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Ann Handley

Writer. Speaker. Marketer.

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Women

Who’s Inspired You? A Shoutout for International Women’s Day

ann handley international women's day

In honor of International Women’s Day on March 8, Oracle + GirlGeekX asked me to share a story of a woman who’s inspired me as part of their #HerStoryContest. So I did in this video. If you’re thinking it *has* to be Tina Fey (because TINA!)… well, NOPE. I dug deeper to tell *this* story… […]

Filed Under: Annarchy, Video, Women Tagged With: #herstory, #herstorycontest, beryl markham, geekgirlx, international women's day, oracle

The Problem with Banning ‘Bossy’

Banning Bossy

Yesterday, Facebook’s chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, and the Girl Scouts of America announced their joint war on the word “bossy” in an impressive social media campaign, media blitz and content program. The idea is inspired by a line from Sandberg’s book, Lean In: “I want every little girl who’s told she’s bossy to be […]

Filed Under: Annarchy, Annecdote, Business, Politics & Society, Women

Same-Sex Discount

London

We are standing in line at Westminster Abbey, waiting to pay the admission fee. Up ahead, the cashier is housed behind glass in the entry vestibule, which is a small area with a cold, stone floor. It’s chilly and damp outside and much the same inside; when we finally slip past the door and inside, […]

Filed Under: Annarchy, Annecdote, Family, Humor, Travel, Women Tagged With: discount, Travel, Westminster Abbey

Relax and Open Wide: Dentist vs. Doctor

Sometimes when I’m bored and have neglected to tote some reading material—like when I’m standing in line at the supermarket, or waiting for a movie to begin—I indulge in a debate I have with myself: Which do I dislike more: a visit to the dentist, or a visit to the gynecologist? Both require me to […]

Filed Under: Humor, Politics & Society, Women Tagged With: copyediting, dentist, doctors, gynecologist, intimacy, poetry, privacy, proctologist, Women

Sarah and Me: Junior High with Sarah Palin

On the surface, I should like her. Sarah Palin is 44, precisely my age. We were born three months apart. And like me, she’s a mom and works full-time. We should hang out, clink our highball glasses, and salute the kind of kismet that competent women often need to create real achievement. Except, in her […]

Filed Under: Humor, Politics & Society, Pop Culture, Women Tagged With: Hillary Clinton, junior high, mean girl, personal history, Sarah Palin, successful women, tweenagers, Women

Morning Person

birds at sunrise

Like millions of people around the world who are following the Beijing Olympics, I’ve been watching a lot of TV this summer. Parked on my couch watching the events, it’s alternatively a new experience as well as a shot of nostalgia. Here, in 2008, I’m watching the summer games with my own kids. But I […]

Filed Under: Politics & Society, Pop Culture, Women Tagged With: kids, marine horn, Olympics, Parenting, sleep, summer

Froggy Fugue

frog thinker

A toad lived under our patio for a few summers when I was a kid. I didn’t feed him or take care of his needs in any way, but I nevertheless thought of him as my pet. I named him Thumper. On random nights I’d be parked on the patio, reading or drawing, and Thumper […]

Filed Under: Family History, Pets, Politics & Society, Women Tagged With: Boston, feminism, frogs, personal history, Pets, summer, swimming, swimming pools, toads

Beta Before Alpha

June Cleaver

My friend Rachel emailed me an article the other day from Yankelovich, a market research company. The article, produced just after Mother’s Day, heralded the arrival of “Beta Moms” and their “newfound acceptance that being a ‘just good enough for my family’ mother…speaks to a more forgiving, laid-back approach to parenting.” Unlike “Alpha Moms” (or, […]

Filed Under: Children, Family History, Media, Parenting, Women Tagged With: competitive parenting, marketing, Media, mothers, Parenting

Korean Otters

My friend Maryse called me the other day with a question, she said, about her daughter Laurie-Maude, who is in the same grade as my daughter Caroline. It was Korea Day at school, she said, and Laurie-Maude wanted to dress as an Otter. “How do Otter’s dress?” Maryse wanted to know. At least, that’s what […]

Filed Under: Children, Family History, Women Tagged With: daughters, kids, mothers, Parenting, personal history, Women, Writing

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