ELEVATE: Female Rising by WomenEntrepreneursLaunch

ELEVATE Elevate

Magazine

Fall/Winter 2021-2022

FEMALE

Rising

Rise of the female entrepreneur

WELA x Google Hear from Anne Wojcicki 23andMe CEO & Co-Founder at Workshop #4

Three stories of entrepreneurs who took the leap and trail-blazed their way through their industry.

Home for the holidays

Women entrepreneurs Are on A Historic Rise

WELA Recipes and Gift Guide for the 2021 Holiday Season

What’s Stopping You From Joining?

Fall / Winter 2021

What’s inside 6. Letter From the Editor 7. WELA Is Expanding 8. Women Who Lead The New WELA 2021-2022 Leadership Team 10. Network In Your Community 10. Mornings With WELA 11. Benefits of WELA 12. A Snapshot of Normal 14. So, What Do You Do? Public speaking tips from public speaking coach Kristin Link 15. Preeminent Career Coaching For Leaders Savvy Success Unlimited 16. WELA x Google Workshop #4 Use YouTube To Grow Your Business, Special Guest Anne Wojcicki 18. My Journey Toward Helping Women Entrepreneurs Gain Financial Wellness 19. Family Photography Made Easy and Affordable PictureHum 20. Make Your Website Work For You VAAI 25. Executive Coaching, Leadership & Strategy Ruchira Sood

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female en

22. What Is Your Passion? The starting point of a Female Entrepreneu

23. Deborah Dooley - Meditation Fa Apps

24. The Aha Momoki Moment Sometimes you have to have a breakdown t

26. The Spelling of Mentor is The S Sharing your corner of success

27. Mod Fox Consulting 28. In The Silicon Valley, The Next Best Idea Just Might Be A Tiny One Interview with Laura Ching, Co-Founder of Tiny Prints View all three WELA x Google workshops 30. The Community’s Wellness Destination Kua Body Studios 31. The Balancing Act of Working From Home

21. Rise of the

ntrepreneur

ailure, Daily Balance Hour, Health

to have a break through

31. Premier Undergraduate, Graduate, and Professional School Admissions Savvy Success Unlimited 32. Join Our Blue Crew Alkalign Studios 33. The Place for Purpose-Driven People Like You Thrivent Financial 34. Happy National Women’s Small Business Month 35. How To Support Small Business 36. Staying Connected Reflecting back on September 2020 - September 2021 37. Women Entrepreneurs Are On A Historic Rise What’s stopping you from joining? 38. WELA Connection Corner

Same, Whether in English or French

Fall / Winter 2021

Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice 40. Top 2 Bottom Cycling Across the Country to Fundraise for Mental Health 41. Subscribe to Elevate 42. Home For The Holidays 45. Dark & Spicy Pumpkin Pie 46. Holiday Pumpkin Miso Soup 47. Pumpkin Hummus 48. Pumpkin Roll 49. Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting 50. Louisiana St. Landry Parish Creole Chicken & Sausage Gumbo 52. The Linchpin who Made Christmas

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What’s inside

53. Tuna Skewers with Cherry Tomatoes & Salsa 54. Brown Spiced Cookies 55. Oreo Truffles 56. Viv’s Lamb Ragu 58. WELA 2021 Holiday Gift Guide 60. Rewriting The Future of Communities Through Education Karat School Project 61. Supporting Our Communities Nonprofits you can give to this holiday season 62. Contribute to Our Upcoming Spring/Summer 2022 Elevate Issue 63. Contributors List

Fall / Winter 2021

A letter from the editor Upuia Ahkiong

Thank you for sharing your time with us and reading through our publication ELEVATE. The origin and intentionality behind our name, Elevate, is simple: When women elevate women, we elevate the potential for all to succeed. Each publication will have a specific focus. At the same time, we have our feet planted deeply in our views and vision of helping other women in their endeavors. This issue focuses on the Rising of the Female Power coming out of COVID. We see progress with more strength in numbers, and we must increase our strength in support of each other exponentially. We all are a story at every junction in our lives and have information to share. I am arriving on the 7th anniversary of the launch of my studio, Kua Body and while my studio was shut down in 2021 I pivoted and launched a digital design company VAAI to support businesses. I am riding this journey with all of you. In this issue, you will get to hear how a new entrepreneur took the leap times two and hear about decades of experience with women in business from Abby Ahrens. The latter went from being the daughter of a fashion designer to a hotel owner. And through all of this, our group keeps a focus on wellness. We are only as healthy at work and our decisions as we take care of ourselves, so we learn even how to breathe in our interview with Deborah Dooley. A woman who went from questioning herself to applying her knowledge in helping others throughout the Silicon Valley.

I am a first born generation Samoan-Chinese American raised in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. I am the owner and Founder of Kua Body, massage studio; WELA, a women’s entrepreneur group; and now VAAI, digital design company. I earned my M.S. in counseling psychology at Chaminade University of Hawaii and spent over 7 years in education as a school counselor and teacher. I was one of the first massage therapists at Google, Inc. and spent over 10 years helping to build their massage program.

And that leads me to another Elevate goal. We want to be your gateway to the Silicon Valley. We are working with Google, Inc. and many other companies in the area to help you gain from their knowledge quicker and easier. Check our website for updates on our ongoing online series of workshops with one-on-one time to ask questions that might be entering your business arena. We would also appreciate you sharing ELEVATE with others to support our business community. Lastly, we are open-armed and welcome any comments and critiques you may have as a reader. Letters to the editor are also highly encouraged. Please email me at welamarketingteam@gmail.com

Join Our Newsletter!

Talofa tele lava,

Upuia Ahkiong

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Fall / Winter 2021

Women Who Lead

NEW WELA Leadership Team 2021-2022

“The time is now to help each other, to offer to mentor to each other. All women at all stages in their business have something to offer, and beyond that, they have something that is needed to others.” - Abby Ahrens, owner of Enchantè Boutique Hotel

WELA Leadership Team The WELA Leadership Team is comprised of seasoned entrepreneurs and WELA members who bring their wealth of knowledge and fresh ideas to help grow and expand WELA. These leaders volunteer their time and energy to plan out WELA’s activities and projects for the year to better serve you, our members. Thank you to our new 2021-2022 WELA Leadership Team!

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UPUIA AHKIONG

CRISTINA MEJIA

WELA Founder, Kua Body + VAAI Los Altos + Pleasanton

All American Scaffold + Luxe Platters and Tablescapes Los Altos

ROSANNE HOFFMAN

SARAH TRAUBE

Venture Sotheby’s International Realty Pleasanton

Talking Circles Farms Pleasanton

MICHELLE MASSEY Merrill Lynch Pleasanton

JAYA AIYER

ANNETTE BEVERS

Crèatif Pleasanton

Annette Bevers, CPA Pleasanton Fall / Winter 2021

Network In Your

Community

OCTOBER 18TH

U S E YO U T U B E TO G R O W YO U R B U S I N E S S GUEST SPEAKER ANNE WOJCICKI CEO + CO-FOUNDER OF 23andMe More details on page 14

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BENEFITS OF BECOMING A WELA MEMBER

WELA EVENTS Enjoy special member rates for events and become eligible to host an event.

EXCLUSIVE ACCESS

“

I joined WELA because I love to learn from other women entrepreneurs and also share my experience as well. There are so many amazing women doing cool things with their businesses and WELA gives me the opportunity to meet them so we can learn from each other.

You’ll have access to business & educational resources and opportunities, our private Facebook group to connect & collaborate with fellow members, and leadership opportunities.

SPECIAL FEATURES Be featured in our Member Highlight on our social channels and in ELEVATE.

“

WELA is a great platform to bring like minded women entrepreneurs together and allows us to share our experiences and learn from each other. It has helped me in building greater visibility and allowed me to build relationships and partner with other like minded community leaders and entrepreneurs.

Become A Member! Fall / Winter 2021

A Snapshot of Normal This year our businesses emerged from COVID through our virtual and in-person WELA events. Take a look at how our community has connected the past year.

03.25.21 “This was great and very informative. Thank you WELA!”

WELA x Google Workshop #1

Reaching Customers Online With Google Guest Speaker Mary Ellen Coe President of Google Customer Solutions

06.21.21 “Meeting one on one, to have time with another female entrepreneur is very valuable.”

WELA x Google

Get Your Local

Workshop #2

Business on Goo

gle Search and

Maps

Guest Speaker Amy Konary VP of Zuora Cus tomer Business In novation

09.20.21

#3 WELA x Google Workshop

r Yo Make Your Website Work Fo Guest Speaker Laura Ching Co-Founder of Tiny Prints 12

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“This was a good workshop for beginners.”

07.15.21 “Such a fun event!! So great to see everyone.”

WE Mix Ha

ppy Hour in

at The Wine

Pleasanton

Steward

07.21.21 “So inspired by all the women I met @the_wela event in Los Altos!” WE Mix Happy Hour in Los Altos at Enchantè Boutique Hotel

09.03.21 “WELA fashion show allowed the youth to showcase their artistic/design talent and share great fun with the community. This is a wonderful way to connect with each other!”

