Write for You News & Notes Words Working for You
Autumn 2008/Vol. 4, #5

Welcome to the latest issue of Write for You News & Notes with some words of wisdom on writing, business, and life. If you'd like to share any books or favorite links with our readers, send us an e-mail. And be sure to check our web site for ways that we can help you with your business.

Interested in trying Constant Contact for your business? Click here to learn more. If you open a Constant Contact account, using this referral link, we both receive credits to our accounts.

Nancy Passow

In This Issue
  • Book of the Month . . . Leading from the Front: No Excuse Leadership Tactics for Women
  • Happy Birthday, Mr. Webster!
  • Time for Web 2.0
  • From Generation to Generation

  • Happy Birthday, Mr. Webster!



    Anu Garg, founder of  A.Word.A.Day, told us in his e-mail last week: "Oct 16 marks the 250th birth anniversary of Noah Webster (1758-1843), lexicographer extraordinaire, who compiled the American Dictionary of the English Language (1828), the first authoritative lexicon of American English. . . . Webster believed in establishing cultural independence from Britain and as such he emphasized a distinct American spelling and pronunciation." Word lovers celebrate October 16 as Dictionary Day in Noah Webster's honor.

    I keep the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary on my bookshelf for looking up those words that I'm not sure how to spell. For those who prefer to do it on-line, there is Merriam- Webster On-line which includes a dictionary, thesaurus, word for the day, and various word games (good for increasing your vocabulary and helping your spelling.) Another on-line dictionary is Dictionary.com. This site also has multiple dictionaries and word games. And then there is Anu Garg's site, the Word.A.Day homepage where you can sign-up for the Word.A.Day e-mail.

    What if you're having trouble finding the word in the dictionary because you don't know how to spell it? My college students taught me to enter the word in Google Search -- you will get a page saying "Did you mean . . ." with a list of possible words. Hopefully the one you're looking for is on it.


    Time for Web 2.0



    I use the web -- I have a web site and I send out an e- letter. I even belong to Linked-In (send me an e-mail if you'd like to connect!) But Web 2.0 has raised the bar -- there's so much more that can be done. In the next issue of this newsletter, we'll look in more detail at some of the new communication tools out there.

    In the meantime, here's what I'm looking at: Blog -- yes, coming soon; Updated web site -- yes, coming soon; Facebook -- probably yes, but only for my business; Tweeting on Twitter -- probably no for now. Don't worry if not all of that made sense -- I'll explain what I'm doing as I do it and we'll learn together.


    From Generation to Generation



    L'Dor V'Dor, meaning "from Generation to Generation", is a part of Hebrew prayers. These past few months, I've had some true "L'Dor V'Dor" moments.

    My daughter Kate attended a conference for Hebrew School teachers in Burlington, VT, in August. Her travel route took her through Westport, NY to Essex, NY to take the ferry across Lake Champlain. We've been vacationing in that area for many years and going to Essex to buy ice cream and either take the ferry or watch the ferries on the lake was something we always did. On her way home, Kate called to tell me she had done something she'd never done in thirty years -- bought her own ice cream cone at the Essex Ice Cream Shop. So, there she was, taking on what had always been a family thing, and making it her own.

    In September, Kate, who is a paramedic in Virginia, attended a full-day workshop on leadership for women in the emergency services (police, fire, EMS) presented by Lead Star cofounders Angie Morgan and Courtney Lynch (see the Book Review for a review of their new book Leading from the Front: No Excuse Leadership Tactics for Women.) Kate called me at lunch time to tell me how much she was enjoying the workshop. One of the activities was to break into groups and discuss their issues. "It was really great" Kate said, "we all thought we were the only ones dealing with those problems, but it turned out everyone else had them too." To which I responded, "Welcome to the sisterhood!" (as I passed the baton.)


    Book of the Month . . . Leading from the Front: No Excuse Leadership Tactics for Women

    In addition to writing Leading from the Front, Angie Morgan and Courtney Lynch are the cofounders of Lead Star, a consulting firm focused on leadership development for women, and former captains in the US Marine Corp. Based on their experience in the Marines and in the business world, they present ten key practices designed to improve women's leadership skills. These practices, covered in individual chapters, are: Meet and Exceed the Standards You Ask of Others -- Lead from the Front; Make Timely Decisions -- Find the 80 Percent Solution; Seek to Take Responsibility Before You Begin to Place Blame; True Leaders Dedicate Themselves to Service -- Take Care of Those You Lead; Think Before You Act -- Especially Before You Overreact; When Faced With a Crisis -- Aviate, Navigate, Communicate; Courage + Initiative + Perseverance + Integrity = Success; Don't Cry Over Something That Won't Cry Over You; Say You're Sorry Only When You're At Fault; and Always Lead as You Are. Although many of these ideas are common sense or things we've heard before, it's always good to hear them again, particularly in the way that Angie and Courtney present them. And Courtney and Angie use personal stories (both from the Marines and the business world) to illustrate their points. I really like the book and have already started to implement some of the ideas. My only regret is that this book wasn't around 20 years ago when I was trying to find my way in the corporate world. One of my favorite quotes (from Courtney) is "I learned in the Marine Corps that while I can do anything, I can't do everything."

    Quote of the Month: "If you are never scared, embarrassed, or hurt, it means you never take chances." (fortune cookie)

    Quick Links...

    Visit our Web Site

    Newsletter Archive

    New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners (NJAWBO) Bergen Chapter

    Rockland Business Women's Network (RBWN)

    The Literacy Site (Help provide books for children)



    Join our mailing list!
    phone: 201-541-9702 (o) or 201-362-3404 (m)
    Email Marketing by