My  Story    I  am  an  ordinary  woman  who  has  found  a  way  to  share  some  of  my  life’s  experiences   in   the   hopes   that   others  will   be   able   to   identify  with   and  take  comfort   in  knowing  that  we  all   face  similar   things   in   life.  Yes,  our  stories  are  all  different  but  the  emotions  and  feelings  are  the  same.  The  empathy   that  we   are   capable   of   feeling   for   one   another   enables   us   to  experience  personal  growth.      In  order  to  be  able  to  share  with  even  more  people,   in   January,  2010  I  started  an  online  magazine  called  Woman’s  InSite  with  my  best   friend,  

Cindy   Dennen.   They   say   that   you   should   never   go   into   business   with  your  friends  but  I  do  believe  that  Cindy  and  I  have  found  a  nice  balance  between  friendship  and  business  partners.  It  has  taken  effort  on  both  of  our   parts   and   there   have   definitely   been   some   challenges   but   the  bottom   line   is   that  we  have  enough   love  and  respect   for  each  other   to  allow  for  differences.      We  all  have  vivid  memories  of  things  past  that  are  so  clear  in  our  minds  that  when  we  are  reminded  of  them,  we  can  actually  visualize  ourselves  exactly  as  we  were  in  that  moment  and  feel  the  emotions  that  we  felt  all  over  again.  These  are  pivotal  moments  in  our  lives.      One  of  those  vivid  memories  for  me  is  when  a  marriage  counselor  told  me   something   that   ultimately   had   a   tremendous   impact   on   my   life.  While  my  husband  and  I  sat  on  her  couch  trying  to  figure  out  if  we  could  salvage  a  marriage   in   trouble,   she   said   that   if   I  didn’t   like   the  way  my  husband  treated  me,  it  was  up  to  me  to  change!  She  basically  said  it  was  my   fault   for   not   setting   healthy   boundaries.   I   remember   feeling   quite  angry  with  her  for  not  being  sympathetic  to  me.  I  wanted  her  to  tell  my  husband  that  he  was  verbally  and  emotionally  abusive.  In  fact,  there  had  even  been   some  physical   abuse   early   in   the  marriage.   It  was   a  pivotal  moment  in  my  life.      The  counselor  recommended  that  I  read  a  book  about  boundaries.  Even  though  I  didn’t  understand  why  she  thought  I  was  the  one  who  needed  to  do  some  soul  searching  and  make  changes,  I  took  her  advice,  got  the  book  and  read   it.   She  did  eventually  did   talk   to  my  husband  about  his  ways  but   it  did   little   to   change  him.   I   think   she  knew   it  would  be   that  way  and  therefore  tried  to  help  me  become  stronger.      He  traveled  3  –  4  days  a  week,  50  weeks  a  year.  This  had  a  lot  to  do  with  the  marriage  lasting  as  long  as  it  did.  I  didn’t  see  him  that  often  and  that  was   fine  with  me.  While  he  was  out  of   town,   life  was  peaceful  and   the  household  ran  very  smoothly.  Most  of  the  time  I  felt  like  a  single  parent.  I   tried   to   ignore   the   fact   that   the   night   before   he   was   to   arrive   back  home,   I   was   unable   to   sleep   and   the   migraines   and   stomach   issues  would   flare  up  again.   It  was   a   cycle   that   I  was  used   to.   I   always  knew  that  he  would  only  be  in  town  for  a  few  days,  with  most  of  that  time  on  a  golf  course  or  playing  on-­‐line  Texas  Hold  Em.    

