Meet Teddie: In her own words: “I tested positive for BRCA2, a breast cancer gene, then my doctor found a small tumor in my Fallopian tube, hiding quietly. I suddenly felt I was on a speeding train running off the tracks heading directly towards complete disaster. ©Amy Boyle Photography 2020 This was instantly my life’s test, when you’re required to get all your strength together and move forward with courage. This was in my mind logically, brewing, however wishing to remain in time before this day in the doctor’s office. My husband took my hand, told me we will get through this together. I knew this is when I should find an ounce of strength, deep within, needing to prove to him and myself that I could do this, with as much strength and courage as I could possibly pull out of my battered shell of myself. ©Amy Boyle Photography 2020 The next surprise was chemotherapy. Why would I need chemo? Doctors already used a robot to take out everything I had in my abdomen, which all tested negative. But I soon found myself in a recliner with IV’s in my hand, looking around my new room at the hospital, other patients with IV’s and happily snoring. My friends’ sister was in that room, looking terrible, I didn’t have the courage to wake her, to say hello. She didn’t recognize me that day, my hair was gone, my eyebrows, my lashes, my naked pale face remained, unrecognizable. This was my new life, looking different, feeling different, and chemo was my new unwelcomed friend. I breathed in the clean outside air, very deeply. I found myself often in the backyard gazebo my husband built for me for my recovery. I listened to the singing birds, watched the dancing clouds rearrange their places in the deep blue sky, felt the warm breeze on my very depleted body. This was a gift. I stretched and exercised when I felt well, and ate very healthfully. I enjoyed this new feeling of my muscles working hard and getting strong, my body working efficiently. I had a new appreciation for my body, my body was a gift. And soon I felt as if my body’s motor was running very well for the first time. ©Amy Boyle Photography 2020 My new feelings of exalting beauty was a universe away from the darkness and shadows I visited in my long sickness. I had traveled so far. Beauty was now everywhere, loud and clear, beautiful and scented, colorful and soft, graceful and lovely, strong and brave. Gratitude found me… my new language. I gained a new language that filled my battered body with warmth and love. I felt blessed.” *** Please follow along on instagram as well and learn more about Teddie. 52 Phenomenal Women is now in its second year! This is week 22 of 52. Participants in this project will be supporting the efforts of Dress for Success Worldwide – Central. We are all stronger together and it is my sincere hope that we will be inspired by each other’s stories. Now is the time to celebrate as well as encourage one another. Tell your story!*** #Dressforsuccess #Cancer #52PWP #lifeaftercancer #gratitude #amyboylephotography #52PhenomenalWomen

Meet Claudia: ©Amy Boyle Photography 2020 In her own words… “As thinking of my why behind my what, I’ve come to realize, my whole life I’ve lived to help people grow and feel good about themselves as evidenced by my being an interpreter, teacher, business owner and influencer. The path to use social media as a positive environment to bring happiness and value to my community has always been a core goal in my life-long dream to have a larger platform and host events where those messages and goals will be amplified. For me, being a phenomenal woman means to use your voice and influence to help others grow and live a happier life! If I’m able to accomplish that, my job is done! In different walks of my life, as a translator/interpreter, school owner and influencer, a teaching role always seemed to present itself, whether I intentionally set that in motion or not. All of a sudden, I had people asking me for advice. I saw myself always helping people through the different gifts God gave me. This seems to be the main direction and truth in my pursuit of living my best life. As a translator/Foreign language teacher, I helped more than 1,000 children learn a second language and foreigners live a better life in this country by learning English! Such an amazing feeling to open the doors to knowledge that changes lives! It is such a privilege to share what I’ve learned to make other people’s lives better! As an influencer and social media manager, I use my voice and influence to help people walk a happier and healthier path in our Trendy Latina community. ©Amy Boyle Photography 2020 My blog Trendy Latina is so much more than just shoes and fashion. My goal with the platform is to bring things I love to make people’s lives better and if a new pair of shoes is going to change the way one of my followers feel about herself for the