I'm currently in Paris and everything is in bloom. Walking through the Tuileries Jardin, you'll see the chestnut trees in full bloom.
Springtime is when we begin to see the buds of what we have planted and this issue will certainly have you cultivating your own gardens of dreams as you design, create and live your fabulous next chapter.
From how you care for your beautiful face, your style, good insight into a platform for your business that isn’t talked about much, as well as ideas for your travel plans, our amazing new and regular contributors have made this one of our biggest issues yet! Molly Wilkinson, shares how a little setback called covid, launched a new segment of her business as well as her first cookbook! The fabulous style guru Sara Griot gives us tips around clearing out our closets so that you can prepare the new elegant you along with beautiful but simple spring transition outfits. Trés chic!
And speaking of spring cleaning, sometimes our closest relationship needs an upleveling. MD and certified Life Coach, Allison Anderson, has a great list of suggestions to clear out the
relationship junk so you can welcome in joy.
And if you’re observing that your face is looking tired when you feel the opposite, then you need to read the article by Dr. Naeemah Ruffin, the face fitness doctor. Who knew that the muscles in our faces can work out just like the rest of the muscles in our bodies. Looking tired might just be a thing of the past!
If you are thinking of travel plans for this year but not sure if you want to travel with a group or by yourself, Alessia Tenebruso shares her journey of solo travel, which launched her business. The travel industry is just starting to wake up to this phenomenon. As usual, we highlight a hotel and, in this issue, you’ll step into Kit Kemp’s fabulous Whitby Hotel in NYC. Perfect for your weekend of live theatre and so fabulous to be cocooned in comfort, luxury, along with a dash of quirkiness when you aren’t clapping for the fantastic performances.
If you are growing that side hustle, Hayley Forester talks Pinterest. As a specialist in Pinterest, Hayley shares things you should consider about the
platform that is frequented regularly by women over 40 but rarely discussed in a business context.
But that’s not all. Jenny Belanger, owner of JennyB Designs joins us. She creates incredible websites, talks about how important your website is to your side hustle, so with the right person helping you, getting your website updated or launched doesn’t have to be hard or complicated.
Deep breath. If you need a break from that hobby, business, or however you are navigating your next transition and feeling like you need a break, it is time for a glass of champagne! Cynthia from Delectabulles talks champagne. You’ll also be inspired by her pivot from corporate to owning her own business.
My word for the year is cultivate…and this issue is all about cultivating your dreams, your plans, your fabulous next chapter!
Enjoy.
We are delighted to have the following talented contributors in this issue.
is the Editor-in-Chief of the magazine, podcast host, and leader of the School of Joie de Vivre, which helps participants start living their dreams by infusing the Parisian lifestyle in their everyday lives no matter where they are in the world.
www.extraordinarywomenmagazine.com
is a Pinterest Strategist who helps online business owners master Pinterest marketing so they can achieve more visibility, more leads and more sales in less time.
www.hayleyanneforster.com
is empowering women one bottle of champagne at a time. She is a Canadian who has been living in Paris for 30 years, all the while exploring the places, people and cultures around wine and specifically the beautiful pairing of champagne and women.
www.delectabulles.com
is a board-certified cardiothoracic anesthesiologist and certified life coach. She’s on a mission to help other high-achieving women create personal lives as extraordinary as their careers by up-leveling their relationships, confidence, and self-image.
www.allisonandersoncoaching.com
is a web Designer, list maker, mother, and believer that you don’t have to work more to earn more in your business. After a decade of honing her design skills, she launched her company creating strategic, personality-paacked websites.
www.jennyb-designs.com/
Is a Le Cordon Bleu trained pastry chef, offering classes in her Versailles apartment or online where you (and your kitchen) will feel like you’ve been transported to France.
www.mollyjwilk.com/
is the Founder and CEO of Bellantz and a former Assistant Clinical Professor at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. Prior to Dr. Ruffin’s medical education and training, she was a corporate executive with a Fortune 20 financial services corporation in which she led one of their business lines. Leveraging her medical and surgical training, created the face fitness program as well as a skin care line.
www.bellantz.com/
helps women find their confidence through fashion by applying her 20+ years of experience as a women's clothing designer.
www.sarajgriot.com/
is the owner of One Girl Travel, a solo travel-focused life-coaching company that helps empower women to make the world their playground and live a life of freedom.
www.onegirltravel.com
By Sharri Harmel
Kit Kemp’s Firmdale hotels have always been on my list of special places, and The Whitby in NYC did not disappoint. It is a beautiful, quirkily decorated hotel with a bit of the British vibe of fabulous customer service combined with hominess. The decorating, whether in rooms, elevators, or dining area, is in total contrast to the sleek, contemporary look of so many luxury hotels in NYC. That’s why I loved it! There are actually porcelain plates hung on the walls! Not very NYC at all, but I love quirky. I feel comfortable in quirky.
Especially for a single gal, there is huge value to staying in your same much-loved hotel group whenever you travel. When you find what you like, keep it, whether it is style, cooking, cars, or airlines. The décor feels familiar, and that translates to safety. The sheets, towels, and even scents are again familiar; therefore, you can relax into your stay and get a lovely night of sleep. Plus, given Firmdale is a British hotel group, the tea is served hot and brewed to perfection.
Like all Kit Kemp’s London hotels, the Whitby in NYC has a lovely little living room off the lobby with the usual honor bar. This was my regular place of inspiration over the weekend. I’d start writing with a glass of champagne or a warm beverage nearby, and the ideas would flow.
The Whitby also has a Restaurant and Bar in the same building. It is open
“I’d start writing with a glass of champagne or a warm beverage nearby, and the ideas would flow."