   Now   fast-­‐forward   about   10   years.   Cindy   and   I   had   been   talking   about  starting  a  website  but  we  both  knew  that  we  had  a  lot  to  learn  before  we  were   ready.   It  was  a   little   ironic   that  we  were   talking  about   starting  a  computer-­‐based  business.  I  was  the  least  likely  person  to  be  involved  in  anything   that   involved   computer   skills.  Mine  were   seriously   lacking.   I  could   send   an   email   and   that’s   about   it.   My   son   even   tells   a   story  claiming  that  I  once  asked  him  to  show  me  how  to  turn  on  the  computer.  I   definitely   wasn’t   approaching   this   business   from   the   mindset   that   I  would  need  to  earn  a   living.   It  was  more  an   idea  of  what   I  could  do  to  keep   busy   and   hopefully   earn   a   little   cash   as   a   bonus.   My   life   was   in  transition.  One  of  my  children  had  already  graduated  from  high  school  and  my  baby  was  quickly  approaching   that  milestone.   I  had  been  very  active  with   their   schools,   church,   community   activities   and   raising  my  children  and  I  am  so  thankful  that  I  was  able  to  do  this.  I  wouldn’t  trade  those   years   for   anything.   But   it   was   about   to   be   time   for   me!   It   was  something  I  was  excited  and  nervous  about.      Then  the  inevitable  happened.  My  husband  and  I  mutually  agreed  to  get  a  divorce.  Over  the  years,  I  had  implemented  my  newfound  knowledge  and  had  begun  setting  boundaries  with  my  husband  as  well  as  everyone  else  in  my  life.  Eventually,  a  line  was  drawn  in  the  sand  and  it  turns  out  that  it  would  be  the  very  last  boundary  that  I  would  set  in  my  marriage.  My  husband  laid  out  a  plan  to  move  me  away  from  all  of  my  friends  and  family.  It  was  a  take  it  or  leave  it  proposition.  I  imagine  that  in  his  mind,  this  would  be  the  perfect  way  to  get  control  back.  I  refused  to  cross  that  line.  While  everyone  else  in  my  life  thought  of  my  setting  boundaries  as  a  good  thing,  my  husband  didn’t  care  for  it  at  all.  He  had  married  a  shy,  quiet  girl  who  rarely  spoke  up  23  years  prior  but  I  had  changed.  My  self-­‐esteem  and  confidence  had  grown  tremendously  over  the  years  and  that  really  didn’t  fit  with  the  type  of  wife  that  he  wanted.        My  “career”  had  to  get  put  into  high  gear  quickly!  I  realized  that  those  years   spent   being   room   mom,   PTO   President,   serving   on   Parent  Advisory   and   Church   Building   Committees,   volunteering   to   do   things  like  pick  up   trash  on   the   side  of   the   road,   teaching  Sunday  School……..  were  all  great  things  to  be  involved  in,  but  they  weren’t  the  only  thing  a  

prospective  employer  wanted  to  see  on  a  resume  and  it  wasn’t  going  to  pay  the  bills.  I  needed  to  find  a  way  to  transition  from  being  a  volunteer  to   finding   a   career.  Unfortunately,   this   is   a   scene   that   is   played   out   in  many  women’s  lives.  My  husband  had  not  wanted  me  to  work.  It  would  have   been  much  more   difficult   for   him   to   travel   with   his   job   if   I   was  working  too.      This  idea  to  do  something  with  a  website  seemed  crazy  at  this  point,  but  I  didn’t  want  to  let  it  go.  I  knew  that  being  an  entrepreneur  was  my  only  hope  for  making  enough  money  to  LIVE  on.  The  best  I  could  hope  for  in  corporate  America  was  minimum  wage.    I   signed   up   for   a   basic   computer   class   at   HCC   and   learned   how   to   do  things  like  cut  &  paste.  I  learned  what  a  URL  and  a  search  engine  were.  The  more  I  learned,  the  more  it  hit  home  how  little  I  knew.  It  made  me  see  that  I  still  had  a  long  way  to  go  and  it  was  scary.  You  may  think  at  this  point  that  Cindy  had  far  superior  tech  skills  than  I  did.  Nope,  after  I  graduated,   with   a   4.0,   from   my   class,   I   proudly   shared   all   of   my  knowledge  with  her  so  she  could  get  caught  up  to  speed.  It  was  a  serious  case  of  the  blonde  leading  the  blonde!    