LINKS, RESOURCES & ARTICLES

Juanita Chase - The Green Queen - Sponsor of the Month

From one Spirited Woman to the next, Juanita Chase of The Green Queen knows how important it is to have more free time and peace of mind! That’s why she created The Green Queen Cleaning Management in January 2009!

The Green Queen (GQ) specializes in Green cleaning, maintenance and organizing. GQ offers routine services, deep cleaning and special event cleaning and organizing - like Spring Cleaning!! GQ also offers a variety of packages to cater to your specific needs. Check our website for holiday and seasonal specials!

GQ takes pride in using ONLY cleaning products that are completely biodegradable and toxic-free! It is very important to GQ and to our clients health to use products that are not harmful to the environment. Many everyday cleaning products contain hazardous and harmful chemicals that, used over time, could endanger your households’ health. Cleaning with green products is not only safer for the air, water supply and land, but it can protect your home and the people and pets that you love!

The GQ was created by Juanita Chase to create a self-propelled business that would give the flexibility and income she needed to pursue and support her artistic career and personal endeavors. She has always had a passion for being green and for wanting to positively impact the future of our environment. In fact, Juanita started a school-wide recycling program in 5th grade! And still recycles EVERYTHING! She’s always had a knack for business as well, which led her to clean houses with her Grandmother to help pay her way through college.

It is her hope to help open the doors for other aspiring female leaders and entrepreneurs. Recently she has had the opportunity to bring on board two other Queens! Future goals for the GQ are community outreach, expansion and inspiring other young spirited women to follow the green movement!

“I like to help people- whether it be the overwhelmed stay-at-home mom or the working actor juggling three jobs - who need a hand because they either don't know where to begin, need motivation or simply don't have the time or energy to invest in cleaning and organizing presently. Let us manage the cleaning of your home with an environmental conscience.”

For more information or to book an appointment please visit: www.thegreenqueen.org OR TheGreen Queen on Facebook.

Feel free to contact us directly at 323.515.3486 or thegreenqueencm@gmail.com

Follow us on Twitter too for Green Tips and thoughts @ TheGreenQueen3.

Gwendolyn Gleason - Sponsor of the Month

For a decade beginning in 1988, Gwendolyn Gleason worked as a design consultant in Italy, where she lived the Italian lifestyle in the Etruscan "Fairy Tale" village in Umbria. Working for leading ski wear manufactures and top sportswear designers, her travels took her to Paris, London, Prague, Amsterdam and Berlin, where she immersed herself in culture and couture and was featured in such premier Italian fashion magazines as Mondo Uomo and Vogue.

But her native America still called to her so she  returned in the spring of 1997 to regroup and handle family responsibilities. While caregiving in Florida for her mother with Alzheimer's, she was able to start her couture business that eventually blossomed into Ecochiccouture. 

Gwendolyn creates her couture collection of bridal and evening wear with  definite European romanticist flair and nostalgia, transforming luxurious fabrics into works of art. Pieces that are, in essence, timeless.

Introducing an exciting “eco”conscious bridal collection, she has sourced  personally organic cottons, linens and Peace Silk from around the world, spending four months in India creating Peace Silk that is non-violent! Most Silk kills the worm in the harvesting of the cocoon. Peace Silk allows the worm to live, eat it’s way out of the cocoon, and then the fiber is twisted into a fine yarn for weaving a luxurious fabric. This fabric has the “Highest Frequency” on the planet because there is no negative emotion in the harvesting of the fiber.  What better than to be married in a dress that is made in a SACRED Silk TM. The gowns have linings that are organic as well, unlike most designer gowns in the Industry. This insures the bride is cool and comfortable as well!

Gwendolyn creates her couture with a definite European romanticist flair and nostalgia. She transforms luxurious fabrics into works of art. "My inspiration comes from the portraits from the turn of the century, when women epitomized romanticism, sensuality, and elegance in a statement of refined femininity.”

We urge you to go to Gwendolyn's beautiful site:  www.GwendolynGleason.com or to call her at 413-374-1787.  She can also be found on  http://twitter.com/Ecochiccouture and on Facebook.

