See Jane Do...

250 Women Unite at Passion Into Action

 

"Be the kind of woman who, upon getting up in the morning, places her feet upon the ground and the Devil says, 'Oh crap. She's up!" ~Kathy LeMay Passion Into Action keynote speaker

 

It began to the beat of one drum as over 250 women joined together at the 2nd Annual Passion Into Action Women's Conference in Grass Valley, CA. From the moving performance by the Feather River Singers, to opening up with Nina Simons, crying & laughing  with Kathy LeMay, being authentic and ready to lead with Tiffany Dufu, bringing women into circle with Jean Shinoda Bolen plus 17 amazing presenters, we are forever changed by this experience & thank each of you who participated in the event.

 

Nina Simons' passion for cultivating women's leadership and enhancing the planet is contagious and inspiring.  She did an incredible job of engaging the participants and providing a safe space for them to open up and share.  We so appreciate her ability to listen, her honesty and her sincerity.   

Kathy LeMay wowed us with her presentation.   We especially loved how she engaged the participants through her personal stories, out-of-the box thinking and sense of humor.  She has redefined philanthropy and how we can utilize our passion to be of service to each other.  While she has raised over $500 Million dollars for organizations she reminds us that giving to the greater good doesn't require millions.   

 

Tiffany Dufu, new President of The White House Project is striving to train 8,000 women to take the lead in the United States and there is no doubt that she will achieve that goal!  We especially appreciated her attention to authenticity and action in her presentation. It was such an honor to include Tiffany and two of her incredible team members, Liz Johnson and Nevada Littlewolf in the Passion Into Action line-up.  Liz and Nevada were extremely inspired and moved by the energy, enthusiasm, and passion of the attendees.  We hope to collaborate with The White House Project again in the future.

 

Activist and author Jean Shinoda Bolen is gathering women together and empowering them to create social change. Her personal stories around bringing women into circle, activism and her efforts to spearhead a 5th World Conference on Women are encouraging and hopeful.  Jean speaks from the heart and  inspires women to do what they love and share it with the world.  

 

We are extremely grateful to the 17 talented and powerful women who took the time to share their passion and lead 15 workshops at the conference including: Patt Lind-Kyle, Kathleen McIntire, Sonika Tinker, Elizabeth Johnson, Jessica Reeder, Shawn Tuttle, Amber Clisura, Kim Stravers, Stacy Malkan, Carole Carson, Linda Joy Myers, Lisa Schrader, and to our Boston friends, Alexis Schroeder, Jeanne Dasaro, and Jennifer Cohen.  We wish Chameli Ardagh a quick recovery and look forward to partnering with her on future events.   

 

A year of planning goes into organizing this conference and we couldn't do it without your support.  A sincere thanks to our fantastic volunteers, sponsors, exhibitors, Gather the Women, David Nicholson, Kial James, Haute Trash, Summer Thymes, Briar Patch, the Center for the Arts, Friendship Club, Sierra Mentoring Partnership, Sugar & Oats, Suzie Daggett, APPLE, Women Worldwide, Blossom Organics, Veritea, Nana's Baked Goods, Mayor Jan Arbuckle, Council Member Reinette Senum, Dawn Lorraine, Oberon, KVMR, Stephanie Camp, Jennifer Hall, Sadie Wight, supporters, friends, family and extraordinary participants who helped to create the magic of Passion Into Action.

 

So, what's next?  We are developing the next plan of action to continue the synergy from the event and support each others work and passion.   

 

Keynote Speakers:

Did you miss Passion Into Action?  We are hosting a special screening of the four keynote presentations and panel discussions at the Magic Theater Sat. May 14th at 4:00 PM, Sunday May 15th at 1:00 PM, Sunday May 22nd at 1:00 PM, and Monday May 23rd at 7:00 PM.  This will include special guests who will share tips and tools on how to put your passion into action.   More info to come! 

 

We look forward to aligning our work with the extraordinary presenters of Passion Into Action and will keep you posted. 

 

 

Share the Passion

DVDs of keynote presentations including: Nina Simons, Kathy LeMay, Tiffany Dufu, and Jean Shinoda Bolen are available for purchase.  The cost is $9 per DVD and also includes the panel discussion.  To order your DVD contact us at [email protected].   

