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Advice from Louisa May Alcott

2012-01-25T22:45:58Z

If you could sit down with her and chat, what advice would she give you for you personally, for your business, organization, or cause?

After all, she was the most successful author of her time. I think her advice is timeless and invaluable.

Here are some things I think she would tell you. Enjoy!

Exciting things predicted for 2012!

2011-12-13T15:23:32Z

I keep hearing amazing things about 2012, and I hope you are as well.

It will be a huge year of change according to the coaches I study with -- jobs, personal lives, starting and growing businesses, you name it. Forget about what they're saying on the news, this will be exciting.

But we also need to be smart and play by different rules, and if you need assistance with your PR, marketing, community outreach, or event planning I would love to be help.

Please be in touch! Let's brainstorm....

As the year winds down, I also hope you will take advantage of the two business history ebooks I wrote this year. Every one of you is leading up to a five-year anniversary, or you know someone who is, and there are some great ideas in both. Both books could be used by businesses, nonprofits, or communities.

And if you're a historical nonprofit or library, these books will guide your researchers and PR people through the process. I've laid both out in an easy-to-follow step-by-step process.

Here's that link again.

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with friends and family. Mine started with a traditional English-style hunt (horses, hounds, horns, over a hundred riders...) in Ipswich, Massachusetts thanks to the Myopia Hunt Club and it was a real hoot. Not something you see every day!

Be well and be in touch!

Bonnie

P.S. I'm wrapping up two business histories for clients right now, and I can't wait until their press releases are out and I can share their stories. What an honor it's been! And fascinating. But I will soon be available to take on new projects of various forms!

Is Chivalry Dead? Guys, We Need You!

2011-09-06T19:51:17Z

Some of the most enthusiastic members of the audiences for my talks and walking tours are fathers of daughters whose future they want to be completely open to possibility.

I remember one Dad, who came with me on a walking tour of women’s history sites in Boston, say, “I never thought it would be appropriate for me to get involved in women’s history, but now I see that I have to."

I said to him, “Do you want ANYONE to tell your daughter she can’t be and do whatever she wants?” “Heck No!” was his answer (with my editing). He “got it.” He “got” that the proof, the examples, the role models, the inspiration, the path, the journey of how we got here – it’s all there in the stories of the women who came before us.

I also know plenty of men who adore their wives, their mothers, or their sisters. Many of you have women colleagues, employees, or bosses. Trust me when I tell you, we love you when you stand up for us, and supporting women’s history is one way to do just that.

When you publicly support a women’s history project, whether it’s a school curriculum, a book, a talk, a walking tour, a public history initiative, an exhibit, an oral history project – whatever it might be – you will display a level of respect that can only serve you, your business, or organization well.

Women are still surprised (including me!) when men show an active interest in women’s history – surprised, touched, and grateful.

You will also be providing leadership in an area where men are not stepping up. I’m thinking about a man I know who is working tirelessly on a biography and statue of one of the unsung heroines of the 19^th century abolition movement. He is on fire about this woman, and telling the world about her, and God bless him! I am quite moved by his dedication.

You will have an impact on young people, both girls and boys. Girls still need to learn to respect themselves more; they still struggle with issues of self esteem and not believing they can do anything which pains me to know after all these years. Boys still need to learn to respect girls more; levels of mistreatment and violence are appallingly high. Women’s history, taught well, can get right at the heart of these issues.

You, your business, or organization will stand for fairness. Despite years of progress on many fronts, women are still not treated equally, especially economically. This impacts them, their families, and community, and it’s just wrong. Imagine sending a loud and clear message that you stand on the side of fairness to women! Wow!

Please find out how you can support and promote women’s history in your community. If you are a business or organization, “community” could be large indeed depending on your reach. That’s wonderful! There are plenty of national and international efforts underway.

And please make your involvement as public as possible to not only derive the highest ROI for you but to provide leadership for others to follow. (Think hoards of loyal women customers.)

Guys, men, we love you when you stand up for us. This is one way that works!

Personal and Professional Advice from Phillis Wheatley

2011-09-02T18:34:57Z

The astonishing thing about Phillis Wheatley, if you don’t know her story, is that she was kidnapped from her home in Africa at age seven or eight, shipped across the Atlantic on a slave ship (enduring the horrific middle passage), and “sold” in Boston, half naked, to the Wheatley family where she would become a personal servant to the aging Susanna Wheatley. The odds of Phillis surviving any of this ordeal were awfully high.

Phillis Wheatley went on to become the first African American published poet. She is also considered the originator of the African American literary tradition. The odds of any of THAT happening were perhaps even greater.

When Phillis (named for the slave ship that carried her to Boston) first arrived in Massachusetts, she did not speak English. But there was something about her that won over her new mistress, Susanna Wheatley, and as Phillis Wheatley’s biographer, William Henry Robinson writes, Susanna “doted” on her. Susanna had her daughter, Mary, teach Phillis to read and write, which Phillis took to with extraordinary ability and talent.

Phillis began her writing career in 1765, at about the age of twelve, with poems and elegies that included several on the Rev. Joseph Sewall, the minister of Boston’s Old South Meeting House and the author of a famous anti-slavery tract. Many of Phillis’s poems and open letters were written to or about prominent people including a tribute to George Washington who, in turn, invited Phillis to visit his headquarters in Cambridge. Other poems displayed her knowledge of the scriptures, ancient history, and literature.

With the Wheatley family’s backing, Phillis’s book of poetry, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, appeared in 1773. It was published in London, as no Boston printer would publish the book. In the book’s opening pages, readers found a letter signed by John Wheatley, Phillis’s “master,” and a dozen or so prominent men of Boston who testified that Phillis had, in fact, written the poems herself. Phillis went to London with the Wheatleys’ son during the book’s production, and met dozens of England’s most prominent citizens.

Susanna Wheatley died soon after the book’s publication, and Phillis was given her freedom. Soon after, Phillis published an open letter to her friend the Native American Christian minister Rev. Samuel Occom, in which she denounced the “pious” Christian ministers who supported slavery. She quoted scripture to prove her points, and her letter appeared in numerous newspapers.

Phillis Wheatley married a free African American named John Peters and they had three children, all of whom died young. Phillis’s health steadily declined, as did her marriage, although she was able to publish a few more poems. She attempted to arouse interest in a second book of poetry but, perhaps because of the failing post-war economy, she was unable to secure support. Phillis Wheatley died in Boston at the age of 30 or 31, and lies buried in an unmarked grave with her third child.

Despite this sad ending to an otherwise remarkable life story and literary career, Phillis Wheatley remains an enduring figure in American history. Here are three pieces of advice I think she would offer you, personally and professionally:

• Believe in yourself

It is unclear what Phillis’s religious life in Africa may have involved, but she embraced Christianity when she lived in Boston and even became a member of Old South Meeting House. Her choice of religion aside, what comes through loud and clear in her writing and her actions is a deep faith in God, in God’s love for her, and, by extension, faith in herself. Because of it, she acted in ways that were completely unexpected of her, especially as an African American woman in Boston at that time, and she was successful.

Phillis was also surrounded by people who believed in her, and that’s a good lesson for all of us. There will always be detractors; there will always be moments when we are filled with self-doubt. What or who can you add to your life to turn this around?