Gwendolyn is creatively skilled and listens to her customers. She offers suggestions and comments that reflect her years of incredible experience and finds the perfect color which match my eyes and fabric to suit my figure. Ultimately a beautiful, one of a kind design is produced. - La Vonne Johnson, President, Bank of Florida, Naples, Florida

For those of you who would like to see videos on Gwendolyn's beautiful gowns, please go to the following YouTube links:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs-cxY9egVA  and http://youtu.be/O-DD50H6ETI

Nanette Saylor - Sponsor of the Month

 
Are you consistently feeling stressed, overloaded, overworked and overwhelmed? Are you insanely busy, but somehow you don’t seem to be accomplishing what you intended? Are you ready to get off the “ferris wheel," to get out of your own way, and take your life back? 

If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, then you’re in the right place.

Nanette Saylor, Founder of Wise Well Women, Inc. and creator of The Wise Well Woman’s Way, knows exactly how you feel because she’s been there. And with lots of help from friends and resources like Spirited Woman she found her way to a place of peace, living each day growing a business and a life that she loves.

Today, through the inspiration of Wise Well Women™, she makes it her mission to share the wisdom she has gathered along the way, to guide women to open their hearts and re-connect to the energy of their creative identity and to find their dreams.

Are you ready to commit to making a change? Or do you need just a little support to stay on track?

Nanette created her monthly ezine, “Inspirations for Wise Well Women” and her Special Report, “Becoming a Wise Well Woman: How to Baby Step Your Way to Wisdom, Well-Being and Wealth," as a first step so you can begin today to get your life back. Click here to register to receive these valuable tools free of charge. If you take inspired action, and follow the steps consistently she guarantees you will begin to experience less struggle and more joy every day.

Beginning in February 2010, Nanette will be hosting the amazing women who have supported her along the way on The Wise Well Women Expert Teleseries. In a series of calls, Nanette will invite these courageous women to share the secrets that she, and their other clients, have paid hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of dollars to learn, at no charge to you. Join her for this unique opportunity to learn from like-minded women and support your journey to create more wisdom, wellness and wealth today and everyday.

Nanette can be reached at nanette@wisewellwomen.com. Please connect to share your stories of inspiration on her blog, facebook and twitter. And remember, Deliberate Routines and Empowered Action Manifests Dreams!

NANCY FURST - SPONSOR OF THE MONTH

For the Spirited Woman who wants to discover or enhance her Spiritual Nature, Nancy Furst is the facilitator you have been looking for.

Trained in Native American spirituality, crystal healing, and hospice care, she has been a professional intuitive and healer for twenty years, working for two of the top-rated destination spas in the country, Miraval Resorts and Red Mountain Spa.

Working with Nancy is an intimate experience of connection to Self, Source, and Mother Earth (our three primary relationships). She provides a rare level of quality that creates a lasting impact and reflects the respect and compassion she has for every person she works with.  Most of her clients have consulted her for decades because of her loving attentiveness, skillful thoroughness, and practical expertise.

Nancy offers spiritual counseling through Native American Card Readings, shamanic soul journeys through Crystal Healing Sessions, private and group Medicine Walks for personal interpretation and instruction through nature, and customized Circles for intention, prayer, visioning and ceremony. 

She has recently returned to Los Angeles after spending ten years in the Southwest and successfully healing from a stage three cancer.  Believing in the power and strength of our inter-connectedness and inspired by the thousands of people she has worked with, she hopes to translate her decades of experience into creating films that heal. At 55, Nancy is passionate about helping women find themselves within, rekindle the light of their inner wisdom, and birth the global paradigm shifts at hand through the transformation of our consciousness.

To read more about Nancy and the services she offers, please visit her website:  www.nancyfursthealer.com. You can also contact her directly at (213) 908-6133 or email nancyfursthealer@gmail.com.

SPONSOR OF THE MONTH

Susan Madden Lankford grew up in the Midwest and holds a BS degree from the University of Nebraska. Originally a pre-med candidate, she developed a strong interest in science and laboratory research. A purchase of a second-hand Hasselblad added to her panoply of tools to pursue her exploration of life but soon created an artistic passion and led to postgraduate studies in photography.