WELA x DesignX Fashion Show at Los Altos First Friday’s

Join us for our upcoming events! www.TheWELA.com

Fall / Winter 2021

So, What Do You Do? Public speaking tips from public speaking coach Kristin Link

“So, what do you do?” Oh, this? This question can be one of the most anxietyinducing questions ever. Sadly, not wanting to deal with this question may be why some women decide not to attend our WELA events, especially if you’re more of an introvert like me. Honestly, networking events are tough for me. I remember my first WELA event in March 2017. I started by hiding in the bathroom (my usual plan) until I could get the courage to meet people. I had just started my business and was a bit fuzzy about my title, even fuzzier about how to explain what I do. I remember tripping over my title –

Have you been there? If yes, don’t worry, me too. None of these options is fun. Painful is more like it. Before you get faced with this dreaded question, prepare. Think about, well… what do you do…long before this question gets tossed your way. But how? How do you introduce yourself concisely? I’ll break it down into three simple steps:

I’m a speaking coach, um … I’m a speech coach, um… I’m a presentation coach, um…

A public speaking coach who can’t speak clearly is a problem. I was not ready to answer, “So, what do you do?” If you feel unprepared, one of three things may happen: 14

Can’t think – You can’t think of anything to say and mumble a few words Can’t organize – You can’t contain what you want to say and just mumble a few words Ramble – You listen as you go on and on and say far too many words

1. Who I am

2. What I do

3. Why this matters

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Who I am Example: I’m Kristin Link, founder of Link Coaching What I do Example: I’m an executive public speaking coach

Why this matters – Example: I help global business leaders confidently share their ideas and make an impact. I do this by organizing their content into a clear, concise presentation. Then by teaching them how to practice it so they can deliver it well. Once you create an introduction, rehearse it at least a few times before going to an event. Say it out loud, as if you have a person standing in front of you. In time, it will become very natural to say. After you’ve introduced yourself, keep the conversation going. Perhaps you can say – • Tell me about yourself • What’s your story? • I’d love to learn more about you. Certainly, there are other ways to introduce yourself. Feel free to tweak these three steps until they work well for you. Do your preparation well in advance of your next get-together, and you might find that you enjoy introducing yourself to others. Which, of course, will help grow your network and ultimately grow your business.

Fall / Winter 2021

Fireside Chat with Special Guest Anne Wojcicki CEO + Co-Founder of 23andMe

Workshop #4

Monday, October 18th | 11:00am-12:45pm 16

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USE

TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS

What You’ll Learn

You’ll Hear From

Learn how to use YouTube and the power of video to promote your business or brand.

Special Guest Anne Wojcicki CEO + Co-Founder of 23andMe

YouTube is the number two search engine in the world. It’s also the number two social network in the world. It can do both! And, it’s owned by Google so YouTube supports you gaining visibility on Google. Only 9% of businesses have a YouTube strategy. It’s a great place to build rapport and to develop know, like, and trust with your potential customer or client.

Join us for a fireside chat with Anne Wojcicki of 23andMe. She will be sharing with our community her journey as a business owner, how she developed 23andMe, her thoughts on going public as one of the few female CEOs, and marketing strategies that helped her grow her business.

Google Trainer: Maria Elena Duron

In the webinar, you will learn how to: • Start and optimize your YouTube channel • Best practices on using YouTube live and YouTube shorts • How to structure your videos on YouTube to maximize developing your brand equity and reach your audience

Maria is a speaker for the Grow with Google partner program. She helps businesses profitably harness their personal brand, content, and referral marketing. Her wide range of clients includes hotels, restaurants, inventors, authors, and web series creators.

What’s Included When you join this event you’ll enjoy a Fireside Chat with Anne Wojcicki, WELA Connection*, a training with Maria Elena Duron on how to use YouTube to grow your business, professional development, a recording and slidedeck of the event, and a WELA x Google gift! * WELA Connection is an opportunity to connect and network virtually with other attendees. Make sure to get yourself camera-ready to meet other business owners throughout the Bay Area.

This event is open to WELA Members and the public! Monday, October 18th | 11:00AM-12:45PM $75.00 per participant

My Journey Toward Helping Women Entrepreneurs Gain Financial Wellness Written by Annette Bevers, Annette Bevers CPA + WELA Lead

When I started my business 16 years ago, I had just had my first child and I knew that working long hours in public accounting wasn’t going to work with my vision of how I wanted to show up for my kids. I didn’t have a grand plan for my business. For the first few years I don’t think I even really considered it a real business, it was just something I was doing “on the side.” But as the years went by and my kids grew and required less of my time, my side business had grown as well. In the early years, I admit I was not very intentional about the clients I took on. As people came to me, if I had the time to do the work and it was in my skill set then I said yes. As a result of doing that for many years, I found that I had built a business that, although successful, was mentally draining. I was helping too many different kinds of businesses doing too many different things. I realized that I needed to make some changes, which we all know can be hard. The first thing I needed to do was to make a decision about who I wanted to serve and in what capacity. As I reviewed my client list, I found that most of them for one reason or another were not my ideal clients. They didn’t spark the joy that I was wanting more of in my business. I knew I wanted to focus on women entrepreneurs, but I needed to narrow it down further. So I had to dig a bit deeper, and call in some help. I hired a coach to help me do the work necessary to refine the vision for my business moving forward. The more exercises she had me do, and inner work I did as part of the 18

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process, I realized that women entrepreneurs in the wellness industry were who I wanted to help. I had a few clients and several friends in the wellness industry, such as chiropractors, acupuncturists, and massage therapists. I saw women that had gone into their particular field because it was personal to them, they had a passion for helping people gain better health. I personally have benefited from working with wellness practitioners over the years, so I know the impact they have in the lives of their patients and clients - they are changing people’s lives for the better. However, a common issue I was seeing was that even though they had successful businesses, they were often struggling with their finances. They had gone into their profession because they wanted to help people, not because they loved dealing with accounting and all of the other administrative details that come with running a business. I saw women procrastinating and avoiding dealing with the financial aspects of their business because it was overwhelming to them. They were sometimes embarrassed to ask for help, or they didn’t know where to go for help. As a result, they were stressed out, struggled with making financial decisions, and weren’t making the money they deserved for the hard work they were putting in.

It seemed like a natural fit for me to focus my business on supporting these amazing women, helping them gain financial wellness. I take a more holistic approach to the financial wellbeing of a business than many accountants. I work with business owners to make sure they have access to the financial information they need to make informed decisions by assisting them with their bookkeeping. I provide educational support so they feel more empowered and confident when they are looking at their finances and they know when to ask for help. Together we discuss the strategy needed to help them meet their financial goals, and I provide accountability to keep them on track. Working together we can create stronger businesses, so they will be able to better serve their patients and clients, better provide for their families, and increase their impact in their communities. Together we can change the world!

Fall / Winter 2021

WELA Members recieve 10% off all services

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Rise Of The Female Entrepreneur Hear three stories of female entrepreneurs who took the leap, overcame obstacles, and trail-blazed their way through their industry.

Fall / Winter 2021

~ Deborah Dooley ~ What Is Your Passion?

The starting point of a Female Entrepreneur Interview by Jessica Gize Can spending a childhood moving every two years to a different state lead you to a career path? That’s precisely what happened to Deborah Dooley. Deborah was constantly starting a new school. I would call it a state of anxiety. Still, showcasing her 4 decades of psychology, Deborah stated as such, “it created me to be “objective perspective,” or I never needed belonging.” And this constant move, stemming from her father’s military career, came Deborah’s start point for her own career. “I felt like something was missing inside of me, and it gave me motivation,” Deborah continued. And out of that simple personal desire to solve herself, she found a career focus. She calls her career a “symptom” of her life. Still, as I listen to her talk, I hear it as her passion. “I was motivated by a sense of wanting to feel whole within myself, and that was my start point, true that was my passion point,” she continued. As we began to discuss Deborah’s entrepreneurial life of personal discovery, she reflected on entrepreneurs she met as a young girl. “As I look backward, women from my generation were never called entrepreneurs; it was more of a description of a woman having a passion. And their career was a development from that passion,” she explained. So having a passion point can catapult lots of careers. There are many current-day examples of passionate people with their work, and Deborah expressed ones that came to her mind. Greta Thornburg is the most recent one who didn’t set out to be an entrepreneur but sparked her passion for global warming. Being 4’11” with head-to-toe drive, she embodies her book title “No one is Too Small to Make a Difference.” It can give the most disheartened feel empowered. Passion is indeed contagious. Deborah also mentions Malala Yousafzai. Malala was a young girl in Pakistan who wanted to share her experiences, even writing under a pseudonym. Out of that driven desire, she was targeted for attempted assassination and is currently

an activist who is the youngest ever to have received a Nobel Peace Prize and known for making The Daily Show host John Stewart speechless. If you have ever watched John Stewart, that is no easy task. Deborah continued to point out that even the most successful women are the ones who may even integrate their passion into their careers later. Maybe even use their profession to launch a passion focus. Perhaps an earlier career creates the breadth and depth to hit a hot point they’ve carried their whole lives. Goldie Hawn is an example with her nonprofit mindup. org. Goldie Hawn, who dealt with her own anxiety, focused on greater mindfulness, especially for grade school children. “What we are talking about here is emotional intelligence as well as passion,” said Deborah. “As women are moving into leadership roles right now, at a record-breaking rate, I am hoping emotional intelligence will also become part of their personal power,” she continued. “We as women need to bring our emotional intelligence into our leadership roles,” Deborah emphasized with a healthy smile. Think back to a moment you felt stressed. You finally yelled or just felt an overwhelming sense of duress. We tend to get lost in the symptoms: neck pain, a migraine, or tight, highly raised shoulders. We need to stop and think about where that stress stems from and what we can do about that feeling. Most humans are getting lost in their symptoms versus having an objective perspective. So, we don’t really solve our stress point. We basically put a band-aid on it. The good news right now is that people are starting to understand this, and we are turning a corner. Perhaps at some level, we are moving backward to a time where passion and values are the driving force of females in our endeavors. Women coming out of COVID are tapping into enthusiasms and trying “side-hustles” or doing a complete career change. Perhaps going backward with a new lens is moving forwards.

