RESOURCES from 4word
A Real Partner
What does it mean to have a “real partner?” As I mentioned last week, I just finished Sheryl Sandberg’s book, Lean In, and one of her main recommendations for working women is to “make your partner a real partner.” Sheryl cites research showing that if a married couple… Read More
Leaning In, Together
I’ve been reading Sheryl Sandberg’s new book, Lean In. For the most part I like it very much, with one caveat. For me, no discussion of work life balance is complete without faith. I believe that work and family are best served through a relationship with one God,… Read More
What Does It Look Like to "Trade on Your Strengths?"
Meet Natalie Snyder, 28, a petite Texas beauty who earned a vice president role with Transwestern in just six years. Natalie moved to Dallas after graduating from Texas A&M, where she was a skeet shooter. She’s not afraid to outshoot any guy on a business-retreat skeet range, no… Read More
Finding Ways to Relax
Whether you’ve just begun your career or you’ve been at it a few decades, you know the feeling of just needing to relax. For many women (and men!), having a hobby helps them do just that. Today, we’ll introduce you to Elaine Morriss, pictured below with her horse,… Read More
Top 10 Interviews of 2012
Welcome to 2013! The new year is officially here, but before we forge ahead with another series of interviews with inspiring women, we wanted to pause and call your attention to some that you might have missed in the past year. What follows is a list of our… Read More
Giving Thanks for Work
Have you given thanks for work lately? With Thanksgiving approaching, now is a great time to reflect on why you’re thankful for the people and blessings in your life. And yes, work is a heavenly blessing, though it won’t always feel that way. So next time you sigh… Read More
Finding Balance
Several weeks ago, we posted a set of mini interviews with some of our board members about what “having it all” means to them. Today, we’re following up with 4word CMO, Betsy Gray, on how she has learned to set boundaries and maintain balance between work, love and… Read More
We Are More Than The Mommy Track
There are a lot of people explaining the “can’ts” and “don’ts” of women in the workplace, but is all this negativity taking us anywhere? Last week the Economist magazine purported to explain “why more women don’t rise to the top of companies.” Two months ago, Ann-Marie Slaughter broke… Read More
What "Having It All" Means to Me
To wrap up our series on “having it all,” we interviewed several of our 4word board members to ask them one question: what does “having it all” mean to you? Here’s what they said. -------------------- Diane Paddison, founder of 4word & CSO for Cassidy Turley I “had it… Read More
Tame Your 24/7 Job, “Share Some, Maybe” and Forming Solid Female Friendships
Happy Friday, ladies! Here’s your weekly serving of 4word’s favorite blogs, videos, pins and more from around the web. Take Notice JOIN: On Call in Culture is forming a Check In Team to help you remember that you are doing God’s work in the world, no matter where… Read More
Choosing a Partner on the Path to "Having It All"
Could choosing the “right” guy be the key to having it all? Some high profile women think so. Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg called this choice the “most important career decision you’re going to make,” while giving the commencement address at Barnard College. Sandberg went on to explain that… Read More
You Can Have "It" All
What does it mean to "have it all"? It’s a phrase we’ve all heard, but last week in an article for The Atlantic, Anne-Marie Slaughter made “having it all” a hot issue. She says professional working moms really can’t do it in today's economic and societal structure. Moreover,… Read More
Spiritual Truths For Working Moms
Are you mom enough? That’s what Time magazine asked this week in a controversial cover article. The article focused on a certain style of parenting called “attachment parenting,” but I’m more interested in the approach than in the subject matter. That question is the worst kind of conversation… Read More
Transitioning to Motherhood, Part 2
Our interview today is a continuation of the conversation we began last week with 4word women Courtney and Meghan about making the transition to motherhood. Courtney is currently a full-time mom to her six-month-old, Ethan, and Meghan’s first baby is due in early August. We recommend that you… Read More
Maternity Leave
How do you answer questions about returning to work after having a baby? This week a reader we’ll call Gloria, wrote in with just that question: I've just had my third baby. I guess you could say I have maternity leave down to a science. I have family… Read More
Transitioning to Motherhood, Part 1
This week begins a two-part interview series around the topic of working motherhood. Courtney Howard (pictured left) hails from Los Angeles. She met Diane through her board work on the Salvation Army’s National Advisory Boards. She’s pictured here with her six-month-old, Ethan. Our second interviewee (pictured right) is… Read More
Home for Dinner
The COO of Facebook leaves work every day by 5:30 to have dinner with her kids, and she thinks you should too. How great is that? I love so many things about this clip. First, it's refreshing to hear women talk frankly about their balancing choices. Note that… Read More
All about self-management
This week, we interviewed Kathy Peel, an author, speaker and expert on family management, about a topic you might not think is part of managing your home: self-management. -------------------- 4word: What is self-management and why is it important? Kathy: Managing everything in your life is really about managing… Read More
A Loving Conversation About “Working” Moms
Why so much anger over “working” moms? A CNNpolitical strategist named Hilary Rosen made a comment about Mitt Romney’s wife Ann that touched off a firestorm of talk about work and motherhood. In short, Rosen claimed it was inappropriate for Mitt Romney to laud his wife as a… Read More
Staying Power
This week, we’re introducing you to Kim Butler, a friend of Diane’s who works as Director of Leasing for Hall Financial in Frisco and The Arts District in Dallas. Kim talked with us about the benefits of being a long-term employee at your company instead of changing companies… Read More