- Sharri Harmel
to the public, so it was pretty busy in the evening, but I made reservations for dinners and breakfasts ahead of time, just in case. I always say….go to NYC with a purpose. For me, it was to see plays and walk, so I didn’t have the desire to find the most talked about new restaurants. Having a restaurant just off the lobby was perfect for me. I’m also a room service gal, especially for breakfasts, which were wonderful. When I checked in, I was asked if I needed anything, and a Nespresso machine was mentioned. As a Nespresso addict, I almost danced when it arrived in my room, and I appreciated making my own 4:00 espresso before heading off to dinner or a play.
The artwork throughout the hotel is fantastic, especially in the restaurant. If you like color, you’ll be in your happy place. The restaurant has comfortable seating with a gorgeous bar for that late-night cocktail. You’ll sink into the chairs or sofa in the little living room. The staff was helpful and attentive, and the location was just a couple of blocks from Central Park.
It was a fantastic weekend that began with an easy train ride from Boston to NYC. Friday night, I saw the musical Funny Girl, one of the best musicals I’ve seen in a long time. Lea Michele and Ramin Karimloo’s voices rocked the theatre. It was truly magical, and that’s saying a lot given I grew up singing “People Who Need People”
with Barbara Streisand and drooling over Omar Sharif. On Saturday, I went to a matinee of the play Leopoldstadt. Beautiful and sad, and very well done.
Sometimes all we need is one incredible weekend to lift our spirits.
by Allison Anderson, MD
We often use spring as a time for a refresh. We do spring cleaning. We let go of things we no longer want or need. We tidy up. We make space. Space for what we desire, space to breathe, space to expand. We get excited about the possibilities that await.
We refresh our closets, kitchens, and garages. We might refresh our wardrobes, makeup, or haircuts.
And spring is a perfect time also to refresh our relationships. We can carry the bright, optimistic energy of the season into evaluating our marriage and making it feel new again.
Before you plan to tell your husband everything you need him to do differently or decide you need a major overhaul of certain patterns or actions, let me tell you the secret to creating anything you want in your life: it all comes down to your thinking.
Your thoughts create all of your emotions. Your emotions drive all of your actions. And the actions you
take create all of your results. That means that your entire experience of your marriage can be traced back to how you are thinking about it. Now I’m not saying that your partner doesn’t have a role in things. But his words and actions don’t affect you until you have a thought about them. Everything is subject to interpretation.
As with any spring cleaning, spring cleaning for your marriage starts with analyzing what you’ve got right now. Just like you would clear everything from your junk drawer and then decide what to put back in, you will want to clear all of your current thoughts about your relationship from your mind and then decide which ones to keep. The way to do this is via a thought download. This is essentially a steam-ofconsciousness writing exercise where you get it all out. Take a piece of paper (yes, actual
paper and pen are best) and write your thoughts about your marriage and partner. Let it flow without editing or judgment. If you need some prompts to consider, try these:
What is my overall feeling about my marriage, and why?
What do I wish was different in my marriage?
What’s amazing about my marriage? What do I think about my husband/ partner?
What do I think about myself in the context of my marriage?
Once you’ve put it all on paper, you can look and see everything there.
“Spring is a perfect time also to refresh our relationships.”
- Allison Anderson, M.D.
Ah, spring. That auspicious time of year when the flowers start to emerge, the birds start to sing, and the world seems to wake from its dormant winter state.
Our brains are thought-generating machines, and we have 60,000 thoughts per day. It turns out that a small percentage are super important and useful, and the vast majority are
you’ve written down are subject to investigation. Using our example above, let’s go through three questions to ask yourself about those beliefs (inspired by the work of Byron Katie).
junk drawer, done away with all the broken items, and are now ready to curate a drawer filled only with the most intentional, useful objects.
random, unimportant, or complete nonsense. Many are “thought errors” - thoughts that seem true but aren’t. Because we are biologically hardwired to be on the lookout for any danger, our brains have a negativity bias and predominately focus on what’s going wrong. Sometimes, we inadvertently hold onto thought errors, which become our life’s unconscious soundtrack. For example, a common thought error that I often hear is something like, “marriages lose their spark after a certain number of years.” This might seem very true. You might have lots of evidence in your own marriage to support that thought. Your friends might agree with you and provide proof of how it seems true in their marriages. The media certainly does a great job of promoting this thought error, with rhetoric around romance and passion being fleeting. So it makes sense that a thought error like “marriages lose their spark after a certain number of years” becomes a well-ingrained belief for many of us.
Look at your thought download and start to question all of it. Any negative thoughts and beliefs
1
Is it true? 100% true, factual, and provable in a court of law?
In this case, no. No one would take the stand and testify that 100% of marriages lose their spark after a certain number of years.
2
Look at your thought download and circle any thoughts that make you feel amazing about your husband and marriage. Things like, “I love him so much,” “He’s such a great partner,” and “He’s just so handsome and getting better with age!” Then come up with other thoughts to practice thinking on purpose that make you feel excited, loving, connected, grounded, joyful, etc.
Even if it’s true, is it helpful?
Again, in this case, no. When you view your relationship through the lens of “marriages lose their spark after a certain number of years,” you will subconsciously be looking for more evidence supporting that belief. Your brain can always find a way to prove itself right. Holding onto that belief will make it very likely that you focus on all the ways your marriage lacks a spark. And because what we focus on grows, that thought won’t prompt you to actually do anything to increase the spark. 3
Make a list of 5-10 intentional thoughts about your marriage that make you feel great, and keep them handy. Practice thinking about them daily and watch your experience of your marriage shift in the most positive ways.
Clearing out old clothes that don’t fit your body or style makes space for new, gorgeous pieces to be added to your wardrobe. And clearing out the old, stale thoughts you have about your marriage opens room for new levels of connection, love, and intimacy to flourish. And we all can use more of that.
What would I do if I didn’t believe this thought?
