blog

Fearless Leader: Carey Lohrenz

Carey Lohrenz knows what it’s like to work under extreme pressure. As the U.S. Navy’s first female F-14 Tomcat pilot, she flew missions around the world. In the cockpit, there’s little room for error. Fearlessness is part of the job description. 

That’s a lesson Lohrenz wants more professional woman to master, and it’s the topic of her keynote speech at this year’s PGA TOUR Executive Women’s Day, which will be held Tuesday, March 10 during this year’s Valspar golf Championship at Innisbrook.

“I learned some unforgettable lessons in life and leadership,” Lohrenz says of her time in the Navy. Her experiences led her to the realization that fearlessness is the common denominator in success, whether it’s as an aviation pioneer or a high performance leader. Regardless of their workplace, women must learn to lead and excel in spite of their fear, and that being uncomfortable is not something to avoid. Too often, Lohrenz says, women play small for fear of how they’ll be perceived. “It’s a safe path not to engage.”

That lack of courage even shows itself in networking, a skill Lohrenz also believes is critical for success. 

“Women don’t always value networking as much as we should because we think our performance should speak for itself,” she notes, adding that having a strong network when life gets rough– both personally and professionally – is key. 

“You can’t get to the top alone. It’s too easy to become overwhelmed and overburdened. A network helps you prioritize the things that matter.”

Lohrenz praised the PGA Tour and Executive Women’s Day sponsor Astellas Parma US, Inc. for bringing together women in a powerful way. Women who attend the event will take away lessons on how to live well and work smart. It’s for women who have been in leadership roles for years, or others who want to learn how to overcome the barriers that may keep them from success. 

“I learn as much as everyone else. These women talk about their path and journey. It’s amazing to hear how other women succeed.”

Retired from the Navy, Lohrenz is a married mother of four who owns an executive coaching and leadership training firm. She is the author of “Fearless Leadership,” which earned a place on the Wall Street Journal’s Best Seller list for 2014. 

She’s looking forward to returning to Central Florida, where she often visited relatives as a child. “There’s no other place on Earth that has beaches like the west coast of Florida!”

More than 200 women are expected to attend PGA TOUR Executive Women’s Day, which will includes panel discussions moderated by Angela Ardolino, Founder of Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine and talks by Elizabeth Frazier, Executive Director, Lightning Foundation & Vice President, Philanthropy & Community Initiatives, Tampa Bay Lighting; Dr. Catherine Lynch, Associate Vice President, USF College of Medicine; Karyn Talarico, Senior Vice President, Private Advisors, BB&T Wealth; and Kim Welch, Vice President, Communications, Valspar. 

Look at the Board of Directors, Officers and Executives of St. Petersburg-based C1 Bank and you’ll find something unusual – the names of women. While the banking and financial industry has long been dominated by men, the women of C1 Bank are proof that hard work and networking are the keys to success – no matter your gender.

The number of women in the corporate suite at C1 “was really through networking,” says Lynn Woods, executive vice president for human resources. After bank president and CEO, Trevor Burgess, tapped Katie Pemble for the job of executive vice president and Florida Market President for C1, she reached out to Woods and former colleague, Rita Lowman, who now serves as chief operating officer and is the highest-ranking woman at the bank. The three women worked together at other financial institutions, or served on community boards together.

Not only does C1 have a significant number of women at the helm, its workforce is 64 percent female. C1 made national headlines in April, 2014 when it announced it would provide a minimum living wage of $14 per hour to all full time employees, a change that bank officials noted would have an impact on families that have women as the sole or primary breadwinner.

A predominately female workforce is also a reason C1supports community organizations such as Working Women of Tampa Bay and events such as the Go Red for Women campaign to raise awareness of heart disease. On the career front, Woods notes that the bank also encourages talent within the company. “We reach out to individuals that we think have a future and make sure they have leadership opportunities, not just in the company, but within the community.”

Lowman, the COO, states that women continue to assist and encourage her throughout her career. “My strongest mentor and advocate is Alex Sink,” says Lowman of Florida’s former chief financial officer and a C1 Board member. “Alex gave me the opportunity to grow as a banker and as a woman.”  

As a result, Lowman now pays it forward. “One of my passions is developing young people in our industry.  My goals and dreams are now a reality.  I am always honored when a person shares with me that I have touched their life.” 

C1 Bank is a proud sponsor of Working Women of Tampa Bay’s Leadership Series, and provides space for networking and other events throughout the year.

Executives see the benefits in an organization founded by women to help inspire and foster women “Working Women is unique,” Lowman adds. “It gives women an opportunity to network weekly, or if monthly and quarterly are better for an individual they can select that option.  The one thing that is most beneficial for me is that at least quarterly there is a program that I feel will lift me in my professional and personal world. Great programs, great speakers, great participants are important to me.”

