In honor of International Women’s Day, the members of Connect: Professional Women’s Network recognize the women who’ve helped shape their lives. To learn more about Connect and join the community of more than 250,000 women, visit http://www.linkedin.com/womenconnect.

1. THE WOMEN WHO INSPIRE US
In honor of International Women’s Day, the members of
Connect: Professional Women’s Network recognize
the women who’ve helped shape their lives.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY

2. When a Connect member asked the
group about women who inspire them,
the discussion exploded with not just
names of women, but also stories about
how and why they were inspirational.
While many examples fell into obvious
categories (politicians, business leaders,
celebrities) just as many were moms,
sisters, grandmothers and neighbors.
It just goes to show, inspiration is
all around you!

3. “I am inspired by my
mother. As a child, we
grew up very poor, but my
mother taught my siblings
and me that we could
become anything we
believed. With that
encouragement, I am now
a candidate for the US
Senate of Tennessee and
completing my Ph.D. at the
University of Tennessee.”
Brenda Lenard
Candidate for U.S. Senate (TN)

4. “Michelle Obama is the perfect 50-year-old
woman who exemplifies balance: professional,
educated, accomplished, passionate, mother,
wife, role model, fit and beautiful.”
Lisa O'Dell, Child Advocate at CASA

5. “My grandmother, Lucy
Finkston, dropped out of high
school to help her family, but
talked her way into numerous
jobs. Ultimately, she became
a highly paid model. She
traveled the world, was
president of her local
Haddasah chapter and
formed many lifelong
friendships. Lucy was the
most accepting person I ever
knew. She cared only about
the content of your character.”
Aviva Gittle
Writer/publisher of children’s books

6. “Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCo, is my role model.
Being a woman CEO in today’s competitive market
and remaining successful in top management for
more than a decade is definitely noteworthy.”
Gayathri Ram Mohan, Environmental Engineer

7. “I was inspired by my
grandmother, who never
went to school, taught
herself how to read and
write, ran a successful
business in a new
country where she
barely spoke the
language, and taught
me everything that
forged the foundation for
who I am today.”
Marcela Katz Armoza
VP, Enrollment & Student Affairs

8. “Creatively I admire Coco Chanel. I obtained a
fashion degree largely because of her as such a
driving influence. Now I work in the interior design
world as a decorator, a profession closely related to
fashion design.”
Rebecca Charamut Cass, Owner, Inspired Interiors LLC

9. “I am inspired by my
great-great Cherokee
grandmother. After all the
men in her tribe were
killed in Oklahoma, she
gathered all the
remaining children, put
them in a covered
wagon, and traveled to
Pennsylvania so they
could live a better life. I
used her strength and
her story to inspire me to
success.”
Audrey Snyder
Adjunct Professor

10. “Oprah has done more for women than any other
media personality. She uses the media to help, lead,
energize and motivate. And she does it
wholeheartedly, with genuine openness and dignity.”
Lauren Dane Butler, Emotional Intelligence Consultant

11. “My mother has always
been my inspiration. She
has always been such a
saint—patient, kind,
persistent, compassionate
and mentoring. She has
endured innumerable
hardships and done so like
a champion. I have
modeled myself after her
and hope I can be even
half the woman she has
been throughout her life.”
Jennifer Lynn
Administrative Assistant

12. “I love strong women who aren’t afraid to speak their minds
or fight for a cause, which is why I hold a deep admiration
for Audrey Hepburn. She was one of the first celebrities to
travel to war-torn, poverty-stricken areas of the world, such
as Somalia, to perform humanitarian work.”
Samantha Esterman, Account Executive

13. “Inspiring women are
everywhere if you look
for them. That’s what led
me to write my column
“Extraordinary Ordinary
Women” for Women’s
Voices Magazine. This
month, I highlighted
Kathy Buckley, the
funniest and most
inspiring speaker I’ve
ever heard—who also
happens to be deaf.”
Rebecca Lacy, Author

14. Additional Resources
International Women’s Day official website
UN Women
10 Reasons for Optimism This International Women’s Day
Best Advice from Citi Women About Accelerating Your Career
You’ve Had an Aha Moment. Now What?
©2014 LinkedIn Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

15. Join the conversation!
Connect: Professional Women’s Network, Powered by Citi, is an online
community on LinkedIn that helps women achieve the careers they want
and discuss the issues relevant to their success.
For more great insights from Connect members, check out
the discussion: What Women Inspire You?
Visit linkedin.com/womenconnect for more information
and to join the group for free!
PHOTO CREDITS:
1: kanate/Shutterstock
2: tukkki/Shutterstock
3: Courtesy of Brenda Lenard
4: Barack Obama/Flickr
5: Courtesy of Aviva Gittle
6: World Economic Forum/Flickr
7: Courtesy of Marcela Katz
Armoza
©2014 LinkedIn Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
8: chariserin/Flickr
9: Courtesy of Audrey Snyder
10: Ian Kelly Ida Scope/Flickr
11: Photo courtesy Jennifer Lynn
12: fred baby/Flickr
13: Courtesy of Rebecca Lacy

16. ©2014 LinkedIn Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
CONNECT: PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S NETWORK 16