WELCOME TO THE WSN NEWSLETTER!

Dear Ladies, As you continue to cope with the many challenges of living through these unprecedented times – both at work and at home – you realize more and more the strength you have. You are probably wearing many hats and doing that successfully. However, please don’t forget your own physical and emotional well-being. Go the extra mile to take care of yourself.  Self-care is the process of nurturing yourself. This edition of our newsletter is devoted to this theme. HOW CAN THE WOMEN’S SUCCESS NETWORK BE A RESOURCE TO YOU IN THESE TIMES?   Let us know how we can help each other and e-mail your ideas to Pat Hurton at [email protected]. Sincerely, WSN Executive Committee "BELIEVE IN BETTER!"

SNEAK PEEK INSIDE OUR MARCH NEWSLETTER RESOURCE HUB Self Care Books, Podcasts & Articles WHY I LOVE WSN Six-Word Memoirs Call WE NEED YOU! PRESIDENT'S CORNER Jeannie Hebert - Now is a Great Time to Re-invest Your Focus on Self-care SPOTLIGHT Sandra Kearney, Human Power Solutions NETWORKING Sharing & Trending Articles CELEBRATING WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH WSN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS & MISSION WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN THE WSN! WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN THE BVCC!

RESOURCE HUB

In each quarterly edition of the WSN Newsletter, we will highlight informative resources related to a particular topic. This edition we are focusing on resources for Women's Self Care!

Self Care Books The Self Care Prescription: Powerful Solutions to Manage Stress, Reduce Anxiety & Increase Wellbeing by Robyn Gobin PhD Embrace The Journey / A Self Care Journal for the Mind Body & Soul: Wellness Routine / Goals List / Habit Tracker / Gratitude & Positive Thinking ... Quotes (Self Care & Daily Wellness Series) by Health & Harmony Shop

Self Care Podcasts Oprah's Super Soul Sunday Podcasts - Click Here! 10 Inspiring Podcasts That'll Deliver a Dose of Motivation - Click Here! Pandemic Trauma and Stress Experience (PTSE): The Struggle is Real How Can I Help? - with Dr. Gail Saltz - Click Here!

Self Care Articles The Critical Importance of Self Care for Women During Covid by Elissa R. Gross, Psy.D. - Click Here!  Work-life Balance: Tips to Reclaim Control by Mayo Clinic Staff - Click Here! Interested in sharing one of your favorite books, podcasts, or articles? Please send a link to Pat Hurton at [email protected] and we will feature it in our next WSN newsletter.

WHY I LOVE WSN

Women's Success Network "Six-Word Memoirs" Call! The Women’s Success Network is excited to announce our call for “Six-Word Memoirs” submissions! Send us, in exactly six words or less, your reflections on “Why I Love the WSN.” Your six-word memoirs can be clever, inspirational or whatever comes to mind – get creative! Here is an example: “I get to meet new women” The WSN will feature our favorites in our next WSN quarterly Newsletter. Please send your submission to [email protected] by April 1, 2021. So, why do YOU love the WSN? Inquiring minds want to know, and you may receive a prize.

WE NEED YOU!

New WSN Subcommittees The members of the The Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce Women’s Success Network (WSN) executive committee (along with the Chamber’s President/CEO) identify and make decisions affecting the Network. However, some initiatives in specific areas (i.e. publicity, programs, resources, strategic planning, etc.) need more attention. Therefore, we are creating new WSN subcommittees! Members of WSN subcommittees are individuals assigned to focus in particular areas of their expertise, experience, and interests. The women working on the subcommittees make recommendations to the WSN executive committee members, and these recommendations will be discussed and decided upon by the WSN executive committee members.   Those who volunteer to be on a subcommittee will work with members of the executive committee.  The commitment required will vary with the work needed for short- or long-range projects.

Interested in being part of a subcommittee? Please contact WSN Chair, Pat Hurton at [email protected] for more information!

PRESIDENT'S CORNER

Now is a Great Time to Re-invest Your Focus on Self-Care by Jeannie Hebert Women have a hard time caring for themselves. As primary caregivers, they confuse self-care with self-indulgence. They put others first: children, spouse, parents, and pets. Putting themselves first creates feelings of guilt and discomfort for many women. But by not practicing self-care, the caregiver may find herself unable to care for others.    Here are a few tips you can use to take care of yourself: Fuel your body by eating a healthy, well-balanced diet and drinking plenty of water. Aim to get seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Exercise every day. Take deep breaths and stretch often. Avoid risky or destructive behaviors Spend time outside, such as going for a walk in the park, but follow social distancing guidelines. Click Here To Continue Reading

Jeannie Hebert is President and CEO of the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce (BVCC) in Whitinsville, which has launched the Women’s Success Network. Contact Jeannie at: [email protected]

