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Hello, Tomorrow!
 
We found out that we won the AVON “Hello Tomorrow” fund award…for women who are “changing the world” with efforts on behalf of other women…and we were SO excited! When we started working on this event, we heard over and over from everyone we presented our concept to “What a great idea”—and more often than not, “I wanted to do something exactly like that myself!” I’m more excited about the work I’m doing on this project than on anything else I’ve ever been involved with…and the shot in the arm the AVON award will give us, with its validation and endorsement, is a huge step forward for us. But we are still fighting an uphill battle as we bring our concept to companies—to the very companies who speak about how important it is to include bright women in their workforce, how crucial it is to retain talented and experienced women after said women have children. As is the norm with everything, it’s easy to “talk the talk”. The reason this conference is so crucial, I feel, is because when it comes to “walking the walk” companies are still not quite there. They need to be convinced of the efficiency, the economics, and the out and out smart business it is to make a workplace that keeps ALL employees happy. It’s a basic message…there’s always more money out there, always “greener grass”. But if you create a workplace that keeps people happy—through a flexible work environment, by valuing effort and by promoting on contributions and not face time—you’ll keep loyal employees. You’ll avoid the cost of recruiting and training. You’ll get experienced and value contributions from employees who care. Why is it so hard to convince employers of this message, I wonder? Meanwhile…THANK YOU, AVON!! ~Meghan
Meghan’s Blog
Wednesday, May 2, 2007