better, then my job is also done! People are hungry for connections; they are really looking forward to building that sense of community in our social media world. So, I feel it’s my duty to bring a bright and positive outlook to my trendy journey! That doesn’t mean I don’t have problems, fears or doubts but what I really want to share with my community is how to be happy, how to overcome fears and live to their fullest potential! At our Trendy Talk Group, our 500+ members gather daily to grow, get inspired, learn about social media and business trends while helping and encouraging each other. I recently shifted some of my business efforts to move towards a bigger platform and host events/seminars in an ongoing project not quite ready to be revealed yet. But that will bring my goals and dreams of helping others grow in a more holistic way, to fruition while bringing abundance into their lives. Wealth in my dictionary is so much more than money. Wealth is comfort and peace while enjoying financial freedom. Money is just one of the many components to truly living a wealthy life! ©Amy Boyle Photography 2020 Moving forward in 2020, with my word for this year being “choice”, I choose to be a vessel to help and promote growth to all those around me!” *** Please follow along on instagram as well and learn more about Claudia. 52 Phenomenal Women is now in its second year! This is week 23 of 52. Participants in this project will be supporting the efforts of Dress for Success Worldwide – Central. We are all stronger together and it is my sincere hope that we will be inspired by each other’s stories. Now is the time to celebrate as well as encourage one another. Tell your story!*** #growthmindset #blogger #brandinfluencer #OMagInsiders #Chicago #amyboylephotography #dressforsuccess

Meet Valerie: ©Amy Boyle Photography 2020 In her own words- “For many years, I worked as a school social worker on the south side of Chicago. The job wasn’t easy, but I worked with so many amazing students and I absolutely loved it. However, I quickly saw that there were so many factors outside of school that impeded my students’ ability to succeed in school. I saw far too many students struggling with challenges that no child should ever have to endure such as homelessness, poverty, violence, and abuse/neglect. I was one social worker to over 1,000 students on my caseload, and I knew that without more support, the majority of these students would fall through the cracks. I had an idea for what I thought was the obvious solution: why don’t we build a boarding school? A boarding school could provide an exceptional education in a safe, nurturing, 24/7 environment. But who the heck knows how to go about doing that? I put the idea aside, assuming that one day – perhaps when I was retired, and had extra money and time on my hands – I would revisit the idea. After tabling the idea for many years, one summer I headed to Portland to attend a conference. At the conference, an entrepreneur named Michael Hyatt stepped onto the stage and told us that out of 1,000 people in the audience, the mortality tables say that 1 of us will die in the next 30 days. This hit me like a brick wall and in that moment, I had a powerful realization: I realized that although I had no idea how to do it, it occurred to me that nobody had the tools or path – not the mayor, not President Obama, not even Oprah. There was no roadmap, so all anybody could do would be to pull together the right resources and the right people. Somehow, my dream seemed “figure-outable” not despite it because so large, but because of how audacious it was, it leveled the playing field. If Oprah wouldn’t know how to do it, I was no worse off than Oprah! I vowed to go home and make it happen. ©Amy Boyle Photography 2020 There simply would never be a time, and the kids of Chicago needed it to happen now. I flew home from the conference and quit my job, and decided to take on building Ryan Banks Academy named after a former student who was shot and killed at the age of 12. ©Amy Boyle Photography 2020 But making the decision to start was the easy part – what came next was even harder. Not only did I not know how to build a school, but I decided to do so during the most volatile economic and political climate this country has seen in a long time. And yet somehow, four years later we have defied the odds and Ryan Banks Academy opened our doors in Fall 2018 as a day school and we are working toward becoming a boarding school as the next step.” *** Please follow along on instagram as well and learn more about Valerie. 52 Phenomenal Women is now in its second year! This is week 24 of 52. Participants in this project will be supporting the efforts of Dress for Success Worldwide – Central. We are all stronger together and it is my sincere hope that we will be inspired by each other’s stories. Now is the time to celebrate as well as encourage one another. Tell your story!*** #schools #52PWP #Chicago #education #amyboylephotography #dressforsuccess #52PhenomenalWomen