• Have courage

Phillis Wheatley used her art to help others. Each poem or open letter was an act of courage for a young “slave woman” in Boston. (I use quotes because human beings really can’t “own” another.) The act of publishing a book of poetry was an act of courage. Again, I am convinced that Phillis’s faith fueled her courage, as well as the sure knowledge that she was doing what she was supposed to – and that included trying to sway public opinion against slavery.

It’s easy to play it safe, but what’s the point? Do you really want to look back on your life and say, “Gee I wish I had done that.” No, you don’t! What’s the worst that will happen? You might fail. So what? Try again. Someone might criticize you. So what? It doesn’t matter what others think; it only matters what you think. It might cost you money. So what? There’s more to be had. NOT acting with courage and faith isn’t a good way to go through life!

• Seek and accept support to achieve your goal

Boston printers wouldn’t publish her book, so Phillis and the Wheatleys turned to a London publisher. People didn’t believe Phillis had written her book, so Phillis and the Wheatleys secured the testimony of Boston’s leading (male) citizens. As a young “slave woman” in Boston, Phillis needed the Wheatleys’ backing to publish her book. The point is, where there were obstacles, she found the support she needed to achieve her goal of publishing and having her voice be heard.

The same holds true today. What obstacles lie in the way between you and your goals? Money? Time? Access? There’s always another way and sometimes you need the support of others. The American ideal of "going it alone" is rubbish. We all have people in our lives who have helped us. It's more important to get things done that it is to tough it out and struggle alone. Good grief. Life is too short. Ask for and graciously receive help!

Wisdom from the ages – in this case, from Phillis Wheatley – resonates because she did it.

How Doing Your Business History Allows You to Be of Service

2011-08-28T13:07:38Z

We are all here to be of service. Of that I am 100% convinced. The questions of How? and For whom? are very personal, and that's up to you.

But I'd like to throw something into the mix.

In what way are you being of service by knowing and acting on your business history? Here are some thoughts that I HOPE will inspire you (and rather than publish a separate article, I'm putting it all here).

· You will expand the story of your community's history.

Why? Because your business is an integral part of the communities you serve. No business or organization is an island. In my experience, every business/organization history I've done has led to new information about local or national history. Truly. Every single one.

· You will expand the history of your industry.

Every business history I've done has added to the knowledge of the industry I was investigating. As a historian, I will tell you that the "big picture" is often revealed through the lens of the "small picture," the individual or individual business. Again, no one else will do your history but you, and you can add so much to the larger story when you do.

· You will reveal and tell untold stories.

You might not understand how important this is, but it is. You have no idea what you will find until you start digging, and no one will care more about your history than you. No one else will do it but you. You could very well uncover incredibly inspiring stories about entrepreneurs, inventors, women, veterans, activists - who knows? There are so many stories yet to be told. Be part of it! Do it!

· You can inspire young people.

Depending on the stories your history reveals, you could provide some inspiring role models for young people in your community to follow. Kids especially resonate to stories about overcoming obstacles to succeed. They want to know HOW. They want to know that they can do it too. And because you value history enough to do this work, you are sending a message to them as a leader in your community that history matters. THAT matters.

· You will be in service to your business or organization.

This work reveals all kinds of content for your PR and marketing. Your history is unique to you, and you will find great stuff to tell your story. You will attract media attention and new customers. Your existing customers will love you even more. Your reputation will skyrocket.

· You will make your team proud.

We all want to do work that makes us proud, and I promise you that doing and celebrating your history will make your team proud. One of my clients is celebrating their 100th anniversary right now, and their CEO just did a Powerpoint of their history at an all-staff meeting. They have an incredibly honorable history, and a founder's story you could use to make a movie. Right now, my client's staff is feeling very proud, very cocky, and enjoying the heck out of where they work. Do you think that works in my client's favor???

· You will be honoring descendants and founders.

I really believe that this matters. No matter how old or young your company is, honoring people who went before you, living or dead, comes back to you in spades. You will receive the benefits from having done it, and they will be your biggest fans and promoters.

· You will pump much-needed resources into the historical community.

When you do your business history, you will be in touch with and, hopefully, forming strategic partnerships with the repositories of historical information - libraries, historical societies, and archives - you contact. They need you, and you need them. Yes, they need your check when you pay for photographs about your business history, for example, but I ask you to think about what they can do for you and what you can do for them as PARTNERS. Doing a business history is a terrific opportunity for wins on both sides and for forming long-term, mutually beneficial relationships.

· You will be sending a loud, clear, public message that History matters.

It does, it does, it does. And by doing your history, and letting "everyone" know about it, you will be providing leadership on the subject. Please do it! You don't need a Ph.D. to be involved in history, just the desire.

Inspired? Terrific!

Please be in touch and let me know what you decide to do!

How History Can Keep You in a Place of Gratitude - A Good Place to Be!

2011-08-28T12:59:03Z

I wanted to share a personal story that happened several months ago that made me articulate - really for the first time in public - my sense of gratitude to the historical people who are part of my life.

For you personally, for your business or organization, there is nothing more fulfilling and inspiring than being in a place of gratitude - you probably know this; coaches of all kinds talk about this.

I don't know about you, but I refuse to let the "doom and gloom" that's out there impair my creativity and optimism. I refuse! Instead, I focus on what I am grateful for - and that includes having "history" as an active part of my life.

I HOPE it gets you to thinking about the historical people, places, or events that are part of your life - or could be - and what you might do about it. This is not about dwelling on the past, but on making the present richer.

A quick story

I had been asked to lead a service at the Universalist church in Essex, Massachusetts, during National Women's History Month (March), because one of the sermons I give is about Judith Sargent Murray, an early Universalist, and what we can learn from her. I conferred with the minister, the Rev. Art McDonald, ahead of time, because he planned to be there and we had to decide who would do what.

He asked me about "saying something" for the children, and I immediately begged off. I have zero experience in this area, and working with kids has always been something I've avoided (although that's rapidly changing). So Art, being the intuitive minister that he is, realized he needed to do something to help me in this area. So we got to that part of the service, and here's what he did.

He called the kids up to the front of the church, having them sit on the floor, and he held up one of my books about Judith Sargent Murray.

"Bonnie wrote this book," he told them. They were impressed.

"Bonnie is going to talk about this woman a little bit later. Her name is Judith Sargent Murray, and she's been dead for, like, 200 years, but Bonnie has been reading about, and studying, and writing about this woman for about 20 years. Isn't that really WEIRD?"

The kids didn't know how to respond - was he insulting me? Were my feelings hurt?

Art continued: "No, really, isn't that weird? To spend all of that time on this dead woman? Why do you think she does that?"

Again, no answers - the kids were uncomfortable, and didn't know WHY he was saying such things.

Then Art says, "Bonnie, would you like to respond to that question?"

Now...I've done a lot of public speaking, including fielding questions. I've also worked with reporters in my PR work - point being, I'm used to having God knows what thrown at me and holding my own.

But this was different, starting with the fact that it was an intimate setting and there were all these kids waiting for me to say something intelligent.

So, 1/3rd of my brain is thinking, I am going to kill him. Another 1/3rd starts talking because I need to say something. And the final 1/3rd is trying to figure out what my answer really is.

The 1/3rd that's talking starts saying things like, "Well, because of Judith Sargent Murray, I could self-publish my own book. Because of Judith Sargent Murray, I can vote. Because of Judith Sargent Murray, I can pretty well do whatever I want to..." and things like that. Yes, over simplified, but you get it.