Without the thought about marriages losing their spark, you would likely focus more on what’s going well in your relationship, and you would be inspired to find fun and romantic things to do with your partner that would feel exciting and fresh. Once you’ve gained awareness of your thinking by doing your thought download, and after you question any thoughts or beliefs that aren’t serving you, the next step is to intentionally decide which thoughts you want to keep going forward. This is the stage where you’ve emptied the
Allison Anderson, MD, is a board-certified cardiothoracic anesthesiologist and certified life coach. She’s on a mission to help other high-achieving women create personal lives as extraordinary as their careers by upleveling their relationships, confidence, and self-image.
Find her and the meditation mentioned in this article at www.allisonandersoncoaching.com/ meditation
by Molly J Wilk
Like most of us, I remember the day the world shuts down. I was sitting in the living room on our gray velvet couch, stunned but optimistic and unprepared for what would come. I turned to my partner, Francois, and said, “Well, perfect, I’ll have time to work on my cookbook!”
Just two months before, a publisher had unexpectedly reached out asking me to write whatever I wanted, to send over some ideas. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse! I’d always wanted to write a cookbook but didn’t think I was anywhere near that stage in my career yet.
In 2013, I’d quit my digital marketing job after years of dreaming of making something of my passion in the kitchen. I’d seen other coworkers take a sabbatical or move to part-time to spend more time at home or pursue a hobby, and why couldn’t I? I’d worked up to the change slowly but surely.
I was terrified to make a move, though, as I’d been told success was found in a 9 to 5 desk job, moving up the ladder, and maybe just maybe making my way into a tippy-top position in a company. Either I could take a break and come back to my 9 to 5 job easily, or I could do something entirely different. I loved what I did and was already managing a team of 6 people at the age of 25, but in the back of my mind, I knew I needed to decide soon.
So that’s how I found my way to Paris, studying pastry at Le Cordon Bleu and eventually teaching classes in Versailles.
Francois and I had just moved to Versailles. My business was starting out, with our new apartment having the perfect space for holding small inperson classes. I had several people booked in for 2020 and was so excited about what the year would bring. In a moment of panic, I emailed each one saying, “we will see how it goes. If you don’t mind, I’ll hold onto the payment for now, and we can reschedule in a couple of months.”
Then the cancellations started rolling in as flights were grounded, and we went into confinement. The initial feeling that I’d take the time to relax and write my cookbook quickly spiraled as I issued refund after refund. These classes were my revenue source for the next several months, and as a freelancer, I wouldn’t have any extra pay coming in.
Relatively soon after my panic attack, I was scrolling through Facebook and saw a note from someone talking about an online class they were taking. It was a three-week course learning different Thai recipes. I’d
never taught a paid online class, but I certainly had taught online.
For the last year, I’d been tuning in once a month to Instagram Live to teach people what I called a “Surprise Bake Along .”I provided the ingredients and equipment they’d need in advance but not the name of what they would be making. We would jump on altogether, and I would lead about 30-50 people through an easy recipe with Francois behind the camera calling out questions people put in the comments. It was so much fun, and why couldn’t I turn this into a little side business during the pandemic?
I did minimal research, set up a page
“When 100 people signed up, I knew I was on to something!”
- Molly J Wilk
on my website with all the necessary links for people to buy the first course, “French Macarons and Cream Puffs,” and put it out into the world. That first course sold 100 places. Then I closed the doors; how could I handle more than 100 people live? I’d never taught a group that large before.
I jumped into it, Francois as the cameraman, me running around the kitchen teaching and dancing, and it was a massive success! So, I opened up the course again, and
when 100 people signed up, I knew I was on to something!
This quick shift and the pandemic were rapidly turning my business around into one of its most profitable years yet.
I started working like crazy on recipes for my cookbook and teaching them online. It was an incredible way for me to share what I felt was a perfect recipe and have it tested over and over again by hundreds of students worldwide. Each question I received I took to heart, adjusting the recipe just a little bit here or there so it would be clearer. Through Zoom, I could also see into everyone’s kitchen and see what they were making. If something didn’t look just how I wanted, I’d see what I could do to make it so.
Over the next year, I taught more than a thousand students and painstakingly wrote 60 recipes for my cookbook. I don’t even want to know how much butter I bought! And you really don’t want to know how much I spent on shipping flour from the US to test the more finicky recipes.
My business had evolved from depending on in-person classes and
workshops to an online approach teaching people worldwide how to make French pastries out of their homes with easy-to-find ingredients.
The community created during that difficult time has stayed in place. We were there for each other in sugar and sweatpants, baking to forget and finding joy in creativity. The French Pastry Made Simple cookbook release was an utter success, and now the bulk of my business is online with live and recorded courses.
Molly J WlikMolly is the author of two cookbooks: French Pastry Made Simple and Macarons Recipe Ebook. www.MollyJWilk.com @MollyJWilk on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok
“I never dreamed I’d be able to bake such beautiful and complicated looking treats. Things like Macaroons, Pastry Cream, Choux, and Puff Pastry intimidated me. Molly made everything simple and easy.”
- Emily B
by Hayley Forster
Did you know that Pinterest influences more sales than Facebook? Pinterest is an underrated platform that has been helping businesses increase their overall sales for years. If you haven’t started Pinning yet, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to grow your business.
It is a great marketing platform for increasing web traffic, getting more leads, and finding your dream clients!
Before going into details about HOW you can use it, I want to explain to you WHY you should be using it….
● Pinterest has blown up in recent years – with over 450 million monthly active users worldwide and still growing rapidly up to the present year.
● Its appeal has breached the barrier of all generational segments, especially with millennials and Gen Z, meaning a wide age range of users.
● Female users dominate the number of active monthly users (80%), but the number of male users is rising day by day
● Pinterest is the go-to social media platform for visual graphics that allows users to discover related images/videos that can be used as inspiration for projects or future purchases.
● The majority of Pinterest users go to the platform as they have a problem to solve or a project for which they need inspiration. They are actively looking for solutions and are ready to purchase.
● Based on research, Pinterest is capable of driving 3.8x greater sales than other average digital campaigns.