What would happen if we took time every week to recognize and share with our friends/community/tribe someone we think is phenomenal? Just imagine the list of inspiring people we would know at the end of the year. I was thinking recently after one of my photoshoots, that my career lends itself to meeting many interesting and fantastic people daily. What I also realized is that so many of these amazing people are unaware of the subtle thing they do everyday that brings joy and inspiration to others. My ah-ha moment arose after attending a retreat with life coach, Dana Frost. Eleven women had spent ten days together exploring the Amazon and other parts of Brazil. When we were in our last few days together we gathered and shared on paper one key word/quality that came to mind when thinking of the individual we had gotten to know. After circulating the paper to all in attendance the list makes it back to original person and the insights were invaluable. I don’t know about you, but when is the last time you stopped to see, recognize, and honor that goodness that you are? The poem, Phenomenal Woman, by Maya Angelou serves as my inspiration in seeking out and celebrating the qualities that makes each and every woman phenomenal. Pretty women wonder where my secret lies. I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size But when I start to tell them, They think I’m telling lies. I say, It’s in the reach of my arms, The span of my hips, The stride of my step, The curl of my lips. I’m a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That’s me. I walk into a room Just as cool as you please, And to a man, The fellows stand or Fall down on their knees. Then they swarm around me, A hive of honey bees. I say, It’s the fire in my eyes, And the flash of my teeth, The swing in my waist, And the joy in my feet. I’m a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That’s me. Men themselves have wondered What they see in me. They try so much But they can’t touch My inner mystery. When I try to show them, They say they still can’t see. I say, It’s in the arch of my back, The sun of my smile, The ride of my breasts, The grace of my style. I’m a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That’s me. Now you understand Just why my head’s not bowed. I don’t shout or jump about Or have to talk real loud. When you see me passing, It ought to make you proud. I say, It’s in the click of my heels, The bend of my hair, the palm of my hand, The need for my care. ’Cause I’m a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That’s me Now that takes me to the dawn of this project, 52 Phenomenal Women, a year long photo essay by Amy Boyle Photography. I am approaching my 48th birthday and in the effort to grow bolder not older (a fantastic reminder by one off my favorite brands, Chico’s) I have decided to embrace my age, as it is only a number and task myself with the creative project of featuring one woman in my blog and social media channels each week for a year. The best way to describe the project I am embarking on is #womancrushwednesday meets Humans of New York. Why only women? I am continually supported and loved by my husband and four sons, but what I know in my heart is many women are not so fortunate. I want to support women, who whether they realize it or not, are phenomenal. My birthday wish this year is to encourage others through the stories that will be featured in my blog and social channels. To start a dialogue of inclusion, support, and recognition by celebrating the phenomenal qualities within us all. There is no better time than the present moment, (NOW is my word of the year!) to do just that. Thank you for being a part of this year long celebration. You may follow along on this blog in addition to my Instagram, FB, and Twitter. #52phenomenalwomen #52PWP This project will begin on 9/12, my birthday, and continue for 52 weeks on Wednesdays. I have partnered with Dress for Success for the duration of this project. Founded in 1997, Dress for Success has chapters in more than 160 cities in 28 countries and has empowered over 1,000,000 women in their career life goals. My personal goal is to raise $3000 or more for the Dress for Success Worldwide Central chapter. Each featured woman in this project is asked to donate a minimum of $60 to Dress for Success. Envision your contributions at work: With a donation of just $50, you can help another woman prepare for her first mock interview. At the $100 level you can be provide another woman with her first Suiting. You may also volunteer, mentor, as well as take part in their professional clothing drives. None of us would be where we are today without the help and encouragement of others. We certainly are stronger together! I have had the great fortune to meet and work with Wendy Wilkins the director of the Worldwide-Central office and I am eager to support the mission of this organization. “Dress for success serves unemployed and underemployed women at any phase of their employment development cycle. Their services provide pathways to success that reflect the real-life stages of a woman’s journey.” 