Finally, I stopped myself, and said, "You know, I could go on and on, but at the end of the day, it's just my way of saying thank you to her."

As simple as that - saying thank you. I had never quite articulated it that simply, and that clearly before.

That was the real answer.

Back to NOW

Embracing history is not about living IN the past, but living WITH the past. I thank God for Lucy Stone every time I vote, to use another example. I want to help preserve land that is thousands of years old because it sustains me today. Ditto historic homes, artifacts, letters....All of it is part of our collective present.

I do believe that being "in gratitude" at all times is the best place to be, and that includes gratitude to all of the people who got us here and whose spirits are still with us.

I HOPE there is a historical person, place, event, or project that is meaningful to you, and if you don't have one right now, you easily could be. Please find one! The connection will be meaningful for you personally, as well as your business or organization.

Mark, Safely Back from Afghanistan: Lessons learned about what we can all do to help

2011-08-28T12:43:29Z

Exactly a year and two days ago, my dear friend Mark returned from Afghanistan. He was/is a Navy reservist and he served with distinction and honor. And, he came home.

is wife, my very dear friend, just reminded me of this anniversary, and it took me right back to that time and made me think about some incredibly important things I have learned during the past year since his return.

Please let me share them with you.

But before I do, let me just state that the most beautiful words in the English language are "safe on American soil." It seemed to take forever for Mark to come home. The military kept changing dates, times, etc. Mark's wife kept calling me with updates, and I remember losing all patience one day and saying, "Just tell me when he is safely on American soil!" The day she could was a memorable day.

In the interest of Mark's privacy, I will not go into a whole lot of detail. I am more interested in passing along to you what I have learned, so that you can embrace it and pass it along to others in your life.

For one thing, I wish I had known then what I know now. For example, I know now that every time Mark's wife had to cancel getting together with me because she was expecting him to Skype, I know now that she was always thinking, "This could be the last time." While I was mildly annoyed to have plans cancelled, she was waiting to see her beloved husband's face and hear his voice, potentially for the last time. At the time, I was so wrapped up in my own stuff I wasn't paying attention. Shame on me. But not any more.

There's so much more that can be said, but here are three specific things you can do for someone who is in active service and for his/her family. For simplification, I'm going to use a male pronoun.

1) Be there. Even if his wife says she is fine, know that she's not. And don't ask how you can help, because, again, she will say that everything is fine and she doesn't need anything. Figure something out. Send flowers. Take her out for lunch. Take the kids for the afternoon. Whatever makes sense, but just be there - and make sure she knows that you are. Don't be a pest, just be there.

2) When he comes home, thank him for his service - and not just verbally. Send a card, write a letter. Put it in writing. In fact, do this before he comes home. You have no idea how much it means to people serving overseas to be thanked by all of us who are the beneficiaries of what they are doing.

In Mark's case, because he was a reservist, he was not part of a unit that went overseas. One day, he got a call. His lovely wife drove him to Logan Airport, he boarded a plane, went to Army training for two months, then Kuwait, then Afghanistan where he could easily have been killed at any moment. When his time was up, he boarded another plane, flew back to Logan, his lovely wife picked him up, and he was back home. No ceremony, no acknowledgment, no thank you.

Even for men and women who did not have this particular experience and who were part of a unit, they still need to be thanked.

3)When he comes home, know that he is not the same person. Be patient, loving, open, and give him the space and time he needs to figure out how to "be." The fact is, he will never, ever be the same. You can talk to any veteran who has seen combat, and the memories are as fresh as if it happened yesterday. Even World War II guys. It's like yesterday.

So...Be there, say thank you, be patient and loving. That's what I learned, and what I wanted to share with you.

I am more grateful than I can say that my friend Mark came home. So is his wife, who adores him, and with good reason.

Sometimes, even a year later, when I'm in Mark's presence, I am overcome by how lucky we are to have him here and how easily he could not be.

If you know a military family, please think about what I have said.

And if you don't please think about supporting Operation Troop Support . Here in Massachusetts, we have a very active and effective branch in Danvers . Find a way!

And thank you for "listening."

Why doing history is a Patriotic act

2011-08-24T20:54:35Z

In a recent op-ed piece for the Salem News, Carl Nold, the president of Historic New England (which owns over 30 historic house museums), celebrated how much these kinds of museums have changed over the years. Today, any house museum worth its salt is telling a much more diverse story than the (white upper class) stories told in the 1960s, '70s, and '80s.

Really, since the 1970s, first in the academic arena, then finding its ways into the public arena through organizations like the National Park Service and Historic New England, the desire and push to uncover and tell ALL of America's stories, starting with Native American stories, swells this girl's patriotic heart with pride.

Over and over again, I've seen the same feeling come over young people who are empowered to uncover and tell someone's story for the first time. Perhaps it was a woman in their community who did something extraordinary, but "no one" had ever heard of her. Or someone from the cultural group from which they are descended. Or a grandparent who served in the military but who never spoke of the experience.

Telling all of our American stories makes us richer as a nation, more loving, more honest, more honorable.

But not everyone wants to sit in front of newspaper microfilm, nor has the time to do the kind of real digging that's required.

That's fine, because we all have a role to play in this work and there is something you can do - and think of what it will add to your life or your business when you do!

· A call to your public library or historical society will reveal who is doing original research in your community. Find out how you can support that person. Scholars of all ages and types are usually doing the work with very short money, and your support would 1) speed up their process, 2) diminish the "wolf at the door" stress, 3) make them feel supported and inspired to continue on.

· Ask these same organizations if anyone is doing an oral history project. I've talked about how important it is to capture the stories of veterans now, while we have them, but I was reminded by friends how many civil rights leaders put their lives on the line to help make this country live up to the ideals of our founding documents. We want their stories too.

· Call your public school administration to find out which grades are being taught local history and especially how to use "primary source material" (letters, journals, diaries, old newspapers - in other words, not books ABOUT history but the original materials those authors used to write the books). The point here is to empower young people to find the story they want to find, and the process teaches them intellectual and personal skills they will use forever - AND it makes them feel incredibly proud of what they've accomplished.

· Contact your local historic house museum or museum to find out how they are trying to tell new stories. New tours, exhibits, displays, books, and talks all cost money. Your support could mean the difference between getting a project done, or not.

· Look into the history of your own business or organization. You are not an island; you were part of a much larger story. What is there about your own history that we don't know, and want to?

· Contact any of these kinds of organizations to find out about new public art projects you can support. These are wonderful vehicles to tell new stories out in the public, through a monument, statue, memorial, or park. Here in Ipswich, MA, we recently dedicated a Memorial to the Native American village that was here for thousands of years. In Salem, MA, a friend of mine is organizing the first-ever statue of a woman. This Independence Day, I know of several communities that read quotes from Frederick Douglass's speeches about why that holiday made no sense while slavery was allowed to continue. These public displays matter to a community!

I don't know if you're a fan of the PBS series "History Detectives," but I sure am. And something I'm sure you've noticed is what happens after the "detective" has completed his or her work. They each sit down with the "client" and tell that person what's been found. There is always emotion. There is always an emotional connection between the object or story being investigated, the person making the request, and the "detective" who chased down the story and presented the information.