Early on, Lankford attended workshops with renowned masters RoyDeCarava in Yosemite and Richard Misrach and Judy Dater in Carmel. She found work in wildlife photography, documenting Arctic polar bear migration and wildlife habitats in Montana, Colorado, California, and Canada. With a family of her own limiting the amount of travel time, she developed a successful portrait business. This continued when the family moved to San Diego where she also studied with Arnold Newman and attended professional workshops at the Brooks Institute of Photography, in Santa Barbara.

Although fascinated with habitats, spaces, and behavior, she felt compelled to seek a counterpoint truth to the portraits of children and families. She did not set out to document the pain and suffering of our society's castaways -- the homeless and the emotionally or physically incarcerated. She simply wanted to pursue her quest for understanding the frail values of a society at risk and of people increasingly immune to human  flotsam.

Quickly she found herself with willing subjects who led her on guided tours of the worst of the city streets, shelters and rescue missions to see life from their  vantage point. The result is downTown U.S.A.: A Personal Journey with the Homeless, the second in a trilogy of books on crucial social issues published by Humane Exposures Publishing. Lankford’s thought-provoking photographs, rich personal narrative, and candid interviews are supplemented by writings by the street people themselves, creating a complex, compelling portrait of a population at risk.

Lankford’s first book in the trilogy, led to a new mission—to follow her subjects behind bars. This result is the prizewinning MAGGOTS IN MY SWEET POTATOES: Women Doing Time, an in-depth and illuminating look at the lives of incarcerated women.

With the publication of downTown U.S.A., Lankford will turn to the final volume of the Humane Exposures trilogy, BORN NOT RAISED, exploring the troubled psyches of young people serving time in juvenile hall. The goal of these powerful books is to trigger public awareness of the needs and challenges of at-risk members of our society, and to help break the cycle of homelessness, incarceration, and abuse.

To find out more about Susan Lankford, or to purchase her books, please visit Humane Exposures Publishing at: www.humaneexposures.com

“Lankford’s leadership and work help us all to identify the emotional and psychological cycles that pass from generation to generation”. --Dave Pelzer, NY Times Bestselling author, A Child Called “It” and Lost Boy.

SPONSOR OF THE MONTH

Designed by Carolyn Jaques, Native American Energy Healer, Cote d'Azur is a gem in the heart of Old Pasadena. Family owned and operated since 2003, Cote d' Azur combines the highest quality body work, subtle energy therapy and time-honored indigenous practices. It has established itself as a sacred destination hideaway that local residents and international visitors acclaim as 'a classic, ageless kind of place that excels at creating and providing idiosyncratic spa experiences."

The natural elements added to every treatment bring an organic distinction unique to Cote d'Azur with soothing aromatherapy, healing sound, and refreshing citrus-cucumber beverage or Nirvana Tea served daily. Treatments aim to relax the body, clear it's energy flow and return clients to a state of balance.

Cote d'Azur is pleased to announce that along with Body Treatments, Yoga and Pilates, they also offer Skin, Hair, Make-up and Nail Services in our new salon additions as well as their newest Energy Treatment called "The Creative Artist Make-Over" designed for artists, writers, musicians or anyone needing to break out of ties that bind.

Come see why "unlike the vast majority of So Cal day spas, Cote d'Azur embodies a sophisticated Bohemian healing purpose and atmosphere." "Yogi Times Oct '06"

Featured on Channel 7 News and Zen Evolution TV Magazine, this award-winning spa has earned the following awards:
 "5-Star Rating" Allure Magazine
"Top Ten Holistic Hideaways" Whole Life Times Magazine
"Best Of Greater Pasadena" Pasadena Magazine
"Best of LA" LA Weekly

For more information on Carolyn Jacques and Cote d'Azur spa, please visit: www.cotedazurspa.com, or call 626-396-3030.

SPONSOR OF THE MONTH

Any Spirited Woman who’s ever picked up a women’s magazine has probably had the experience of being told you are lacking something. Whether it’s perfect legs or the new line of designer handbags, ‘they’ have it and you better get it.