SPOTLIGHT

Sandra Kearney Human Power Solutions 617.575.9959 https://hpowersolutions.com

Sandra Kearney Human Power Solutions In our Women’s Success Network (WSN) newsletter we SPOTLIGHT a woman who models our mission and values. In this newsletter we feature Sandra Kearney who is the CEO/President of Human Power Solutions. Sandy is a role model for women and is an outstanding example of a female entrepreneur who practices innovation, resilience, and creativity in normal times and even more so during the COVID-19 virus. Sandy has mastered the art of “balancing” her career and family. She is able to meet the needs of family, service, and work. She was in sales, owned a fitness center for 7 years, worked in an organization focusing on learning and development, and eventually established Human Power Solutions in December of 2019. From each of these experiences she learned a great deal on which she has built her company and fulfilled her life. In her “spare time” Sandy earned her Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership in 2018 from Nichols College. Sandy has focused on finding a positive side of coping with the virus and strongly believes that people need to connect and help each other. Networking has never been more important through Zoom and other platforms for both personal and business reasons. During this turbulent time, Sandy has been able to extend her networking circles and enlarge her business nationwide. Her advice for all women is not to forget their personal needs and take at least 5 to 10 minutes each day for “self-time”.  Sandy has three adult children and two small grandchildren with whom she spends considerable time. She has had unexpected upheaval in her personal life and has had to make significant changes in her life. Through her personal and professional network, she has been able to not only survive, but thrive. She knows and appreciates the importance of reaching out to others for help and support.  NOTE: Sandy recently presented a Zoom program for the Women’s Success Network titled “Building and Maintaining Strong Business Relationships in the Age of COVID-19”. The slides used in this program can be found below. Click Here To View Sandy's PowerPoint Presentation

NETWORKING

SHARING & TRENDING Share with us your experiences, challenges, successes, resources, and testimonials. Providing networking opportunities is one of our goals. The support system and gender-specific career advice that women can provide other women are critical to career and personal development. Female mentorship in the workplace and in groups is more important than ever! Let's band together so that tomorrow's female leaders emerge from today's inner circle. If you would like to share and network please contact, Pat Hurton, WSN chair, at [email protected]. 

ARTICLES Trending: How Learning To Sleep Better Is The New 2021 Female Wellness Ally NJ Falk, Contributor Forbes Women According to Mason Levey and Brad Warsh, Co-Founders of Wave Sleep, a new sleep experience company, “women are more likely to have insomnia than men due to hormones, mood disorders and the overlap of caregiver responsibilities and work - which have been especially heightened during the pandemic.” The data is backed up and supported by a survey at the end of last year conducted by Serta Simmons Bedding that found out that Americans had collectively lost over 30 billion* hours of sleep from March to December 2020 (yes 30 billion, you’re reading that right). In conjunction with Kelton Global, the Serta Simmons findings revealed: 139 million Americans admitted that the pandemic had caused them to become a night owl and stay up later than they used to.  Anxiety was the #1 reason Americans had lost sleep in 2020 due to the pandemic.  More than one in two Americans admitted they were spending more time in their beds last year, but that did not mean they got more sleep.  Close to one quarter of Americans admitted to getting less sleep because night time was the only time they truly had to themselves.  55% of Americans felt like they were getting more restless sleep each night because of the pandemic.  Nearly twice as many Americans got less sleep than more sleep each night. And one in three of those who got less sleep each night since the pandemic began said it was because they were spending time on social media when they should have been sleeping. Please click the button below to continue reading, and to learn how to improve your sleep in 2021! Click Here To Read Full Article!

CELEBRATING WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

Shining The Light On Women In History Excerpt from Coldwell Banker The month of March is a time to proudly celebrate Women’s History Month -from Madam Marie Curie, who founded the new science of radioactivity and discoveries that launched effective cures for cancer, to black civil rights activist Rosa Parks, who challenged racial segregation in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955 by refusing to give up her seat on a bus so that a white person could sit down.  The history of women’s impact on society and culture through the centuries has played a major role in shaping our world. There have been so many important contributions made by women, from selfless acts of courage by women such as Florence Nightingale, to invaluable artistic contributions from brilliant artists and novelists such as Frida Kahlo and Jane Austen.  So let's celebrate these amazing women and the women in our lives who have helped shape us! For more information about Women's History Month, please click the link below! WomensHistoryMonth.gov!

The WSN Executive Committee Members Pat Hurton - Chair Pat Baker Alise Breton Carol Dauphinais Ashley Daviau Heather Elster Jessica Muradian Kathy Tonry BVCC Staff

WSN MISSION The Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce Women’s Success Network unites women to achieve their vision of success by creating a community of support and inspiration in their personal and professional lives.

Why You Should Join The WSN! The Women’s Success Network’s mission is to foster opportunities for businesswomen to develop personally and professionally and define their own version of “success”. The Women’s Success Network provides networking opportunities, educational programs, and distinguished speaker breakfast sessions as well as support and inspiration. Members are encouraged to focus on enhancing relationships, referrals, and resources.  When you participate in the Women’s Success Network you identify role models, find mentors, and expand your business opportunities, or you may also be the person who is identified by others in those roles. Ask to be put on our mailing list for events, programs, and to receive our WSN quarterly newsletter! Why You Should Join!

Why You Should Join The BVCC! When you become a Chamber member, a whole world of benefits and opportunities is opened up to you. Become part of a group of hardworking, collaborative local business people who want to make the Blackstone Valley thrive. Our #1 priority is to help you! Serving Northbridge, Grafton, Sutton, Millbury, Uxbridge, Douglas, Millville, Mendon, Hopedale, Upton & Blackstone. Top 10 Benefits Why You Should Join!

BVCC WEBSITE Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce 670 Linwood Avenue, Building A Suite 5, Whitinsville, MA 01588 508.234.9090 | www.BlackstoneValley.org ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ BVCC Mission The Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce is to preserve and enhance the economic vitality of the Blackstone Valley by addressing the needs and concerns of businesses and providing leadership, support and resources in connection with issues which impact commerce and the quality of life in the Valley.