The same, wonderful thing will happen for you when you get involved in this work. You are connecting yourself to something much larger. I can't tell you what the rewards will be for you and your business, just know they will be there!

Lessons Learned from Lucy Stone for Your Oragnization, Business, or Cause

2011-08-24T20:44:41Z

Lucy Stone was born on her family’s farm in 1818 in rural West Brookfield, Massachusetts. Her father did not believe in female education, and discouraged her at every turn except when it came to marriage. Even so, Lucy earned her own money to attend the Mount Holyoke Female Academy and then Oberlin College, becoming the first woman in America to earn a college degree. She would go on to become an influential leader in both the women’s rights and anti-slavery movements, forever securing her place in history.

Her key achievements include:
• First woman in America to graduate from college (Oberlin)

• First woman in America to keep her own name after getting married

• First woman in New England to be cremated (Forest Hills Cemetery, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts)

• Influential leader of the women’s rights and woman suffrage movements

• Influential leader of the abolitionist movement

• Writer and publisher of numerous pamphlets and convention proceedings

• Editor of a national newspaper (The Woman’s Journal)

• Early and effective female public speaker

• Mother of Alice Stone Blackwell, another pioneer in the woman suffrage movement and newspaper editor

What lessons can we learn from Lucy Stone – lessons we can apply to our cause, our business, or organization?

Believe in yourself
Lucy Stone didn’t let her father’s low opinion of her stop her from pursuing an education. Luckily, she had other people in her life who believed in her, and she had faith in herself and in her Creator. She also had a sense of the work she would do in the world because of her exposure, in writing and in person, to other abolitionists and women’s rights advocates.

Her faith in herself guided her throughout her life. At college, despite the fact that women did not speak in public at the time, she studied oratory (public speaking) and formed a club to practice. She started publishing controversial essays as a college student. She took to the stage to speak up for women’s rights and against slavery. She kept her own name when she married. She started a national newspaper. She sided with Frederick Douglass over African American men’s right to vote, even though it meant splitting apart the women’s movement. Decision after decision, although oftentimes controversial, seemed to come almost with ease because of her faith in herself and clarity of purpose.

Educate yourself
Whatever it is that you doing in your cause, business, or organization, learn everything you can about it. Learn who the other players are, what’s been done in the past and what needs to be done, where you can plug in, and where you will be effective with your particular talents. Read books, find websites – you need to transform yourself into the expert on your subject. And this work is never done. You should always be learning and growing as you step up more and more into your work.

Lucy Stone never stopped studying, attending events, or discussing ideas with friends, colleagues, or influencers by letter or in person. She was a lifelong student of her two causes because so much was at stake.

Determine the right tactics
If you’re attempting to sway public opinion on something you care about (including attracting members or customers), you need to figure out who you need to reach, where those people are, and how to reach them. In the communications profession we would say: Audience, Message, Method. All three need to work in harmony for it to work.

In Lucy Stone’s case, she spoke at public events (her own or other people’s); met privately with people, including detractors; published and distributed pamphlets and the proceedings of women’s rights conventions; wrote newspaper articles; started her own newspaper; and prepared petitions to legislatures. She also showed up at other people’s events to make her presence known, thereby publicly endorsing other women’s rights advocates and abolitionists.

She also organized. While the first women’s rights convention was held in Seneca Falls, New York in 1848, the attendees were mostly local. Lucy Stone helped organize the first national women’s rights convention in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1850, where multiple train lines converged, overnight accommodations were available, the media would show up, and politicians would pay attention. She knew there was strength in numbers, and that a public showing of those numbers would attract others to the cause – and display their seriousness of purpose to opinion leaders and the public.

When the women’s movement split over the 14^th Amendment in 1869, Lucy Stone’s group worked for woman suffrage state-by-state, and embraced working class members and issues as well as those from the middle class. The competing group, headed by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, focused on a federal Constitutional amendment and its middle class membership. The state approach is what worked many years later.

Network, and hang out with like-minded people
Lucy Stone’s network of friends and colleagues was long and impressive. They gave each other strength, ideas, and support. They learned from each other, and raised each other up. Some of them mentored her, while she mentored others. They were in a constant state of learning and doing.

These are the kinds of people you want to be around! Please don’t waste one more second of time with people who don’t believe in you, your business, organization, or cause, or who lower you down in any way. These people are draining away your precious time and energy. You need a “tribe” that will support you!

Be prepared to make controversial decisions and stand by them
When Lucy Stone married Henry Blackwell, she refused to change her last name, thus becoming the first woman in America to keep her own name. (Thereafter, women who followed her lead were called “Lucy Stoners.”) She and Henry also read a statement protesting the disturbingly sexist marriage laws at the time. Their vows, and their protest, were published widely. During their years together, if Lucy Stone had to sign a legal document or register at a hotel, she had to write, “Lucy Stone, married to Henry Blackwell,” for her signature to be legal.

The year after she was married, Lucy refused to pay property taxes. She and Henry had kept her house in her name, and she wanted to make the point that this was an appalling example of “taxation without representation.” If she couldn’t vote, why should she pay taxes?

After the Civil War, when the 14^th Amendment to the Constitution was proposed giving the right to vote to all “male citizens, ” including African American men, the women’s movement split in two. The group headed by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton refused to support the amendment because it did not include women. Lucy Stone, Julia Ward Howe, Frederick Douglass, and others believed that it was literally a case of life or death to secure the right to vote for African American. They also believed their efforts would pave the way for woman suffrage. Stone’s decision set woman suffrage back by many years, but this was the decision she had to make.

Have courage
Know that you might be ridiculed, criticized, and possibly even threatened. Decide that you don’t care. Protect yourself, but carry on.

In Lucy Stone’s case, during her talks, (some) men would hiss at her, throw eggs, threaten to tear apart the stage, or hurl hymnbooks. (Why hymn books? Because she often spoke in churches, where she used her knowledge of Greek and Hebrew to translate the Bible differently – pointing out that the male ministers had gotten things wrong when it came to women’s supposed inferiority. Hence, the flying hymn books!)

And yes, it takes huge courage to take on the male ministers. Lucy had been raised in the Congregational church, but was outraged that women weren’t accepted as voting members. The church also condemned the abolitionist Grimké sisters, Sarah and Angelina, whose work Lucy so admired. Eventually the Congregational church expelled Lucy for her views, and she joined the much more accepting Unitarian church.

In 1870, Lucy Stone raised money to start a suffrage newspaper called The Woman’s Journal. It was the year after the split in the woman suffrage movement, and Stone wanted to make sure her group’s views were in the public sphere. Yes, she had spoken in public and published articles and pamphlets, but starting a national newspaper and becoming its editor (after Mary Rice Livermore edited it for two years) was quite a courageous endeavor!

Know that you will inspire others to join you, and be prepared to give them something to do
Some people who sign on to your cause or organiztion will already know how they want to help. They will be self-starters and leaders in their own right, and you will become colleagues. But others may very well contact you to ask, “How can I help?” You need to have answers ready.

These days, anyone with a computer and online access can help you with your newsletter or website. They can forward your news releases or email blasts to their own networks. I’m sure you have a long list of tasks you should delegate to allow you to focus on big picture thinking and activities!

