>>Storm of the Century
A key part of SJ Magazine’s mission statement is to empower women. From the beginning, we didn’t want to be a media outlet that would disempower women. (We think the world has enough of those.)
So year after year, we set out to publish stories and host events that honor women, celebrate them, encourage them and, most of all, help them recognize their power. It’s what we do and what we focus on as we go about our daily work. We hope we are making the world a better place for women. Or maybe just South Jersey. But that’s ok. That’s what we’re all about.
Our first women’s roundtable in 2012 started it all. The idea was to invite a group of women to dinner and then publish photos and quotes from the night in our print issue. In the end, the evening was so wonderful – even magical, you might say – that we wanted as many women as possible to hear the stories women had to share. Thus, the women’s empowerment series was born. Five years later, over 3,000 women have attended the popular series. All thanks to this group of women who agreed to participate in our experiment, and then made it so worthwhile.
Inspirational quotes from inspirational women
We could fill the entire magazine with the wisdom of women who have told us their stories and given advice as panelists for our popular Women’s Empowerment Series, guests to our many roundtables or as recipients of SJ’s prestigious Women of Excellence awards. Here’s a sort of greatest-hits list.
Ameenah Muhammad-Diggins, Brand Strategist
2018 Women’s Roundtable
There’s this wonderful thing called the Old Boys Network. It works very well, and I’m not going to tell you it’s a bad thing. It’s a great thing if you’re an old boy.
Former State Senator Diane Allen
2015 Women’s Empowerment Series
I failed the bar exam three times…but I didn’t give up and it made me determined that much more. Had I given up, that would have been the failure. The continued drive that I had, that’s the success.
Dawn Kaplan, Partner at Weinberg, Kaplan & Smith
2017 Women’s Roundtable
Jennifer Caudle, DO, TV Health Expert/Family Physician, Rowan Medicine
2018 Women’s Empowerment Series
I sacrificed a lot of family time. But I would do it again, because I’ve paved the way for my daughter. She doesn’t have to go through a lot of the same things I’ve gone through. But she does have to work hard. I make sure she does.
LaNette Keeton, CEO, Serenity Home Healthcare & Nursing Solutions
2019 Women’s Roundtable
When I can’t make events for my children, I make sure they know I enjoy my work, and there is give and take. I let them know I might not be there for this event, but I’ll take a day off for that one.
Joanne Connor, President’s Chief of Staff, Rowan University
2019 Women’s Roundtable