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Meditation Failure If you have ever failed at meditation, that is no surprise, according to Deborah. “Meditation is a war of your thoughts and you trying to control your thoughts,” she stated. It makes mediation a war between your thoughts and breath. And this war, you can’t possibly win until you learn to focus on your breath. So are you feeling stressed or under duress right now and wondering what to do? Deborah says, stop and notice your breathing. “What do you notice about your breathing at this moment?” she asks every new client at their first session. She always hears words such as shallow, rapid, and quick. This shallow and fast breath typically comes from the upper chest and is usually an overactive sympathetic system. It is a symptom of being under too much stress and not knowing how to regulate this anxiety. Deborah quietly stated, “Slow your breath down into your belly. Take your time to feel your breath into your belly, feel your breath expanding your ribs and now to the back of your spine. Now feel your breath expanding your sternum and creating more space between your sternum and your heart. You can now become the master of your breath; you can now be your boss,” she stated with emphatically.

Daily Balance Hour Deborah believes in maintaining balance; it needs to be a daily goal. Start the practice of setting aside 1 hour a day to work on and focus on yourself. With your balance comes smarter decision making and a better life.

Deborah’s Favorite Health Apps: 1. Activ5 Activ5 is an app for brief calisthenics training programs, and it’s easy to do on 10-15 minute breaks. Calisthenics training helps create brain balance.

2. Insight Timer This has a wealth of training programs and classes on breath, yoga, meditation and well being. The app has both a free and paid subscription.

3. Heart Rate + Coherence There are several apps for heart coherence but they give you the summary of what percent of heart coherence you created. This one gives you the feedback in real time, which is what one needs to learn. This one is the most important. It is basic to brain balance, created by breath control and is a scientific form of meditation. General meditation practice has no measuring stick. This is the measuring stick and has more biological benefit than standard meditation practices.

Deborah Dooly has been working and teaching in the psychology field for four decades. She specializes in the neuroscience of brain balance with an emphasis on personal skill development. www.deborahdooley.com SF Bay Area

Fall / Winter 2021

~ The Momoki Twins ~ The Aha Momoki Moment

Sometimes you have to have a breakdown to have a break through. Interview by Jessica Gize

The aha moment was during COVID for Momoki twins Shirley and Eva. As COVID swept through the world, Shirley ended up unemployed and Eva was laid off. Shirley had to decide whether she should venture onward to the next job or take this moment to really reflect on what she wanted in life. She spoke with her sister, asked friends, and went on a personal journey, discovering an answer that may have been with her all along. People may see it as a knee-jerk reaction, but this wasn’t a sudden thought that occurred. The seed was planted in 2013 while Shirley was an elementary school teacher at the same school as her sister Eva. The twins noticed they needed to create healthy meals for themselves as teachers to keep up through the hectic days and “honestly maintain the energy of our students,” said Eva. So we started bringing in our boxed lunches that were healthy meals and easy to grab and go. The other teachers began to notice these meals as well as the parents of students. They started nicknaming them “Momoki Meals.” These meals became popular, and many people told us we should launch them and start a company. We found ourselves busy as teachers, but the entrepreneurial seed was planted. The decision to move forward really came to be around Thanksgiving of 2020. “We met with Upuia Ahkiong, 24

founder of WELA, and it just seemed that the timing was right. Eva stated, “We felt we had a team of women willing was not just helpful but to also give that boost of energy to achieve, even the most mundane or scariest of items to accomplish,” Eva Said. As we continued to talk with other people about our idea, we realized that our path was the right one, and it really started with our parents. Their father was a restauranteur, and his “food” they described as his love language. He wasn’t big into showing affection, but he always worked hard on giving you food with love. “We do have emotions in our food, said Shirley, “it is not just about nutrition but about caring,” she said, “and every time I cook, I think to myself this is going to be loved.” You can tell that when you eat food made with love, it creates comfort. And Dad wasn’t the only parent to influence their life goal. Their mom had a deep value placed on food in her own way, the value on family mealtime. “TV off, and we’re having a family dinner,” Eva said, emulating her mother with a strong tone. “She taught us not to just have a family meal but how to make a meal an event because it was a time to spend together,” Eva said. And Mom was their number one fan. When they were around 8 years old, even if we made shredded carrots, she would act like they were the best-shredded carrots

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she ever ate. And Shirley knew her mom was tested at least once with her unending cheering, “One time I used ½ tsp of cayenne instead of chili powder, thinking what’s the difference?” Her mom just smiled and said that it had excellent flavor and was creative, as tears arrived into her mom’s eyes and slowly rolled down her cheeks. They definitely do look alike and enjoy many of the same activities, but these two women have different personalities and strengths, leading to a perfect partnering. “We had someone comment about watching us in the kitchen as if they were watching two dancers in sync. “It’s second nature to us as to what the other person is doing, said Eva, “I know when I hear a certain clank of a pan or the stir of a spoon what step Shirley is at completing a meal.” Is the entrepreneurial spirit here to stay? “I can’t imagine going back into the corporate world,” said Shirley, “so yes, I am completely in.” Eva is doing it as a side hustle and willfully join when the timing is right. The Momoki twins are here to share their unity and love of food with others. They will achieve either by creating healthy alternative ideas besides a sandwich for a busy student or teacher or harmony for a table of 20. These entrepreneurial twins are right in step with a chef they immensely admire, Jacque Pepin, who stated, “cooking is like love; it should be entered into with abandon or not at all.”

Q&A with Shirley and Eva Q: The most challenging thing about starting up? A: Shirley: Building a website. Just getting myself to figure it all out and get it started. Eva: Trepidation of saying yes to day one. How and where do we start. Q: One word to help you relax: A: Eva: SMILE - I remind myself to smile, and it helps me be present Shirley: BREATHE - It honestly takes my shoulders down immediately. Q: Fill in the blank. Other female e ntrepreneurs give us..? A: Eva: Inspiration Shirley: Motivation

Fall / Winter 2021

~ Abby Ahrens ~ The Spelling of Mentor is The Same, Whether in English or French

Sharing Your Corner of Success Interview by Jessica Gize When I was a little girl, the age where your feet swing as you sit in chairs, I remember visiting New York with my father and eating breakfast at a restaurant inside our hotel. I noticed a particular lady in the corner so comfortable in her environment enjoying her breakfast as her sweet, mild pup sat beside her. I kept looking over, and I am sure for the 10th time, my father asked me to please stop staring. As the waiter poured me some more orange juice, he commented that her name was Maxine, and she lived on the top floor of the hotel and was down every morning for breakfast with her best friend, a miniature little poodle comfortably sitting next to her. “Oh, dad,” I recall saying, “can we go talk to her.” Decades later, I got to talk to someone very similar. I met a lady who lives on the top floor of a hotel and has lovely dogs that enchant her with their personalities. This lady is 26

Abby Ahrens, owner of Enchantè Hotel in Los Altos, California. Abby Ahrens seems comfortable with the entrepreneur life between owning antique stores, being a real estate agent for over 53 years, and now a hotel owner. “My mother was a designer, so perhaps she put me at ease with the idea,” Abby stated. “But women didn’t have careers back then; people saw it more as if they had hobbies,” she continued. It makes Abby think about her childhood and what was a passion or hobby. “Homes.” She emphatically said. “Rooms, the décor, the layout,” she continued. Abby recalled her days in Chicago, where she would ask her mother over and over if they could visit the Thorne Rooms one more time at the Art Institute of Chicago. These miniature rooms reflect European and American interiors from the late 13th century to the 1930s. Moving forward in life, Abby found herself in the

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world of real estate, so it gave her a little taste of her passion. “Each and every home I sold, I found endearing,” she said. Her discovery along the way in real estate was the struggle women had with divorce and children. Many times, she found the financial world the struggle for women. “I watched women retain the family residence in a divorce but unable to maintain it financially while taking care of the children,” Abby informed me, “and it would simply break my heart,” she said. Seeing these struggles instilled in Abby a desire to focus on the mentorship of other women in her life as she walked the world of entrepreneurship. “The time is now to help each other, to offer to Mentor to each other. All women at all stages in their business have something to offer, and beyond that, they have something that is in need by others,” Abby continued. “There always seemed to be two kinds of women, ones with their hands open in encouragement and the others closed and afraid of losing their jobs,” Abby expressed. She has hopes that more and more will open their hands, knowing that helping another woman is moving all of us forward. “I succeeded in my corner,” Enchantè Hotel takes over triangleshaped land, “and with this success, I owe it to others to mentor, to help,” Abby said with a genuine smile. As we continued our conversation while she was exiting the elevator, I could hear her speak sweetly in a low

tone soft voice to others. She said she had some loves of her life greeting her at her door. You see, Abby’s love of France goes beyond décor but to the names of her dogs: Antoine and Jolie, who greeted her at her door as she arrived up to her room. As our conversation came to a close and I said goodbye to Abby on the phone, I closed my eyes for just a moment. I suddenly was that little girl in the restaurant with my father, and the lady at the other table, Maxine, was sitting with us with her arms wide open.

