9 Lives for Women Blog

I’ve thought of writing a fiction book many times—and because a story has to grab me from the very start, I often jot down opening lines I think would create immediate interest and page-turning enthusiasm.  But that’s about as far as I get.  Those one-liners languish in various piles of paper because I’ve never had…

When it comes to flexibility, you have to be a bit of a pioneer.  Sure, it would be great if jobs came with a menu of possible work arrangements, but flexibility is still something that you  have to make happen—like it or not. It’s not that flexibility does not exist in today’s workplace.  It most…

Some women retire from corporate America and find endless ways to pursue interesting hobbies, and others toy with the idea of starting a business.  I’ve heard dreams of stores, restaurants, yoga salons, tutoring services, and much more—but far fewer well-researched ideas. A few years ago I asked a group of business owners to speak to budding…

One of my blog readers from the Philadelphia area sent me these two  questions that other women may be wondering about as well:“I have begun to make steady gains in the networking process through LinkedIn, and I signed up for a Networking function with Meeting Planners International.  Now that I’m making lots of connections, I…

One of my dearest friends has had many interesting life experiences both in and out of the workforce.  She’s a mother and grandmother who has moved through multiple careers in state government, on Wall Street, at interesting non-profits, newspapers, and more.  Though her resume is quite impressive, there was a time several decades ago when…

The scene is a psychiatrist’s office.  Your son or daughter at age 40 is recounting an unfortunate childhood—one that did not include you opening the door when they got home from school.  You did not serve milk and cookies and oversee every minute of their homework.  You did not drive them to multiple after-school activities. …