My Name:
Barb Smoot

My Current Job/Company:
Executive Director/Women for Economic and Leadership Development

My Birthdate:
02.28.62

My Work:
I advance women’s leadership in our community and help women achieve their career aspirations through WELD’s programs.  When women embrace their collective leadership power, they can move mountains and help our community prosper.

My Passion:
My family and friends, my faith, supporting women in achieving their aspirations.

My Family:
I come from a huge family!  I love it when we get together.  Our three children keep us busy–Tanija (age 20), Kevin Jr. (age 16) and Waymond (age 13).

My Heroes:
Definitely my parents!  Their unconditional love and support mean everything.  They each worked multiple jobs at the same time to raise their children–they did this at a time when there were far fewer opportunities for African-Americans when compared to today.

My Escape:
Exercising, cooking, reading, having funny conversations with friends until we pull stomach muscles from laughing so hard!  My inner circle of friends drops each other random voice mails to uplift each other or make each other laugh.  I’ve learned not to listen to their voice mails in public because I have attracted undue attention from the uncontrollable laughter these voice mails sometimes create!  Can’t look too sophisticated when you’re cracking up and laid out in the grocery store aisle…

My Pet Peeve:
People/organizations with power and influence who choose to use them to bully rather than to protect and uplift others. This just makes the “Madea” in me want to “come out and play.”

My Indulgence:
Lays Garden Tomato Basil Potato Chips and Ruffles Sour Cream and Cheddar Chips, and I’m not talking about indulging with just the “advertised portion size.”  I’m talking “bring-a-whole-bag-to-bed-while-I’m-watching-‘Biggest Loser’-and-wake-up-to-the-crinkling-sound-of-an-empty-bag” indulgence.  I beg these companies to please STOP making them!

My Roots:
Faith.  Gratitude. Humor. Being productive and contributing.  Close family. My Sisters R Us friends who have a “sisterness” about us.

My Future:
Directed by God.  All I need to do is listen and remain steadfast in faith.

My Love:
My children.  Every day when my children come home safe and tell me that they love me and that I am a great mother is a great day.  My children are precious to me and are one of God’s blessings He has given me.  I hold on to each and every moment with them (even the challenging ones!) because children do grow fast!

My Movie:
Coming to America, Waiting to Exhale, Diary of a Mad Black Woman and True Lies.  (I just couldn’t stick to picking one!)

My Quote on Life:
“To whom much is given, much is expected.”

My Accessory:
Coats–if you can call a coat an accessory.  My mom always shakes her head at me because usually I’m carrying one over my shoulder instead of wearing it in the dead of winter like I’m supposed to.

My Advice to Young Women:
Don’t be afraid to take good risks! Quickly learn the difference between a “good risk” and a “bad risk.”  Also, cultivate a few deep and life long friendships with women who will be there for you in good times and in bad times–women you can be comfortable with letting them see your “ugly cry.”  These are the women who will see you through, build you up, and help you fly.  And when you do soar, these are the women who will clap the loudest for you.

How I Balance it All:
By not trying to act like “superwoman.”  I am not afraid to ask for help, say “no” or trim “the list.”  I also am a firm believer in being focused, having good back up plans, being organized (my darling children often tell me I have OCD), rethinking standards and not sweating the small stuff.  I have a definition of balance that works for me.  Each person has to find his or her own unique definition.

Each week, we feature a fantastic new woman we think you should know. Some of these women are clients, some are friends, some are women we’ve only just met. But they all have this in common: they are dynamic, interesting gals who have agreed to share with us their insights and secrets to success.

Jennifer Fountain

My Current Job/Company:
Fundraiser for OhioHealth

My Birthdate:
11.24.71

My Work:
I pair people who care with projects that empower.  My job is to make the match between generous donors with a passion for giving and grateful hospitals with a concern for our community’s well being.  I feel privileged to work in the field of healthcare philanthropy, where every dollar raised can directly impact someone’s quality of life.

My Passion:
Being passionate!  I’m all about loving what you love.  Why not?  Someone once told me you only go around once so why not roll down the windows while you crank up the AC?

My Family:
John (6th grade dance partner and husband of 7 years), Stella (5-year-old super charged daughter), and Crosby (2-year-old sweetie pie son).

My Heroes:
Anyone with moxie, mojo and dogged determination, as best exemplified by Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind.  I’m also a big fan of those with grace and poise, like Grace Kelly, who I wish to emulate.

My Escape:
Anywhere in the great state of Maine.

My Pet Peeves:
Slow drivers in the passing lane, the incredibly loud volume of today’s TV commercials, and sharing food.

My Indulgence:
Buttery Chardonnay and Swedish Fish.

My Roots:
I’m a hybrid between my parents, each having shaped who I am today.  My upbringing includes:  a hard-working YWCA Woman of Achievement award winner; an artsy, nature-loving architect; and, the most patient industrial engineer/part-time professor who dared to teach me my multiplication tables and how to drive stick shift.

My Future:
Fabulously undefined.

My Love(s):
Bruce Springsteen and Billie Holiday.  Music moves me.  These are two of the best because they sing from the soul.