Fall / Winter 2021

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L aura Ching

In The Silicon Valley, The Next Best Idea Just Might Be A Tiny One Written by Jessica Gize “You don’t need a crazy big idea to start a business.” Our editor-in-chief, Upuia Ahkiong, had a conversation with Laura Ching, co-founder of Tiny Prints during a WELA workshop. Tiny Prints, an online stationary store, started in a 2-bedroom apartment in 2004 and became so successful that by 2011 it was acquired by Shutterfly for millions. Their conversation included her out of the normal start-up entrepreneurial decision, life as an over analyzer and what day of the week she focused on the most at Tiny Prints. How did you get started and see the opportunity? “My partners and I saw an opportunity to take stationary and create a better experience, and a more effortless experience from design to better personalization and bring everything online. And at that time, in 2004, I believe 99.9% of the market was still going to the store and purchasing invitations, cards, and stationery,” Laura stated. Let’s leave entrepreneurs reading this with a goal or a boost for their day. Laura emphasized, “You don’t need a crazy big idea to start a business. Imagine us sitting in Silicon Valley or worse around all of these IPO’s and you say to yourself I have to think differently and big. I think it really depends on your goals, and for us, we had modest goals. You really need to focus on the small wins. Literally getting an order a week was a win. You need to set yourself up to have those early wins because that will give you the confidence to keep going.” To view the full interview with Laura see information below.

X Did you miss our past WELA x Google Workshops and want to catch up? You can now view all three workshops and hear from our guest speakers! Workshop #1: “Reach Customers Online With Google” with speaker Mary Ellen Coe, President of Google Solutions Workshop #2: “Get Your Local Business on Google Search and Maps” with speaker Amy Konary, VP of Zuora Customer Business Innovation Workshop #3: “Make Your Website Work For You” with speaker Laura Ching, Co-Founder of Tiny Prints

Get The Replays Fall / Winter 2021

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The Balancing Act of Working From Home Wearing Too Many Hats Give You a Pain in the Neck Written by Michelle Massey WELA Lead

Looking back at the beginning of lockdown, one of the biggest parts of trying to organize myself was to realize that all of my roles (I’m a mother, a teacher, a financial advisor, and a wife) were blurred. Blended together in ways that are convenient and in other ways it began to be hard to be focus on a specific role. I found myself folding clothes on a lunch break instead of actually eating a lunch, helping my daughter with her online assignment while listening to a conference call, and taking calls from my backyard patio because it was too loud in my house. I was patient, until I wasn’t anymore. I realized that the blurred role lifestyle didn’t allow me to be fully present in

each role and was creating more stress within my neck and shoulders. So, I pivoted again, with the use of time blocking. My kids had their schedule, I had mine, and my husband had his. Each morning my kids and I had time to review our schedule of the day. I would post my schedule on my office door, so my kids were aware of times they could come in and times when it wasn’t ok. This also allowed everyone to have respect for each other’s space so that I didn’t have to resort to taking calls from the backyard patio. On my breaks I had time to check in my kids which gave them comfort with the new schedule. As time went on I was able to have more focus and it gave me realization that I needed to take time for myself. I looked through the schedule and began to give myself time to recharge. As we are all making strides to feel comfortable in public places, it reminds me of some of the feelings I had at the beginning of our lockdown. How do I support our new environment so that we all can be successful? Are there any time constraints that I need to be aware of? I’m looking back at how I pivoted before and how that can be useful as times change again.

Fall / Winter 2021

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The place for purpose-driven people like you. We’re looking for entrepreneurial individuals to join our team. Could it be you? As a Thrivent financial advisor, you’ll: • Connect clients to financial solutions for their goals. • Enjoy industry-leading benefits (including a pension) and generosity programs. • Receive ongoing training and support. • Have excellent earning potential. If you want to be part of this challenging, meaningful work where you can make an impact, we invite you to join our team. Your new career starts here. thrivent.com/advisorcareers Vivia C Strome Regional Development Director 310-804-2067 vivia.strome@thrivent.com

28222 R5-21 Fall / Winter 2021

Happy National Women’s Small Business Month for those who took the biggest step in entreprenuership - beginning the journey. OCTOBER 2021

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How To Support Small Business

SHARE THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS Share their social media posts on your platforms to spread the word about their products, services, and business!

WRITE A REVIEW ONLINE Reviews mean everything to a small business. If you had a good experience write a raving review for their future customers to see!

SIGN UP FOR THEIR NEWSLETTERS Small businesses include a lot of updates in their newsletters, so show them your support by signing up and checking out what they have to say!

POST A PHOTO + GIVE A SHOUTOUT Share a photo of you using their product or service and tag them to give them a shoutout on social media!

ENGAGE WITH THEM This means do more than just like their posts, save their posts, comment on their posts, reply to their stories, and share their posts. This really helps support their engagement!

SHOW THEM APPRECIATION Purchase loved ones and yourself gifts from their shops in-store or online, use local services versus big named businesses, and spread the word about their business!

Fall / Winter 2021

Staying Connected The past year it has felt more important than ever to stay connected with our WELA and surrounding small business community. Take a look at the events we’ve been able to put on virtually and more recently in person the past year. WELA - Reflecting back on September 2020 - September 2021 WE Lunch WE Learn “Spilling The Tea on Finances” with Rosie Poliquin

Release of ELEVATE Spring/Summer 2021 issue curated by VAAI

Launched a mastermind pilot “Wise Women Circles” series with guest Kirsten Romer

Launched Virtual WELA x Google Workshop #1 “Reach Customers Online with Google” with Google trainer Corissa Saint Laurent and special guest Mary Ellen Coe, President of Google Customer Solutions

Virtual WE Mix Happy Hour “Holiday Party Platters” with Cristina Mejia Launched WELA’s digital magazine ELEVATE Winter 2020 issue curated by VAAI Launched “WELA Live” hosted by Kristin Link with guests Leah Richards, Nicole Kennedy, Nina Pomeroy, and Cathy Denham-Novacek Virtual Workshop “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: 2021 Employment Law Update” with guests Michelle Ferber + Jon Babione of Ferber Law Virtual “Women in Leadership” Panel with Upuia Ahkiong hosted by Los Altos History Museum Virtual WE Mix Happy Hour “Wine + Paint Night” with Jaya Aiyar, Cathy Denham-Novacek, and Kathy Bonte February Wellness + Beauty Month with Mimi Ly, Erin Paruszewski, Jocelyn Johnson, Leah Richards, Marcia Conroy, Annette Oeverman, Maria Amren, Carol Hukari, Dr. Sophia Yen, and Varsha Prakash “WELA Live” hosted by Kristin Link with guests Arin-Marie Westendorf, Suzanne Kostalnick, Dr. Mori Ahi, and Annette Oevermann

Virtual WELA x Google Workshop #2 “Get Your Local Business on Google Search and Maps” with Google trainer Corissa Saint Laurent and special guest Amy Konary, VP of Zuora’s Customer Business Innovation In-person WE Mix Happy Hour at The Wine Steward in Pleasanton hosted by Rosanne Hoffman and Cathy Denham-Novacek In-person WE Mix Happy Hour at Enchanté Boutique Hotel in Los Altos hosted by Abby Ahrens, Cristina Mejia, Dr. Mori Ahi and Upuia Ahkiong Outdoor WELA x DesignX Fashion Show hosted by Durga Kalavagunta Virtual WELA x Google Workshop #3 “Make Your Website Work For You” with Google trainer Maria Elena Duron and special guest Laura Ching, Co-Founder of Tiny Prints

Thank you to all of our amazing hosts and guests for keeping our community tightly knit during the past year!

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The historical increase in start-up businesses started in 2020 in the United States at a 24 percent increase. That number is estimated to be 4.4 million, as stated by the Peterson Institute of International Economics. Within that quantity, female-owned is estimated to be over 30 percent and is at an unprecedented number. With California at one time being the state with the highest quantity of small businesses, our group of California entrepreneurial women based in Silicon Valley decided to take our local community and offer our insight and friendships across the country. Our community of WELA women is opening our arms in edicuation and support to ensure the highest potential of success is achieved. Whether you’re an aspiring, active, or retired entrepreneur, we’d love to have you be a part of our community.

