#Dressforsuccess

Sharing the light – Meet Amy 29 of 52 Phenomenal Women

Mar 27, 2019
2 min

Sharing the light – Meet Amy 29 of 52 Phenomenal Women

I am Amy – © Colin B Photography 2019 29 weeks ago I began a journey that has become the 52 Phenomenal Women Project. During this time, I have met so many fabulous women and I have been honored to share their incredible stories. I love what our community of readers and supporters has become along the way. We are lifting each other up while supporting the efforts @dfscentral each week. To date we have raised over $2100. What a wonderful accomplishment! ©Colin B Photography 201

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Balancing Act – Meet Heidi 27 of 52 Phenomenal Women

Amy Boyle

Mar 13, 2019
3 min

Balancing Act – Meet Heidi 27 of 52 Phenomenal Women

Meet Heidi: In her own words ©Amy Boyle Photography 2019 “In spring of 2012, the Tribune was re-imagining our Sunday lifestyles section and one of the ideas was to have it open with a singular voice – a columnist who would welcome readers each week and keep up a running dialogue of sorts. My editor called me in his office one day and asked if I was interested in being that voice. At the time, I was a year into my divorce. My kids were 3 and 7. I was navigating a full-time job

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“The bravest journeys are never taken alone” – Meet Amanda 26 of 52 Phenomenal Women

Amy Boyle

Mar 6, 2019
2 min

“The bravest journeys are never taken alone” – Meet Amanda 26 of 52 Phenomenal Women

©Amy Boyle Photography 2019 Meet Amanda: In her own words “Minutes after the birth of my first child via emergency c-section, I felt the unnerving sensation of my body losing blood quickly. After trying everything, the doctor said, “I have to make a choice: save your life or save your uterus. I will always choose to save you.” I was hemorrhaging because my placenta had fused itself to my uterus—a rare condition called placenta accreta, affecting 0.04% of pregnancies. It resul

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A modern-day Cupid – Meet Bela 25 of 52 Phenomenal Women

Amy Boyle

Feb 27, 2019
3 min

A modern-day Cupid – Meet Bela 25 of 52 Phenomenal Women

Meet Bela: In her own words ©Amy Boyle Photography 2019 “I grew up in a loving family with educated parents who immigrated from Bombay, and one younger brother. If you’ve ever seen the beginning of the film, the Namesake, their beginnings were pretty similar ☺. My Dad – who was a chemist for a big corporation – was also always an entrepreneur at heart, and became a minority (10%) partner in a chemicals/coatings business when I was in Junior High. After I graduated from the U

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How to EM-Power others – Meet Emma 24 of 52 Phenomenal Women

Amy Boyle

Feb 20, 2019
3 min

How to EM-Power others – Meet Emma 24 of 52 Phenomenal Women

Meet Emma: In her own words: “When I was eight years old, I published my first magazine. Dedicated to my love of horses, I named it Pegasus. ©Amy Boyle Photography 2019 At first, it was merely a cute childhood project. I wrote the articles by hand and cut out the pictures from horse posters. But soon I started typing and began printing the articles myself. I found out how to download fonts from the create text boxes on Microsoft Word. I cancelled playdates if I was on deadlin

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Inhale… Exhale… Meet Eileen 23 of 52 Phenomenal Women

Amy Boyle

Feb 13, 2019
2 min

Inhale… Exhale… Meet Eileen 23 of 52 Phenomenal Women

©Amy Boyle Photography 2019 Meet Eileen: In her own words “After many years as a corporate Buyer at Fortune 500 companies including Bristol Myers, Nestle and Time Magazine, I became a “wife, teacher and mom”. In 2012, the sudden and unexpected death of my husband made me stop, meditate and listen to the whispers of learning a new skill and help people through my kind of pain. Or any pain for that matter. I completed training as a yoga instructor and returned to teaching high

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Follow your path – Meet Jenn 22 of 52 Phenomenal Women

Amy Boyle

Feb 6, 2019
2 min

Follow your path – Meet Jenn 22 of 52 Phenomenal Women

Follow Your Path – Meet Jenn: In her own words “I loved art from the time I was a little girl. Give me a piece of paper and a new set of crayons and I was very happy. Throughout high school, college and grad school, art was my path. The journey may have wavered in different styles (photography, advertising, art education) but the path always remained consistent – art. Teaching art for 15 years was my greatest joy. I was very fortunate to have a school that treated the arts wi