My Movie:
The Usual Suspects, the 1995 cult classic about mysterious mob boss Keyser Söze, with Kevin Spacey.  My favorite flicks are those that pull the rug out from underneath you and make you question everything you’ve understood to be true.  I love a good conspiracy theory.

My Quote on Life:
“Leave it better than you found it.  Make sure all your actions and avenues are based in betterment.”

My Accessory:
Scarves…..they serve as a deflector shield and a power cape all in one.

My Advice to Young Women:
Don’t be afraid of what you don’t know.  Be aggressive to go gain the knowledge needed to do your job.  But understand that from then on, there are no excuses for not knowing the answers.

How I Balance it All:
I don’t— it’s not possible.  No one person can do it all.  I learned a long time ago that running with all pistons firing only leads to major crash-n-burns.  These days I try to be present wherever I am.  You have to learn how to drop the guilty mom feeling when you have an evening work event and can’t be home.  On the weekend, you have to leave the BlackBerry in the bottom of the briefcase and let the emails go unattended during family time.  It’s the only way to stay sane. That and a wonderful husband who loves to cook!

My Name: Renata Ramsini

My Birthdate:
November 2, 1983

My Passion:
Photography. I love taking photographs of people in particular and the best thing about photography is that you are always learning. You never master everything, there is always something new!

My Family:
My parents; my sister and brother-in-law; and my dogs (Sprout and Tonks).

My Heroes:
My experience in the political realm has given me a greater appreciation for historical figures and organizations who stood up against various injustices when they knew that doing so put the livelihoods of themselves or their organizations at risk. Thus far in my career, I have been incredibly fortunate to work with and for people and organizations who embody such courage, but I’m not sure that they are in the majority given the current political climate. I hope I’m wrong.

My Escape:
Although I don’t do it as often as I’d like, I absolutely love going to the movie theater to see a movie. There’s just something about the experience that I’ve always enjoyed. I think it’s also why I have a mild obsession with big screen tv’s and computer monitors!

My Pet Peeve:
Inefficiency.

My Indulgence:
Chocolate-covered strawberries!

My Roots:
As the daughter of a Christian Assyrian, I grew up with a strong sense of pride in my heritage and although I grew up in a small town, my parents made sure that I understood that there was an entire world outside my hometown that was filled with different people and different cultures.

My Future:
Unknown and uncertain.

My Movie:
I love thrillers and action movies!

My Quote on Life:
“He who speaks for the innocent, is eloquent enough.” (Publius Syrus)

My Accessory:
My Scosha bracelets. I never take them off and plan to add more!

My Advice to Young Women:
Surround yourself with people who believe in you and encourage you to step outside of your comfort zone. If you can say “if it wasn’t for ___, I wouldn’t have done ____” then they are someone worth keeping around. Life it too short to surround yourself with people who are consistently negative and/or apathetic. Such attitudes are toxic and will eventually bring you down and lower your quality of life.

How I Balance it All:
I try to take one day at a time and to not let myself get unnecessarily overwhelmed by thinking of the plethora of tasks I’ve yet to do. They aren’t all going to get done today, so I’m not going to worry about them today.

Toshia Safford

My Current Job/Company:
President and CEO/The Center for Healthy Families

My Birthdate:
08-28-70

My Work:
I serve as the President and CEO for a local non-profit that engages pregnant and parenting teens in opportunities for growth and to achieve economic and social self- sufficiency.

My Passion:
Life, my children, my family, my friends and the community that I serve.

My Family:
Morgan Boyce (Driven and Loveable son-10), Mackenzie Chaser (Colorful and Amazing Daughter – 7)

My Hero:
My mother. (Patricia A. Williams)

My Escape:
A white sand beach with clear blue water.  Being submerged in earth’s most abundant resource (water) is powerful and healing; it allows me to rejuvenate.

My Pet Peeve:
Pessimism

My Indulgence:
Shoes and New York Cheesecake

My Roots:
Humble, Hardworking and filled with laughter.

My Future:
Full of opportunity and surprises

My Love:
Listening to my children laugh.

My Movie:
Shawshank Redemption; it speaks to the power of the human spirit and integrity; maintaining your feeling of self-worth when placed in a hopeless position.

My Quote on Life:
“…two roads diverged in a yellow-wood, and I, I chose the one less traveled by and that has made all the difference.” (Robert Frost)

My Accessory:
One special accessory that I rarely take off is my cross.

My Advice to Young Women:
Develop the Art of Being Yourself.  Socrates’ guiding rule was, “Know Thyself.”   It is only when we truly know ourselves that we can be open to accept others.  Dare to be different and to set your own pattern.  Develop your circle of 10; individuals that will be honest with you and help you grow and move forward.  Make sure the group is diverse.  Choose wisely.

How I Balance it All:
Taking my time, I put one foot in front of the other and exhale.    I recognize that I cannot be all things to everyone all the time.  I accept me for all of my strengths and short-comings.  My support system is great, I call them my Circle of Jewels; both men and women.  I value and cherish each individual for they are precious, rare, honest and bring a unique value to my life. I am a work in progress: constantly evolving and striving to be better than I was yesterday.