• The US has 12.3 million women-owned businesses. There were only 402,000 women-owned businesses in 1972 • 40% of US businesses are women-owned. • There are 114% more women entrepreneurs than there were 20 years ago.

Fall / Winter 2021

Join Our WELA Community

STRESS MANAGEMENT Tips to Reduce Stress: Try the 2-2-2 habit. Take a 2-minute “Me time” break 2-times a day. Use this time to focus on your breath entirely, and to get extra value, choose to think of 2-affirmations like “I am capable, I got this.” This habit helps our brain get grounded and focused on initiating an action plan based on things we control amidst uncertainty. Use this habit before conversations that you believe could be challenging, including family members and other stakeholders.

Ruchira Sood Executive Coach, Leadership & Strategy

Research shows that decision-making is energy-consuming for our brain, and we make better decisions when well-rested and calm, like in the mornings. If not urgent, schedule time on the calendar to make that decision the following morning. A strategy of “80% Perfection and 100% Completion” further helps reduce stress. It allows us to check off items from our To-do List, noticing that most things in life are imperfect.

WELA Connection Corner FINANCE There’s an African proverb, “if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” When looking for advice, it’s important to go together with someone whom you can build a lasting relationship with. When looking for an advisor ask for some informal casual time with them, go out for a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. If you feel like you’d want to do it again with that person, then it might be a good fit!

Vivia Strome Financial Advisor 38

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FITNESS & HEALTH Going through perimenopause/menopause? Gaining weight despite your continuous efforts to eat healthily and exercise? Focus on doing more strength training to keep your muscles, do plyometrics (read jumping exercises) for 10 minutes at least 3 times per week to maintain your bones, and keep cardio at short spurts of high intensity to build a strong and healthy heart. These 3 exercise strategies will not only shed some lbs but more importantly will keep your body healthy, fit and strong and better able to respond to the hormonal shift that takes place in perimenopause. The good news is that the time you need for this type of exercise is 30-45 minutes MAX. Yes, the strategies changes in perimenopause to help us better manage stress, reduction of estrogen, osteoporosis, and more. It’s no longer “the more the better” it’s all about “quality over quantity”.

Maria Amren Health + Fitness Coach

For more information on perimenopause strategies join my newsletter and waitlist for my upcoming fall program: Strategies for Fitness Through Perimenopause: enroll HERE.

WELA Connection Corner is a place for members to share valuable entrepreneur tips and experiences. In each issue, you will have the opportunity to learn from the wisdom of these business leaders.

BRANDING Your personal brand is the first impression you make when you walk into a room, write an email, or show up on camera. It’s also the second impression, and third, and fourth and every single impression you make every day. The key to branding is making a consistent impression, because you never know who is going to find you and where they’ll first encounter you. And the way you do that is by being crystal clear about who you are and what you do. Then, maintain that clarity across everything you do – both in the collateral you produce and in the way you show up and interact in the world. Learn more at https://ninapomeroy.com/

Nina Pomeroy

Tips from my eBook OWN IT: A Step-by-Step Guide to Developing Your Personal Brand

Photographer

Fall / Winter 2021

Top 2 Bot tom Cycling Across the Country to Fundraise for Mental Health Written by Sophie Traube WELA Volunteer

During the COVID-19 pandemic, my friend Max Hobhouse and I decided to undergo a massive feat to fundraise for a relevant and vital cause: mental health. This feat would entail cycling across the over 4200-miles of North America. We chose to represent James’ Place in the U.K., a suicide prevention charity for men focusing on getting all men to know they had a place in this world. Our second charity was the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in the US, an organization working to provide advocacy, education, support, and public awareness surrounding mental health. We were both new to cycling, and we had no idea what to expect and so much to learn even about ourselves. What we were sure of, however, is that although the future of COVID-19 was out of our hands, we could do something for the coinciding pandemic: the mental health crisis. With little notice and support, the mental health crisis has persisted for over a decade. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Justice, the overall suicide rate in the U.S. has increased by 35% since 1999 majority are teenagers and young adults between the ages of 13 and 24. Suicide has become the second leading cause of death among this age group. We have been aging in a period of acceleration 40

made possible by the advancement of technology. Everything is moving faster, getting bigger, and growing more complex. With information, news, and social media literally at our fingertips, we are expected to connect and understand at a different level... and we are! But like with everything, this indeed comes indeed with a cost. The expectation to connect through social media makes us feel isolated and prone to comparisons. The constant stream of negative news about the demise of the planet (social and political upheaval, the climate crisis, war, etc.) leaves us feeling hopeless and scared to the point of numbness. We are pushing into our phones and away from each other, moving further and further away from what it truly means to be human: in-person communication, going outside, exercising, and so much more. All of this is exasperating forced isolation in the pandemic, When we saw a problem we felt a call to action. Max and I decided there was no time like the present to create available resources and spread awareness. So on June 12th of this year, we set out from Portland, Oregon to cycle across the country to our final destination in New York City, New York. The journey proved similar to the nature of mental health itself: lots of ups and downs (both physically and mentally). Any moments of reminding ourselves to preach Bear Grylls’ motto, “improvise, adapt, overcome.” With many unforgettable

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memories made and life lessons learned on the route, we arrived in New York City 2 months later, on August 11th. On arrival, it seemed the question we received the most was: how did you keep going? To us it was simple. We believed in the cause we set out to raise money,but more so, with every pedal push, our belief became stronger. We were able to see so many different sides of the United States and meet a massive array of people. With each passing day, we realized how much awareness remains to obtain. And how many lives would be changed if the subject of mental health wasn’t so heavily stigmatized. Although the cycling component of our fundraising event is over, donations will remain open for the coming months. We are at around 59% of our goal for James’ Place and 20% for NAMI. With your help, we can raise money for these charities, which will benefit lives nationwide and save them. For information on contributing or learning more about our ride, please visit our website www.toptobottomusa.org. If you would like to view videos and images from our adventure, check out our Instagram @t2busa. The message is quite simple: everyone, no matter their background, geography, age, or wealth, deserves access to professional resources, so please donate!

D O N AT E

JAMES’ PLACE NAMI

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Home For The Holidays

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It feels great to be home for the holidays. With many of us missing family traditions last year due to COVID-19, it feels great to make plans with friends and loved ones this upcoming holiday season. Enjoy these sentimental recipes from our WELA members, our WELA 2021 holiday gift guide, and how to support our local communities.

Fall / Winter 2021

Thankful Our members put together thoughtful recipes that come from the heart during the holiday season. We hope you enjoy crafting these meals as much as they enjoyed sharing their family r e c i p e s w i t h t h e i r c o m m u n i t y.

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Dark & Spicy Pumpkin Pie Recipe by Christina Latorraca

FILLING INGREDIENTS: 2 eggs 1 ½ cups canned pumpkin 1 cup dark brown sugar 1 cup evaporated milk ¼ cup dark amber maple syrup (dark color & robust flavor) 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon ½ to 1 teaspoon freshly grated black pepper ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon nutmeg (preferably freshly grated)

incorporated, then test again. Do not overwork dough or pastry will be tough. Gather dough together and press into a 5-inch disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour (preferably overnight). BLIND BAKE THE CRUST: Preheat oven to 375°. Roll out the dough onto a floured surface. Transfer dough into pie dish. Trim dough as necessary, leaving a 2-inch trim and crimp edges decoratively. Chill for 15 minutes in the freezer.

CRUST INGREDIENTS: 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces ¼ teaspoon salt 3 to 5 tablespoons ice water CRUST DIRECTIONS: Blend together flour, butter, and salt in a bowl with a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Drizzle 3 tablespoons ice water evenly over mixture and blend with pastry blender (or pulse in processor) until incorporated. Squeeze a small handful: If it doesn’t hold together, add more ice water, ½ tablespoon at a time, blending (or pulsing) until

Line the pie crust with crinkled parchment paper and set pie weights on top of paper into the pie dish. Bake the pie for 30 minutes. Remove the pie weights and bake the crust in the oven for 5 minutes more. Cool before filing the pie. PIE DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 450°F. Beat eggs slightly. Combine with all other ingredients for the filling. Pour into blind baked pie shell and bake at 450°F for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and bake an additional 45-60 minutes or until the center of the pie jiggles like Jello when nudged.

Fall / Winter 2021

Holiday Pumpkin Miso Soup Recipe by Eva & Shirley Momoki Makes 8 Servings

Fall is a great time to enjoy pumpkin! And Momoki pumpkin miso soup incorporates kabocha (pumpkin) with miso soup, beautifully! It is light, healthy, and great umami flavor. Happy Fall!

DIRECTIONS On medium heat, bring water to a slight boil. To the boiling water, add dashi packet. Stir for 30 seconds. Reduce heat to medium low. Add sliced onions and kabocha cubes to the simmering dashi stock. Allow 10 minutes for onion slices and kabocha cubes to soften Add ⅓ c. miso paste to the kabocha and onion stock. Gently whisk until miso is fully melted.

