I’m taking a Master’s class about Executive Leadership and my assignment last week was to put together a presentation about an executive leader in the entertainment business. Lots of names came to mind, but I chose Paula Deen because she represents what I call an “overnight entrepreneur.” And, she’s a mom.

Paula Deen is an original mompreneuer. She’s enjoying success today because of a lot of hard work in order to take care of her sons. Here’s why Paula is an inspiration to women and moms.

• Devastation Leads to Action
  After 20 years of marriage, Paula Deen was faced with a devastating divorce, and the need to find a way to make a living to support her two young sons and teenage brother. All she’d know to this point in her life is how to cook and care for people, but she needed skills — and fast. Money was tight; she only had $200 and no business skills. This didn’t stop Paula from digging down deep to survive with the only thing she knew; cooking. (source: Paula’s Story.)
• Overcoming Obstacles
  She had no money, no formal education, and a disease that kept her indoors. (source: Paula’s Story.) A New York Times article quotes Paula on her agoraphobia:

  Some days I could get to the supermarket, but I could never go too far inside,” Ms. Deen said. “I learned to cook with the ingredients they kept close to the door.”

• Believing In Herself
  Paula believed in herself and self-published her first cookbook. Since that time she has had multiple cookbooks published along with a new memoir and is the Editor-in-Chief of a magazine.
• Taking the Good With the Bad
• Take Control of Your Life
• Do What You Love

Paula sums it up great on her Web site:

But, you know what, none of this would have happened if I hadn’t of taken the good with the bad, embraced both the heartache and joy, and taken control of my life when I thought it could not have gotten worse.”

Related:

• PaulaDeen.com
• NY Times article about Deen.
• Cooking With Paula Deen magazine.
• Top 5 recipes from Paula’s magazine.
• Paula’s The Lady and Son’s restaurant.
• Paula on Food Network.

Normally we hear the sad stories about a child drowning when we are reminded of the need for all parents to learn CPR. Typically it’s a tragic story, one that you can’t bear to watch so you change the channel on the TV or turn the page in the newspaper. We ignore things that are hard to watch.

My mom told me about a positive story and it just warms my heart. A two-year-old boy was SAVED by his sister and his mother, who performed CPR. Without the CPR her child wouldn’t have been revived.

The full story can be read here.

Related:

• Find where to get certified in your area — it doesn’t take long and isn’t expensive.
• Read my account of taking CPR.
• Read my post about infant swim lessons.

Oprah announced yesterday that she is offering a free 10-week online class starting in March, based on her new book club selection, “A New Earth.” When I went to the site last night, I got this message:

Due to high traffic demands, this Oprah.com feature is temporarily unavailable.”

Yep, offer something for free and everyone comes in droves. Oprah offers something for free and everyone and her mother comes in droves.

It’s exciting that so many people are interested in discussing a book and learning more, so much so that it crashed the server.

I love learning and jump at the chance for any type of training so I am sure I will join in on this weekly class. She’s said to be teaching it along with the author, Eckhart Tolle. Each week will be based on a chapter in the book. And, there are discussion boars and interactive features for users to upload his/her thoughts — I’m assuming good or bad.

Online education is a new realm for some and I’m glad that Oprah is embracing a new technology in a way that will surely include more people than she ever imagined. I have reservations about if I will like the book, but I’m good about taking new age topics and altering them to my own belief system so I’ll give it a shot. It’s the book’s subtitle that has my interest: “Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose.”

And, since it’s Oprah, the time is right: 9:00 p.m. once a week. Many women are home at that hour and most of the kids are tucked in bed by 9:00 (let’s hope so anyway) so there’s no excuse to join in if you are interested.

Related:

• Buy “A New Earth”
• Sign up to take Oprah’s free class
• Another book by Tolle, “The Power of Now”
• Rick Warren’s “Purpose Driven Life”

I was blog surfing tonight and found a great tip from Courtney over at aisforbeautiful.com. On her list of “100 things about me,” number 49 struck me as an idea all families can adapt into their lives to gain more time together.

49. My family and I have a goal to go hiking every time there is a fifth Sunday.

What a great way to decide to do something special together, every time there is a fifth Sunday. Make it a family day. Maybe it’s a special dinner, or a day at the park, the zoo, a day to visit grandma. Maybe it’s a day to volunteer, or maybe it’s just family lazy day.

This year there are 4 fifth Sundays:

• March 31
• June 29
• August 31
• November 30

How will you spend them?

I’ve been running around like crazy making lists, buying gifts, decorating the house (moving furniture back into the living room), making cookies and doing everything to get ready for Christmas. Last night, while at a friend’s house, I learned that some people don’t send Christmas cards. Got me to thinking of ways that we can eliminate stress during Christmas.

1. Don’t send Christmas cards this year. if your friends are truly your friends they won’t blacklist you from their card list.
2. Stop baking. We all have enough sweets as it is, don’t we?
3. Buy your child one less gift than you plan.
4. Stop decorating. If you don’t have a decoration up by now, don’t put it up. Will you really miss it for one year?
5. Shop online.
6. Decide to go to lunch or dinner with a friend after the holidays instead of exchanging gifts.
7. Use gift bags instead of wrapping paper.
8. Skip at least one party.
9. Do one thing for yourself: read a magazine, watch your favorite show, take a bath.
10. Take time to reflect. Step back, knock one thing off of your list for today so that you can sit back with a glass of Chardonnay and reflect on what the season is really about.