Businesses have been growing immensely fast by introducing their products and services to the huge active numbers of audiences in the platform who potentially have purchasing powers.
It can help you power up your brand identity, authority, and awareness – priceless when wanting to grow your community and increase your sales. Can you afford to miss out on this?? Especially when you can reach these new audiences organically – and completely FREE!
But how can you succeed on the platform and take advantage?
Using Pinterest for your business can feel like a minefield of do’s and don’ts.
Pinterest is constantly changing and implementing new things, and it can be difficult to keep up with it, especially when you’re already struggling to make Pinterest work for you.
But it doesn’t have to be complicated. Using Pinterest for business is very simple.
To help you spend your time wisely and maximize your effort, here are the four key areas to make Pinterest work for your business.
“Based on research, Pinterest is capable of driving 3.8x greater sales than other average digital campaigns.”
Knowing who you’re talking to, creating content for, and marketing to is crucial.
If you have background info on your ideal client avatar, structure the content you share on Pinterest (own and 3rd party) to serve your ideal client.
If you still need to do that work, dig down and ask yourself the question - what would you ideal client be going to Pinterest for? What problems do they have and what are they looking to solve?
People on Pinterest are always looking for ideas, and that means content is king, so make sure your content is wellmade, high-quality, and informing.
Then share your blog posts, products, services, freebies, and resources on Pinterest - as long as it has a clear purpose, it should be shared!
As Pinterest is a visual platform, you need to create attention-grabbing graphics. Meaning use good quality imagery with a 2:3 ratio, catchy image copy to draw the pinner in, bright colours that catches the eye and legible fonts.
You also need to master the keywords that your ideal client avatar would be searching for so you’re always targeting your specific audience. Once you have these keywords - include them in your profile, boards, pins, and media files in WordPress.
This keywording will help your content show up in searches, and the imagery will help the pinners find your content in their search and take action.
Now that you know who your target audience is and have content to draw them in, it’s time to come up with a plan about how to get them from Pinterest and into your community as a lead, buyer, or subscriber - ask yourself, what do you want them to do and what action do they need to take?
Be clear with them on the pin, the description, and on the content that they will consume.
For example, if you want them on your email list, create an awesome prominent lead magnet throughout your content. If you sell physical products, make it easy for them to purchase, enable shoppable rich pins, and pin your products with the correct link.
When you have mapped out your strategy and started implementing it, staying consistent is important. Pinterest is very slow, meaning it takes time to get seen, get more traffic to your site, and improve your metrics.
Gaining traction takes time.
We want to see the results ASAP, but success doesn’t happen overnight - so you need to be patient and consistent.
Pinterest likes new content, so publish new content regularly and don’t forget to review regularly and optimise your content and strategy, based on what is working and what is not.
…..and whatever you do, don’t give up when you don’t see results right away. It will pay off in the long run. I promise!
is a Pinterest Strategist who helps online business owners master Pinterest marketing so they can achieve more visibility, more leads and more sales in less time.
www.hayleyanneforster.com
TO MY FELLOW FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS:
by Jenny B
These proven tips and tricks will help you win clients who will pay you what you deserve each and every time. 1
The first tip is that your website needs to speak directly to your ideal client immediately when they land on your website. When they come to your website, they want answers. You have less than a few seconds to capture their attention before they click away.
So how do you capture this attention?
You need right away, above the fold (the prime real estate to your website) to answer these questions:
● What you sell
● Why should that matter (how is it going to help them and make their life better)
● How they can do business with you (what to do next, or my favorite words, call to action)
This is what your client needs to understand before they start exploring any more around your site. If your website says, "welcome to my website," or has jargon and words people can't understand, your prime real estate is wasted. People will be confused and not know if they're in the right place. 2
You need to have streamlined navigation directing your ideal client through your sales journey and what you want them to do. When there are too many options, people tend not to make a decision, then they leave, and you miss sales. When you remove a menu item, what's left becomes more prominent.
I suggest limiting your navigation to 5 or less items. For service providers, consider an "about" page, a "services" page, and a "contact" page. If you have a blog or resources, that could also be your 4th option.
And here's a bonus tip. If you haven't already, remove the home option. People know that clicking on your logo it will take them to your homepage (just make sure you have this setup).
3This next tip is "Less is more." We're all busy. And your potential clients are no different. In reality, people don't read websites. They scan and are only looking for relevant information. When they see short, concise sentences, they are much more likely to read it than large chunks of text. You want to keep your copy (the words on your site) as short as possible and to the point.
Consider conducting a test where you read random sentences on your website out of context — does the sentence stand up on its own? If it doesn't, reword it or remove it. Use headlines, lists, and formatting so important phrases jump out or are easy to zip through. Look at your copy. Is it written in your voice? Are you being yourself? If it's not, maybe even grab your phone, talk about
You’re in the entrepreneurial game. You’ve set up your business and successfully attracted clients yay! However, you’re finding that they’re hesitant to pay for your services or trying to cut corners on pricing. You want clients who champion what you do and are happy to pay you what you deserve.
“People get overwhelmed easily, so whatever you can do to keep it simple and easily readable is best."
- Jenny B
your service and then record yourself and write it. It helps to make the copy more like you. One of my favorite tools is otter.ai. And less is always more.
You need to have a clear call to action. Yes, my favorite words again
If you're a service provider, what is the first step in your sales journey? For me, it's to book a consultation call. That's where I'm driving people to. If you're offering a membership, then it's to join the membership, to click buy.
It's important that you not only have a direct call to action but you constantly repeat it over and over. Driving people to that first step in your sales process. Make it so obvious that people know what to do. You want a 5-year-old to know what to do when they land on your website!
Book now, order now, schedule a demo, what is it? Make sure you have a strong call to action that you want
them to take. And every page should have a call to action that supports your business goal and the page's goal.