Don’t let people in your life get in the way
Women are forever being asked to put aside their own aspirations in favor of a husband, their children, or a sick relative. Lucy Stone really had to be persuaded to get married, and it took Henry Blackwell a long time to persuade her to say “yes.” Why? Because almost all of the married women she knew had to put their husbands in first place and set aside their own work. In addition, at the time, marriage laws still favored the husband in all things – property rights, conjugal rights, control over finances, control over the children, you name it. For a woman in the 19^th century, getting married was a risky proposition. Luckily, Henry supported her work 100%.

As for children, of course their needs come first, and I feel very strongly about that. But that does not mean martyring yourself by putting your work on hold until whenever. In Lucy Stone’s case, she did suspend her public speaking and traveling when her daughter, Alice Stone Blackwell, was born in 1857 (after an infant son had died). But she still found ways to remain active in women’s rights, and resumed her work fulltime several years later when her services were needed after the Civil War to help pass the 14^th Amendment.

(It should also be noted that Alice Stone Blackwell grew up to become a leader in the suffragist movement, the editor of her mother’s newspaper, The Woman’s Journal, the successful peacemaker between the two hostile sides of the woman suffrage movement, a witness to the passage of woman suffrage in 1920, and the author of a biography of her mother. Clearly, Lucy made the right decision and was a wonderful mother and mentor!)

These are all your personal decisions, of course, given your own situation, including when it comes to the care of sick relatives or tolerating dysfunctional friendships. It’s just that historically, women have always been expected to put themselves in second place.

It is NOT selfish to put yourself in first place, even though women are told it is. In fact, as the life and business coach Baeth Davis says, “You cannot be of service to anyone or anything if you are not in service to yourself first.” She also says, “Be of service, not in servitude.” Again, women are still expected to be in servitude, and that is really not okay!

Even in the 19^th century, Lucy Stone figured this out and was never in servitude, but happily of service – to her family, and the country.

Your thoughts?
Lots to be learned from the remarkable Lucy Stone and, as always, I welcome your thoughts!

How women's history benefits girls, boys, and you!

2011-08-24T20:23:32Z

The short answers are:

For girls, it’s about self-esteem and convincing them that, Yes they can.

For boys, it’s about learning to respect women and girls.

These are two incredibly important and central issues facing young people today, and the future of our society, frankly.

Women’s history can play a role depending on how it’s presented. As dull and boring? No way. As inspiring, fascinating, fun, and filled with courageous role models, ideas, and solutions? Absolutely!

But herein lies the problem. Women’s history is not being taught to students under college age, and even then it’s elective. If young people do hear dribs and drabs about Abigail Adams, why should they care? She’s been dead for 200 years.

I’ve been interviewing young women, their teachers and parents, for the book I’m working on and what I’ve been hearing breaks my heart.

No knowledge of women’s history and no interest, combined with very serious self-esteem issues for girls around having babies too young, getting involved with the wrong boys, not seeing a future for themselves, not knowing or believing in their talents.

Yes, yes, I know there are exceptions, thank God, and there are some wonderful parents and teachers out there, but I keep hearing this across the economic spectrum.

And here’s where you, your business, or organization can play a leadership role. It will come back to you.

• Find the talented women’s history folks in your community and sponsor a talk where you know young people will show up – a Saturday afternoon talk at your public library, girl scouts or boy scouts (yes, just don’t tell them what it is), an after school program, a special walking tour, a kids-only tour through a woman’s home – find out what would be fun and interesting in your community, and an engaging person to do it.

• Sponsor a school project. In Boston, for the Boston Women’s Heritage Trail, 5^th graders created mini walking trails in their school’s neighborhood. They researched deceased women, and interviewed “live” ones. Boys and girls really “got it.” Students could also research and create displays, write a play, shoot a video, conduct oral histories – there’s no shortage of ideas out there.

• If an organization in your community is already trying to “do something” with women’s history that you know will have an impact, offer your support. Money is always welcome, but so is your endorsement and your proud affiliation as you let your customers, clients, and members know what you are doing and why.

In fact, all of these ideas mean terrific press opportunities for you and special events as projects get underway and are completed. Publicity and events around this work lead to good will, customers, and long memories.

Please also make a point of meeting the students involved. Tell them you are proud of them. Take an interest. Find a way to display what they did at your place of business or organization.

For some of these young people, especially girls, they don’t hear “Well done!” enough in their lives. You would be surprised how little encouragement it takes from just one adult to make a difference in their lives.

A quick story…

I recently gave a talk about women during the Civil War for the Framingham (Massachusetts) Public Library. Afterward, a very shy girl, about 12, and her mother, approached me. Her mother asked if I would please give my talk at her daughter’s school because “these girls never hear this information and they would be so inspired.” Her daughter, who kind of hid behind her mother, said nothing, but she just kept nodding and I could see she had really gotten something out of what I had said. I have no idea what, but something. I wish I could have spoken with her privately.

Good for the Framingham Public Library for hosting this Saturday morning talk because where else would this young girl have heard it? Will she think about what I said? Probably. Will her mother find ways for her to go further? No doubt.

So…you never know, and wouldn’t you feel proud if you knew that you, your organization or business, had made a profound difference in the self-esteem of a young girl as she stood on the threshold of deciding whether or not she was worth anything.

I think so!!!

New revenue streams for historical organizations, libraries, students, researchers

2011-08-24T15:42:41Z

As you know, I have spent many years in the history and library communities, and I am very interested in finding new revenue streams for the organizations and individuals involved.

When I wrote my ebook A Source of Pride (and Customers): A Historian’s Guide to Doing Your Business History, it was certainly written for businesses and organizations as an easy step-by-step manual to follow. But my ulterior motive was to provide revenue streams for historical nonprofits, libraries, AND history students and researchers.

With that in mind, I would love it if you would take a look at this description of what’s in the book. This page also provides links to some videos I taped to describe the book and the many benefits that come from “doing” a business history.

If you are a library or historical organization, I hope you will purchase A Source of Pride and put it to use right away! Revenue awaits you!

If you are a history student or researcher, no matter how much experience you have I suspect there are some helpful ideas for you in A Source of Pride. This work could easily become a regular way for you to freelance and actually make money “doing” history.

If you are a business person, please purchase a copy and donate it to your library (which a friend of mine did in his home town), and then purchase a second copy for your historical society or museum. AND please purchase a copy for yourself, for your team to use, because you have the right to celebrate your anniversary every five years!

And if you are celebrating an anniversary, I have more ideas about that for you in this ebook called Go Beyond the Party: 11 Simple Ways to Use Your Anniversary to Build Business Momentum.

(A note to my friends in the nonprofit sector: I apply the word “business” to both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors.)

Both ebooks are only $29.97 (a special price just for all of you), which is short money for dozens of tried and true revenue generating ideas – but I really want to see them work for all of you!

Here’s to more money in your coffers!

Your colleague,

Bonnie

How an 18th century essayist can help your business

2011-08-05T14:41:45Z

One of the things I love to do with history is to come at it from different angles -- and especially to encourage businesses, organizations, and individuals to use it and think about it differently.

Recently, because of a project I was asked to do, I started thinking about my life-long research subject, Judith Sargent Murray, as a business model -- yes, really.

Sure, she's been dead since 1820, and sure, I've been working on her for over 20 years, but even I saw her in a whole new way this past weekend. Bear with me, because there are helpful lessons to be learned here!