INGREDIENTS 8 C. water

Reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes. Serve in a small bowl, garnish with green onions! Enjoy!

1 dashi packet

Itadakimasu!

1/3 C. red miso paste (fully body, robust taste) 1 small yellow onion - sliced

Learn how to make miso soup on The Momoki Twins YouTube channel!

1 small kabocha pumpkin -cut into 1 inch cubes 1 green onion -chopped (for garnish)

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PUMPKIN HUMMUS Recipe by Erin Paruszewski Gluten Free + Dairy Free Recipe from www.whatgreatgrandmaate.com

I love ALL things pumpkin except pumpkin pie. Pumpkin pie doesn’t feel like dessert. Chocolate is more my style. :)

INGREDIENTS 1/2 cup raw cashews 1/2 cup pumpkin puree 2 tbsp tahini 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp cumin 1/8 tsp cayenne 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 1 garlic clove

DIRECTIONS Soak raw cashews in water for 2 or more hours. Drain and wash the cashews. Place cashews and pumpkin into a food processor and process until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients then process until smooth. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil on top before serving. Use it as a dip for carrots, celeries,bell peppers, crackers, and more. Fall / Winter 2021

Pumpkin Roll Recipe by Jennifer Ruiz

This recipe is full of wonderful memories for me. Everytime my Mama starts making her pumpkin rolls it takes me back to a time of love, joy, and family. Food for the soul.

PREPARATION INGREDIENTS

Cream until light and fluffy: Eggs and Sugar

3 Eggs

Fold in: Canned Pumpkin, and 1 tsp of Lemon Juice Fold in: All-purpose flour, Baking Powder, and Pumpkin Spice

1 cup Sugar ⅔ cup Real canned pumpkin (not filling) 1 tsp Lemon Juice ¾ cup All-purpose flour 1 tsp Baking Powder 2 tsps Pumpkin pie spice

Pour into well-greased jelly roll pan (15 x 10) - you can use nonstick spray. Make sure it all looks even. Sprinkle with one cup finely chopped nuts. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Quickly loosen sides with knife and turn onto thin towel sprinkled generously with powdered sugar.

1 cup finely chopped pecans (optional) 1 cup powdered sugar for cream cheese filling Powdered sugar for sprinkling on roll

Roll from wide side and let cool. When cool, unroll and spread with cream cheese filling.

1 8oz. cream cheese

CREAM CHEESE FILLING

1 tsp Vanilla

Blend cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and butter.

4 Tbsp Butter (softened)

Reroll and refrigerate until cool. Slice into ½” slices and serve. Will keep refrigerated for days. May be frozen.

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Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe by Erin Paruszewski

In a smaller bowl mix together the 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice and the 1 teaspoon salt.

Adapted from Marin Mama *Note: this is best in a jelly roll pan

INGREDIENTS 4 large eggs, at room temperature 1 2/3 cups sugar 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil 1 (15-ounce) can of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix) 2 cups all-purpose flour (I use Cup for cup gluten free flour) 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 1 teaspoon fine kosher salt For the cream cheese frosting: Approximately 2 cups sifted confectioners sugar – this is to taste 1 stick (1/2 cup) of butter, at room temperature 1 8-ounce package of cream cheese, at room temperature 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and whisk or stir well to combine. The batter will be thick. Pour the batter into an ungreased 10×15 inch jelly roll pan (I know it sounds strange, but you don’t need to grease the pan). You can get these jelly pans at Amazon, Bed Bath and Beyond or your local kitchen store. The jelly roll pan looks like a rimmed baking sheet, except that it has this ribbed bottom. I know it seems weird to bake a cake in something so shallow, but believe me it works great, and the cake rises up without spilling over and the cake is moist, not dense and tough. Spread out the batter evenly using a spatula, and then pound the pan a few times onto the counter to even it out and get out any air bubbles. You can also use a 9×13 pan for the cake, but you will have to bake the cake a bit longer. Bake the cake for 25-30 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean Let the cake cool and then make the frosting! Put your softened butter, cream cheese and vanilla into a bowl and get your handy dandy mixer out.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl whisk together the 4 eggs, 1 2/3 cups sugar, 1/2 cup applesauce, 1/2 cup melted coconut oil (you can do this on the stove or in the microwave) and the pumpkin puree until well combined. You can use a hand mixer, standing mixer or just a plain old whisk.

Beat the butter, cream cheese and vanilla together on medium speed until well blended. Slowly add the sifted confectioners sugar to taste. At first, pour in 1/2 of the sifted amount, mix it and give it taste, and keep adding small amounts till you get it to the taste you like. You want it to be sweet but not too sweet. Enjoy!

Fall / Winter 2021

Louisiana St. Landry Parish Creole Chicken & Sausage Gumbo “I love St. Landry Parish Creole Gumbo, because it represents an amalgamation of my French, African, and farming roots, but it’s also a very American dish. I always eat so much that I feel my stomach bursting at the seams. Everyone in my family does! I love St. Landry Parish Creole Gumbo, because it represents an amalgamation of my French, African, and farming roots, but it’s also a very American dish. I always eat so much that I feel my stomach bursting at the seams. Everyone in my family does!” R e c i p e b y L o r r a i n e Ly m a n Yields 10-15 servings 50

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UTENSILS AND SUPPLIES

COOKING DIRECTIONS

Knives or gadgets for chopping Cutting board Teaspoons, tablespoons, and measuring cups Cast iron skillet Very large soup pot Very large serving/stirring spoon Large ladle Soup spoons Soup bowls

Season chicken to taste with paprika, chili powder, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and dry garlic powder. To make roux, in cast iron pan, heat vegetable oil until hot and gradually add all-purpose flour, stirring continuously until well blended. Lower heat and continue stirring until roux is dark chocolate brown. Add chopped onion, celery, bell pepper, minced garlic, bay leaf, parsley, and green onions, keeping some of each vegetable to add to gumbo in very large soup pot and for final garnish.

INGREDIENTS 1 chicken (approximately 4 to 5 pounds) butchered, cut, and/

Add some paprika, chili powder, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and dry garlic powder. Stir well and let vegetables begin to soften and wilt.

or chopped into variously sized pieces (keep/use the bones) At this point, move vegetable-filled roux to very large soup pot.

1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste)

Slowly add water while stirring to dissolve roux.

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground or ground black pepper (or

Once roux has fully dissolved, add butchered/chopped/cut chicken with bones and andouille sausage rounds, and any remaining desired seasoning.

more to taste) 1/4 teaspoon chili powder 1 1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)

Then, bring to a boil and simmer at least one and a half to two hours or until meat is tender.

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 3 tablespoons minced garlic 1 bay leaf (more if dry)

At the one-hour mark, add almost all of remaining vegetables, leave some parsley and green onions for garnish upon serving.

3/4 cup vegetable oil 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Adjust water, seasoning, and vegetables as desired.

2 large yellow onions, chopped 2 ribs of celery, finely chopped 4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped, or 6 tablespoons dry parsley

When ready to serve, fill soup bowls with cooked long-grain Southern Louisiana white rice. Pour gumbo over rice, covering almost all or at least 80 percent of rice.

1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped 1 bunch fresh green onions, thinly sliced 1 1/2 pounds andouille sausage, cut into 1/2-inch thick rounds 3 quarts water 5 1/2 cups cooked long-grain, Southern Louisiana white rice for serving Tabasco peppers in vinegar for seasoning upon serving

Letting the gumbo sit overnight is even better than only cooking it for one and a half to two hours.

Garnish with a little parsley but more green onions as well as tabasco peppers in vinegar seasoning. You could also add oysters or dried shrimp for additional flavor and texture. Enjoy this 250-year-old family dish! It’s great in cold and cool weather but can be eaten any time of year!

Fall / Winter 2021

The Linchpin who Made Christmas Written by Jessica Gize What a funny 8 letter word; Linchpin. It is defined as someone vital to a group or organization. I call them the matriarchs of a family, and this is easily seen at holiday time. And you may just be one. Think of your childhood holidays. Who truly brought everyone together? Who figured out how to work around everyone’s conflict and make the holidays the most pleasant possible. And memorable. Planned and planned for everyone to have the best possible time and get together? Your mom, an aunt, or your grandmother, perhaps? And as soon as that woman is no longer the linchpin, what happened to your family? What happened to the glue? I have seen the linchpin change hands, and I have seen it lay on the ground as others wonder why a group is no longer dynamic. Either another woman takes the spot, or the whole dynamic falls apart. No different than taking out the linchpin from the axle. Suddenly the tire slips off, and you aren’t going anywhere. I am not saying men can’t be Linchpins. In fact, that might be who you thought of. But I feel the substantial possibility it was a female in your life, or perhaps it is now YOU. But there is one thing I ask of all of you this year. If you are a linchpin, ask for help? We thank you and see you and never want you to stop, so let us help keep you strong. And if by chance we have another holiday where being close to the ones we care about so deeply isn’t so easy, stop and send your linchpin a thank you. I bet it was never easy and rarely verbally appreciated. But oh, when that little piece of metal that holds everything together falls off, suddenly we are all left on our own devices as the wheel rolls to the ground. But at that moment, the linchpin probably planned a zoom holiday meal. Cheers, linchpins, for making our holidays bright.