 

Soiree Into Action

We will continue to hold our quarterly Soiree Into Action events with a specific focus around uniting our community of women and sharing tools to put our passion into action.  We are also looking to include teleseminars and webinars to include communities of women across the country.  Do you have a topic you'd like to share or learn more about?  Please contact us at [email protected].

 

Your Voice

Within the next couple of days Passion Into Action participants will receive an online survey.  As we look to possibly expand Passion Into Action in other small towns and rural communities we look to you for suggestions in order to enhance the PIA experience.     

 

Connect with Us

Our radio program continues to feature the stories of everyday extraordinary women.  We appreciate the support of our host station, KVMR as we move towards syndicating See Jane Do this year on other stations across the country.    

 

You can also read about extraordinary women in our column in The Union Newspaper.

 

We are excited to speak at the Green Life Eco Fest May 21st-22nd and the National Federation of Community Broadcasters annual conference June 1st-4th.   

 

Passion Into Action is a success because of your commitment to invest in "you", doing your part, sharing your stories, and following your heart.   We appreciate your support and can't wait continue the momentum and energy this coming year.

 

All the best,

 

Elisa and Jesse

Everyday Women Taking Extraordinary Action for the Planet

Today on Earth Day we honor the extraordinary women who are doing their part for the planet.  The See Jane Do team feels fortunate to have connected with and interviewed incredible women who have united their passion with environmental action. 

We are inspired by the actions of women like Ursula Sladek one of the 2011 Goldman Environmental Prize winners who founded a citizen-owned renewable energy company as a result of the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown.  We are moved by women like shrimp boat captain Diane Wilson who put everything on the line to prevent chemical companies from pouring toxins into her water source.  We are motivated to help others when we hear the stories of women like Beth Terry of Fake Plastic Fish, Melinda Kramer of the Women's Earth Alliance, Lydia Olympic, tribal activist, and Erin Switalski of Women's Voices for the Earth. 

We are thrilled to feature several of these "Extraordinary Janes" at our 2nd Annual Passion Into Action,  women who are environmental action heroes in every sense.  

PIA keynote speaker, Jean Shinoda Bolen author of Like A Tree: How Trees, Women, and Tree People Can Save the Planet believes that we are on the edge of either evolution or extinction and it's up to us, as women to be visionary activists and feminine feminists. 

Jean Shinoda Bolen  is a psychiatrist, Jungian analyst, and an internationally known author and speaker who draws from spiritual, feminist, Jungian, medical and personal wellsprings of experience.  She is a major advocate for a United Nations 5th World Conference on Women, a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. a former clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California at San Francisco, and past board member of the Ms. Foundation for Women and the International Transpersonal Association.

 Click hereto listen to Jean's interview on KVMR with Elisa Parker and Michael Stone.  

Bioneersco-founder Nina Simons returns to Passion Into Action this year as a keynote speaker.  She'll share tools to take our passion into action as a collective.  Nina emphasizes the power of story and admits that it took her some time to define her own story.  A turning point for Nina was when she viewed the film, The Burning Times.  She has since united her passion for the planet with restoring the feminine.  In addition to co-leading Bioneers Nina offers her program Cultivating Women’s Leadership to strengthen women’s effectiveness to create positve change in their community.   

Click hereto listen to Nina's interview on See Jane Do on KVMR.

In addition to the keynote speakers, the Passion Into Action workshop presenters will harness their personal stories and environmental triumphs in order to empower and train others to do the same.  

Kim Stravers is traveling from Mammoth to lead the workshop, Unite & Ignite Communities Around Green Issues. Kim is the co-founder and community engagement director for the Mammoth Lakes Trails & Public Access Foundation (MLTPA), a nonprofit that advocates for and actively participates in the planning, implementation, and stewardship of outdoor-recreation opportunities in Mammoth Lakes, California, and neighboring areas. Within one year of moving to this small ski town, and in light of the then-boom private-development climate, she and fellow citizen John Wentworth successfully brought much-needed attention to local issues regarding the protection and enhancement of access to the public lands that completely surround their town.

Jessica Reeder and co-leader Amber Clisura are two extraordinary young women who have challenged the belief that happiness and success are not determined by how much new stuff we have.  Their passions have led to projects that demonstrate it's possible to make something out of nothing. 

