It’s Thanksgiving and thus time for the obligatory blog post on gratitude. But I am ready and willing any day of the year to tell you how thankful I am for See Jane Write.
It is in no way an exaggeration when I say that See Jane Write has changed my life.
See Jane Write started in March of 2011 as just a small women’s writing group and a Blogspot blog. Today it is an award-winning business and a network of hundreds of women.
See Jane Write has boosted my confidence as a writer, teacher, and entrepreneur. When I feel like I’m not smart enough to make my professional dreams come true someone gives me an award to remind me that I am, and all of those awards have been because of See Jane Write.
In 2012 I received the Smart Award from the Women’s Fund of Greater Birmingham, which is given to women doing innovative work in education, business, or the arts.
In 2015 I was selected as one of the city’s Top 40 Under 40 by the Birmingham Business Journal and honored by Girls on the Run as one of four local “Women Who Inspire.”
This year Southern Living magazine included me in its list of Innovators Changing the South, alongside household names like Dolly Parton and actress Reese Witherspoon. And just this fall I was recognized as one of 30 “Women Who Shape the State” by Alabama Media Group and Birmingham magazine. But none of this would have happened without See Jane Write.
I’m thankful for the friends who take time out of their lives to celebrate these moments with me.
And I am eternally grateful for my husband who is not only at every awards ceremony but also at most See Jane Write events helping out. I swear every time I see him carrying bottles of water, trays of food, or venue decorations I fall in love with him all over again!
But See Jane Write isn’t just about me and my success. One of my greatest joys is celebrating the success of See Jane Write members.
This year three members spoke at TEDxBirmingham!
Olivia Affuso explained why “BMI sucks” and discussed the need for better methods of measuring overall health and fitness. (Olivia also embarked on several adventures as she tackled the greatest 50 before 50 list I’ve ever seen. Follow her adventures on her blog. And you can read my profile on Olivia for StyleBlueprint Birmingham here.)
Amy Bickers gave a riveting talk inspired by her book, The Geography of You and Me.
During her thought-provoking talk on race, Randi Pink got the whole crowd to sing along to songs by Boyz II Men and Bell Biv DeVoe. And in September, Randi released her first novel, Into White. Read my B-Metro article on Randi here.
Marathon queen and fitness blogger Artney Walker of My Pretty Brown Fit was featured in Weight Watchers magazine! (Read my B-Metro column on Artney here.)
Just this month Jennifer Dome King of Stellar Fashion and Fitness self-published her first book, Fat Girl Power: How I Built Confidence Through Body Positivity, Fashion and Fitness. (Read my B-Metro article on Jennifer here.)
Charita Hughley Cadenhead released her collaborative book project,, which included an essay from Patricia Campbell, another See Jane Write member.
Christina Renteria of PinkLux hosted her first fashion show earlier this year and has now turned her love for blogging, beauty, and fashion into her full-time job!
Joi Miner launched the Birmingham branch of her editing and event services business Poetic Advisory.
This year poet and essayist Salaam Green of Literary Healing Arts Foundation has written for major publications like Bust magazine, won the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama’s poetry contest, and was named Conference Poet Laureate for the group’s annual innovation conference.
Jessica Furniss of Spiffy Eats landed her first magazine spread, having her recipes featured in Lakeside Living Magazine.
And I’ve celebrated seeing fashion bloggers Jeniese Hosey of The Jenesaisquoi and Bertha Hidalgo of Chic in Academia on the cover of Redbook Magazine!
Even though See Jane Write is a business, many of the women of this organization have become my very best friends. We often gather over good wine and good food not to just talk about writing, blogging, branding, but also to talk about life. We share with one another our dreams and our fears, our problems and our progress. The women of See Jane Write are my fellow goddesses and my tribe.
Please know that even if you are not mentioned or pictured here, I appreciate you. Even if you just hang out in the See Jane Write Facebook group or read my blog posts without ever making a comment, I appreciate you. And as we move into 2017 I urge you to share your story. The world needs to hear it.
Ready to become an official member of See Jane Write? Click here to learn more.