She Said What?

Our little black book is spreading its wings

Originally starting life as a journalist, I love the written word and it's so much more powerful when collated into an inspiration book like She Said What?. Call me ridiculous, but I can't stop running my hands across the cover and flicking through the unbelievable quotes inside... even though I know them by heart.

I was standing in the AIM Management Bookshop this morning, talking to the CEO of a large and well known Queensland company. He was telling me that he had recently launched a women's management development program in his organisation to ensure women were equipped to rise to executive positions in his organisation. He mentioned your name, Maureen Frank, as you were doing the program for his company. It was a pleasure to be able to show him your quote in She Said What? and watch his interest as he thumbed through the book, recognising name after name of Queensland's best women.

Boom, boom, boom... that's my heart beating. I'm passionate about She Said What? and I'm watching it spread its wings as we receive orders from all over the country.

What sort of feedback have you received? Karyn and I would live to hear it. Please comment below.

Carolyn Barker

PS. The CEO mentioned above purchased 20 copies of the book on the spot!

Have it all? Says who?

Here's the thing: You have an idea for a book that captures just a little of the wit and wisdom you know resides in the minds and experiences of a group of very smart women. You develop some chapters; you invite their contributions; you agonise over which anecdotes sit best with which chapters... and all the time, you know you're failing to capture the single underlying thread that women are debating, because this is not and can't be a single-issue book.

So what's the single issue? 

Having it all. 

Can you have it all?  Of course you can, it's your God-given right, and if you're smart and motivated and skilled in managing priorities and expectations and emotions, you certainly shall.

Can you have it all? Of course you can't, and you shouldn't even want it all, and if you're smart and motivated and skilled in managing priorities and expectations and emotions, you'll work that out, too.

You can have it all, but not all at once.  You can't have it all, but you can still be happy.

Little of this debate is captured in She Said What? because it would have taken half the printed pages to fully explore the issues, opinions and resolutions. And then we would have been unable to present so many fascinating insights into the other topics that enthral us as working women.

Thank goodness for Web 2.0!

We would love to read your thoughts, here on our blog, on having it all. Do you have it? Do you want it? Do you want it for your daughters? Please post your comments and let us know what you think.

Happy posting!

She Said What? - Available now

AIM's boutique publishing business, Management Press, has launched She Said What?, a book which will deliver messages of inspiration, hope and courage to help guide women through the obstacles they face in the workplace today.

She Said What? celebrates the tenth anniversary of AIM's International Women's Day Debate, with each contributor to the book a previous participant of the iconic annual event.