Wherever you are in your career - executive, entrepreneur or intern – Working Women of Tampa Bay you’ll give you the chance to meet dynamic women who share your interests, learn new skills with our valuable programing and gain the support of others who revel in your success.  

Lauren Tice is proud to be the newly appointed Director of Development for Working Women of Florida. She was born and raised in Temple Terrace, Florida and attended Blake High School for the Performing Arts with a concentration in music.  

A proud alumni of the University of South Florida, she obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Communication, with a concentration in Relational Communication. While in college, Lauren was active in the University Singers along with several organizations, including Lambda Pi Eta Communication Honor Society and Phi Sigma Theta National Honor Society.

Lauren is no new comer to the world of networking, she worked for the Greater Temple Terrace Chamber of Commerce for nearly five years as their Coordinator of Member Services. Among her responsibilities she planned several networking events, was in charge of member services and had a key role in maintaining all social media for the organization. She was the original founder of the YEP (Young Elite Professionals) networking organization within the chamber and planned numerous events and programs for several years. 

Lauren, a natural entrepreneur by heart then started her own social media training consulting business to help individuals and small business owners learn how to use social media. 

Most recently,she worked as Director of The Regent, an event venue. Lauren was in charge of several events including weddings, community events, fundraisers and more. As part of her role in the community she was involved in several networking organizations such as both the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce, Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce, Brandon YP, Southshore Young Professionals and of course Working Women of Tampa Bay. 

A proud resident of Riverview, Florida she loves to travel and get the most out of life. In her spare time she enjoys visiting the beach and supporting the USF Bulls whenever she gets the chance. 

We've got a sweet success story to share at our 2nd Annual State Conference at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater.

Kim “Daisy,” of Daisy Cakes has always had a passion for cooking. She started cooking before most kids learned how to ride a bike! By the time she was 10 years old, she had sold her very first cake, now named the Jilly Vanilly.

Kim has a lot of experience up her sleeve. She has been in the food business for over 30 years and started out waiting tables during the summer in South Carolina and slowly began learning the tricks and trades of cooking and running a restaurant.

After Graduating from Wofford College she and a friend, Sophie Copses, started a catering business and then four years later, in 1990, Kim opened her first full-service restaurant, As You Like It in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

To further spread her love of cooking she started Cooking Up A Storm in 1998, which was a hands-on cooking class that allowed students to bring their own groceries and explore their love for cooking. She taught over 300 students!

And then there was Daisy Cakes. Daisy Cakes began in June 2009 when Kim really wanted to share her family cake recipes to a much larger customer base. She and her mother individually hand-sift, bake, and frosted each 4-layer cake. They would travel to Junior League and other holiday and food shoes where folks can taste just how delicious the cakes are for themselves. The cakes are always available to take home or they can be ordered online and shipped directly to the home of the consumer.

Daisy Cakes really took off when Kim and her cakes appeared on the hit ABC show “Shark Tank,” and aired in April of 2011. Since then, her business has really boomed. She received an investment from Barbara Corcoran, and with the help of her new business partner, Kim has had many great opportunities. She has been on “The Nate Berkus Show, Anderson Cooper, ABC World News, The Today Show, The Taste, and QVC.

Her cakes have even been featured as prizes on “The Price Is Right” and “Wheel of Fortune.”

Kim continues to inspire individuals with her passion for cooking and her sentiments on life and business. She says, “Never give up. I have never given on this. I knew in 2009 when I started doing this that it would work…. I cook dinner almost every day for my family but I really love the cakes. They are delicious.”

Look for her first cookbook, Daisy Cakes, Share a Slice of Love, coming out in Summer 2014.

You can hear Kim speak on September 12th at the Working Women Annual Conference. 

Working Women of Tampa Bay is pleased to announce Megan Smith, Founder, Publisher, and Editor of Cake & Whiskey; the Sweet & Spirited World of Business magazine will be traveling to Clearwater in September for our 2nd Annual Conference.

Before starting Cake & Whiskey, Megan was a freelance writer, a blogger with over 50,000 readers monthly, and a magazine columnist. She has owned three successful companies and still occasionally writes for other national publications with her latest piece for the Huffington Post garnering over 19,000 “likes” in two days.

Cake & Whiskey magazine is devoted to women in all stages of their business journey. It seeks to motivate and spark women to dream bigger, reach higher, and achieve greater things.

For modern woman, successful navigation of today’s business landscape requires mastering the fine art of Cake & Whiskey, finding the balance between spirited strength and life’s sweet indulgences.

Cake & Whiskey seeks to provide current, engaging and sophisticated perspectives into the modern business world through casual interviews conducted over a slice of cake and a glass of whiskey.