Jessica started the blog UpRooted, a sustainable travel project about her two-year journey around the U.S. to promote the dual practices of sustainability and volunteerism.  Following her travels when Jessica settled in Reno, Nevada rather than blog about eco adventures she created Love and Trash a "Do It Yourself" site that would help people live more sustainably and live better on less in their community.

Amber Clisura is a fashion designer who isn't wearing pants for the next 365 days.  Following a car accident and a deep depression Amber was in need of some inspiration.  She had been designing women's denim jeans (at one point she owned over 40 pairs) for the Eco-Premium line Del Forte Denimand that's pretty much all she wore.  Looking at the lighter side of life (and going green) Amber went shopping in her closet and discovered clothes she hadn't worn in years.  Rather than throw them out, she began to upcycle her pants into skirts.  Upcycling is taking something you were going to toss and turn it into something else.  Amber said, "down with pants and up with skirts" and launched NO PANTS 2011.  

Don't miss their workshop, Upcycle Your Life and learn how social media can take your passion to the next level.

A common theme on our program is the purchase power women hold.  With women influencing 85% of what's bought or purchased in the United States women have the ability to create a dramatic shift in the kinds of products we want or don't want.

As the co-founder of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics Stacy Malkan has enabled a national movement to shift the $50 billion beauty industry away from harmful chemicals and toward safer products.  Stacy Malkan discovered that beauty isn't just skin deep.  Many women expose themselves to over 200 chemicals daily through their personal care products.  Stacy first learned about the toxic beauty industry when working as a reporter in Colorado.  Her curiosity soon led to concern followed by activism.  She is the author of the award winning book, Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry.

Utilize the power of your purse in Stacy Malkan's workshop, The Girlcott: 5 Strategies for How Women Can Change the World in 2011.

The Passion Into Action experience extends beyond speakers and workshops.  The event includes one of the hottest fashion troupes in the country.  Haute Trash takes fashion to another level.  Members take throw-away items and turn trash into fashion.  This creative collaborative will walk the Passion Into Action runway showing off recycled couture and one of a kind upcycled designs.  Founded over 20 years ago Haute Trash has put on 100's of shows and leads educational programs in recycled fashion.  They are fun, inspiring and truly "wow" the audience with their phenomenal garments.   Trash bags, bottle caps, and duct tape take on an entirely new meaning when Haute Trash is involved.

Also from Nevada County, Reinette Senum co-founder of APPLEand Mali Dyck of the APPLE Center will be available to connect with attendees and share their latest projects to create sustainable communities including, the Alpha Building. 

These women represent just a sampling of the environmental action heroes who are participating in Passin Into Action.  In order to create a substantial shift to enhance the planet it is imperative that we connect and work together.  Passion Into Action is the event to cultivate the relationships and develop a plan in order to make the change possible.

We look forward to seeing you there!  Click here to register for the conference.

 

 

 

 

Jessica Reeder: Love and Trash

"All you really need is passion, patience and the ability to work hard without giving up."~Jessica Reeder

Jessica Reeder believes that it's possible to make something out of nothing.  In 2008 she gave it all up, a job in San Francisco, her car, money, and most of her possessions to lead a more sustainable life.  With only a backpack, she traveled around the country volunteering on farms and working on green building sites.  She discovered that living a full life doesn't require a life full of stuff. 

She started the blog UpRooted, a sustainable travel project about her two-year journey around the U.S. to promote the dual practices of sustainability and volunteerism.  It's an example of ecologically aware and environmentally viable travel on a very low budget. Along the way she learned some incredible life-altering lessons.

Following her travels when Jessica settled in Reno, Nevada rather than blog about eco adventures she created Love and Trash a "Do It Yourself" site that would help people live more sustainably and live better on less in their community.

Jessica will partner with Amber Clisura founder of the NO PANTS 2011 project to lead the workshop, "Upcycle Your Life" in the "Green Living" track at the 2nd Annual Passion Into Action Conference. 

Workshop Description:
"Upcycling" takes something seemingly useless, and makes it new and better. That's what we each did: we started from dirt poor rock bottom, and created successful social media campaigns out of passion and elbow grease. If you're ready for change in your own life, you don't need money and connections; you just need to be inspired, and willing to make things happen for yourself. We'll give you some of the tricks we're learning, and tell you what it's like to be in the middle of a homespun, independent endeavor. We'll tell you our war stories, and some surprising things we learned about being a woman in the land of social media.