31% Have never owned a suit before 45% Have children under 18 living at home 83% Live below the poverty level “The mission of Dress for Success is to empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.” If you are interested in being featured or would like to support my year long project, please request to join our FB page. With gratitude, Amy #Dressforsuccess #art #stories #blogging #Photography #work #thoughts #amyboylephotography #52PhenomenalWomen

Meet Earlene: “Be still and believe God, it’s not going to come on your time.” ©Amy Boyle Photography 2018 When Earlene lost her job of 12.5 years as a bank manager she was 50 years old, she was at a loss for what to do next as the options offered by her former employer diminished the time she had served her company. After going on over forty interviews with no job offers in hand, Earlene was eventually referred to Dress for Success. She didn’t have a resume or know who to be competitive in an interview situation. This organization has served as Earlene’s “second family”, a welcoming place where the door is always open to her no matter what. “The ladies at Dress for Success gave me my confidence back,” Earlene said. “It’s not only about the clothes, it’s an organization that believes in you.” No stranger to challenges in life, Earlene found herself as a first time mother at fifteen years old. With the help and encouragement of her mother she was able to get her high school diploma.The road to success is paved with hard work and dedication and after raising her two daughters, Earlene went back to school to earn her bachelor degree in Business Administration after age fifty. When people asked why she’d go back to school at that age, she said it was now, “my time.” “I raised my daughters and it is now my turn.” Earlene not only graduated from Argosy University in Chicago, but was surprised and delighted to hear she graduated with honors as she crossed the podium. Currently Earlene is a retired and grandmother of two. She now volunteers weekly at Dress for Success Worldwide – Central. Sharing her story gives Earlene great joy as well as assisting others. Director of Dress for Success Worldwide Central, Wendy Wilkins, says that Earlene is a true giver. She is always there to help! With the encouragement of her second family at Dress for Success as well as her writing mentor, Earlene has written her first book. Earlene’s Journey is now ready to be published. Earlene and Director Wendy Wilkins ©Amy Boyle Photography 2018 Deeply rooted in her faith, Earlene is inspired and encouraged every morning when she recites Psalms 23 and 27. They have provided comfort and strength for her during even the hardest times. ©Amy Boyle Photography 2018 Earlene’s attitude about being a continuing student of life is contagious. Her love for her family and community runs deep. All who know her are truly blessed! This is part one of a 52 week series. This year for my birthday 🎂 (It’s today 9/12 :), I am embarking on a weekly photo essay project highlighting 52 Phenomenal Women. Participants in this project will be supporting the efforts the of Dress for Success Worldwide – Central. We are all stronger together and it is my sincere hope that we will be inspired by each others stories. Now is the time to celebrate as well as encourage one another. Tell your story! #Dressforsuccess #interview #blogging #Photography #Chicago #amyboylephotography #inspiration #52PhenomenalWomen

©Amy Boyle Photography 2018 Meet Meaghan: One year, for my birthday, I experimented with saying “yes” to everything. It started as one of those wishes you make only to yourself as you blow out the candles. Commit to having a little more fun, doing a little more good, loving a little more. I found that I had a lot more “yes” in me when the next birthday rolled around, so I kept going. Truth be told, I was filling my buckets long before then, pouring myself into family, philanthropy, friends, work, working out, going out, and just…going. I live a very full life. More is more. More living, more loving, more giving. I might not be able to say “why” if you ask, but I might say “why not?” I’ll have a story to tell you when I say “Yes!” to your invitation and we chat over cocktails. The next morning, my kids will give me more giggles when they say “Yes!” to sharing the dad joke you told me. Those happy kids will cheer me on in a regatta with my alumni crew team (row a half marathon on the Chicago River with the #NDames? Yes!) while my Superdad of a husband rewards their team spirit with a “Yes!” to ice cream. More sprinkles? Yes! On the subject of sprinkles, yes, I apply the “more is more” philosophy there, too. Extra icing on the birthday cake my neighbor’s sweet boy asked me to bake for him. Extra mini M&Ms tumbling down the mountains of whipped cream on the Saturday pancakes. I wish I had even more time to bake, to read, and to garden, but until that time magically squeezes itself into my days, I’ll enjoy every moment of my busy life, full of recipes to try, books to read, and seeds to plant. I love this life of “Yes!” Is there even time for more baking, more making, more….”Yes!”