Sisters 4 Empowerment

First, I am a teacher. My reward is seeing people learn and grow. I believe know that people CAN change with the proper motivation. Teachers can be the enablers and the encouragers who guide the change process. When someone succeeds in making a desired change, they become truly empowered.

In 1978, I was a rookie management trainer for GTE (Verizon). I wanted to empower my supervisors and managers to communicate more effectively with their employees and bosses. I developed a system called Psycho-Geometrics®. People choose their preferred geometric shape from 5 choices: Square, Triangle, Rectangle, Circle and Squiggle. Each "Shape" defines a personal style with its own set of characteristics.

When people understand their Shape, they realize their strengths and the tendencies within themselves that need improvement. If motivated to change, they learn to improve their communication through a technique called "Shape Flexing." I have seen dramatic changes in relationships (both personal and professional) with the application of the Psycho-Geometrics® system. I have presented this system to more than one million people in 24 countries and my book (Communicating Beyond Our Differences) has been translated into 7 foreign languages.

"There is no more delicate matter to take in hand, nor more dangerous to conduct, than to step up as a leader in the introduction of change. For he(she) who innovates will have for his(her) enemies all those who are well off under the existing order of things, and only lukewarm supporters in those who might be better off under the new." —Niccolo Machiavelli

I love 3 musicians: Frank Sinatra, Led Zeppelin and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

I became interested in this field after spending one and a half years in Bosnia working with women who were trafficked for sexual exploitation.

By example.

As a law enforcement officer for 31 years, I have come to the conclusion that "The only thing you can take to the grave is your good name." I do not know if this is a quote from someone but it is something I say often.

What iPod?

The murder of my Alpha Phi sorority sister, Shannon McNamara, in 2001.

I travel the nation giving personal safety and self-defense seminars.  I also wrote a book called Girls Fight Back! The College Girl's Guide to Protecting Herself and host a weekly radio show on AM 760 called Women on Top.

"There's nothing more dangerous than a pissed off woman." -me

Alicia Keys, "No One."

I have tons—see the GFB site below and click on resources.

• www.girlsfightback.org — Women's Safety and Self-Defense
• www.safespringbreak.org — How to have a safe spring break
• www.womenontopradio.com — Weekly show about women's issues

My parents. My father always taught me that you must be the change you want to see in the world (quote from Ghandi) and he lives that everyday. He taught me that the only person you have to be ok with at the end of the day is the one looking back at you in the mirror and that once you have that you have a responsibility to teach others that same skill. When you value yourself then you already have the ability to value others and thus you would never put them in harms way.

Through a process my father likes to call "guided discovery." Help others to learn that change is an essential part of life and then help lead them through that process to discover the benefits of change for themselves.

Identifying that violence against others is not a common value is the first step in creating a community that cares. Once this is determined and a core set of the membership is willing to stand against the violence true social change can happen. Building an awareness within the community is also essential.

What is popular is not always right, what is right is not always popular. Always do what is right.

Kanye West - Stronger