How many women’s magazines tell you that you already have everything you need?

The RAY magazine has set out to do just that. More than six years ago, Sierra Sullivan, founder and publisher of The RAY was fed up with mainstream media sending a message to women that they are not good enough unless they look, act or dress a certain way. She resolved to change that by offering an inspirational lifestyle magazine for women empowering us to love and accept ourselves.  

With no prior publishing experience to draw on, Sierra’s entrepreneurial journey in creating The RAY took many twists and turns to become what it is today. It took the efforts of a whole community of volunteers, contributors, sponsors and more who shared her vision to bring the magazine to this point.

The RAY, an acronym for the Real Authentic You, is based in the heart of Hollywood, California. And what could be a better place to foster a sense of self-acceptance? “Living in this image driven city led me to a deeper awareness of my own struggles with self-esteem and self-acceptance,” says Sierra. After searching within and realizing her own innate wisdom and beauty, she was able to shed the confines of the “quest for perfection.” That was the day The RAY was conceived.

Though The RAY has been in existence for more than six years, it has recently undergone a transformation of its look and feel to create a wider appeal and reach a more mainstream audience of women. RAY subscribers can look forward to even more inspiring articles, realistic tips for positive living, and a very exciting progressive fashion spread featuring everyday women as models.

Sierra’s goal is was not just to create a conscious magazine, but also to offer The RAY as powerful resource that “provides a virtual and physical space for women to connect with an influential and conscious community.” The RAY, Inc. has blossomed into a rich community and personal development resource for women offering classes, workshops, inspirational newsletters, events, connection and the motivation needed to assist women in living their full potential.

You can get your copy of The RAY magazine as a FREE digital download or hardcopy by subscription at www.TheRAYmagazine.com

Learn more about Sierra and her personal journey at:  http://youtube.com/RealityAndYou

SPONSOR OF THE MONTH

What do spirited women like to do again and again with a sense of zest, passion, and a sense of discovery? One word: travel. And right now one of the hottest destinations to travel to is Asia.

Since 1993, Travel Indochina has been operating Small Group Journeys, specializing only in Asia to countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, India, Japan, China & Tibet. They also offer independent travel to these destinations as well as Malaysia, Singapore and the Maldives. With a total of six offices across seven of their destination countries – more than any small group travel company - the company also understands the needs of the single (and married) woman traveler and offers many features and programs catering to her needs.

Some travel companies equate travel expertise with a large raft of itineraries. Travel Indochina prides itself on offering Small Group Journeys that represent the very best each country has to offer as well as offering you the opportunity to become passionately involved with "the total Asia experience," - from the cuisine to the natural beauty to the history, culture, and people. Plus, the hotels are specially-selected, and their transport – whether bus, train or sampan – is both interesting and safe. And as we all know safety is a big issue with women travelers.

Also, the small journeys with a maximum of 15 travelers, provide a personal experience with like-minded people of different ages and backgrounds. So traveling single, doesn't mean traveling lonely. Another  unique aspect is that the trip tour leaders are a combination of a Western tour leader and local English-speaking guide. Adding a special dash of flavor. 

If you are traveling solo, the company offers a Willing to Share option, on their Classic Small Group Journeys, where you can pay a twin-share price. If there isn’t another ‘Willing to Share’ traveler of the same sex on your departure, you will stay in a single room at no extra cost. You won’t be put into a triple-share arrangement either. To find out more, visit here. And if you want to turn this into a family adventure, they offer special affordable packages for family journeys that incorporate unique family-friendly special touches.

Another interesting aspect of Travel Indochina is that they believe in "putting something back." The company supports a number of organizations in developing Asia which assist the disadvantaged, poor and disabled; and supports other organizations dedicated to the improvement of education, health and living standards.

For more information on Travel Indochina, visit www.TravelIndochina.com or call (866) 459-6162. And be sure to watch this great video! They also have a selection of travel videos available on their website.