To begin with, Judith was born in 1751 in Gloucester, Massachusetts. What were the expectations for girls? Marriage and children. That's it. Educational opportunities? Nope. A profession? Nope. Contribution to society? Only as the supporter of a husband or son. Even for Judith, whose family was wealthy, cultured, and politically active, there was ZERO role for her to play on a larger stage and no expectation beyond marriage and children.

So, what did she do about it?

First, she had DESIRE to be more and do more. That's where it all starts.

And off she goes!

When she was taught very basic reading and writing skills by an "ill taught Preceptress," as Judith called her, she said to herself, this is not okay, I want and deserve more. She did not take no for an answer. Instead, she made use of her father's library and essentially gave herself a humanities education.

Letter writing was a very appropriate activity for young ladies, and she was good at it. But that wasn't enough. At a very young age, she started writing poetry. It doesn't survive, but given the poetry she wrote later in life, I doubt it was silly. But even that wasn't enough. As she later told the Rev. William Emerson (Ralph Waldo's father), "Ere I had completed my ninth year, I had written a little work, which ... I considered an history."

Still not taking no for an answer. (A 9-year-old girl writing history?)

Stepping out and up

In 1782, when Judith became the first American Universalist woman to publish anything, she used theological arguments to claim equality between men and women. Wow. Now let's look at that.

First, being a Universalist had meant public expulsion from Gloucester's (congregational) First Parish, participation in the first ruling in this country for freedom of religion, helping to establish the first Universalist association in the States, and building the first Universalist meeting house in America. For the 18^th century, those are all extraordinary acts, and Judith wanted her name publicly attached to each one. (She would be REALLY attached to their pastor, John Murray, years later, when she married him!)

Second, she wrote and published a book. Women weren't doing that.

Third, she used theology to prove her points. Who did she think she was? But guess, what, she KNEW her theology well enough to present compelling arguments.

Fourth, she claimed equality for women. NO ONE was doing that then. This is years before Abigail Adams asked John to "remember the ladies," or anything else.

A larger audience

After her catechism, Judith decided to take her ideas into the public arena - her ideas about female equality, how daughters should be valued, and how women should "reverence themselves." NO ONE was doing this, and I'm SURE she was told more than once, "Oh, you really shouldn't do that. It's not proper for a lady, you will risk your reputation..." and God knows what else. Instead, she did it.

In 1790, despite the fact that I'm sure, once again, she was told, "You really shouldn't be so bold, so public, those ideas are too scary," she published her groundbreaking essay "On the Equality of the Sexes" in the Massachusetts Magazine. It is THE FIRST public claim for women's equality in America. (She is still not hearing no.)

In 1792, concerned that her ideas were being "dismissed, rather than consider," she assumed a male pen name and started a monthly column in the Massachusetts Magazine called "The Gleaner." Women were not doing this. The same year, she started a second series called "The Repository," resuming her former pen name, and she displayed extraordinary intellectual "chops" in the fields of theology and philosophy. Didn't stay small, didn't hear "No."

Taking on the critics

When a powerful critic of hers convinced the magazine's new editor to stop publishing her work, she said, "the heck with him, I'll try something new." She then wrote her first play, a satire, and became the first American, male or female, to have a play produced in Boston. The same critic, Thomas Paine (not the Thomas Paine of Common Sense fame), the editor of the Federal Orrery, trashed her play and accused Judith's husband, John Murray, of being the author.

Undaunted, she wrote a second play. Again, "Mr. Paine" went after her in public. It got very ugly, but John Murray (love the guy) defended her in the Boston newspapers.

Finding another way

Now, Judith said to herself, "If the Massachusetts Magazine won't publish my essays, I'll do it myself." So, she put together a three-volume collection of her essays, including new ones (two of which, just brilliant, presented historical arguments/facts about female abilities), and her plays, and she went after subscribers to pay for its publication. She dedicated the book to President John Adams (whom she knew) and asked him to subscribe. He did. She also asked George Washington to subscribe. He did. (I mean, why not go right to the top, right?) She then used their names to get others. All told, 759 people and organizations subscribed to her book, The Gleaner, and Judith Sargent Murray became the first woman in America to self-publish a book.

Taking OVER the critic

Several years later, when Judith wrote her third play, she thought, "Hmmm...Mr. Paine is going to nail me again. How can I prevent that from happening?"

What she did was to contact him, and humbly ask his advice. From her letters, it appears that he was like melted butter in her hands and couldn't have been more gracious. Did she need his advice? Of course not, the jerk! But how strategic of her to win over her biggest detractor.

Business lessons learned?

I could go on, but let's stop here and look at the BUSINESS lessons we can learn from this story.

• Don't take no for an answer. If you know you need to do something but you are presented with obstacles, find another way.

• Learn what you need to know.

• Believe in what you do -- enough so that you have the guts to take chances.

• Don't stop.

• Be creative. Constantly find new ways to communicate your message, or to sell your products or programs.

• If you have detractors, confront them in ways that will get them on your side.

And so...

Do you see why I love this woman? She was unstoppable -- in the 18^th century -- a mere woman -- and I so respect her for all that she accomplished and for the role model she is for any person, business, or organization.

If you'd like to learn more about her, please visit my Judith Sargent Murray website.

And, as always, I would love to hear your comments!

Are you and your team proud of where you work?

2011-06-25T13:38:34Z

If you work for a business or organization, I know you want to feel proud of where you work.

I remember working for the Boston Museum of Science years ago, and I have never forgotten the feeling of pride I got EVERY DAY walking through those doors on my way to my office. I know I worked harder and cared more because of it.

Have you thought about the fact that your HISTORY can create that same feeling for you and your team?

I just completed a business history for a client, and my research revealed that their founder was descended from a nobleman in England who played a significant role in the overthrow of the monarchy, from another member of the same family who had a town named after him here in Massachusetts, from still another family member who personified the American success story and who was singularly on the right side during one of this country’s most notorious financial schemes (and earlier version of Bernie Madoff).

I will tell you that the CEO is awfully proud of this legacy, and so is his team. He gave a Powerpoint to tell them the story, and you better believe they are proud of where they work! They have bragging rights all over their community because their story really sets them apart from everyone else in their field.

The same can happen for you! But you need to find out your history.

I wrote this ebook to help you do it. Please take advantage, and make it work for you!

Your friend,

Bonnie

How do you do a business history? Help is here!

2011-06-23T16:27:45Z

I am excited to announce that my ebook on how to do a business history (and what to do with the information) is now available!

If you’re a business or organization, I promise you will benefit from the ideas generated by going through this process.

And if you’re part of the history or library communities, please know that this book represents new revenue streams for you!

The added benefit, which is what really tugs at my hearts strings?

You will be acting in service to your community because you will all be finding and telling new stories about the history of our communities and the people who built and sustained them.

You might uncover a new woman’s story to tell, a veteran’s story, an American success/rags-to-riches story – you really have no idea what you will find and who you will inspire until you start digging in!

You will also be forging stronger partnerships between the business and historical communities, and I feel so strongly about that as well. We need each other, and “history” really needs the support of the private sector far beyond just writing the occasional check.

So…there are untold benefits to be had from doing this work – and it’s all tied to learning the history of your business or organization.

Please join me in this exciting endeavor! Here's that link again!

How a special event introduced me to my grandfather

2011-06-13T16:48:14Z

One sparkling summer afternoon the Navy League of Boston held an outdoor cookout at Coast Guard Station Gloucester, Massachusetts. I attended with a (male) friend in the Navy, and prepared (as a civilian woman) to be either ignored or bored by endless “shop talk.”

