Supernatural Botanicals

Seriously, how much fun can you have in one night?  Smart Talk Connected Conversations brought Ann Compton to town last night and she nailed it!  Literally, from the opening paragraph into her speech, I was captivated…we were all captivated.  Ann has so many interesting stories, you could just talk to her for hours.  And you can see by the pictures, she’s completely down to earth and sincere. 

Ann has covered seven presidents for ABC News in a career that has taken her to the White House and Capital Hill.  She is the national correspondent for ABC News Radio, based in Washington, D.C.

It’s overtly obvious that she’s an excellent speaker.  She’s dynamic and she captures the audience instantly.  Below are some notes I took during her speech.  Everything she said was so interesting, I could barely take notes fast enough. 

*  She was the only broadcast reporter allowed to remain on board Air Force One during the dramatic hours when President Bush was unable to return to Washington. 

*  The Dalai Lama told President Obama that we needed for female leaders!  (ed. note:  Team Dalai Lama!) 

*  President Bush emailed her yesterday.  He’s working on a book. 

*  Thanks to Google Map, she learned Bill Ayres …yes, this  Bill Ayres, lives in her childhood home in Chicago.

*  On Air Force One, everything, everything, has the Presidential Seal, from the seat belts,  the drinking glasses to the razors in the bathroom.

*  On 09/11, Air Force One landed in Louisiana …because they were out of gas, and only for that reason.

*  The infamous potatoe/potato blunder made by Dan Quayle was, in part, not his fault.  It was an error made by a teacher on a flash card that he was reading.

*  The biggest news source right now…it’s YouTube, believe it or not. 

*  Ann’s only lukewarm on the notion of social media.  She thinks it’s the dumbing-down of news, and at times, grossly inaccurate. 

*  On August 6, 1990, president George H. W. Bush sent her an apology note (on presidential stationary) saying he was sorry for being too snippy with her in an interview.  He signed it with a smiley face!

*  “Social media is fraught with error and bad judgement.” 

*  One of her favorite websites is the DrudgeReport.com. 

*  Ann still sees the good in on the spot reporting, however.  For instance, reporters were not allowed to view Saddam Hussein being put to death.  The reason we saw those images thereafter was due to camera phones of those who witnessed it. 

*  Ronald Regan threw great cocktail parties for the press.

*  Ronald Regan called Ann in the hospital the day her daughter was born to send warm wishes.  (Wow!)

*  The speech writer for Obama is (surprisingly) only 27 years old. 

*  Ann goes directly to the White House every day for work, not ABC offices. 

*  Ann was offered a job her senior year of college.  She says she has never applied for a job in her life. 

*  Jimmy Carter once referred to Ann as “the reporter with the large diamond ring.” 

*  Ann is married to Dr. William Hughes, and has four kids.

*  Her children are the following:  A doctor, a lawyer, a software designer, and a budding media exec. 

*  She was with president bush at the elementary school when 09/11 went down. 

*  She first sat down and cried about 09/11 when she got back and checked her email.  The first email was from her son, stating his fraternity brother was on the 93rd floor of the World Trade Center.

Ann is truly an inspiration to all career girls, and women in general.  She’s a fearless female leader who has earned her place at the top.

There’s still time to get last minute tickets for Smart Talk Connected Conversations featuring Ann Compton in Cincinnati tonight. 

The Smart Talk series is for women who are serious about growing, learning, and becoming better leaders by learning from others who have blazed the trail…and Ms. Ann Compton is surely one of those women. 

It’s truly an experience to be part of and is highly recommended.  For more information on the Smart Talk show in Cincinnati, click here. 

  Since 1974, when she became the first female reporter to cover the White House on a fulltime basis, Ann Compton has traveled the world in the company of six presidents. From her award-winning coverage of 9/11 to her induction into the Journalism Hall of Fame, she has balanced her professional obligations with those of her own “first” family of four children. For unique insight into the Capitol stories behind the headlines, join the dynamic Ann Compton in Cincinnati on 02/25/2010. 

Click here more information about Smart Talk Connected Conversations.