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Tuna Skewers with Cherry Tomatoes & Salsa R e c i p e b y S a r a h Tr a u b e

“You will not be disappointed! It also makes an excellent appetizer - just reduce cut the skewers in half and do a couple of chunks of tuna and a couple of tomatoes.”

INGREDIENTS For Tuna Skewers: 3 tuna steaks, cut into 3cm cubes 1 tbsp mixed dried herbs 1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved 2 slices of lemon, cut into wedges oil spray For Salsa: 2/3 cup chopped cucumber 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS To Make Tuna Skewers: Soak 12 bamboo skewers in cold water for 20 minutes to prevent the skewers from burning. Sprinkle the tuna with the herbs. Drain the skewers. Preheat a chargrill or barbecue grill on medium-high heat. Alternately thread the tuna and tomato onto the skewers, finishing with one wedge of lemon. Lightly spray grill with oil spray to grease. Cook skewers on preheated grill, turning regularly, for 4-5 minutes or until cooked to your liking. Transfer skewers to a large serving plate and serve with a simple salad.

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons for extra virgin oil 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1 avocado, pitted, peeled and chopped 2 lemon wedges

To Make Salsa: In a medium bowl combine the cucumber, onion. Cilantro. Olive oil, lemon juice, pepper flakes and the salt. Gently stir in the avocado. Divide the avocado mixture between 2 plates, place the skewers alongside, and squeeze the the lemon over the tuna and tomatoes. Fall / Winter 2021

Brown Spiced Cookies Recipe by Annette Oevermann

Yields 150-190 cookies

“Brown Spiced Cookies have been a staple of my Northern German family’s Christmas holiday tradition for generations. And there has always been a competition among the various family households around who made the thinnest, most crispy and most balanced ones spice wise. Growing up, my sisters and I used to help my mother bake them each year while she taught us to sing Christmas carols and rounds. Those days are among my favorite holiday memories.” INGREDIENTS 250 grams Butter 125 grams Lard 160 grams dark sugar beet syrup (available at Dittmer’s Gourmet Meats and Wurst-Haus in Los Altos) 250 grams sugar 100 grams almonds, blanched and peeled 50 grams each citronat succade (candied lemon peel) and orangeade (candied orange peel) 3-6 teaspoons (to taste) ground cloves 6 teaspoons cinnamon 1 or more teaspoons (to taste) Ground cardamon Finely ground zest of one lemon (optional) 10 grams potassium bicarbonate (dissolved in boiling water) 54

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DIRECTIONS Combine fat, sugar and syrup in a stockpot and bring to a boil, pull from heat and let cool down to warm. Chop peeled almonds, succade and orangeade and add to the sugar-fat mixture together with the spices and dissolved potassium bicarbonate. Mix in the flour and knead everything thoroughly into a smooth soft dough. Let the dough sit in a cool place for 24 hours minimum.

The dough may be hard. It might be easiest to cut off pieces with a knife and warm the dough kneading it in portions. Roll a portion of dough out very thinly and use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Place cookies on a baking sheet covered with baking paper and bake for 7-12 minutes depending on how thick your cookies are. Store in an air tight container. Enjoy!

When ready to bake your cookies, preheat the oven to 175°C/347°F degrees.

Oreo Truffles

Pour crushed Oreos into mixer with cream cheese and mix on low speed until well combined.

Recipe by Ariana Ibarra

Scoop mixture out (about 1 tbsp.) at a time and roll into a ball with hands, place on cooking sheet.

Yield: About 36 truffles

INGREDIENTS

Place truffles in the refrigerator for 45 minutes, or in the freezer for 15 minutes.

36 Oreos (original, not double stuffed) 1 (8oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened

Melt chocolate according to directions on package

16 oz. Dark or Milk chocolate Small bag of white chocolate to drizzle on top

Remove truffles from freezer/ fridge and dip into melted chocolate using a fork, place back on cookie sheet.

DIRECTIONS Set a long sheet of wax or parchment paper over a cookie sheet, set aside.

Melt white chocolate and drizzle on top of finished truffles using a fork.

Place Oreos in a food processor (the entire cookie, don’t remove cream filling) and pulse to fine crumbs.

When the truffles are hardened put into sealed container and keep refrigerated. Fall / Winter 2021

Elevate Magazine

Viv’s Lamb Ragu Recipe by Vivia Strome

“Love this dish because not only is it delicious but it is also great for larger groups as its one bog pot. We invite our family and friends for a dinner party and depending on how many people join us I make this recipe 2-3X in portions. You can easily multiply the recipe for more people. Reminds me of Christmas when we visit our in laws and we have a dinner party where this recipe is the star of the show!”

DIRECTIONS

INGREDIENTS

Add wine as sauce seems to thicken or dry in little spoonful dashes, no more than ¼ cup at a time.

1 pack of spaghetti, linguine, fettucine

Enjoy some wine also while cooking.

1 Lb ground lamb (beef is good too!) 1 16oz can crushed tomatoes, tomato puree or tomato sauce 1 medium onion, finely chopped 2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed Extra virgin olive oil Red wine Salt/Pepper Pinch of cayenne pepper Parmesan (optional) Basil (optional)

Heat Olive oil in a large pot, once hot add onions, garlic, some salt and pepper on low heat and allow to sizzle. Add tomato and stir to incorporate flavors – let it stew for about 15-20 minutes, stirring often. Add cayenne. If sauce looks dry or thickened, add some red wine Add lamb and stir to make sure it’s dispersed amongst sauce. Let it stew in tomato sauce on low heat. Stir often and let it stew.

Best ragu is when it is stewed for a long time. Let it stew for at least 30-60 minutes and even 2-3 hours on low heat. It can also be made earlier in the day or a day or two before serving, keep refrigerated. When all guests are ready for dinner, heat a large pot of water to boil. Add pasta and cook to instructions, typically 1-2 minutes less than instructed if you’d like al dente. Once water is drained, mix pasta with olive oil and toss in as much ragu as you desire. Add a spoonful to the top at the end and add parmesan or basil to your liking.

Buon Apetito!

Fall / Winter 2021

WELA 2021 Holi

Our WELA team pulled some of the best g ACCESSORIES

TRIPS, FOOD, & FUN

1. Red Tweed Duster St. Leila

3. Leather Laser-Cut Wood Bag Yellow Rose Designs

5. J’Adore Romance Package Enchantè Boutique Hotel

Tweed Accessories

Handmade Accessories

Hotel in Los Altos, CA

10. 7. Trip To Anywhere My Path Unwinding Travel Travel Planning Agency

8. Holiday Wine

2. Aquamarine Oval Ring Nature Gallery

4. KiKi Earrings Sethi

6. Paint Classes + E-Gift Card Crèatif

The Wine Steward

Precious Stones + Gems

Fine Jewelry

Art Studio for Kids & Adults

9. Holiday Celebration The Post

Elevate Magazine

Wine Shop in Pleasanton, CA

Restaurant in Los Altos, CA

iday Gift Guide

ppy

gifts our members have this holiday season.

shopp

ing!

FITNESS & WELLNESS

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

10. Holiday Charcuterie Boxes Luxe Platters & Tablescapes

12. Massage Gift Card AO Bodywork

14. Massage Gift Card Kua Body

16. Massage Gift Card Osmena Pearl Therapy

Charcuterie Plattes & Boxes

Massage Therapy

Massage Therapy Studio

Massage Therapy

11. Membership & Classes Curves Los Altos

13. Pilates Class Package Empowered Body Pilates

15. Fitness Classes & Apparel Alkalign Studios

17.Hydrating Hand Sanitzer Aurea Beauty

Fitness Classes

Pilates Studio

Functional Fitness Studio

Beauty & Skincare

Fall / Winter 2021

Donate Now Buy the Book

www.theksp.org

Why We Exist REWRITING THE FUTURE OF COMMUNITIES THROUGH EDUCATION. Evelyne Keomian founded The Karat School Project (KSP) to provide the help she wished she had growing up in extreme poverty in the Ivory Coast by providing the very element that made a difference in her life.

Empowering Through Education

Investing in Communities

In the Ivory Coast, our full-time educational center welcomes children who once labored to help feed their families

We partner with other organizations who serve the same demographic to avoid duplicating programs.

Over 600 period pads distributed Middle School girls to help stop period poverty

We serve homeless families living in RVs in the Bay Area.

1500 meals distributed because hungry bellies can't learn

We invest in women leadership in the Ivory Coast in Guinnee through training and COVID response.

We're publishing

Donate

In response to COVID-19, we expanded our outreach to underserved communities with a focus on education. Through a local Bay Area Initiative called Edu-Kit, we distributed over 3,000 educational kits that included books, STEM materials, and food cards. This enabled children living in RVs to continue learning while sheltering-in-place.

