Mojo Mom Podcast with The Curse of the Good Girl

This week I had the pleasure of welcoming Rachel Simmons to The Mojo Mom Podcast. You've probably heard about Rachel's work with girls and her previous book, Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls, and now she has a brand-new book, The Curse of the Good Girl: Raising Authentic Girls with Courage and Confidence. I highly recommend her work, especially if you have a daughter; but even if you don't, Rachel's insights shed interesting light on adult female interactions. And if you have sons, it can be helpful to understand what is going on behind the scenes in girl culture, too.

Listen to the podcast now:



Amy and Patty talk about upcoming developments in Amy's work as Mojo Mom, which will be more fully announced in October.

Then Mojo Mom interviews Rachel Simmons, a respected author, educator and coach who helps girls develop their authentic selves. Rachel's new book is "The Curse of the Good Girl," which fascinated Amy as a guide to helping young women develop, and a reminder that grown-up women may still have some relationship skills to learn, especially when it comes to dealing with conflict.

Triangle area: Girls on the Run Shop for a Cause event

If you are in the Triangle area, I hope you'll come out for the "Girls Night In Shop for a Cause" event at Nordstrom, benefiting Girls on the Run.

Girls on the Run enacts a mission of educating and "preparing girls for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living" through groups that combine running and self-esteem education.

Last year I was the invited speaker at this event at Nordstrom, and it was really fun. This year I plan to attend as a guest, and I'll get to shop and sample the goodies this time.

The invited speaker this year is Pam Saulsby, WRAL Anchorwoman and Singer. Pam will speak and sing to the topic, "Finding the Joy in Yourself!"

The event will take place Sunday night, March 1, at the Nordstrom at the Streets at Southpoint in Durham. The party runs from 7:30 to 10:00 pm and the store is only open to this private event.

Tickets are $30, available online from Girls on the Run through February 25. You must buy ticket in advance; no tickets are sold at the door.

Nordstrom puts on a really nice party for this private shopping event to benefit this worthy cause. Get your girfriends together and come on out!

Join me for a Girls' Night Out on Feb. 24

If you are in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area, I hope you'll join me on the February 24 for a Girls' Night Out at Nordstrom (Streets of Southpoint) to benefit Girls on the Run of the Triangle.

I'm the guest speaker and will do a book signing at this event to benefit a worthy organization. Girls on the Run uses the power of running to change the way girls see themselves and their opportunities, connecting a healthy lifestyle with a strong sense of self.

I will give a short talk sharing my strategies designed to get your mojo revved up for spring. There are many connections between Girls on the Run and Mojo Mom. After all, what they are doing for girls, I am trying to do for Moms through my work.

Event details:

On February 24, Nordstrom will open the store at 7:30 pm just for us for this special event -- the closest we'll get to "Night at the Museum" for Moms! (You certainly don't have to be a Mom to come, but it is being marketed as a Girls' Night Out. I had to tell my Dad that even though he's a proud Papa, this wasn't the event for him.)

Nordstrom donates staff time and refreshments, so your ticket purchase goes to benefit Girls on the Run.

Knowing the cool women who are already planning to attend, I daresay that this will be a good networking event as well as a fun party.

Tickets are $30 each and the entire ticket price goes to benefit Girls on the Run of the Triangle. I will also be donating 20% of book sales that evening to support the cause. You can buy tickets online now.

There are more than 120 Girls on the Run councils in the United States and Canada, so visit the Girls on the Run International website to learn more.

Getting to know GOTR has given me new respect my own sport. I am an avid tennis player, but it's always seemed like a bit of a guilty indulgence to me. Now I have come to see that it is a chance for fun, a healthy activity, and really my best chance for meditation all rolled into one. The ball tells you whether you are in the moment with each stroke.

What role do sports play in your life? Do you keep up the games you played as a girl? If you do play a sport, what does it mean to you? If you don't, do you wish you could get involved?

I wish "Soccer Moms" meant Moms playing soccer rather than just organizing the games for kids. How can we get on the field as well? I'd love to hear your ideas.