But   the  more   I   thought  about   it,   the  more   I  realized  that   this  might  be  the  perfect   thing   for  me,   a  website  where  we   talk   about   anything   and  everything  from  a  woman’s  perspective.  I  already  knew  what  I  lacked  so  I   focused   on   what   my   strengths   were.   I   had   a   lot   of   InSite   into   life  experiences.   Even   though   the   marriage   ended   in   divorce,   I   felt   I   had  accomplished   a   GREAT   deal   of   learning   from   that   time   in   my   life.  Another  thing  I  had  going  for  me  was  that  I  had  always  loved  to  write.  I  had   been   the   CEO   of   the   family   and   was   very   organized   and   good   at  planning.   I  knew   I   could  get   involved  with  networking  easily.   In   fact,   I  loved  talking  to  people.  Most  people  thought  I  was  completely  crazy  but  I  decided  to  go  for  it  anyway.    My   next   step  was   to   sell   some   of  my   jewelry   in   order   to   get   the   cash  needed   for   the   business   start   up.   The   actual   sale   of   the   jewelry   is  something  that   I’m  able   to   laugh  at   today  but  at   the  time,   it  was  really  crazy.  I  consigned  it  to  an  auction  house.  Oh,  and  I  forgot  to  mention  that  my  ex   is  an  auctioneer  and   I   took   it   to  an  auction  house  where  he  did  contract   work.   My   son   was   the   manager   there   so   I   knew   that   he  

wouldn’t   let  anything  shady  happen.   I   felt   like  that  would  be  my  safest  way  and  best   shot   at   selling   the   jewelry  quickly   for  decent  money.  On  the  day  of  the  auction,  I  got  a  heads  up  that  my  ex-­‐husbands  girlfriend  would   be   in   attendance.   This  was   only   a   few  weeks   after   our   divorce  was   final  and  so   I  did  what  any  normal  woman  would  do.   I  made  sure  that  I  looked  AWESOME  and  I  brought  my  posse  with  me!  We  filled  up  2  rows.  Even  the  pastor  of  my  church  showed  up.  I  ALMOST  felt  sorry  for  her.  It  came  time  for  my  nice  little  heart  shaped  diamond  ring  to  sell  and  my  ex  proceeded  to  ask  Girlfriend  if  she  wanted  to  buy  it.  Seriously,  why  in  the  world  would  she  want  my  oId  jewelry?  I  will  add  here  that  my  ex  was   NOT   the   original   purchaser   of   the   jewelry.  What   a  weird   feeling!  Ultimately,   Girlfriend   had   the   good   sense   to   say   no,   she   wasn’t  interested  in  that  particular  cast  off.  But  it  did  get  sold  and  I  raised  the  money   that   I   needed   to   get   set   up   in   business.   I   offered   Cindy   a  percentage  of  ownership   to   join  me.  Being   the   loyal   friend   that   she   is,  she   agreed.   I   knew   it   would   require   a   lot   of   work   before   we   actually  started  to  see  any  money  actually  come  in.    Cindy  and  I,  along  with  a  few  other  people,  put  our  heads  together  and  came  up  with  ideas  to  start  Woman’s  InSite.  We  went  to  a  web  designer  with   pages   of   instructions   on  what   we   liked   and   didn’t   like.  We   gave  them  all  of  our  ideas  and  turned  it  over  to  them.  A  few  weeks  later,  we  got   our   first   look   at   the   admin   part   of   the   site.   This   is   another   one   of  those   moments   that   I   can   recall   with   great   detail.   Cindy   and   I   were  sitting   side   by   side   with   our   laptops   at   the   dining   room   table   of   my  house.   As   we   logged   in,   I’ll   never   forget   feeling   so   completely  overwhelmed  at  all  that  I  needed  to  learn.  How  would  I  ever  “get”  all  of  this?   But   I   took   a   deep   breath   and   we   forged   ahead   and   learned   it.  Unfortunately,  what  we  didn’t  know  was  that  I  had  spent  way  too  much  money   on   a   website   that   was   outdated   before   we   even   started.   I   did  mention   that   technology  wasn’t  my   strength,   right?   But   I   have   to   say  that  I’m  still  proud  that  we  did  learn  how  to  manage  it  all.  And  we  did  it  very  well.  I  think  I  was  carried  by  determination.  I  did  not  want  to  be  at  the  mercy  of  a  web-­‐master  or  anyone  else  for  that  matter.  I  had  learned  that  being  dependent  on  someone  else  didn’t  feel  good.  I  know  it’s  ok  to  let  people  in  your  life  help  you  but  you  should  never  let  yourself  become  trapped  by  it.      