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“We all shine on…” – Meet Terri 21 of 52 Phenomenal Women

Amy Boyle

Jan 30, 2019
4 min

“We all shine on…” – Meet Terri 21 of 52 Phenomenal Women

Meet Terri, who became Chicago’s first female morning drive on air personality in 1981. For more than 40 years, Terri Hemmert has been playing “Chicago’s Finest Rock” as a disc jockey on WXRT. I recently had the incredible opportunity to interview this broadcasting pioneer who was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2010. Amy: What made you want to be a DJ? Terri: I saw a picture of Ringo Starr being interviewed by Jim Stagg, a DJ. I was in high school, this is 1965. I t

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“Sometimes a warrior has to…” – Meet Laura 20 of 52 Phenomenal Women

Amy Boyle

Jan 23, 2019
3 min

“Sometimes a warrior has to…” – Meet Laura 20 of 52 Phenomenal Women

“Sometimes a warrior has to let down their shield in order to discover true strength within.” Meet Laura: (@lauramsavage) In her own words: ©Amy Boyle Photography 2019 “December 20, 2017, I suffered a possible career ending injury. During a performance of Newsies at the Marriott Theatre I was dancing my usual track which included a tumbling sequence on top of and then off of a table. I don’t know what was different about that dismount. I did not fall, but when I landed it fel

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Young, Scrappy, and Human – Meet Maureen 19 of 52 Phenomenal Women

Amy Boyle

Jan 16, 2019
3 min

Young, Scrappy, and Human – Meet Maureen 19 of 52 Phenomenal Women

Meet Maureen: @momo_sanderson In her own words: ©Amy Boyle Photography 2019 “I am slowly but surely shifting from being described as “fresh out of college” to “a young professional.” Exciting? Yes. A bit daunting? Absolutely. My 20s, as I have heard time and time again, will be the period of the most change in my life; the time for me to “not throw away my shot.” As soon as I took off my graduation cap with my diploma in hand, that has already proven to be true. All I knew

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“The nation doesn’t simply need what we have. It needs what we are.” – Meet Flo 18

Amy Boyle

Jan 9, 2019
2 min

“The nation doesn’t simply need what we have. It needs what we are.” – Meet Flo 18

The nation doesn’t simply need what we have. It needs what we are. St. Teresia Benedicta (Edith Stein) Meet Flo (@flomerkldeutsch): In her own words ©Amy Boyle Photography “I never thought there was a place of leadership for me in the Catholic Church. Growing up in the ‘70s, I couldn’t be an Altar Server because of my gender, but I remember our young priest giving me a tour of the sacristy. It was like peeking through a slightly ajar door to glimpse mystery, but only for a mo

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“Life is not a dress rehearsal. ” – Meet Susan 16 of 52 Phenomenal Women

Amy Boyle

Dec 26, 2018
2 min

“Life is not a dress rehearsal. ” – Meet Susan 16 of 52 Phenomenal Women

©Amy Boyle Photography 2018 Have fun everyday. Be weird. Invest in experiences. Make snow angels. Swim in the ocean. Cannonball into the pool with your clothes on. Prank your grumpy sibling or colleague in a kind but hilarious way. Be goofy. Laugh at life and most of all, at yourself. Have you ever had a moment, that seems insignificant, until later you looked back and realized it was that exact instance that changed everything? I was living in Vancouver in summer 2006 w

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Read me a story – Meet Debby 15 of 52 Phenomenal Women

Amy Boyle

Dec 19, 2018
2 min

Read me a story – Meet Debby 15 of 52 Phenomenal Women

©Amy Boyle Photography 2018 “You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild to pick up a book and read to a child.” Dr. Seuss Meet Debby: (In her own words) “My life has been about children, books and libraries as reading is everything to me; enchanting, life changing and fulfilling. Reading was always my safe haven. As a child I would climb a rock wall, library book tucked under my chin, and sit on the summit for hours alone in my story world. It was a happy place. A wonderful

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The Color of Life – Meet Cara 14 of 52 Phenomenal Women