…? You know the answer is “Yes!” ©Amy Boyle Photography 2018 If you could do anything now, what would you do? Why? I’d be a pastry chef. Taking time to craft something beautiful that brings others joy, encouraging people to stop and savor the moment…my life could use more of that. Couldn’t yours? – Meaghan ©Amy Boyle Photography 2018 This is part two of a 52 week series. This year for my birthday 🎂 , I am embarking on a weekly photo essay project highlighting 52 Phenomenal Women. Participants in this project will be supporting the efforts the of Dress for Success Worldwide – Central. We are all stronger together and it is my sincere hope that we will be inspired by each others stories. Now is the time to celebrate as well as encourage one another. Tell your story! #Dressforsuccess #blogging #Photography #reflections #thoughts #amyboylephotography #52PhenomenalWomen

“Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing we will ever do.” – Brene Brown ©Amy Boyle Photography Meet Maria: Q. What is one story you have always wanted to tell? A: I might look okay from the outside, but inside I wasn’t always this way. I’ve struggled with a problem since second grade; a sweaty little secret called hyperhidrosis (excessive uncontrollable sweating). Yep. Who else do you know who can make their own raindrops? But I’m no longer suffering in silence. I started with nothing when I launched my blog, My Life As A Puddle, 7 years ago. Now my advocacy efforts are reaching people all over the world, like 5-year-old Jessica, in the United Kingdom. Today, her story is posted in hopes that it will help others, just like her, who are so little and already hate their sweaty bodies as I once did. Someone has to be a voice for them – why not me? I used to feel like I couldn’t do certain things. My confidence was lacking. But then someone recognized me for exactly who I was and that helped me to remember who I was: brave, vulnerable and fearlessly authentic. I might still be a sweaty mess when you meet me and shake my hand, but I choose to make my mess my message. No matter what you might be going through, the only one standing in your way is yourself. If I hadn’t had the courage to put myself out there last year to be an O, The Oprah Magazine Insider, I might not be standing in front of Amy’s camera today. ©Amy Boyle Photography A photographer and a phenomenal woman whom I am now blessed to call my friend, Amy helps me remember who I am and who I want to be. She asked the right questions to uncover my story and let me convey it soul-to-soul through her lens. Point. Click. Flash. A three-step process that empowers lives. Q: What are you doing now to empower and encourage other women? A. My blog, and I am one of the inaugural Women For One Truthtellers: a speaking tour that empowers women to use their voices and empower not only themselves but others. I’m also known for spontaneously writing and sending letters to those who have made a difference in my life. ©Amy Boyle Photography *** Please follow along on instagram as well and learn more about Maria. This year for my birthday 🎂, I am embarking on a weekly photo essay project highlighting 52 Phenomenal Women. This is week 3 of 52. Participants in this project will be supporting the efforts the of Dress for Success Worldwide – Central. We are all stronger together and it is my sincere hope that we will be inspired by each others stories. Now is the time to celebrate as well as encourage one another. Tell your story! #Dressforsuccess #stories #blogging #Blog #Photography #Portraitphotography #thoughts #52PhenomenalWomen