A Children’s Book About Perseverance, Strength, & Resilience based on the childhood of a brave girl!

Buy Lioness E the Book How can you help?

Equity & Equality For All

Fundraise

Elevate Magazine

Help Spread the Word

Supporting Our Communities Non p ro fits you can give to this holiday season.

Trees For Troops provides free, farm-grown Christmas Trees to United States armed forces members in all branches of the military and their families,

Second Harvest of Silicon Valley provides food to an average of 500,000 kids, families and seniors every month at drive-thru and walkup sites across Santa Clara and San Mateo counties

Karat School Project (KSP) is working towards educateing to help eradicate poverty & inequality in a sustainable manner. They are giving out Bay Area edu-kits to help distribute materials to low-income students who do not have access to educational, technological, and personal necessities.

Each year, GLIDE’s holiday events bring critically needed services, build community, and spread holiday joy to GLIDE’s community of clients, staff, supporters, volunteers and congregants. There With Care’s Holiday Care Programs help families facing the new challenges of a reduced income as often one parent has to quit their job to care for their sick child. The increased financial strain and additional stresses of not having the ability and resources to provide gifts or prepare a meal between treatments can make the holidays a particularly challenging time.

Fall / Winter 2021

Would you like to contribute to our upcoming Spring/Summer issue of ELEVATE in March 2022? Write an article Be a contributor Advertise your business Email welamarketingteam@gmail.com for more details!

Subscribe to Elevate! 62

Elevate Magazine

Contributors List Thank you to everyone who contributed to this issue of ELEVATE Magazine. This magazine is a community effort in hopes to spread the word about what our towns, businesses, and WELA community has to offer. Editor-in-Chief Upuia Ahkiong Magazine Curated & Designed by VAAI Interviews Written by Jessica Gize Abby Ahrens Enchantè Boutique Hotel

Durga Kalavagunta DesignX

Kathleen O’Leary AC Insurance - Senior Life Matters

Nina Pomeroy Nina Pomeroy Photography

Abi Mullen PictureHum

Dr. Erica McDonnell Origin Integrative Health

Kathy Bonte Yellow Rose Designs

Reem Mahrat Calico Biolabs

Amy Konary Zuora

Erin Paruszewski Alkalign Studios

Katie Moe Arrive Real Estate Group

Anne Wojcicki 23andMe

Eryn Johnson Flowers by Eryn

Kira Eggers Interiors by Kira

Rosanne Hoffman Venture Sotheby’s International Realty

Annette Bevers Annette Bevers, CPA

Ester Ng Ameriprise Financial

Kristin Link Link Coaching

Annette Oevermann AO Bodywork

Eva Momoki The Momoki Twins

Laura Ching Tiny Prints

Ariana Ibarra VAAI

Evangeline McNiel St. Leila

Leah Richard Origin Integrative Health

Arin-Marie Westendorf WestGallery Interior Design

Evelyne Keomian Karat School Project

Lorraine Lyman Savvy Success Unlimited

Carol Garsten Nature Gallery

Haidee Lim Baby World Child Care Center

Marcia Conroy Yoga Rhythms

Cathy Denham-Novacek The Wine Steward

Jaya Aiyar Crèatif

Maria Amren IO Insights Health & Fitness

Christina Latorraca Mod Fox Consulting

Jennifer Ruiz Osmena Pearl Therapy

Maria Elena Duron Google

Constance Kaltenbach 7 Healthy Days

Jenny Shiblaq Arrive Real Estate Group

Mary Ellen Coe Google

Cristina Mejia All American Scaffold & Luxe Platters and Tablescapes

Jessica Gize Jessica Gize

Michelle Massey Merrill Lynch

Jocelyn Johnson Aurea Beauty

Mimi Ly Curves Los Altos

Joyce Schlegel Internal Spa

Dr. Mori Ahi Los Altos Eyecare

Juliana Stoy VAAI

Nicole Kennedy Empowered Body Pilates

Deborah Dooley Deborah Dooley Diane Tran Beacon Homecare Dr. Alandi Stec Life Force Chiropractic

Fall / Winter 2021

Ruchira Sood Ruchira Sood Sarah Traube Talking Circles Farms Sherry Scott Sherry Scott Design Shireen Zia EcoGardens Landscape Design Shirley Momoki The Momoki Twins Sonia Rai QASource Sophia Yen Pandia Health Sophie Traube T2B Suzanne Kostalnick My Path Unwinding Travel Upuia Ahkiong Kua Body + VAAI Vivia Strome Thrivent Financial Wendy Hsu The Tax Muse

Elevate Magazine

Abby Ahrens

Abi Mullens

Dr. Alandi Stec

Anne Wojcicki

Annette Bevers

Annette Oevermann

Ariana Ibarra

Enchantè Boutique Hotel

PictureHum

Life Force Chiropractic

23andMe

Annette Bevers, CPA

AO Bodywork

VAAI

Deborah dooley Carol Garsten

Sophie Traube

Laura Ching

Amy Konary

Mary Ellen Coe

Deborah Dooley

Diane Tran

Nature Gallery

Top2Bottom

Tiny Prints

Zuora

Google

Deborah Dooley

Beacon Homecare

Durga Kalavagunta

Dr. Erica McDonnell

Erin Paruszewski

Eryn Johnson

Ester Ng

Evangeline McNiel

Evelyne Keomian

DesignX

Origin Integrative Health

Alkalign Studios

Flowers by Eryn

Ameriprise Financial

St. Leila

Karat School Project

Osmena pearl therapy

Jessica gize

Internal Spa

Jaya Aiyar

Jennifer Ruiz

Jenny Shiblaq

Jessica Gize

Jocelyn Johnson

Joyce Schlegel

Juliana Stoy

Crèatif

Osmena Pearl Therapy

Arrive Real Estate Group

Jessica Gize

Aurea Beauty

Internal Spa

VAAI

AC Insurance Kathleen O’Leary

Kathy Bonte

Katie Moe

Kira Eggers

Kristin Link

Leah Richard

Lorraine Lyman

AC Insurance - Senior Life Matterss

Yellow Rose Designs

Arrive Real Estate Group

Interiors by Kira

Link Coaching

Origin Integrative Health

Savvy Success Unlimited

Marcia Conroy

Maria Amren

Michelle Massey

Maria Elena Duron

Mimi Ly

Nina Pomeroy

Reem Mahrat

Yoga Rhythms

IO Insights Health & Fitness

Merrill Lynch

Google

Curves Los Altos

Nina Pomeroy Photography

Calico Biolabs

Yoga Rhythms

Talking Circles Farms

Ruchira Sood Rosanne Hoffman

Ruchira Sood

Sherry Scott

Sarah Traube

Dr. Mori Ahi

Sonia Rai

Dr. Sophia Yen

Venture Sotheby’s

Ruchira Sood

Sherry Scott Design

Talking Circles Farms

Los Altos Eyecare

QASource

Pandia Health

Baby world The Momoki child care center twins Cathy Denham-Novacek

Suzanne Kostalnick

Upuia Ahkiong

Vivia Strome

Wendy Hsu

Eva Momoki

Haidee Lim

The Wine Steward

My Path Unwinding Travel

Kua Body + VAAI

Thrivent Financial

The Tax Muse

The Momoki Twins

Baby World Child Care

EcoGardens landscape design

The Momoki twins

Nicole Kennedy

Arin-Marie Westendorf

Shireen Zia

Christina Latorraca

Constance Kaltenbach

Empowered Body PIlates

WestGallery Inteior Design

Life Force Chiropractic

Mod Fox Consulting

7 Healthy Days

Cristina Mejia All American Scaffold + Luxe Platters and Tablescapes

Shirley Momoki The Momoki Twins

Elevate • Educate • Empower Established 2016

Connect with us! www.TheWELA.com Instagram: @The_WELA Twitter: @The_WELA Facebook: @WomenEntrepreneursLaunch Facebook Group (Members Only): @WELACommunityGroup

Elevate Magazine

ELEVATE: Female Rising

Articles inside

Pumpkin Roll

Holiday Pumpkin Miso Soup

WELA Connection Corner

How To Support Small Business

The Balancing Act of Working From Home

Rise Of The Female Entrepreneur: Abby Ahrens

Rise Of The Female Entrepreneur: Deborah Dooley

WELA x Google: Workshop #4

Benefits of Becoming A WELA Member

Women Who Lead

Viv’s Lamb Ragu

Oreo Truffles

Brown Spiced Cookies

Tuna Skewers with Cherry Tomatoes & Salsa

Louisiana St. Landry Parish Creole Chicken Sausage Gumbo

The Linchpin who Made Christmas

Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Hummus

Dark & Spicy Pumpkin Pie

In The Silicon Valley, The Next Best Idea Just Might Be A Tiny One

Top 2 Bottom

Women Entrepreneurs Are On A Historic Rise

So, What Do You Do?

Rise Of The Female Entrepreneur: The Momoki Twins

Letter From the Editor

My Journey Toward Helping Women Entrepreneurs Gain Financial Wellness