5. Be sure to include social proof
As human beings are always looking for social proof. We feel comforted knowing that someone else has purchased what they are looking for and had success with it. Testimonials are a must-include on your website.
Here are a few tips about testimonials. You want to include testimonials that go in-depth (they shouldn't be vague and just say "Jenny was super nice"). You want to talk about the results that they got from your service. Include a photo (because we all love to see faces, it builds credibility) and put them on your home page front and center when someone lands there.
And my final tip is to not sacrifice readability for fancy. My advice is to keep it simple; simple font and simple color palette. Use your branding
colors consistently and break down the content into chunks. People get overwhelmed easily, so whatever you can do to keep it simple and easily readable is best.
Now you know some of the bestkept secrets to a website that makes money. If you keep it real, know your ideal clients, and be sure your website is easy to navigate and clutter-free, you will start seeing results fast.
If you're looking for more ways to make money with your website, let's connect online. I have a website personality test that will tell you how your website can be as one-ofa-kind; as you are - *and* give three strategic recommendations you can implement TODAY to see more conversions. And, of course, there are many more resources on my blog.
www.jennyb-designs.com
@thejennybdesigns on Instagram
● Gratitude is a powerful tool that can change every area of your life when you make it an action and not a reaction!
● ●With as little as five minutes a day of intentional awareness, your Gratitude practice will become ingrained in every hour of your day.
● Just as you see results when you work out physically, these daily exercises lead you to experience some truly amazing, life-changing results.
● Strengthen your Gratitude muscle with this 4 step action plan that motivates you from the moment you wake up until you end your day.
by Dr. Naeemah Ruffin
Women are living longer and exploring their 2nd and 3rd careers with ambitions equal to what they had in their 20s and 30s. Some women have the financial means to retire but choose not to because they want to continue to be challenged and productive while making a positive difference in society. These women have achieved significant accomplishments in the first half of their lives and intend to continue building upon their achievements.
This has prompted many women to consider continuing to look vibrant and youthful as they pursue their endeavors. They tend to focus on their face first because our face is how we introduce ourselves to the world, even more so during this age of Zoom and video conferencing. During the pandemic, when many were required to use videoconferencing, many women reported significant dissatisfaction with their image. When this occurred, the moment of truth of how we appear to others became much more significant.
Our youth-obsessed culture produces an abundance of advertisements using models in their 20s to market the latest anti-aging products and treatments. The truth is that these advertisements leave women confused as to how they should look at their present age. Many women believe that to achieve this youthful advertised look; they must resort to invasive or minimally
invasive cosmetic procedures or surgery. Women who choose not to go this route are left feeling that there are no other options. Today, there is a shortage of examples in the media of beautiful women who age gracefully naturally and the steps needed to reach this goal.
While facelifts and other cosmetic procedures became popular over the last few decades, recent trends show that more women are deciding to move toward non-invasive or minimally invasive treatments such as micro-needling, platelet-rich plasma, laser, and radiofrequency. However, even these non-surgical procedures have their own risks and can take many months to see desired results. As a result, women are looking for additional natural ways to look their best.
My own journey of seeking ways to age gracefully naturally started after a 16-year career in corporate America
and then changing careers to become a doctor. One day at the age of 48 I looked at myself in the mirror and noticed how my face had aged. My cheeks were sagging, my upper eyelids were drooping, and I had creases between my nose and cheeks. While I had some friends opting for cosmetic procedures and surgery, I decided to search for a completely natural solution. During my research, I discovered that exercising my facial muscles could strengthen and tone them and reverse many signs of premature aging. Exercising the face is important because facial muscles cannot be adequately strengthened by normal facial expressions.
Natural facial rejuvenation, consisting of non-surgical and non-injectable methods, has become increasingly popular over the last several years. According to the annual Mindbody Wellness Index, nearly three in ten (28%) respondents already do or are interested in doing facial exercises to
“I hope you will join me on this crusade to age gracefully naturally.”
- Dr. Naeemah Ruffin
tone their facial muscles as a natural, holistic, and sustainable approach to looking their best as they age.
Given that aging is multifactorial it became clear to me that the way to rejuvenate the face naturally was to create a fit face, like a fit body. I began to define the concept of face fitness as a state of being where the facial muscles are tone and the skin is healthy, radiant, and glowing. I then developed a face fitness program that is individually tailored to bring about a more youthful and vibrant appearance at any age. I also include a mind-face connection protocol to bring about a pleasant and youthful facial appearance at rest.
My face exercise method is rooted in facial anatomy, muscle physiology, biomechanics, and neuroscience. It addresses changes in facial contour
that happen over time due to a decline in fat volume, loss of muscle tone, and bone resorption. Another key component in facial aging is understanding that your facial appearance reflects the psychological aspects of your well-being. This can result in age-related negative facial expressions contributing to a sad, angry, or tired-looking face. Elements of my program address this oftenoverlooked aspect of facial aging. Improving the appearance and health of the skin is vitally important as well so I created a natural plant-based and organic skincare line.
Unlike invasive cosmetic procedures, my program has no side effects, no downtime, can be done in the comfort of your own home in 5-10 minutes per day, yields results in 4-6 weeks, and is sustainable over a lifetime. My approach is aspirational but encourages realistic expectations
rather than affirming a stereotypical image of beauty. The focus is not just on looking younger, which you most certainly will, but it also emphasizes the inner self. I help you shed beauty stereotypes and embrace the beauty and power of the current season of your life.
My passion is to empower women to move to the next level of selfcare by nourishing, cultivating, and cherishing their face and mind. I encourage women to honor each chapter of their life and to create the best version of themselves, which will ultimately be reflected in their facial appearance. I hope you will join me on this crusade to age gracefully naturally.
Dr. Naeemah Ruffin is changing the faces of women and men with her unique face fitness program. She is sought out by a variety of individuals such as corporate executives, actors, and models who are looking for a natural and noninvasive approach to achieving a youthful facial appearance.