Meet Dani: We met years ago through our local parish. Both of us were volunteering and supporting our church/community at large. I’ve always been drawn to Dani’s welcoming and supportive nature. She has a smile and an energy level that is contagious. ©Amy Boyle Photography 2018 Dani retired from her position as Mergers/Acquisitions Clearance Director at the law firm, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, after 29 years. Before she retired, Dani’s life was touched by Alzheimer’s over 30 years ago when her uncle was diagnosed with the disease. Subsequently, another uncle, two aunts and eventually her own mother would pass from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. Dani joined the Alzheimer’s Association – Greater Illinois Chapter Board in July 2007 in order to be more effective in those pursuits and to work with the Chapter to further the Association’s mission. She served as Board Secretary, Fundraising Chair and delegate to the Alzheimer’s Association National Assembly. She also is a member of the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement, the Association’s sister organization. In 2018, at the Alzheimer’s Forum, Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) named Dani Advocate of the year. Rep. Quigley (@repmikequigley) said his said his “constituent and friend” is an inspiration. Dani was one of the first advocates to join the Ambassador program in 2010. This year, Dani’s walk to end Alzheimer’s coincides with what would have been her mother’s 110th birthday – You may join/support Dani’s Walk to End Alzheimers here on or before October 28, 2018: http://act.alz.org/goto/2018DaniWalk. Last year Dani raised $36,000 and her goal this year is to surpass that! I was absolutely thrilled that Dani wished to shoot her feature at a playground and local garden. We can take ourselves a bit too seriously at times and making time to play and be joyful is a great escape! When Dani is not supporting the Alzheimer’s mission, she volunteers in several ways at Saint Clement Church, including as a member of their Stewardship Council. She enjoys speed walking, swimming and attending theatre. *** Please follow along on instagram as well and learn more about Dani. This year for my birthday 🎂, I am embarking on a weekly photo essay project highlighting 52 Phenomenal Women. This is week 4 of 52. Participants in this project will be supporting the efforts of Dress for Success Worldwide – Central. We are all stronger together and it is my sincere hope that we will be inspired by each other’s stories. Now is the time to celebrate as well as encourage one another. Tell your story! #Dressforsuccess #blogging #Blog #movie #Photography #reflections #EndALZ #thoughts #WordPress #amyboylephotography #52PhenomenalWomen

Meet Marcia: (in her own words) I found Pilates twelve years ago after a large weight loss and a stress fracture from running, and knew within months that I wanted to learn it from the inside out. I had done many kinds of exercise before, but none made me feel the way Pilates did. It was as if I were suddenly introduced to dozens of cool relatives I had never met before, and now we were all learning to communicate and get to know each other. My body was a family, there to support me, and I them. In the 5 years we’ve been working together, Marcia has supported me through two pregnancies. During recovery, she helped me reconnect not only with my body, but also with my identity beyond that of a mother. – Ashley (pictured with Marcia below) ©Amy Boyle Photography 2018 After a year long training program, I began teaching, and soon after took on a Prenatal class. It was scary at first. The American Medical Association guidelines for teaching pregnant women was a list of “DON’Ts”. But where were the DOs? After all, pregnancy isn’t a pathological condition; why would we treat it as such? After taking further training with a woman named Carolyne Anthony, I realized pregnant bodies were strong, not things to be afraid of, that they had changing needs throughout the trimesters and, equally important, in the first year postnatal. I also realized that the exercise and healthcare communities were failing women on many levels, and that I could help bridge those gaps in information and healing. ©Amy Boyle Photography 2018 Too many of us are tuned in to the external noises that tell us how to look, what to do with our bodies, instead of our internal voice—the collective voice of our body, our family of parts. Too many women live with pain and discomfort. Too many new moms don’t know what to expect of childbirth, recovery. Too many of us don’t know enough about how menopause affects us. Too many of us store the mental and physical scars of sexual assault, or abuse. Too many women settle for buying adult diapers instead of getting pelvic floor therapy. As a Pilates instructor who specializes in Pre and Postnatal, I want to change all that. A few months ago the ACOG (American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology) put out a statement revising their recommendations for postnatal care. In the statement they equated past treatment of pregnancies “as if the baby were the candy and the mother was the wrapper,” thrown away after the birth. We can do better, they said, and I agree. After ten years of teaching all kinds of bodies, and well over five hundred pregnancies under my belt, I can say that I teach Pilates because I believe my job is to educate all people on their bodies and empower