Since   then,   we   have   moved   onto   a   much   more   efficient   WordPress  platform   for  Woman’s   InSite   and   I   have   learned  how   to   use   that   even  better.  We  have  continued  to  make  changes  and  upgrades  that  require  learning   new   techniques   but   I’m   no   longer   afraid   to   tackle   something  that  I  know  little  or  nothing  about.    I  have  confidence  in  my  abilities.    In  the  process  of  marketing  Woman’s  InSite,  I  have  done  a  great  deal  of  networking.   I’ve   had   the   opportunity   to   meet   quite   a   few   financial  advisors  who   always   seem   to   ask  many  pointed   and  difficult   business  questions.   Questions   that   I   had   no   answers   to.   I  must   say   that   I   have  nothing   against   financial   advisors   or   people   in   that   profession.   There  are  some  people   in  my   life   that  are  very  dear   to  me   in   this   field.  But   I  have  learned,  people  in  this  profession  think  a  little  differently  than  I  do  because   they   would   always   ask   me   if   I   have   a   plan   B.   I   would   very  timidly  tell  them  no,  I  don’t.  I  could  see  in  their  eyes  that  they  thought  I  was  foolish  or  crazy  and  maybe  even  both.  Many  times  following  these  conversations,  I  would  lie  in  bed  at  night  and  allow  my  doubts  to  haunt  me.  But  the  doubt  never  stayed  for  long  because  the  next  thing  I  knew  I  was  standing  in  front  of  someone  that  would  build  me  up  and  encourage  me.  A  door  would  open  or  a  perceived  roadblock  would  clear.  Whether  or  not  it  was  family,  friends  or  complete  strangers,  someone  was  always  right   there   to  help  and   tell  me   to  keep  going.  The   timing  was  divinely  perfect.  I’m  learning  that  I  don’t  have  to  take  on  other  peoples’  opinions.  Just  because  someone  says  or  thinks  something  about  you  doesn’t  make  it  true.      A   few  months  after  we   launched  our  website,   the  Pastor  of  my  church  asked  me  to  share  my  story  of  courage  for  a  series  he  was  preaching.  I  thought,   courage?   Does   this   appear   to   be   courage?   Because   really,  inside,   I’ve  been  scared!  At   times,   I   feel   like   I’m  way  up  high   in  a  huge  tree,  out  on  the  edge  hanging  on  a  limb  because  of  the  circumstances  in  my  life.  I  didn’t  willingly  stroll  out  there  because  of  this  amazing  amount  of   bravado   that   I   possess.   No,   I’ve   been   pushed.   Forced   out   there.  Perhaps   it’s  been   faith   that’s  given  me   the  courage   to  hang  on.   I   could  have  easily  let  go  of  that  limb  and  sunk  into  the  abyss  of  depression  and  anger  about  the  unfairness  of  life.  If  I’m  going  to  be  completely  honest,  I  did   dip   low   enough   to   reach   the   ground   a   couple   of   times.   I   had  moments   of   bitterness   and   feeling   sorry   for  myself.   I   just   didn’t   settle  there.  I  had  a  business  to  run.  

