I was so honored and humbled to be named one of the fifteen Most Powerful and Influential Women in Georgia by the National Diversity Council this morning. The awards were part of the Georgia Leadership Conference, and it was incredible day of panel discussions and speeches by go-getters of all ages, races– men and women alike.

The highlight for me was keynote speaker Donna Brazile, who is not only beyond inspiring, but also hilariously funny off-the-cuff (who knew?!). During her address, she spoke about her experiences in politics and media; what it takes to be a leader; and how to nurture your ambition. “Everything you need to succeed is already packaged within you,” Donna said. She shared that what has sustained her through the ups and downs of her career is her core belief that she is doing good, meaningful work. “It’s always been my dream to make a difference– to make the world a better place,” she said. Donna, who hails from New Orleans, also spoke about her passion for cooking. She advised that at all times, all women need these three ingredients in their freezer: onions, garlic, and peppers. She called this the “holy trinity” that will enable you to cook anything. Well, looking at my freezer now, I of course have none of these ingredients

Loved this New York Times magazine article about writer and actress Mindy Kaling, who stars as Kelly Kapoor on The Office. A GGG through and through, she’s a Dartmouth grad who clearly loves what she does. A few very interesting nuggets from the piece:

• She routinely works 18-hour days writing for the show, starting at 10 a.m. and leaving after 7 p.m. On days when she acts in the show, too, she starts at 6 a.m. for hair & makeup, then jets back and forth all day between the writer’s room and set. She never volunteers to leave early.
• Her big break came just one year after college, when a goofy short play she wrote about Ben Affleck and Matt Damon became a surprise hit at a New York festival. The producer of The Office hired her as a writer two months later.

I think there’s a great lesson in this latter story: start doing your own thing (just do it!), and it could be the unexpected audition for your dream job.

Mindy has a memoir coming out in November called Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (and Other Concerns). It will definitely be on my reading list!

Photo: Justin Stephens for The New York Times

Stacii Jae Johnson believes careers always come full circle—and mentally, you should start at the end point and work backwards. Few understood why after acting in shows including Martin and ER, and a number of films, Stacii took her current role as Director of Special Events for Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. But Stacii knew better. “My life is always intentional, though I follow the natural direction and patterns that emerge,” she says. “If you allow yourself to flow into different things, it still gets you to the same place but you have a more interesting path and stories to share.” Case in point, she’s about to become the commissioner of Atlanta’s new Office of Film, Television, Music and Digital Media Development where surprise, surprise, all those Hollywood connections she forged 15 years ago will come in pretty handy. Here, Stacii shares three great lessons she’s learned along the way.

Act Like You Own the Room

To this day, I still use an acting tip I learned from Suzanne Batson [acting coach to the likes of Nicole Kidman]. You know how a room has four corners? When you walk into the room, visualize that you are stretching and shooting your energy out to each one of those four corners. I literally look in each direction—as if I’m shooting a web of energy like Spiderman. Then, I’m bigger than the room. If you walk in feeling you’re bigger than the room, you have more confidence and command your audience.

Follow through—and check your pride at the door.

Here’s how I got my first job as a production assistant on Martin: I’d call up the production coordinator to beg for a meeting, and she’d shoo me away and say call her back. So, I’d set my alarm to call her back when she told me to. 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 40 minutes later, the next month. I always called her back. I never thought “Who does she think she is?” or that she was blowing me off. Eventually she invited me in for a meeting, where I talked non-stop about how much I wanted to work on the show. I got the job, and they later told me it was because they were amazed by my energy and just wanted to be around me!

Make Friends on the Way Up

When I started doing fundraisers for politicians like Hilary Clinton, people were shocked by how many celebrities I could draw to events. But these were people I knew from my days coming up. I can call actors like Taraji P. Henson and Martin Lawrence and say, “Hey, do you want to do this for me, please?” and they say yes because we’re friends, and they remember how we all were broke together. They remember when we went to Boston market and had to split a chicken dinner! It’s the truth. You might not know right now why you need a certain relationship. But know that as you get older, as long as don’t burn those bridges, those relationships will be the key to your career.

In one shimmery stride, Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton has brought back sheer pantyhose. Well, I couldn’t feel more vindicated! Readers will know that I’ve stood by the nude stocking as a necessary wardrobe element in certain professional situations, like job interviews. Apparently, they’re royal protocol as well, which is why Kate donned them during her recent trip to Americas. You can’t deny Kate looked great in each and every one of her designer ensembles– and fashion insiders agree her nude stockings looked “elegant” not dowdy. Love it! Nude hose are now flying off the shelves in Britain. Will America be next? Just be sure to get a high-quality, lightweight sheer version, like Spanx All the Way.

Photo: Lionel Hahn – WPA Pool/Getty Images

Maternity maven Liz Lange began her career as an assistant to a features editor at Vogue, but it never felt like the right fit. After meeting a struggling clothing designer, she caught the fashion bug, and begged him to let her apprentice. “I still didn’t have any intention of starting my own line,” she says. That is, until she saw her pregnant friends squeezing into regular clothes and became obsessed with an idea to create maternity fashions that were cuter, tighter, and stretchier than what was on the market.

First came her high-end line (loved by celebs like Sarah Jessica Parker) and several boutiques, then a wildly successful marriage with Target.  Having sold her company for a reported $50 million in 2007, her newest ‘babies’ are a non-maternity line for HSN called Completely Me, and a shopping newsletter with her sister called Shopafrolic.  “I’ve never written a business plan for anything I’ve done,” Liz says. “For me, it’s very organic—jumping on new opportunities that come my way.” Below, more work and life secrets from the designer and mom of two.

Currently reading: “My friend Alexandra Lebenthal’s fantastic page turner The Recessionistas and Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh (the CEO of Zappos.com).”

Must-have make-up item: Laura Mercier bronzing gel. “I mix it with my moisturizer every morning to give my skin that tan, glowy look.”

On trusting yourself: “The first year of my business I was paralyzed. Some days I just lied in bed in a curled-up ball when I could have been getting things done! I was asking for validation instead of actually doing something—instead of just believing in my gut instinct and going forward.”

Can’t live without: Constant blow-outs. “My hair is my obsession and I just can’t do it myself. Embarrassing but true!”

Hiring m.o.: Passion matters more than a fancy resume. “One of my best employees ever was a girl who wrote me a very specific letter when she was still in college, describing her excitement for my brand and her experience working for a competitor. She started as an assistant, and was eventually our marketing director.”

Fave vacation spot(s): Palm Beach and the Mayan Riviera with the kids during the winter, Paris in the Spring, Capri in July

Holiday stay-slim secret: “All year long, I never just eat to eat; I only eat what I love. (Okay, and I work out with a personal trainer 3 times a week so that I can eat what I love!)”

Advice for recent grads: “Spend your twenties allowing yourself to try a lot of different things. If there’s some way you can focus on what you might love—something that doesn’t feel like work (at least not all the time)—chances are you’ll end up being very good at it and making money.”

Wish for the new year: Clarity and contentment

To learn more about Liz, visit her website, or check out her latest venture, Shopafrolic.