them to improve their mind/body relationships. When we learn to listen to our bodies, when we understand those voices, we can advocate for their rights and needs. I’m not just teaching Pilates, I’m building an army of educated, healthy women, and they are ready to fight for what they deserve. ©Amy Boyle Photography 2018 Marcia teaches at Frog Temple Pilates in Chicago Her blog: GreatBalancingAct *** Please follow along on instagram as well and learn more about Marcia. This year for my birthday 🎂, I am embarking on a weekly photo essay project highlighting 52 Phenomenal Women. This is week 5 of 52. Participants in this project will be supporting the efforts of Dress for Success Worldwide – Central. We are all stronger together and it is my sincere hope that we will be inspired by each other’s stories. Now is the time to celebrate as well as encourage one another. Tell your story! #Dressforsuccess #blogging #Photography #Chicago #reflections #pilates #thoughts #amyboylephotography #52PhenomenalWomen

©Amy Boyle Photography 2018 Meet Debi (@debililly), we share a mutual love of family, Chicago, as well as magical Nantucket. This Chief Eventeur has been designing perfect events for decades. She has quite the high profile clientele list, but also regularly shares tips on how anyone can take their events from “grocery to gorgeous.” From a very early age, Debi drew her party planning inspiration from her grandmother (Gigi). “My friends would come over, see all our beautiful family celebrations, gorgeous table set for the holiday, beautiful presents overflowing under the tree, and exclaim – ‘I’ve never seen anything like this!’ Gigi always makes everything so thoughtful, full of tradition, and creates moments to cherish.” ©Amy Boyle Photography 2018 Her career began before Debi even graduated college as she was planning away; sorority sister’s weddings, designing flowers, invitations and more. She loves to weave a creative thread into all the planning and design details – from start to finish. ©Amy Boyle Photography 2018 Born and raised in Chicago, Debi has loved the Hotel InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile for many years. She chose this location for her photoshoot as the beautiful hotel is a family favorite. “Complete with a Great Gatsby swimming pool party vibe and gorgeous family suites we sink in and unwind together. It is rich with gorgeous architecture and full of 1920s history. My kids love to spend the weekends in hotel robes nibbling room service as they pool party, while I throw parties and weddings downstairs in the gorgeous ballroom.” *** Please follow along on instagram as well and learn more about Debi. This year for my birthday 🎂, I am embarking on a weekly photo essay project highlighting 52 Phenomenal Women. This is week 6 of 52. Participants in this project will be supporting the efforts of Dress for Success Worldwide – Central. We are all stronger together and it is my sincere hope that we will be inspired by each other’s stories. Now is the time to celebrate as well as encourage one another. Tell your story!*** #Dressforsuccess #debililly #blogging #aperfectevent #Photography #Chicago #InterContinentalChicagoMagnificentMile #entertainment #Friends #WordPress #amyboylephotography #52PhenomenalWomen

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 but make no mistake— I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing. We are told that these are the best years of our lives but they don’t always feel the best. I think we all hope that this motion of self-doubt will dissipate with age but as I inch toward a quarter-century I am learning to accept that it will be here forever. Am I doing enough with my life? Am I making enough money? Does this outfit make me look fat…and can I really pull off this red lipstick? ©Amy Boyle Photography 2018 This confusion around if I am enough in comparison to others is always there behind the surface keeping my nose warm and my eyes alert. I have learned that where self- doubt is constant, self-confidence must be too although it is easier said than done. Switching between the two narratives takes only a minute. So, the next time you are stuck or unsure of yourself slap on some red lipstick and fake it til’ you make it. ©Amy Boyle Photography 2018 I remember moving cross-country after graduation, my life consisting of two suitcases and a duffle bag. I was ready for the world and surely it was ready for me too. My collegiate success made me overly confident; I thought that I would apply for the job I wanted and that would be it. That was not it. I quickly got used to rejection without being rejected: no email, no callback, only uncertainty, and doubt. That summer I discovered that crying in the shower is best because your roommates are less likely to hear. Instead of waking up proud I woke up thinking, what am I doing? As a kid, I dreamed