A query letter for your memoir has been sent out to 18 agents without a bite. That's nothing. Chicken Soup for the Soul received 140 rejections stating “Anthologies don’t sell”. You know you won't give up. However, you've turned your manuscript over to a...
Philanthropy is on my bucket list. My parents were excellent role models for giving back. They contributed annually to my dad's alma mater as well as to various other organizations throughout my childhood. I witnessed them making financial donations on an annual...
I had the privilege of hearing Tiffany Dufu speak recently at the Women's Media Group (WMG) luncheon on the subject of work/life balance. In addition to her inspiring talk, each of us received a copy of her book Drop the Ball. I've been around a long time and have...
On a recommendation from Robert Gottlieb's Avid Reader, I checked out A Life by Elia Kazan, one of the best memoirs he ever edited. I picked it up at my local library branch shocked at how thick and heavy it is--over 1000 pages (including index) and weighing...
I received an unsolicited testimonial last week from a client I completed with in November after our 6-month coaching period ended. Her primary goal was to raise her rates and her overall income. Here's what she wrote in a recent email (and I have her permission to...
My boyfriend Dave performed at the Sharon Playhouse last summer in Big River alongside its star, Nicholas Ward, an Equity actor from NYC. After that performance in July, Nicholas headed back to the city for a role in In Transit, an a cappella musical that, among...
My writing teacher keeps emphasizing substituting feeling language for thinking language in the personal essay I've been working on throughout her class. "Too cerebral," she says. I know she's right. I shared my piece with a good friend who agreed, and suggested...
"It's amazing what a sink will do!" I blurted out to my Visions Group on Wednesday when we met. Two weeks before, at our last session, I had described what happened with my purchase of a new vanity and its installation. My contractor had under-estimated the scope...
How many times have you moved that to-do on your list, catalog clipping, or invitation to deal with at another time? With the hurricane-like weather prediction and lots of catching up to do after a really delightful time with family, I cleared my desk today,...
If you're currently working on a writing project or are considering this art form in the future, I highly recommend that you find a great coach to work with. After several days of working on my revisions for Chapters 4 and 5, I met with my coach, Melissa Petro,...
You know the saying - that people (places and things) are in your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. Surma (wordpress keeps wanting to change its name to Burma...) was one of those places I thought would be there for a lifetime. Sadly, this precious piece...
I was invited to an event next week which I'm really looking forward to. It's sponsored by the Women's Media Group here in the city, and I was asked to accompany a friend who is a few years older than I am. The program is called Appy Hour. Don't you love that? For...
You'd think there was only so much you could say about that little word, but I'm finding that it's a real powerhouse and there is more to explore than I originally thought. To help me say 'no' more authentically, I've begun intentionally mapping out my days with...
Heather Ehinger, founder of Family Therapy Associates and the MacLetchie Institute and a licensed marriage and family therapist, spoke to a group of entrepreneurial women last week in Norwalk, CT. Her topic, and who would be a better expert than Heather, was...
Leading a retreat a couple of years ago, my co-leader and I shared guidelines for making the experience safe for everyone in the room. "Is there anything else that would help create a comfortable space for you?" we asked participants. One woman raised her hand and...
Want more inspiration?
Subscribe to Jane’s newsletter and receive a copy of her free report, 7 Evergreen Strategies from a Lifestyle Entrepreneur – aka Artist.