…….Last night I had the amazing opportunity to work with Smart Talk Women to invite the adorable Miss Valerie Bertinelli to Cincinnati. And let me just say, we had so much fun! First, with the obvious….yes, she’s as cute and bubbly in person as she is on screen. She graciously and patiently signed her books and went on to speak about “taking your life back.” This girl is truly in her zone, her sweet spot, if you will. It’s hard to imagine that someone with everything that she has could have gotten lost along the way for so many years, but she did. Well, she’s found her groove and she is loving life. Happiness just oozes from her and it’s so great to see her (or anyone) who is in their sweet spot of life. Here’s what our girl, Barbara Cooper, er, Valerie, had to say:
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Without a doubt, the true love of her life is her son, Wolfie (Wolfgang Van Halen.) She delights in speaking about her son and his natural (okay, inherited) passion for music. She said that Wolfie, now 18, has chosen his path in life and that’s certainly music. He tours with his dad, Eddie Van Halen, playing bass.

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Valerie on Eddie: They have a great relationship. In fact, she texted him yesterday (on his 55th birthday) to wish him a happy birthday. They have found common ground and both Eddie and Valerie are happy now. Val said when she went to give the “sex” talk with Wolfie, she deferred it to dad, Eddie. She then realized she sent her child to a rockstar for advice on sex! ha!
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On the bikini: Val says it was hard for her to believe, too. She weighed 122 pounds in this picture, and worked very, very hard for it. She said she’s about 10 pounds heavier now, but that was a goal, and, wow, did she nail it. She looks amazing. This is a 49 year old woman looking 22! You. Go. Girl.

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Valerie on the weight: Emotional eating is what helped Val pack on more than 170 pounds. She said she was so embarrassed everywhere she went. She heard the whispers….”Is that Valerie Bertinelli?  She’s so fat.” Years of being unhappy with herself is what got her to a place of being overweight.
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Flash forward: She lost 40 pounds and she’s running the Boston Marathon in April, a few days before she turns 50! Valerie says running is what has transformed her body. Did she like running? NO! But, she adjusted and is learning to love what it does for her body.

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Valerie on boyfriend of 5 years, Tom Vitale: Val says Tom fell in love with her when she was 40 pounds heavier (we love him already.) Not only that, but Tom is a University of Cincinnati graduate! Love that! Tom is obviously her pillar. She even brought him on stage at one point, pointed at him and said “this is why sex is great!” They are very sweet together. He brought her a glass of champagne when she and I were talking, and she responded “thank you, baby!”
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Jalapeno Poppers: The root of all evil. When Val was at her heaviest, she and Jalapeno poppers were the best of friends. This was her go-to comfort food. She said she’d even put cheddar and sour cream poppers in the oven and mix them around …just to surprise herself with each bite. She hasn’t touched them in three years.
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Insight: Valerie on single parenting: “You have to love your kids more than you hate your ex.”
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Not only does Valerie write books, she’s an avid reader. Val has been doing book club with her girlfriends for 12 years!
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Is Valerie in the tech-loop: You bet! You can find her on Twitter @Wolfiesmom and her blog is ValerieBertinelli.com.

Which do you prefer, the political correctness of today’s workplace, or the workplace of yester-year?  I suppose both have advantages, but they sure look like they had fun.  It would be interesting to experience that sort of work environment…if only for a week.  Do we, as women, have it easier now?  Worse?  Better and worse at the same time?  What do you think? 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvAlSuqo174

Reminder:  Valerie Bertinelli will be in Cincinnati on January 27th for the Smart Talk Connected Conversations.  It’s not only a must-see series for women in business, but for all women (and men, too.)  To learn more about the show and to purchase tickets, go to Smart Talk’s website. 

New year, new goals.  A great vision board is so inspirational to keep your goals on track.  And the perfect place for your vision board is to set it as your background on your computer screen.  You’ll see it every day, many times a day.  Most of us have some sort of software art program that we can piece together images and words to create a vision board that clearly depicts your goals for the new year. (Then save it as your background screen by right clicking on the picture and press “save as background.”)   Or even create a vision board screen saver.  Think about what you want for the next year of your life.  Capture it in pictures and words.  Studies have shown that goal-seekers that write their goals down and see it on a regular basis are far more likely to achieve their goals than those who don’t create written goals or vision boards. 

Women are starting businesses today at two times the rate of men, and the growth rate of women-owned firms regularly outpaces overall business growth according to the National Foundation for Women Business Owners.  How’s that for girl power?! 

It’s the time of year again to start thinking Smart Talk Connected Conversations.  Cincinnati has an incredible line up again this year, featuring dynamic speakers Valerie Bertinelli, Ann Compton, Patricia Heaton, Lee Woodruff, and Helen Hunt.  Five amazing nights, five extraordinary women.  Tickets are available now …hurry as they sell out quickly (as well they should…these ladies are amazing.)  Click here to purchase your tickets …hint…think Christmas gift!  If you want to feel empowered, don’t miss this.  It’s truly an amazing experience.