 Many  of  those  low  times  I  would  call  Cindy  and  vent.  There  were  things  that  were  happening  with  my  children  that  were  almost  unbearable.  We  would   talk,   cry   and   sometimes   even   find   something   to   laugh   about  through   our   tears.   She  would   always   listen   and   then   tell  me   4  words  that   have   come   to  mean   so  much   to  me.   It’s   become  my  mantra.   She  would  say,   “Kathryn,  you  have   to   just   let   it  go.  These   things  are  out  of  your  control.  You  have  to  Let  Go,  Let  God”.  Intellectually,  I  already  knew  that  but  it  always  helped  to  hear  her  say  it.  It’s  much  easier  to  speak  the  words  than  put  them  into  practice.  Letting  Go  and  Letting  God  will  be  a  lifelong  journey  for  me  but  I’m  making  progress.      I   know   that   I   am  blessed   to   have   a   friend   like   Cindy   in  my   life   for   25  years   and   counting.  We   have   been   through  many   life-­‐changing   events  together  and  have  held  each  other  up  when  needed  along  the  way.  We  are  often  asked  about  how  we  have  remained  so  loyal  over  such  a  long  period  of  time.  The  sad  truth  is  that  not  everybody  experiences  this  kind  of  friendship.    “Rare  is  true  love,  true  friendship  is  rarer”,  Jean  de  la  Fontaine.      I  think  of  the  old  I  Love  Lucy  show.  Lucy  and  Ethel  got  into  some  crazy  things   together.   No   matter   what   happened,   they   were   there   for   each  other.   They   always   had   each   other’s   back.   They  may   not   have   always  agreed   but   if   they   ever   heard   anyone   else   trying   to   say   anything   bad  about  the  other,  then  you  better  watch  out.  They  would  let  ‘em  know  to  back  off.      A   real   life   example   of   loyal   friendship   is  Oprah   and  Gayle.   Cindy   even  wrote   and   article   called   Searching   for   Gayle.   She   talks   about   the   time  Oprah  was  being  interviewed  by  Barbara  Walters  and  how  Oprah  spoke  of  the  rare  type  of  friendship  that  she  shares  with  Gayle;  the  kind  that  is  filled  with  laughter,  mutual  respect  and  fierce  loyalty.  That’s  us  to  a  tee!    My  advice  is  to  BE  the  kind  of  friend  that  you  WANT  to  have.  Know  that  you   won’t   see   things   the   same   way   all   the   time   and   be   ok   with   that.  Encourage  each  other  to  succeed,  even  when  it  means  that  her  success  is  greater   than   yours.   Cindy   and   I   know   that  we  were   BOTH   born   to   be  great   in  different  ways   and   therefore,  we  have  been  able   to  hold   each  

other  up  where  the  other  is  weak.  Our  hope  is  that  everyone  will  find  his  or  her  Gayle.    After  months   of   networking   and   at   the   urging   of   a   respected   friend,   a  meeting   with   a   fascinating   yet   quirky   “Personal   Brand   Evangelist”  opened  my  eyes  to  a  great  deal  that  I  had  been  missing  in  my  personal  and   professional   life.   This  meeting  was   a   pivotal  moment   in  my   life.   I  really  didn’t  know  what  branding  meant.  I’d  heard  the  words  being  used  by  others  but  didn’t  have  a  grasp  of  what  it  should  mean  to  me.  I  learned  about  consistent,   effective  Branding  and  how  to  properly  utilize  Social  Media  in  this  area.  This  helped  us  to  increase  traffic  to  Woman’s  InSite  at  a  much  faster  pace  than  we  had  previously  experienced.      This   man   also   told   me   that   “I   don’t   know”   is   a   perfectly   acceptable  answer   to  any  question.  He  said   there   is  no  shame   in  not  knowing.  All  you  need  is  confidence  in  your  ability  to  learn  what  you  need  to  know.  I  believe  it’s  simply  a  matter  of  desire  and  getting  started.  I  can  tell  you  that  because   I   have   learned   so  much,  my   confidence   level   has   soared.    Another  important  thing  that  he  taught  me  is  to  never  be  afraid  of  doing  what  your  heart  is  leading  you  to  do.  I  had  been  battling  fear  and  doubt  along  my  journey  but  I  have  come  to  trust  my  inner  voice  a  little  more  each  step  of  the  way.      