Instead, for some reason, when I filled out my name tag, this time I decided to include my middle name. The head of the Navy League took one look at the name “Hurd,” gasped, and said, “Are you related to Jack Hurd?” “Yes, I replied, he was my grandfather.”

That was a game changer. It felt like the heavens had opened up the way this man responded, and I suddenly became the belle of the ball. Everyone wanted to meet me and tell me a story about my grandfather, and I found myself “meeting” a side of him I knew nothing about. I still choke up!

I learned that my grandfather, Commander John Coolidge Hurd, USNR, had been very active with the Navy League after he retired from the service to be with his family. I learned that he was unwaveringly generous to Navy families, to veterans, to young officers and recruits. I learned that Navy folks were at his home “all the time,” and that he and my grandmother hosted cookouts for Navy families. I heard story after story about how loved, respected, kind, charming, and witty my grandfather was.

All of this from a special event. How else would I have learned what I did? I have no idea.

Yes, I had known my grandfather when I was growing up, but not well. He died when I was a teenager, but because my mother, his daughter, had a difficult relationship with him, I never, ever knew about his Navy activities. I never attended a cookout to see him in action, or go to a Navy League event, or meet men he had served with. Except for the photographs in his study of the men he commanded, I never knew my Navy commander grandfather.

What a loss for me as a kid, but what a gift to hear these stories years later. Eventually, I was able to retrieve my grandfather’s service records and learn even more.

Lessons learned?

I have no memory of which businesses and organizations supported this event along with the Navy League, but I would thank them if I could. Imagine knowing that an event you supported was responsible for giving someone such a precious gift.

We also need to talk to veterans, hear their stories, and write them down. (I wish I had!) Again, what role can you or your business play in this work?

Finally, we need to nurture the relationships between grandparents and grandchildren, between those two generations. I had no idea what I was missing out on.

Supporting good work in the world comes back to you – it just does.

Which community events are you supporting this year?

How your business or organization can say "thank you" to veterans

2011-06-13T16:34:54Z

The community events we choose to support with our businesses, organizations, or as individuals speaks volumes about what we value, and we all have a wonderful opportunity coming up this Fall – Veterans Day. It’s a time to say “thank you,” to meet and speak with veterans (most people don’t know any), and a time, especially for young people, to put down the texting and learn about service, honor, and history.

How will your community mark Veterans Day and how can you visibly demonstrate your appreciation for the veterans in your town?

It will come back to you

I had the pleasure of helping to create a military event in Salem, Massachusetts, for the Peabody Essex Museum – which continues every year -- and there is no doubt in my mind that the museum’s decision to plan this event in the way they did has come back to them in spades.

It also changed my life. It’s the event that “keeps on giving” because of the work and the people it brought into my life. I know I am not alone, and that rewards will come your way as well when you get involved in this kind of community/military event.

A quick story

The event was Armory Park Dedication Day, and as the name implies the museum asked me to help plan the dedication of their new park. The park had been built on the site of the old Salem Amory, which had burned down, and there was a lot of “emotion” about it -- a lot of controversy, and hard feelings toward the museum because of their decision to remove the last, crumbling wall and build this park.

I was told I would be working closely with a Brigadier General from the Massachusetts National Guard, with the local veterans agent, with a local military group called the Second Corps of Cadets (the Armory had been their “home”), and because the park honored military service throughout the county, I would be working with the veterans agents and historical societies in 34 towns.

For the first time in my life, I met, worked with, and became close to a group of veterans and it changed my life. These men were generous, kind, smart, and really “had my back.” The event we were planning was huge, complicated, and terribly important – more so after the attacks of September 11. I knew I could count on them.

You may know men like this, most of them veterans of the Korean War and the Vietnam War, but you may not. Most people I know don’t know anyone in the military, and it’s a shame.

This experience took me completely by surprise because growing In Concord, Massachusetts, and really coming of age in the 1970s, it was “in” to be anti-war and anti-military. Had I known my Navy commander grandfather better, I might have wised up, but I didn’t. My father didn't serve, and we weren't close anyway. It never occurred to me that you could be anti-war and PRO-military at the same time. And as I learned from these men in Salem, who wants peace more than people who have lived through war?

So, spending time with these men, and working very closely with a few in particular – they know who they are! – I was a changed person on a very deep level. I know they benefited from the event as well, and from the museum’s decision to do it “big.” Armory Park Dedication Day was a very, very public “thank you” to veterans and active service members, on a national scale, and a lasting tribute to this region’s history.

It will come back -- it bears repeating

Again, there is no doubt in my mind that “something” wonderful came back to the museum, to every volunteer, and donor. How could it not?

For one thing, any hard feelings are now gone, and Salem has a beautiful, much-used park!

So let’s start thinking about Veterans Day now. How can you say “thank you?”

Veterans' history and family history - please tell the stories now before we lose them!

2011-06-06T18:43:49Z

I wanted to share two quick stories with you – and two wonderful ideas from two friends!

Story and Idea #1

I attended the Memorial Day ceremonies in Ipswich, Massachusetts, this year, and I was very moved by the lengthy, small-town tribute to those who have served. I was particularly struck by the speech delivered by the veterans agent.

As you probably know, this year begins the commemoration of the American Civil War, and he talked about how much of the story we have lost over time – the stories of ordinary people who served or who managed daily life back home. We only have what was written down or photographed, and it’s a tiny fraction of what could have been documented.

Fast forward to today. We have the ability to document anything and everything instantaneously and in multiple formats. Are we capturing the stories of veterans and their families? Not enough. The World War II service men and women are almost all gone. Korean War veterans are getting up there. If you know someone, if you are related to someone, or if you feel motivated to contact your Council on Aging (or your equivalent), please do!

Sit down with a technology your subject will be comfortable with. Come from a place of deep and genuine respect, and start asking questions. (Please don’t say, “So, tell me your story.” Being more specific will help start and guide the conversation.)

Then, what will you do with the information? It should ideally end up with your public library and historical society, but perhaps there is another repository of information about veterans in your community. (The point is, people need to be able to find it.)

Also consider turning your efforts into a community project with a team of people, press coverage, and an event when you’re done. Many communities have done oral history projects with seniors, or a writing project. You could do the same thing but with a special focus on veterans and their families. Trust me when I tell you, the gratitude from your community will be huge.

Story and Idea #2

This idea came to me from a friend who is a grandfather. Every Christmas, and sometimes more often, he and his wife give the gift of written family stories to their grandchildren. These are stories about the family members they will never meet, a place that’s meaningful to the family, or some other special family “thing.”

Isn’t this a lovely idea? I can’t imagine a more valuable gift!

My own grandparents passed away when I was a teenager, and I would dearly love to have 16 years’ worth of their reminiscences to enjoy as an adult! But I don’t, and it’s too late. Such a shame!

So often “doing family history,” or writing even brief biographies, is a daunting task and people don’t do it. Instead, I love this personal, annual (easy!), story-telling method. You could be a real hero in your family by documenting and sharing your memories. They will love you for it!

Why you should find and tell the women's stories in your business

2011-06-06T18:39:08Z

No matter how old (or new) your business or organization is, there are women’s stories to be found and told.

