There are days that make being the product launch dreamer here at 8 Women Dream really sparkle. Our fearless leader Catherine and I had an incredible opportunity this past Sunday to speak with our fellow dreamer, Sue. Just hearing her voice all the way from South Africa and sharing the struggles of dreaming, reinforced my belief that no matter where you are and the obstacles you face, dreaming itself can be extraordinary.
It made me think about the global impact of women who dream.
As I walked walked out the office after the call, something jumped out at me from of the pile of mail on my counter. My recent copy of Fast Company – one of my favorite magazine reads – had an inspirational story that fit my mind set at that moment and shouted “read this now!”
The League of Extraordinary Women
The cover story by Ellen McGirt was compiled after several months of research, travel and amazing experiences ranging from heartbreaking to inspiring. Her descriptions of meeting these extraordinary women, and learning all they are doing to help women and girls worldwide is invigorating.
These are women focused on helping women and girls in poverty escape the sometimes life ending situations their circumstances and environment allow today.
Maria Eitel, CEO of the Nike Foundation, is starting her tale at the beginning of her eight-year journey to save the world’s girls. She is telling me about one 13-year-old in particular, the very one who inspired her to invent the Girl Effect, a global initiative that in less than a decade has created or supported groundbreaking programming and research that has put the often-terrifying needs of indigent girls in the toughest parts of the world on the global agenda.
On paper, it’s a simple, direct line. But the “members” of the League know that helping girls and women is never a straightforward affair. In my months of reporting this story, I was struck again and again by the empathic capacity of these well-off Western women to correlate their personal and career struggles with the dire woes of girls in far-off lands. Their urgency, their emphasis on making the strategic case, and their sense that the battle is never really over come directly from their own experiences.
One heroic project at a time
Every change agent needs an agency. We’ve chosen 60 notable members of the League of Extraordinary Women and the organizations, both for-profit and not-for-profit, that are their vehicle to tackle areas of dire need, such as developing the next generation of female entrepreneurs.
These women are involved in some intense opportunities. Their impact covers the breadth of education, health, human rights, youth, technology, leadership and much more. As always, The information provided by Fast Company lets us explore and get to know who is working on what in the world – and how we can help.
One of the League is Sheryl Wudunn, Co-creator of Half the Sky. She is a veteran media and business executive that is transforming a book on human-rights abuses against women (coauthored with The New York Times’ Nicholas Kristof) into a movement that includes a social game, a clothing line, and a forthcoming PBS series.
Are you feeling extraordinary?
We have our own gang of extraordinary inspirational women here everyday, taking you through their process. I know I can’t claim to feeling extraordinary, or even plain ordinary most days as we get through our dream tasks, putting the puzzle together at our own pace.
I look to the League of Extraordinary Women to offer the ideas, inspiration and occasional kick in the butt to keep moving on my dream goals.
I encourage you to read the entire article at Fast Company to be inspired yourself.
Until next launch – Heather
Heather Montgomery is a fitness writer, triathlete, and serial entrepreneur who is devoted to sharing what she has learned about becoming a triathlete after age 40. She uses her Metabolic Training Certification to help other women struggling to get fit in mid-life. She lives and trains in Santa Rosa, California, the new home of the Ironman triathlon. You can find her biking the Sonoma County wine trails.
Note: Articles by Heather may contain affiliate links and will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on an affiliate link.