Looking for her own natural and sustainable approach to a youthful facial appearance, Dr. Ruffin leveraged her medical education and surgical training to create a unique and effective face fitness program. Dr. Ruffin’s program empowers women and men to defy their age by lifting and toning their facial muscles and creating healthy and glowing skin through her face exercises and natural and organic skincare line.
Dr. Ruffin is the Founder and CEO of Bellantz and a former Assistant Clinical Professor at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. She completed her surgical residency and chief residency training at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and completed a mini-fellowship in dermatopathology at Bako Diagnostics. Prior to Dr. Ruffin’s medical education and training, she was a corporate executive with a Fortune 20 financial services corporation in which she led one of their business lines.
by Cynthia Coutu
I am Canadian and have lived in France for 31 years, more than half my life. I originally came to do a Masters’s in Art history at the Sorbonne. I was offered a job at the Canadian Embassy, then at the OECD (an international organization known for its comparable statistics). Neither job had anything to do with art history, but I wasn’t ready to go back home. I loved wine and cheese too much! The Internet was just starting back then. I taught myself how to code, and I managed their websites for the next 20 years, fast forward to a few days before my 50th birthday. I was informed that my position at the OECD was going to be cut. Leaving the OECD was a blessing, not even in disguise. I felt like a prisoner who had just been set free from a golden cage.
For the next chapter in my life story, I wanted to do something that made my heart sing. Wine was my passion. I knew a lot about wine, but I didn’t have a document to prove it. I signed up for the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) program to become a certified wine professional. The more I ventured into the professional wine world, the more I realized it was male-dominated. When I judged wine contests, trying to find another woman in the room sometimes felt like looking for Waldo. Ditto when I attended professional wine fairs. I started to seek out women wine professionals. One winemaker from Burgundy told me that men and women didn’t behave the same way during tastings. She explained that men tended to be more interested in technical information, like methods of vinification and percentage of grape varieties, and that they liked to use their knowledge as power. She laughed and confided that some men even liked to mansplain how she made her wines.
She also mentioned that women were either intimidated or bored by technical information. That gave me an idea. I wondered what would happen if I did women-only tastings?
While becoming a certified wine professional, I also taught an international MBA class at a university in Paris. During breaks, the young women in my class would pick my brain about life, work, and relationships. I realized they wanted to be mentored. I was also meeting a lot of older successful women who were sitting on mountains of knowledge and experience they wanted to share. They had been there, done that, seen the movie, and got the T-shirt. I connected all the dots and created Delectabulles, a champagne networking club for women so that women could connect while sipping a glass of bubbly. I
also made the conscious decision only to use champagnes made by women. It was my small contribution to supporting women in a maledominated industry.
Learning about wine is a very humbling experience. The more you know, the more you realize there is to learn. It touches upon history, geography, geology, chemistry, legislation, culture, etc. I decided to specialize in champagne and other sparkling wines for many reasons. The main reason is that women played a critical role in the history of champagne.
MesdamesClicquot, Pommery, Laurent-Perrier, Henriot, Bollinger, for example, profoundly changed the
“Learning about wine is a very humbling experience. The more you know, the more you realize there is to learn.”
- Cynthia Coutu
way champagne was produced and marketed. Women continue to play an important role today. The CEO of Taittinger is a woman, the cellar master of Krug is a woman, and the list goes on (and available on my website homepage). I love telling stories about the fearless women behind the bottles. Did you know that Mme Clicquot invented the blended rosé method? Or that Mme Pommery invented brut champagne?
Shortly after creating Delectabulles, I realized that the women attending my events could tell me if they preferred champagne x or champagne y, but
they didn’t know why. I decided to teach Champagne Masterclasses for Women. I wanted to give women the tools to understand better what they liked and why, which factors affect aromas, quality, and price. How to get the best bang for their buck was particularly important, considering that 70% of champagne is purchased by women. The women attending the classes confirmed they preferred a women-only learning environment. They felt “safe” asking questions. They also felt empowered, especially those who opened their first bottle by themselves.
At the end of my first year, Delectabulles was voted Best Wine Tasting in Paris by Expatriates Magazine. Since then, I have been chosen as Best Wine Experience in Paris by Travel and Hospitality Awards, Wine Expert of the Year by Luxury Travel Guide Global Awards Top 50 Wine Experiences in the World by The Wine Magazine. I suspect it is because a lot of women work in the travel and hospitality industries and women love to support other women. I know I do! I partner with female entrepreneurs for at least one monthly tasting event (e.g. Yoga
and Champagne, Chocolate and Champagne, Shoes and Champagne, Cheese and Champagne). I also now take women on off-the-beaten-path day trips to champagne. And, of course, we only visit houses where women play a key role. Cheers to all the women who love champagne! And cheers to all the women who make it!
If you would like to get tips about champagne, learn about the women behind the bottles, attend my events, or become a club member, you can:
● Follow Delectabulles on Facebook (www.facebook.com/delectabulles) or Instagram (www.instagram.com/ delectabulles
● Sign up for my newsletter at the bottom of any page on https://www. delectabulles.com
is empowering women one bottle of champagne at a time. She is a Canadian who has been living in Paris for 30 years, all the while exploring the places, people and cultures around wine and specifically the beautiful pairing of champagne and women. www.delectabulles.com
“Cheers to all the women who love champagne!”
- Cynthia CoutuCynthia Coutu
by Sara Griot
If you're new to the concept, you may be wondering what exactly a capsule wardrobe is.
A capsule wardrobe is simply a collection of clothing composed of thoughtfully curated, easily interchangeable items designed to maximize the number of outfits that you can create.
If you're new to the concept, you may be wondering what exactly a capsule wardrobe is.
A capsule wardrobe is simply a collection of clothing composed of thoughtfully curated, easily interchangeable items designed to maximize the number of outfits that you can create.