Jessica shares the inspiration behind her lifestyle shift, how women are affecting the future and the importance of discovering and following your passion.

What is your personal mission or passion that is helping to re-shape the future? 

I care deeply about the environment, and about living sustainably. For me, that means building my life from the ground up, according to my values. I strive to be conscious of my actions without letting that stop me from living my life. That’s really the point for me: living responsibly while still living life to the fullest. I’m learning how to do it, and trying to share what I learn with everybody who’ll listen.

Describe a significant moment or experience that inspired your personal mission or passion to make a difference? 

In 2006, I turned down a great job offer with a luxury company that would’ve paid me well. I thought about it for days, but in my heart I knew I didn’t want the job. It didn’t suit me.

That was the beginning of a series of changes. It was the first time I realized that I would have to design my own life and career to match my beliefs. Even though it would probably take years of struggle, I had to try or I wouldn’t be happy.

After that, changes happened more quickly. I got rid of my car, then most of my possessions. I started learning to make things myself, mostly by volunteering but also through plain old trial and error. In 2008 and 2009 I backpacked around the country writing about sustainable living while I worked on farms and green building sites. Now I’m not afraid to take risks, to be poor and happy, to enjoy life against the odds. And I have a lot more life skills too!

What do you hope will be the biggest take-aways for the attendees who participate in your workshop? 

That you don’t really need any resources, connections or experience to change your life. All you really need is passion, patience and the ability to work hard without giving up.

How do you see women and girls in the local and global communities affecting the future? 

I do believe that women are coming into their own, and that within a few generations the improvements in global women’s health and education (as well as broader access to information and communication tools) will bring us to a critical mass. At some point, sisters are gonna get their own. What happens then, I don’t claim to know -- but I doubt it’ll look like the angry revolution our mothers and grandmothers expected.

Why is it so important to participate in groups and events that connect women and feature their talents, ideas and solutions right now? 

I struggle with this one. On one hand, I’d love to be invited to the boys’ club — and in many cases, the doors are beginning to open. On the other hand, the experience of working with women is so positive and inspiring that I’m quite simply drawn to women-friendly events. Maybe that’s all it is: connecting and motivating each other by sharing our experiences. Or maybe it’s a nonviolent, non-oppositional activism that practices more than it preaches. Either way, I love learning from other women’s example and I’m sure lots of girls out there feel the same.

What is your message to women around the world?

Enjoy your life. Figure out what will make you happy and what you’re willing to do to get it. Find your passion and follow it, whatever it is, and try not to compare yourself with impossible standards. You really don’t need (and probably don’t even want) to be rich, thin, a mother and a wife and a business executive with perfect skin. So relax and do what you love!

To participate in Jessica's workshop click here to register for

Passion Into Action.

Top 6 Ways To Go Green at Passion Into Action!

The Passion Into Action "Green Living" track specifically helps women by providing tools, resources, and networks to enhance the planet. Following we've listed the top six ways to go green at the conference.

1.  Connect with Nina Simons, co-founder of Bioneers.  Nina is kicking off the conference Friday, April 29th and will spend the evening sharing tools to take our passion into action as a collective.  Click here to listen to Nina's interview on See Jane Do on KVMR.

  

2.  Learn tools to bring food advocacy to the table at The White House Project workshop, From Plate to Politics.  What key ingredient can stir up change in our food system?  More women in leadership roles that influence agriculture and food policy change, from rallying for school lunch reform to launching new organic farming enterprises.  Come for a crash course in issues and opportunities that face women in agriculture and together sow seeds for cultivating this inspiring movement.  Click here to learn more about this workshop.

 

3.  Unite & Ignite Communities Around Green Issues

in Kim Stravers' workshop.  Kim is the co-founder and community engagement director for the Mammoth Lakes Trails & Public Access Foundation (MLTPA).  Click here to read more about Kim's incredibly story

4.  Upcycle Your Life 

and learn how you can take something useless and make it into something amazing with Jessica Reeder & Amber Clisura.  Jessica is the founder of Love and Trash a DIY blog for people who do things differently. Amber is an Eco fashion designer who is known for her NO PANTS 2011 project.  Click here to learn more about this creative duo.

