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56 | GRAVITAS MAGAZINE Do you feel men still have substantial advantages in business? In business, men can be tough and they are admired. When women get tough, they are often labelled a bitch. Women are still judged by a different standard. Men have had innumerable advantages, forever. Although women have made staggering advances in the past few decades, there are still built-in barriers that no one even acknowledges. For instance, many deals are made nowhere near a boardroom. Some of the biggest deals are made on the golf course, the hunting trip, the fishing expedition, even the strip club. Women may have a seat at the board table, but they are usually left out of the extra curricular activities where deals and careers are often made. at is my inspiration for our Gravitas Girlfriends Getaways which we will introduce in the next issue; trips for women, created by women. Not only will we be going on fabulous vacations, but it will be an opportunity for women to truly get to know each other and bond, beyond a formal networking setting or convention. What do you find are some of the obstacles women face in the corporate world? I fear that many barriers, even unconscious ones, will continue for some time in corporate America. I think the greatest news I've heard recently is the exponential rise in women entrepreneurs. Starting a small business, even a home based one, has been the path to financial and personal freedom for women for many generations. Some of the most successful women started in their homes, even Martha Stewart. I think women may even have a slight advantage with small businesses due to our innate ability to multi-task. It's truly built into our DNA. For centuries, survival depended on a woman's ability to care for children, prepare food, clean quarters, tend to animals. Today, it's clean the house, do laundry, care for children, prepare meals, check email, follow the news, feed the dog, exercise, dress well, work on a job and that's just before 9am. How have you managed to balance career and personal life? is is a challenge for me. I tend to be a workaholic. I love what I do, so it can be a problem. Having children actually forces me to take time off. As a rule, I don't work from home, unless on deadline like right now, oops. But usually, I leave it at the office, in fact, I don't even have a home office. I try to separate work and home. What are some of your long term goals for your company? I would love to grow GR AVITAS to other cities. I firmly believe in growing regionally rather than nationally in order to showcase women in the local community. When publications go national, the content ends up in the world of celebrity for name recognition. Women need to know what success looks like in their own neighborhood. We need role models we can relate to, and examples of success that is attainable. It's paramount that someone shows what true beauty really looks like in this "photoshopped" society we live in today. We need to see regular women who don't have live-in chefs, full-time trainers and an entourage of assistants and graphic artists to make them appear flawless. When a society has teenagers saving their baby-sitting money for plastic surgery, you know you have a problem. My First Car: 280ZX Rockin' out to Depeche Mode with the tee-tops out, my permed-hair blowing in the wind. Good Times. My Favorite Movie: Cloud Atlas An exceptional example of filmmaking at it's finest, truly a work of art. I believe in the journey of the soul which this movie captures beautifully. My Favorite City: Paris J'aime la France. I love the language, the art, the architecture, the food, the clothes, the list goes on. And, Parisian women, they are a little grey due to lack of sunshine, but they have an innate sense of style and confidence that is inspiring. A Few of My Favorites Photography by Alex Stafford, Hair by Amy Amuso, Makeup by Stephanie Gimson

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