mary spoke of how to channel tragedy and sadness in life to make a difference. How to never give up in spite of the challenges going on around you. How to enjoy every minute of the good times in life because another day is never guaranteed. That is what the Irish do. That is part of our connection.

Mary Higgins Clark confirmed that her main character in every book is a strong Irish woman. “That is what I know, and that is my truth.” Mary shared her story of rejection when she first submitted her stories at the tender age of fourteen and how the rejection fueled her purpose:

Quote by Mary Higgins Clark from our book WISE IRISH WOMEN

“My faith in my eventual success wasn’t dashed even when I got rejected. When I was 14, I sent some of my poems to the St. Joseph’s Orphan Home in Jersey City and got the most beautiful rejection letter it’s possible to get. I’ve kept it all these years and now it’s framed and hanging in my home.”

Mary Higgins Clark squeezing in her writing at the kitchen table.

AFTERNOON IRISH TEA

is good for the soul.

That delightful afternoon together was both serendipitous and inspirational. Thanks to Mary’s support, our book Wise Irish Women has become a best seller, enjoyed by women with a connection to Ireland from around the world. Wise Irish Women brought my cousin and me closer; we have a bond that will never end. Like Mary, I officially claimed my dream of becoming an author and silenced the negative doubts in my head. Like her, I write what I know and have recently completed my second book, The B Words. 13 Words Women Must Navigate for Success.

Over a cup of tea in a beautiful home in Saddle River, New Jersey, Mary Higgins Clark brought my soul back to life. Her gracious generosity of her time with two would-be authors from Texas changed my life and gave me the strength to let go of the pain of loss. As I sat with my teacup chatting with Laury and Mary, I knew the foggy weight of sadness that had darkened the joyous moments in my life since my mom had passed was finally lifting. I saw life in full color again. I was an author, and I had a purpose. I would survive, and I would make a difference. I would inspire others to pursue their dreams and overcome their grief. Above all, I would embrace each and every day on this planet, even the saddest, darkest ones. 

Available

September 15, 2020

The B Words: 13 Words Every Woman Must Navigate for Success

By Kagerer, Tricia

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My mother always told me as a I was growing up, “You make a difference in the world by changing your little corner of the world.” Mary made a difference in the world by sharing her words and talents across every nation and weaving words together to tell amazing stories. This inspirational woman made a difference by sharing her story over a cup of tea.

Thank you, Mary Higgins Clark, for making a difference and sharing your corner of the world in Wise Irish Women. You will be missed―I know you will be watching over us.

Slainte