✨ women ✨
“Even though I have achieved so much, I work and train as if I have achieved nothing.”
– U.S. Gold Medalist Carli Lloyd, on her work ethic at SJ Mag’s “Inside the Mind of a Champion” special event
“I strive to find light in the dark. So in sharing someone’s stories, I take serious care to take something that may have been the most horrible, defining moment in someone’s life and make it more than just a cautionary tale.”
– Janice Johnston, Executive Producer, “20/20”
“I turned my pain into purpose. For anyone who’s feeling like, ‘oh my god, was this a waste of time,’ it’s not a waste of time. Everything you have accomplished thus far, you have to find a way to take it and use it to propel you forward.”
– Chalice Rhodes, PhD, 2024 Women of Excellence, Business Excellence
“The only way I know I’m old is by the number. Being old doesn’t really mean anything to me. I know I’m not at the beginning of my life. I’m more at the end of my life. But that’s just something you accept. I’m still the same as I was yesterday, and the same as when I was 80, 70, even 20. Not physically, but mentally that’s how I feel. But if I wasn’t 90, I would have missed so much of my life.”
– Mary Lou Maley, Life at 90
“When only 3 people showed up, we encouraged her not to give up. And now this group has 60 members, hosts speakers and has active volunteers. She’s running the whole thing. The only commitment I asked of her, and other people I am coaching, is that someday they do the same for others.”
– Ivette Guillermo-McGahee, 2023 Women of Excellence, Leadership
“I don’t worry about what people are saying. The worse that could happen to me is dying. So I’m going to tell people how I feel. What happened to me during this past year happens to many women, but no one talks about it. I would have had a better time if someone had talked about it. So now, if I could, I would show all my scars. I want people to know what’s real.”
– Queen Stewart, Personal Posts
“Everything was stripped, our language, our religion, our history, our food. That’s why I have told these stories and will until the day I die. It has been rewarding, yet painful.”
– Beverly Collins-Roberts, 2024 Women of Excellence, Game Changer
“At one point during chemo, I called my breast surgeon and said, ‘I don’t know if I’m ever going to be the same again. She told me, ‘No, you’re not. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be a new and improved Kathleen 2.0.’”
– Kathleen Mininno, Kathleen 2.0
“No matter if you’re winning or losing, someone is inspired by those wins or losses. Someone is looking up to you and understanding that your journey is a place to go and your life matters. Being reminded that I’m a leader puts another fire under me to keep going.”
– Tatiana Mitchell, 2021 Women of Excellence, Leadership
“My mom gave me the best advice ever. It was early on, and I was going to dealer meetings where it would be all men. I was so nervous, and she said, ‘You walk in there and you put your chin up, you put your shoulders back, and walk in like you own the place.” And I did that. Did I feel it inside? I did not. But then I went to another meeting and I did it again, and it was better. Then I did it again and again and again. Confidence is not something you earn; it is something you practice.”
– Mindy Holman, 2015 Women’s Empowerment Series
“I try to inspire people every day at work and I try to inspire those that I know and love, that no matter what happens, there is an opportunity, there is a choice to be made – to change things, to live the life that you truly want to live.”
– Melinda Kane, 2018 Women of Excellence, Inspiration
“Leadership is an honor, and it’s a responsibility to facilitate and encourage others to be their best. Giving other people a chance to step up. The smartest people want to keep learning and you learn by watching people work. I like that style, I want to adopt that.”
– Joanne Rosen, 2024 Women of Excellence, Leadership