Megan’s love of business and her disappointment with the currently available business publications in the marketplace led her to launch Cake & Whiskey magazine without any initial investment money, contacts, or leads. She has grown the magazine and the brand to an international level in a little over a year on loads of ingenuity, creativity, and massive gumption.

Megan is the mom of three young boys. When she’s not inspiring women worldwide, she’s playing an OK game of tennis, and thinks a perfect day should include a car ride on country roads in hopes of finding a great antique shop and diner.

Learn more about the conference at: www.workingwomenconference.com

Working Women of Tampa Bay is proud to announce we've chosen Dawna Stone to headline our Keynote Lunch at our First Annual State Conference.

Dawna Stone is a health, fitness and wellness expert who has appeared on The Today Show, MARTHA and morning news programs on NBC, CBS, ABC and FOX. She founded Women’s Running magazine and the Women’s Half Marathon series, which has helped thousands lead healthier lives.

Dawna won NBC’s “The Apprentice: Martha Stewart” show, hosted “Health and Fitness Talk with Dawna Stone” on Sirius Satellite Radio and “Healthy Living with Dawna Stone” on FOX. Her first book, “Winning Nice” made Amazon’s list of top 100 business books, while her latest book, Healthy You!, was just released to rave reviews.

Working as a Wall Street financial analyst, being President of a $20 million sports nutrition company, and serving as Chief Marketing Officer for a $700 million publicly traded company taught Dawna a great deal about success. Dawna credits several key factors for her corporate and entrepreneurial success. She’ll show you how believing in yourself, setting big goals and asking for what you want can catapult you to incredible new heights!

Dawna graduated from UC Berkeley and the Anderson School of Business at UCLA (MBA). In addition to launching and selling her own companies, Dawna is an avid runner and Ironman triathlete. She lives in St. Petersburg, FL with her husband, five-year-old daughter, four-year-old son and 13-year-old puppy.

About the First Annual State Conference:
Are you ready to be motivated, educated, and inspired? Our two-day program isn’t about sitting around and listening to other women tell you how they achieved success. It’s about YOU… moving your vision forward and finding real solutions to the challenges working women face every day.

What It Will Do For You
    •    Break through your personal barriers & position yourself for success
    •    Capitalize on one of your greatest gifts: Your Intuition
    •    Sharpen your response to conflict and challenges
    •    Learn creative, real-world strategies to turn your purpose and passion into profits
    •    Refocus your energy on tasks instead of fears to take your life to the next level

This is NOT your average conference. Are you ready to learn more about our State Conference on September 5-6, 2013, in St. Petersburg, Fl? Register now.

Mahaffey Theater
400 1st St | S St Petersburg, FL 33701
September 5 – September 6, 2013

Working Women of Tampa Bay is proud to announce we've chosen Former Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio to headline our Keynote Breakfast at our First Annual State Conference.

Pam Iorio is the former two-term Mayor of the growing, vibrant city of Tampa, Florida, as well as a leadership speaker, advisor and author. During her terms, Iorio focused on economic redevelopment, helped revitalize the downtown area, and left office with an 87% approval rating.

First elected to public office at age 26, Iorio was the youngest person ever to win a seat on the Board of County Commissioners for Hillsborough County, Florida. At age 27, she was selected as chairman of the board. Now, as a leadership speaker, she delivers an inspiring and empowering message about straightforward leadership – the importance of leading yourself successfully so that you can effectively lead others.

Each guest at the Keynote Breakfast during our State Conference will receive a copy of Iorio’s leadership book Straightforward: Ways to Live and Lead (2011), which was called “the best business book of 2011” by Florida Trend Magazine.

In addition to her leadership speaking, Iorio is the Leader-in-Residence at the John H. Sykes College of Business at the University of Tampa; serves on the advisory board for Celestar Corporation, a fast-growing knowledge and technology consulting company; serves on the board of the USF Foundation; and served as the interim CEO of the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County.

Along with a BA degree in Political Science from The American University, Iorio holds an MA degree in History from the University of South Florida. She is married with two children.

About the First Annual State Conference:
Are you ready to be motivated, educated, and inspired? Our two-day program isn’t about sitting around and listening to other women tell you how they achieved success. It’s about YOU… moving your vision forward and finding real solutions to the challenges working women face every day.

What It Will Do For You
    •    Break through your personal barriers & position yourself for success
    •    Capitalize on one of your greatest gifts: Your Intuition
    •    Sharpen your response to conflict and challenges
    •    Learn creative, real-world strategies to turn your purpose and passion into profits
    •    Refocus your energy on tasks instead of fears to take your life to the next level

This is NOT your average conference. Are you ready to learn more about our State Conference on September 5-6, 2013, in St. Petersburg, Fl? Register now.

