The Spice Girls – Melanie B, Melanie C, Geri Halliwell, Victoria Adams And Emma Bunton, The Spice Girls – Melanie B, Melanie C, Geri Halliwell, Victoria Adams And Emma Bunton (Photo by Brian Rasic/Getty Images)

Suddenly she shifted in her seat.  I watch as she folded her arms tight to her chest.  Her energy that was once soft & zealous has now hardened like a candy coated shell.  Just a few minutes previous, we were sharing, smiling, connecting.  There is now an invisible brick wall between us.  A wall I now have to climb, or carefully knock down.  This is a reaction that I face every now and again, when the person realizes that what I provide is marketing & advertising.  I guess it’s so out-of-the-box, it’s hardly recognizable.

Like many, my business is for profit.  Even though I would do it for free, dare I reveal that I’m working to earn an income?  I am proud of what I’ve created.  And I am proud to serve many women in business that may not necessarily have access to professional grade media services.  I’m proud of the quality I provide & the creativity I give.  And I’m grateful for the women who do have access, but value a variety in the spice of their advertising life.  My explanation comes with candor & humility, but without apology.  I still find this shift in energy interesting, regardless of how transparent I am.  We kindly smile and move on.  Luckily, and more often than not, I receive the noble lifted brow & nod of the head, which is usually accompanied by an invisible pat on the back.

So cheers to the powerful women in business who strive to provide.  Cheers to the powerful women who create their own boxes.  And cheers to another year filled with powerful women revealed.