One  day,  I  spoke  with  yet  another  financial  advisor  that  asked  me  about  plan  B.    I  had  become  a  bit  more  confident  at  this  point  so  I  looked  him  in  the  eye  and  replied  with  a  bit  of  cockiness,  “nope,  no  plan  B”.  But  this  one  was  different!  He  smiled  at  me  and  said,  “Good,  no  one  with  a  plan  B  ever  makes  plan  A  work”.  Wow!  How  profound.  I  really  needed  to  hear  that.   Failure   has   NOT   been   an   option   for   me.   I   think   this   was   a   real  turning   point.   I   believe   that   with   the   proper   motivation,   you   can   do  what  you  set  out   to  do.  Yes,   it’s  going   to   take  some  time.  There  are  no  overnight  successes.  I  know  that  I  still  have  some  things  to  learn  before  I’m  ready  for  the  big  leagues  but  I  am  certain  that  I  will  get  there  when  the  time  is  right.      When  we  started  Woman’s  InSite,  I  was  the  only  writer.  One  thing  that  I  quickly  learned  was  that  putting  my  thoughts  and  feelings  on  paper  was  very  therapeutic  in  helping  me  heal.  Some  of  the  articles  I  have  written  have  been  deeply  personal  but  I  have  always  been  conscious  of  the  fact  

that  my  children  will  see  what   I  write.  Sharing  some  of   the  things  that  happened  in  my  marriage  has  been  a  challenge.  It  was  tough  to  publish  those  first  few  articles  but  I  almost  felt  compelled  to  do  it.      I  believe  sharing  my  story  has  given  courage  and  hope  to  others.  I  think  there  are  more  than  a  few  people  out  there  that  have  cried  and  laughed  along  this   journey  with  me.  Not  all  of  our  stories  are   the  same  but   the  emotions  and  feelings  that  we  have  are  what  bring  us  together.  It’s  how  we   empathize   and  help   each   other   grow.  Many  women   and  men  have  confided  in  me  their  own  stories  about  their  personal  relationships  over  the  last  couple  of  years.  I  guess  because  I’ve  written  so  much  about  my  story,   they   know   that   I’ll   understand.   Talking   with   people   gives   me  encouragement.     I   know   that   by   sharing   these   painful   emotions   with  others,  I  have  at  least  comforted  them  in  the  knowledge  that  they  aren’t  alone.  Many  of  us  have  been  there  and  we  can  empathize.    I   was  married   for   23   years,   10   of   them   being   pretty   darn   unhappy.   I  went   through  my  days  with  a  smile  on  my  face  that  never  reached  my  eyes.  I  don’t  like  looking  at  photos  of  myself  during  this  time  in  my  life  because   I   can   see   the   pain   and   unhappiness   in   my   eyes.   It’s   hard   to  admit  but  I  stuck  around  in  that  state  doing  nothing  about   it  because  I  was  afraid.  I’m  pretty  sure  my  mom  knew  how  bad  things  were  because  moms  just  have  a  way  of  looking  at  you  and  seeing  what’s  in  your  heart.      At  the  time  I  didn’t  talk  about  my  feelings  to  anybody  except  Cindy  and  even  to  her  it  was  spoken  of  only  once.  It’s  another  one  of  those  times  in  my  life  that  I  remember  nearly  every  detail  very  vividly.  We  had  a  brief  conversation  on   the  phone  while   I  was   sitting   in  my   car   in   a  Walmart  parking  lot.  I  told  her  that  financial  fear  was  the  only  thing  keeping  me  married.  It’s  a  moment  that  I’ll  never  forget  because  prior  to  this,  I  don’t  think  I’d  even  admitted  it  to  myself.  I  had  been  telling  myself  that  I  still  loved   him.  When   I   said   the  words   out   loud,   this   truth   became   almost  unbearable.  It’s  very  humbling  to  admit  that  I  stayed  married  because  I  didn’t  see  a  way  that  I  would  be  able  to  support  my  children  or  myself.  I  must   confess   that   once   I   acknowledged   this   truth,   intimacy   with   my  husband  felt  like  a  gross  betrayal  to  myself.    Fear  kept  me  there  because  I  didn’t  embrace  the  truth  that  God  would  see  me  through  and  provide.        