Essentially, a capsule wardrobe allows you to create a variety of different looks with a small selection of clothes. Having a wardrobe containing only items you love means you don't have clothing around that doesn't fit you well, doesn't flatter your body shape, lifestyle, coloring, or simply doesn't fit your personal style. Personally, I have a capsule wardrobe for Fall/Winter and one for Spring/Summer. I also have a Holiday Capsule wardrobe.
There is no strict set of rules about creating a capsule wardrobe, except trying to limit the number of pieces of clothing in your closet and trying to minimize the stress of putting an outfit together every day. Try to focus
on creating a classic capsule wardrobe comprised of high-quality pieces that will last.
What isn't included in a capsule wardrobe are garments like cocktail dresses or anything for a black-tie event, workout clothing, loungewear, joggers, pajamas, socks, and underwear.
This is how I break it down.
1 Edit your closet.
The first step in building a capsule wardrobe is removing things from your current wardrobe that you know you are ready to part with. Doing this allows you to clear the clutter to focus on building a capsule wardrobe with pieces you love.
“When getting dressed, less is more."
- Sara Griot
2 Choose your core capsule pieces.
Once you've done your initial edit, you can choose clothes you want to incorporate into your capsule wardrobe from what you have left. When doing this, look for quality pieces that are both functional and versatile. A functional piece of clothing is practical, useful, and suits your current lifestyle. A versatile piece of clothing easily pairs with other clothes, can be styled in different ways, and worn in different contexts.
3 Choose your base colors.
Use the clothes you love and frequently wear to determine what the base color(s) of your wardrobe should be. These are your neutrals.
You can choose black or navy. Look at what you tend to wear to make sure that the base color you choose is what looks good on you.
Once you've selected one of these, choose complementary base colors. If you chose black, your complementary base colors will likely be white and grey. If you chose navy, your complementary base colors could be beige and cream.
From the clothes that you've decided to keep, select solid-color pieces that are the base colors you selected and put them back in your closet or drawers.
Sarah GriotEmpowering women through fashion is something Sara Griot had in mind even as a young girl, when she announced to her family that she was destined to become a clothing designer. After completing her education in design and business, she launched two successful fashion brands. Sara helps women find their confidence through fashion, by applying her 20+ years of experience as a women’s clothing designer.
Sara enjoys helping her clients dress in alignment with their personal brand, while helping them understand the best pieces for their body types and how various items can combine to create signature looks. Her clients are living proof that what you wear can change the way you feel.
I'm sure there are some patterns you love like stripes, polka dots, lace, and possibly floral. For me, it's also textured sweaters, cashmere, and other knits. The idea is to still stay within your chosen color palette with the textures and patterns, though.
First, I'd like to cover what isn't included in a capsule wardrobe. Garments like cocktail dresses or anything for a black-tie event, workout clothing, lounge wear, joggers, pajamas, socks, and underwear.
4 Choose your accent colors.
Choose 2 or 3 colors that coordinate with your base colors (and preferably each other). These are the colors you love to wear because you find them beautiful. AND most importantly, they look good on you. If you like a lot of colors, you can choose accent colors based on the season as well. Then again, from the clothes, you've decided to keep, select solid-color pieces that are the accent colors you chose and put them back in your closet or drawers.
Secondly, there is no exact number for your capsule wardrobe, but somewhere between 30-50 pieces, depending on your lifestyle AND the size of your closet. When getting dressed, less is more. And the reason to create a capsule wardrobe is to take some of the stress out of getting dressed every day. So, with fewer pieces to work with, a closet that you love and reflects you and your unique style, the better your daily routine will be.
Here is what your capsule should include
DENIM (2-4) PAIR
1-2 Dark Wash
1-2 Light Wash
PANTS (3-4) PAIR TROUSERS
1 Black (or navy)
1 Neutral
1 Color
Leggings ( I recommend Spanx Faux Leather ) so comfortable!
JACKETS
1-2 Blazers
Denim (year-round)
Leather SHIRTS
Button-down (white)
Blouse - 2 or 3 (1 patterned)
SWEATERS (5-6)
1-2 Cardigans
1 Chunky Sweater
2 Pullover Sweaters ( 1 V-Neck, 1 Crew Neck)
1 Turtleneck
OUTERWEAR (2-3)
1 Trench Coat
1 Neutral Wool Coat
1 Puffer
T- SHIRTS (2-3)
2 Long Sleeve ( 1 white, 1 black)
CAMISOLE
1-2 Neutral
DRESSES (3-4)
1 Wrap Dress
1 LBD (Little Black Dress)
1 Print
1 Solid Color
I think shoes are the hardest part of a capsule wardrobe because they can add so much to a neutral outfit. Although not everyone is a fan of leopard, it's very versatile and can add a pop to a basic outfit. I happen to love novelty shoes with color or pattern, but having the basic neutrals covered first is most important.
Finally, whatever items your capsule wardrobe is comprised of, one of the most important parts is to make sure that alterations are done to guarantee the best fit and everything is clean and ready to go. How many times have you started to take something out to wear and remember that it needs to be hemmed? I'm guilty of that, I know!
SKIRTS
1 Solid Color Slip Skirt
1 Flowy A-Line Skirt
SHOES
1 Pair Loafers
1 Pair Nude Heels (whatever heel height you prefer)
1 Pair of Black Heels
1 Pair of Neutral Flats
1 Pair of Tennis Shoes
1 Pair of Booties
1 Pair of Tall Boots
I would also add a pair of leopard flats, especially with a neutral wardrobe, but that's a personal choice.
PURSE
1 Crossbody
1 Neutral Everyday Handbag
1 Clutch
Alessia Tenebruso
My name is Alessia, and I have traveled solo for over ten years. I didn't begin this journey as someone confident in myself. In fact, I was incredibly self-conscious, unsure of myself, and shy, and I certainly would never do anything on my own, let alone travel the world solo.