 

5.  Listen to author and activist, Jean Shinoda Bolen discuss her latest book, Like A Tree: How Trees, Women, and Tree People Can Save the Planet.  Click here to listen to Jean's interview on KVMR with Elisa Parker and Michael Stone.  

 

  

6.  Utilize the power of your purse in Stacy Malkan's workshop, The Girlcott: 5 Strategies for How Women Can Change the World in 2011. Stacy Malkan is the author of Not Just a Pretty Face and founder of the Safe Cosmetics Campaign.  Click here to read about Stacy's exceptional work.

  

To participate in these workshops and meet these extraordinary women click here to register for the conference.

Amber Clisura: Upcycle Your Life

"Even the silliest things you can think about doing will profoundly change your life if you are 100% open to whatever it will bring." ~Amber Clisura

Amber Clisura is a fashion designer who isn't wearing pants for the next 365 days.  Following a car accident and a deep depression Amber was in need of some inspiration.  She had been designing women's denim jeans (at one point she owned over 40 pairs) for the Eco-Premium line Del Forte Denim and that's pretty much all she wore.  Looking at the lighter side of life (and going green) Amber went shopping in her closet and discovered clothes she hadn't worn in years.  Rather than throw them out, she began to upcycle her pants into skirts.  Upcycling is taking something you were going to toss and turn it into something else.  Amber said, "down with pants and up with skirts" and launched NO PANTS 2011.  Why skirts?  You'll have to read her interview below to find out why.

Amber has also worked as a production designer for the eco-lifestyle brand Mission Playground and has spoken at London and Paris Fashion weeks on Sustainability in Fashion.  She now strives to understand her closet, her mission, and needs as she moves into the next phase of her career.

Amber is partnering with Love and Trash blogger, Jessica Reeder to lead the workshop Upcycle Your Life at the 2nd Annual Passion Into Action Conference.

Workshop Description:

"Upcycling" takes something seemingly useless, and makes it new and better. That's what we each did: we started from dirt poor rock bottom, and created successful social media campaigns out of passion and elbow grease. If you're ready for change in your own life, you don't need money and connections; you just need to be inspired, and willing to make things happen for yourself. We'll give you some of the tricks we're learning, and tell you what it's like to be in the middle of a homespun, independent endeavor. We'll tell you our war stories, and some surprising things we learned about being a woman in the land of social media.

In her interview, Amber discusses her passion around sustainable fashion, why she is wearing skirts for 365 days, and how women and girls are affecting the future.

1.  What is your personal mission or passion that is helping to re-shape the future?

That there are no small actions that you can undertake that won’t have profound meaning in your life.

2.  Describe a significant moment or experience that inspired your personal mission or passion to make a difference?

With regards to NO PANTS 2011: I had fallen into a deep depression. A car accident disabled me for a better part of a year, losing my job, my ability to walk and perform my duties as a fashion designer, and enjoy my life as I had been accustomed. I stopped caring about anything fashion related and started to feel like my life had no real meaning at all in regards to the work that had been my passion for years. Then one day I heard a friend talk about how she didn’t pack any pants for a summer vacation. I thought about the ruts I had fallen into, emotionally, physically, and fashion wise and thought “why the hell not.” I spoke with my friend Jessica soon after about launching this crazy wear a thon project that tied in all the things I cared about (clothing, sustainability, accountability, creativity) and blog about it… and thus: NO PANTS changed my life

3.  What do you hope will be the biggest take-aways for the attendees who participate in your workshop?

The idea that even the silliest things you can think about doing will profoundly change your life if you are 100% open to whatever it will bring.

4.  How do you see women and girls in the local and global communities affecting the future?

We spend 60 percent of the global dollar, make 40 percent of the global food share, and account for over 50 percent of the world’s population. We. Are. Change.  The trick is to recognize and support that change when we see it rather than tearing it down because we don’t understand it.

5.  Why is it so important to participate in groups and events that connect women and feature their talents, ideas and solutions right now?

Because we don’t realize the amazing power of numbers. The more you get around people with the same passion and drive as you, the more it exponentially grows the ability to bring your dreams to fruition.

6.  What is your message to women around the world?

The minute you stop trying you start dying.

To participate in Amber and Jessica's workshop click here to register for Passion Into Action.