International Women's Day: A Thank You to 3 Women Who Have Influenced Me

In honor of International Women's Day, I wanted to take a few moments to acknowledge several of the women who have influenced me. We rarely take the time out to do this, and I figured today would be the perfect opportunity. 

The first group of women is definitely those in my family - my mom, grandmothers, aunts and great-grandmothers. Whether good or bad, they absolutely taught me something and have played a major influence on my life. But, I want to single out my Great-Grandma Tess, who my website The Adirondack Chick is named for.

She was a feisty woman who could cook you the greatest meal or create your own line of Cabbage Patch Kid clothing, but was also business savvy, knew how to read people like the back of her hand and was more handy around the house than my great-grand father. She was well ahead of her time.

The second woman who shaped my outlook on life was my high school English and journalism teacher, Mrs. Grace. She deserves any and every teaching award out there. If I dreamed up the idea, she supported it. Although not a journalist by trade, she learned everything there was about the profession so she could teach a course on the subject and properly advise the student newspaper. 

She was always finding new journalism related conferences and seminars for those of us interested in the craft to attend, giving us the opportunity to be side-by-side with other award-winning high school journalists and hear from the top writers in the industry at the time.

The third woman, who I didn't meet until a few years ago, does it all -- she's a mom, entrepreneur, wife, journalist, friend and true professional. Former Society of Professional Journalists President Christine Tatum not only sticks to her beliefs on what is right and wrong, but also listens to others. She backs up her point-of-view with facts -- not just opinions.

As busy as she is, she always makes time for people. It's pretty amazing. When I was facing a major career shift, and e-mailed her for advice, there was no hesitation in offering to help - she picked up the phone, and we went over all the pros and cons. (For the record, I followed her advice, and it worked) I've seen her in action at both business and professional levels and she is a role model for young women who want a successful career, but also a great family life.

Take a moment today to thank those women who have influenced you. I'd love to hear about them in the comments below.

- Michelle :)