But one day in 2012, when I felt lost, broken, and confused about whom I was after being involved in a mentally abusive relationship, I decided to take the first step to change my life.
I knew I had to do something completely outside of my comfort zone. So I decided to take a trip completely alone. Something I never thought I was capable of.
I was scared, nervous, and so completely unsure of my decision when I first stepped onto the plane, ready to embark on my first vacation by myself.
As soon as I sat down on my flight, my journey began. Sitting next to me was a guy my age… who happened to be a solo traveler. Considering I had never had a conversation with anyone on a flight before, I found it miraculous that of all the moments to begin
talking to a stranger on a flight, it would be a seasoned solo traveler while I was on my first solo trip.
The universe continued to put people in my path to guide me through that first trip. Whether it was strangers randomly striking up conversations or new friends that I met on a fishing excursion… they were there, and I knew it was to help me on my journey.
I had an incredible time on that first trip and knew I was hooked!
Since that trip, I have traveled the world on my own, meeting some of my favorite people and having the most incredible experiences. I have ridden in a sidecar of a motorcycle in Paris,
visited several castles while wearing ballgowns in Scotland, steered a racing yacht in St. Maarten, I zip lined into cenote in Mexico, and hiked a glacier in Alaska… and that's not even all of it!
Through the act of solo traveling, I have learned so many valuable
“Finding self-love through solo travel has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my journey.
- Alessia Tenebruso
lessons about myself and the world. Most importantly, I learned how to truly love myself.
Finding self-love through solo travel has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my journey.
As I mentioned earlier, I struggled with feeling self-conscious for most of my life until I began my solo travel journey.
I always thought that because my body wasn't the "ideal size," or I didn't make as much money as other people, or didn't have a partner, etc… I wasn't good enough to love myself.
I realize now how much my thoughts held me back and prevented me from fully living my life the way I wanted to live it. One of the tools that helped me gain confidence while I was traveling solo was the embody my future self. I would think about the version of me with all the traits I dreamed of having, such as wealth, a healthy body, confidence, sexiness, being stylish, intriguing, fun, vibrant, etc. I would act as if I was already my future self when I would go on my trips, which might
look like wearing a ball gown to dinner, singing karaoke at a resort, dancing under the stars with new friends, hiring professional photographers to take my photos, or befriending hundreds of people at a concert in Paris.
As I acted like my future self when traveling alone, I realized I became my future self in my everyday life. This is what I like to call "the solo travel lifestyle." I now live my life like how I would feel while on a trip. I stay overnight at local hotels, and I dine alone at local restaurants. I act like a tourist in my city, and I show up as my unapologetic self everywhere I go. My life has become the ultimate destination!
Experiencing this transformation from the point where I felt broken and lost to now being a woman who has created her own business as a certified life coach to help women gain confidence and freedom through solo travel is incredible.
I know the power solo travel can produce for a person, and it is truly the ultimate act of self-love. This is why I created One Girl Travel and my monthly membership, the One Girl Travel Club.
Too often, women put their dreams on hold because:
∙ They are waiting on others to join them.
∙ They feel guilty about making themselves a priority.
∙ They don't know what they want because they haven't thought about their desires.
∙ They lost themselves when they had kids, a relationship, became a caretaker or were so focused on their occupation.
My goal is for every woman to live the life they desire and do the things that pull at their soul because I know what happens when you allow yourself to live your life unapologetically… and it is lifechanging.
Alessia TenebrusoAlessia Tenebruso owns One Girl Travel, a solo travel-focused life-coaching company that helps empower women to make the world their playground and live a life of freedom.
Connect with her here: www.onegirltravel.com
www.instagram.com/one_gril_travel
www.facebook.com/onegirltravel
Contact@onegirltravel.com
“Too often, women put their dreams on hold."
- Alessia Tenebruso
Why I love springtime in Paris…
New beginnings are everywhere. It perfectly fits with my word for the year, which is cultivate. The seeds have been planted, and now I’m nurturing our entire EW Group to encourage growth. Baby steps, but don’t we all love the courage of the tulips and daffodils that always are the first to appear in your spring garden?
The place that means a lot to me right now….
Visiting the Tuileries Garden, I always spend a few minutes in front of the statue titled Standing Woman by Gaston Lachaise in 1932. She’s a curvy gal who poses with confidence and surety. Gaston’s muse for this statue was rumored to be his wife, which I find endearing—a great reminder of my mindset throughout the day.
The thing I couldn’t do without…
My morning coffee. Whatever the season, whether in Boston or Paris or even traveling, I start with my double espresso Chiaro Nespresso, and I’m ready for the day.
In my fridge, you’ll find…
A bottle of champagne, good cheese, and always a pear or two to go with a bit of chocolate. Subconsciously, I seem to be planning to expect a very special guest. Why not? It’s springtime!
My current style icon… Audrey Hepburn. I love the phrase chic decontracté, which perfectly describes the style I admire- simple chic elegance. I’ve got this new plan… only purchase ten new outfit pieces in 2023 to embrace my chic decontracté.
A podcast I’m currently enjoying… The Profitable Podcaster. If you are thinking of starting a podcast or want to figure out how to make your current podcast better, Joe Casabona has fantastic tips (plus I love his name). I credit Joe for introducing me to the mini-podcast, which I hope you all love. In 20 minutes or less, you’ll get a new idea or inspiration, perfect for that drive or metro ride to the gym.
Enjoy the season…and cultivate all your dreams as you create your own fabulous next chapter.
EXTRAORDINARY Women SUBSCRIBE on Apple Podcasts
Conversations on Next Chapter Topics that matter to women of a certain age SUBSCRIBE on Google Podcasts
Real conversations about what can get in the way of you stepping into that fabulous next chapter you want.
Super interesting conversations with women who are working on businesses that they love! Love hearing the challenges and the joys!!
Great tips on what to leave behind as you step into your next chapter!