As a historian, here are some of the questions I would normally ask if you and I were to have a conversation.

• Was your founder a woman? If so, what motivated her (or you) to start the business or organization? Was she the first woman to start that kind of business? What obstacles did she encounter and how did she overcome them? What kinds of “firsts” did she achieve in her business? What key decisions did she make to get from Point A to today? Did she also play a role in her community (or family) as a mentor to other women? How would you describe her impact on her industry? (I think it goes without saying the impact Oprah has had in all of these areas.)

• If your founder wasn’t a woman, what can you find out about his wife, mother, or daughters? Did any of them play a role in the business? How were they affected by the business? Did a daughter inherit the business? (In the case of one of my clients, his grandmother led the family business through the Great Depression after inheriting the company from her father because her brothers weren’t interested. What a terrific story! And we had her picture.)

• When were women first involved in your business or organization? For example, who was the first woman lawyer to join your law firm? The first woman banker at your bank? The first woman accountant at your accounting firm? Or, when were women allowed to become members? Who was the first woman donor and why? What other kinds of “firsts” for women occurred in your business or organization? (My great aunt was the first woman lawyer to work for what is now Greater Boston Legal Services, and I’m awfully proud of that!)

• Did your business provide services to women when it was founded, or did that evolve? In what way has having women customers evolved? (We all remember the days when car salesmen treated women like idiots!)

• How has the treatment of women employees evolved over time? (I assume your business no longer fires women for being pregnant, and I hope you pay them equally!)

• In what ways has your business marketed itself to women over time, and how has that changed? (Women were really talked down to in the early days of advertising, which we now know was a bit misguided!)

Why should you spend the time to do this work?

• You will show your respect for women and for women’s history – and we do pay attention to these things!

• You will expand your unique story, which is essential in marketing. You can post your new information on your website, create a display, and issue a press release.

• You will have legitimate reasons for publishing stories in your local newspaper, in your blog, and on your website during National Women’s History Month (March).

• For March or for Mother’s Day you will have an excuse to make a special offer in the name of one of “your women,” or host a special event for women customers and staff.

• You will provide your community and “the world” with new roles models for young people.

All of these opportunities await you, but it starts with knowing your history.

I hope you will dig in and find the stories to tell – and then share them!!!

The bonus to doing your business history? Being of service!

2011-05-27T14:12:10Z

I write and speak a lot about how doing your business history can benefit your business.

• You get your unique story out into the world.

• You discover all kinds of new opportunities for marketing, PR, events, and products.

• You go a long way toward cementing the “know, like, trust” factor that draws people to you and keeps them there.

• You instill pride in your employees.

• If you’re a family owned business, you get to honor your family.

But here’s the added bonus. Doing your business history enables you to be of service to your community – and I have a feeling that’s important to you.

How can this play out?

• By working with the historical organizations in your community you will establish strategic partnerships that will last a long, long time. You each have something to offer the other, and you can bring resources to these organizations – your expertise, your support through your business, and, yes, your money.

• You will be expanding the story of your community by investigating your story. No one else but you will take the time to do this particular work, and you might very well uncover some real finds. No matter what you discover, you will be giving a gift to your community by sharing your story.

• You might have a compelling founder’s story that will inspire young people. Watching Oprah’s farewell speech the other day, I was reminded all over again about her own incredible story from quite dismal beginnings and low expectations to who she is today. There are so many more stories to tell from our history, including recent history, and we need to hear them and be inspired. Young people, especially, need the kind of role models who show them they can do it too.

• You will be demonstrating to your community, including young people, that you value your community and its history. That will send a very powerful, positive message, and I have no doubt you will inspire others to follow your lead!

And so, yes, the business benefits from doing your business history are there. But so are the benefits to you, personally.

With all my heart I believe that we need more people, more money, more vision, more heart in the history community, and you can be part of it.

Being of service is the highest calling there is. I believe that’s ultimately why we’re all here. We are at our best when we are, and good things always happen!

I hope you will seize the opportunity.

* * *

And speaking of opportunities…my ebook on how to do your business history will be published shortly, and I am announcing today a very special prepublication offer just for those of you on my list.

In just a short amount of time, the investment price for the book will be $37, but starting Friday, May 27, for one and a half weeks only, I am making it available for just $29.97.

Why? Because in case you couldn’t tell, I believe very strongly in this work and I really want as many people as possible to get involved.

I invite you to go to historysmiths.com, and in the Store section you will see where I’ve described the book. It is called “A Source of Pride (and Customers).” You can also go right to the sales page where I describe EVERYTHING you will get in the book, including bonus sections, checklists, and the ONE secret that will make all the difference to the success of doing your business history.

I HOPE you will take me up on this offer, and I look forward to sending you the link to the book in just a couple of weeks.

Thanks for stopping by!

History is personal, especially if it's family: Telling the story of your founder

2011-05-20T21:13:58Z

Or, let’s put it this way, the more you can MAKE history personal by telling stories that people can connect with, the more people will be drawn to you.

How does this play out in terms of telling your business history, or your organization’s history?

Well, I’ll tell you a quick true story. (Or, you can listen to it on YouTube.)

I was recently hired by a business owner whose insurance agency was about to celebrate its 100^th anniversary. This man was the fourth generation owner of the company. It was started by his great-grandfather, passed on to his grandmother, then to his father, and then to him.

When he contacted me, he said, “Bonnie, I don’t just want to throw a party, I want to do something meaningful and lasting that will honor my family and tell our customers more about who we are.”

Now I KNOW, that you are already drawn into the story!

So, I set about doing a lot of family research and genealogy because there were a lot of missing pieces. I got his family back to French Canada, or New France, where my client’s great-grandfather came from, and even back to France.

Moving forward, I found out why they came to the community they did – Salem, Massachusetts, and how it was that a newly arrived immigrant set up a small storefront and launched an insurance agency.

It was a quintessentially American success story, because his agency flourished. In 1914, when the Great Salem Fire destroyed huge swaths of houses and businesses forcing many people out of Salem, this man stayed to help everyone he could.

Then when he wanted to pass his business along to his sons, none of them wanted it – but his daughter did. And so, a woman inherited this insurance agency at a time when women were not trusted with money, God forbid, most didn’t work outside the home, AND she steered the company through the Great Depression.

Her son, the first in the family to attend business school, transformed the company into the modern era and his son, my client, is doing the same thing today very successfully.

The stories go on and on, but I think you see my point.

And when we told these stories, with pictures, in newspaper articles, in a lobby display, and on his website, people were thrilled. They connected on a very emotional level with this man who had so honored his family, and especially his grandmother.

They loved him for it – and you better believe he attracted more customers. Why in the world would you want to work with another insurance agency when you could work with this one?

And even if you’re not a family-owned business, telling the story of your founder can have the same effect.

But here’s what I see most businesses do. Somewhere in their marketing, they say something like, “founded in 1900 by John Smith, who came from Europe in 1890, started his company, and we are still here today.”

Even worse, I hear or read “family owned and operated since 1900” and that’s IT! Nothing on their website, no more information.

That is NOT the kind of story that will engage anyone. You need to dig deeper, or it won’t work for you.

Do you see the difference?

So I HOPE you will think about doing your business history, and really telling the story of your founder, because the rewards are huge – personal, and financial.

You will also be expanding the story of your community’s history because it’s all connected. It’s all connected.

Thanks for stopping by!