Amy Boyle

Dec 12, 2018
3 min

The Color of Life – Meet Cara 14 of 52 Phenomenal Women

Meet Cara: (In her own words) “I was twelve years old when it hit me for the first time: there was nothing more powerful than words. Perhaps in a last-ditch effort to give her students something to do at the end of the school year, my sixth grade teacher assigned my classmates and I one last creative writing story. I don’t recall it centering on a particular theme, nor do I remember what the story was actually about – but I do remember poring over the handwritten words on the

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Om is where your heart is… Meet Alessandra 13 of 52 Phenomenal Women

Amy Boyle

Dec 5, 2018
4 min

Om is where your heart is… Meet Alessandra 13 of 52 Phenomenal Women

Meet Alessandra: (In her own words) ©Amy Boyle Photography 2018 People tell me at work that when they see me they remember to pause and take a breath. They take a moment to get out of their head, their worries, their anxiety. Others ask me how I can keep a sense of calm and focus when the pressure is on. I tell them I practice mindful meditation. For 15 minutes every morning I sit by the same window and practice being still, in my body, in the present moment by paying attenti

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My Kind of Town (Chicago Is)”… Meet MJ 12 of 52 Phenomenal Women

Amy Boyle

Nov 28, 2018
3 min

My Kind of Town (Chicago Is)”… Meet MJ 12 of 52 Phenomenal Women

Meet MJ: (@mjtam) ©Amy Boyle Photography 2018 In her own words… “It was 1999 when I first stumbled writing online. I was in the fashion industry at that time, and I was extensively traveling for work so during my flights and hotel stays, I started documenting my daily experiences on an online journal. I anonymously blogged my life as the new mom-to-be. I instantly connected and found a community of blogging women and next thing I knew; I became a big part of the first collabo

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Ready for the adventure that is life: Meet Tabitha 11 of 52 Phenomenal Women

Amy Boyle

Nov 21, 2018
2 min

Ready for the adventure that is life: Meet Tabitha 11 of 52 Phenomenal Women

“The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but on significance — and then even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning.”― Oprah Winfrey Meet Tabitha: In her own words ©Amy Boyle Photography 2018 “I’d always dreamed of two kids and that white picket fenced home. Little did I know what life would bring me in just my 35 years on this earth. A new kind of dream, and a little more than just two kids. Supplied by Tabitha Blue

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The girl that lived: Meet Liz – 9 of 52 Phenomenal Women

Amy Boyle

Nov 7, 2018
2 min

The girl that lived: Meet Liz – 9 of 52 Phenomenal Women

Meet Liz: (in her own words) “I could tell you the horrible details of how I was diagnosed with a stage 4 cancer, the 200 hospitalizations and 40 surgeries that followed. But, I am so much more than that. Cancer gave me a very important gift. Before my diagnosis, I wasn’t aware that I had the ability to be happy, joyful, appreciative and loving no matter what the conditions were surrounding me. It is only now that I am thankful for the contrast of the struggle I went through.

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“Remember to breathe. It is after all, the secret of life.” Meet Toni – Week 8 of 52

Amy Boyle

Oct 31, 2018
3 min

“Remember to breathe. It is after all, the secret of life.” Meet Toni – Week 8 of 52

The above quote: : ““Remember to breathe. It is after all, the secret of life.” This is from ― Gregory Maguire, A Lion Among Men Meet Toni: We met through an incredible organization Women on Fire which we both belong. You will see quickly that this lady is fanning her flame and continuing her adventures. Somethings in life may be a part of what you are going through, but who you want to be in is entirely up to you! In her own words. “I have a lung disease. It wasn’t diagnosed

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“Put one foot in front of the other and keep moving.” – Meet Martina: 7 of 52 Phen

Amy Boyle

Oct 24, 2018
3 min

“Put one foot in front of the other and keep moving.” – Meet Martina: 7 of 52 Phen

Meet Martina: a 20-something, first-generation college graduate born, raised and recently returned to the Windy City. In her own words… ©Amy Boyle Photography 2018 “I used to think that 23 would be my year… I’d have my own place, own car, be well into my career and finally able to keep a steady gym regimen. I’m 24 now stumbling sloppily into 25 and I’ve achieved none of the later. Fingers crossed for 32. Compared to the average 20-something, my resume may be beefier than some

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