When  I  tell  people  about  my  divorce  after  23  years  of  marriage  and  how  it  changed  my  life,  I  can  tell  that  some  of  them  want  to  feel  sorry  for  me  because  of  what  seems  “unfair”.  The  last  thing  I  want  is  sympathy.  Yes,  life  can  seem  unfair  at  times  but  I  now  have  the  ability  to  look  back  and  see  that  God  had  so  much  more   in  store  for  me  than  I  could  have  ever  imagined.   I   just  wasn’t   ready   for   it  yet.   I  had   to  go   through  where   I’ve  been  to  get  here.      I   can   honestly   say   I   have   NO   regrets.   I’m   happier   now   than   I   ever  imagined   was   possible.   I   realize   that   every   time   there   seemed   to   be  something  in  my  way,  God  has  placed  exactly  the  right  person  in  front  of  me   to   help,   encourage   and   advise   me.   He   has   surrounded   me   with  amazing  family  and  friends  that  have  supported  me  in  every  way.  That  Personal   Brand   Evangelist   that   I   mentioned   has   become   much   more  than  a  business  advisor   to  me.  That  meeting   that   I   told  you  about  had  been  scheduled  for  30  minutes.  Five  hours  later,  we  wrapped  it  up  and  went  to  a  wine  bar  to  share  a  glass  of  wine  and  get  to  know  each  other  on  a  personal  level.  He  has  shown  me  what  true  love  feels  like.  My  life  is  great  and  I  can’t  wait  to  see  the  amazing  things  yet  to  come.    “Only  those  who  will  risk  going  too  far  can  possibly  find  out  how  far  one  can  go.”            T.S.  Eliot    Woman’s  InSite  is  now  into  its  4th  year  of  business.  We  now  have  a  large  team  of  writers  that  contribute  articles  to  us.  When  I  look  back  at  all  the  hurdles  that  I’ve  jumped  and  all  that  I’ve  learned  I’m  truly  amazed  with  how   far  we’ve   come.  Who  would   have   thought   a   few   years   ago   that   I,  Kathryn  Crawford  Wheat,  would   own  a   successful   online  magazine?  A  woman  with   no   computer   skills   successfully   running   and  managing   a  computer  based  business?      Where   do   we   go   from   here?   Cindy   and   I   plan   on   Woman’s   InSite  becoming  an  internationally  recognized  brand.  Yes,  we  have  big  dreams.  I  know  that  when  we  are  ready,  God  will  be  right  there  with  us  showing  us  how  to  make  it  happen.      In  closing,  I  want  to  leave  you  with  my  second  favorite  quote:    

“Our  deepest  fear  is  not  that  we  are  inadequate.  Our  deepest  fear  is  that  we  are   powerful   beyond  measure.   It   is   our   light,   not   our   darkness   that  most  frightens   us.   We   ask   ourselves,   ’Who   am   I   to   be   brilliant,   gorgeous,  talented,  fabulous?’  Actually,  who  are  you  not  to  be?  You  are  a  child  of  God.  Your   playing   small   does   not   serve   the  world.   There's   nothing   enlightened  about  shrinking  so  that  other  people  won't  feel  insecure  around  you.  We  are  all  meant  to  shine,  as  children  do.  We  were  born  to  make  manifest  the  glory  of  God  that  is  within  us.  It's  not  just  in  some  of  us;  it's  in  everyone.  And  as  we   let  our  own   light   shine,  we  unconsciously  give  others  permission   to  do  the   same.   As   we   are   liberated   from   our   own   fear,   our   presence  automatically  liberates  others.”    Marianne  Williamson    No  matter  where  your  personal  journey  has  taken  you,  don’t  be  afraid  of  your  own  greatness.  Embrace  it  and  share  it  with  the  world!