of the possibilities I could have but as a college graduate, I was overwhelmed by them. One moment feeling like I am on top of the world and can do anything, the next crying in my pool because I am unsure of my place in It. The fear and uncertainty of what to do next and what am I doing right now are constant so I embrace it. I let it excite me the same way that watching a scary movie excites me giving me the rush of adrenaline I need to get out of bed even on the bad days. It is only through fear and uncertainty that I have gotten this far and through the same that I will continue to go further. ©Amy Boyle Photography 2018 Put one foot in front of the other and keep moving.” *** Please follow along on instagram as well and learn more about Martina. This year for my birthday , I am embarking on a weekly photo essay project highlighting 52 Phenomenal Women. This is week 7 of 52. Participants in this project will be supporting the efforts of Dress for Success Worldwide – Central. We are all stronger together and it is my sincere hope that we will be inspired by each other’s stories. Now is the time to celebrate as well as encourage one another. Tell your story!*** #Dressforsuccess #stories #blogging #52PWP #Photography #Chicago #reflections #Portraitphotography #thoughts #WordPress #amyboylephotography #52PhenomenalWomen

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 until graduate school when they removed the lower left lobe if my lung. After the surgery, I decided keep the disease in the background, informing what I did but not defining it and not defining me. Except for a persistent cough, most people did not know about my lung issue. If they mentioned the cough, I would usually allude to a bad cold or bad lungs and leave it at that. I had and have a very active life. My first career was in academia. At 40, I got an MBA and moved to the city of my dreams – New York City – to take a job with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), one of the world’s largest professional service firms. At 50, I became a partner. A year later, I became PwC’s first Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) and sat on the Firm’s 13 member U.S. Management Team. ©Amy Boyle Photography 2018 I retired early and took two years off to play. I went to China and Thailand and took up yoga. I also did some consulting which led me back to full time work at The Conference Board, a not-for-profit business membership organization where I became their CDO and SVP of Human Resources. I also took classes at FIT in image consulting. I’m interested in people’s first impressions and how opinions are formed before we open our mouths. The combination of my jobs, and living in NYC, allowed me to combine many of the things I love – diversity and inclusion, travel, theater, fashion and art. I retired a second time and returned to Chicago. Last year, a sleep test revealed I should be sleeping with oxygen. And more recently, I started wearing oxygen with exertion such as climbing stairs or for walks. So my new first impression now included oxygen. I was embarrassed to wear oxygen in public. I didn’t want people to think or treat me differently, to think I was old or limit my chances for dating. (Dating possibilities are already bad enough.) I am grateful for the mobility my small oxygen concentrator affords me. With optimism, curiosity and my concentrator, there are very few limits. ©Amy Boyle Photography 2018 When Amy presented this opportunity to be featured in her blog, I asked her to take some pictures of me wearing oxygen. I began thinking of this “my oxygen debut.” Much to my surprise, I liked the woman in Amy’s photos. And I barely noticed the tubes. It also made me realize how grateful I am to live in a time with small oxygen concentrators rather than large metal tanks. With the concentration, I am able to do most of what I have done, but at a slightly slower pace. I am also (trying) developing a daily meditation practice to help with my breathing and to get better at self-compassion. My plan is to continue doing the things I love until I can’t. I just booked a two week trip to Japan in the spring. I have always wanted to see the cherry blossoms. So, I signed up for a tour of Japan, in the spring, and I’m off!” *** Please follow along on instagram as well and learn more about Toni. This year for my birthday , I am embarking on a weekly photo essay project highlighting 52 Phenomenal Women. This is week 8 of 52. Participants in this project will be supporting the efforts of Dress for Success Worldwide – Central. We are all stronger together and it is my sincere hope that we will be inspired by each other’s stories. Now is the time to celebrate as well as encourage one another. Tell your story!*** #Dressforsuccess #blogging #52PWP #Photography #guestblogger #reflections #WordPress #amyboylephotography #52PhenomenalWomen