FEBRUARY SPONSOR OF THE MONTH

Coach Andrea is an accomplished mid-life coach, personal trainer, advisor, motivator and inspirational teacher. She moves onward and upward through life by saying “Yes to Life” and by having fun with the evolving process. Andrea says, “Better than Before, the Best of the Best, Your 2nd Half of Life”. Coach Andrea is a Spirited Woman indeed!

Andrea is in the 2nd half of life and has a yearning desire to help women embrace the 2nd half of life by exploring new possibilities and passions. Since many of her clients are in the process of beginning a new business and starting new ventures her focus is specific with helping Women Entrepreneurs manifest their dream business into reality by engaging effective leadership, communication, and organizational skills.

Andrea’s coaching style is intuitive, compassionate, motivating and fun as well as being guided by a Spiritual Presence.

Are you ready to align what you do with who you truly are?

If the answer is YES, then you are in the right space at the right time.

Come join me, and not only talk the TALK, but walk the WALK - and move forward manifesting your dream business with ease and grace!

Mention that you are a Spirited Woman and receive a 10% discount on your coaching sessions. 

Coach Andrea’s new product is “Resolutions Kept” a process for powerful lasting, self-directed change. Andrea says “Make the change you want and keep it changed”! This program created by Coach Andrea and Coach Jake is designed to help people, young and old overcome that all too common problem of making and soon afterward breaking resolutions. “Resolutions Kept” can help you achieve the real lasting powerful self-directed change that you would like to make. Go to http://www.alignmentwithlife.com/resolutions.htm for an audio preview, your special offer, and Bonus Gift. This program is a great way to jumpstart a new beginning, your dream business, or letting go of the old and bringing in the new. Included is your special report of “The Upside of Mid-Life Fitness”.

Visit www.alignmentwithlife.com and sign up for your free monthly newsletter. It offers practical tools to move forward through your everyday life and business with intention and inspiration. You can move from an ordinary life to an extraordinary life! Email Andrea:  andrea@alignmentwithlife.com. Or call toll free 1-866-417-4404.

JANUARY SPONSOR OF THE MONTH

The passion behind Heal Your Hunger is a woman who struggled for years with her own hunger and emotional eating. Tricia Greaves was 50 lbs. overweight and grew up as a chubby kid. She was successful in life, but her confidence was constantly undermined by her erratic and self-destructive eating behaviors. She tried everything to lose weight but nothing worked - long term. The worst part was the terrible obsessive food thoughts that plagued her every day. Because she knows the shame and despair of squaring off with a doughnut – and losing miserably – she felt compelled to let others know that they can have weight loss success (and mental peace) without dieting.

Having lost 50 lbs. through identifying and addressing the underlying causes of her emotional eating, and starting a foundation that helps others so the same, (www.TheGreavesFoundation.org) Tricia Greaves is on a roll (no pun intended!). This year she is launching her newest inspiration: Heal Your Hunger, an online resource which offers hope and healing for emotional eaters worldwide.

Tricia knows it’s hard to be a Spirited Woman when we’re constantly being “de-spirited” by weight gain and food struggles. She also knows that in spite of our repeated failed attempts at dieting it’s still too easy to fall into the diet mentality when our pants don’t fit and we no longer want to go out with friends because of how we look and feel. In Tricia’s own words: “People who don’t struggle with food or their weight can’t possibly know what it’s like for those of us who do. Suggestions like ‘why don’t you exercise more’ or, ‘just cut down on your portions’ are well-meaning, but if it were that easy, we wouldn’t have ended up 3 sizes too big in the first place! HELLO! We’re not dummies, after all!" What it takes is looking underneath the food struggle to the deeper hunger that drives us to overindulge…the hunger for love, for security, for validation, for escape, for wholeness. We need to stop fighting food and fat and look within for the answers. That’s what Heal Your Hunger is all about.

Tricia is a coach and author of many articles on emotional eating, eating disorders, healthy weight loss and addictions. She is also the contributing author of 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Health and the popular Thank God I book series in which she writes a chapter called, “Thank God I Was Fat."

To learn more and to receive your free “Heal Your Hunger Jump Start Kit”, including a free audio, visit www.healyourhunger.com.