Mahaffey Theater
400 1st St | S St Petersburg, FL 33701
September 5 – September 6, 2013

Blog by: 
Shannon Spring - JustHumorMe.com


Traditional business “wisdom” was that work was not supposed to be fun, that’s why it’s called work.

In reality, this is neither true nor wise. Humor is a great way to reduce stress at work. Happier people at work are more productive, better team players, and healthier, which translates into greater profits.

Chris Robert, professor of management at the University of Missouri College of Business, says joking around on the job and humor can actually have a positive effect on productivity and employee retention.

Proclaimer: Choose the ones that suit your sense of humor and are likely to be successful in your office, then label yourself Fun-Inspired!


Here are 10 Tips for adding fun and productivity to your workplace beside being a likeable person!

1. Have a company team-building day! This does not have to involve swinging from ropes or falling into the arms of the person you can’t stand. Hire a professional to customize a day of fun and games that will appeal to the personalities of your team and address the issues you face and goals you want to achieve. The grouchiest person in the office often lightens up when given the chance to play. Teambuilding helps coworkers create a new dynamic based on shared laughter, not forced trust.

2. Humor encourages teamwork by building a sense of camaraderie. Have your group(s) come up with its own goofy cheer with each person contributing a line. Use it to start or end each meeting or as needed to reduce stress.

3. Even a candy jar can be fun. Put one on your desk and anyone who takes a piece must pay you a compliment. This is a win-win!

4. Have an office mascot - any funny looking doll, puppet, or inflatable dinosaur will work. The mascot will travel the office once a day, with each employee writing down the 1st thing that comes to mind when it reaches their desk.  Read some of these musings at the next meeting and try to guess who wrote what. Be sure the mascot is included in all company photos.

5. Have a contest for ways to improve workplace morale. Vote on the best idea and implement it! Be prepared to hear “Fire Management”. Have a sense of humor and “fire” yourself at the next meeting, then rehire yourself on the condition that you’ll value employee input and start putting their fun ideas to work.

6. Liven up meetings by using silly props such as a funny microphone shaped like a bird. You can only talk when it’s your turn to “squawk”. Any prop will do, but the wackier the better.

7. Have a humorous celebration once a month giving small awards or certificates to people for “nonsense” things such as, who had the neatest desk, who broke the copy machine, whose hair is never out of place.

8. Simple praise and recognition are fun to give and fun to get. Appreciating people goes a long way towards creating a happy workplace. Have a crowning ceremony for shining stars with a crown, music, and receiving line to pay the VIP personal and public praise! Don’t just think good things, say them.

9. Have a team brainstorming session to resolve workplace challenges such as a specific customer service issue, or how to increase sales. Each staff member will write down a serious suggestion and a humorous one. Give prizes for the best idea in each category.

10. Create monthly opportunities for people to know something about each other outside their work role which creates a fun-friendly environment. Try a talent show in the office where everyone can showcase a personal talent they have, or a group trip to the local bowling alley for some lighthearted fun.

What are some of the things you think add fun to the workplace?

For more information on how Shannon Spring can bring more fun and productivity to your workplace visit JustHumorMe.com.

By: Robin Lavitch

When I ask people how long it takes to form a first impression, I receive the typical response of three to seven seconds.



Did you know that it actually takes only a tenth of second to form an impression about whether someone is attractive, trustworthy and/or credible, according to relationship expert Tonya  Reiman? We mentally make judgments about people so quickly we are not even conscious of having made these judgments.

We quickly assess the appearance of an individual from their hair, dress, posture, and other subtle body gestures to see how similar we are to others.  We are aware that first impressions do exist, so we attempt to put our best foot forward, but what we think is our best foot, just might not be.

 Imagine what happens if we believe our right foot is our best foot, but someone else believes our left foot is best.  In the 1920’s Dr. William Martson, behavioral assessment psychologist identifies four different behavioral styles in his book titled The Emotions of Normal People. 

The information is now currently packaged as the DISC Model.  There are other variations relating to animals, colors, and behavioral concepts called MIND the Matters, where MIND is the acronym describing the four distinct styles:  Motivator, Investigator, Nourisher, and Dominator.


As a Motivating Style, it is natural to dress in a trendy fashion with colors, patterns and textures that draw lots of attention.  Whereas the more reserved Nourisher Style would much prefer to wear natural and neutral styles to blend into the background and even walls as if they were a chameleon so they don’t get a lot of attention.  In this scenario, the styles are literally opposite and given how quickly we form first impressions, the first impression from either party would not be favorable.  The Motivator would think the other person is too reserved and the Nourisher would think the other person is over the top!

Can we undo first impressions or are these lasting impressions?

Body language expert Carol Kinsey Goman suggests 7 non verbal ways to make a first impression. She confirms studies have found that nonverbal cues have over four times the impact on the impression you make than anything you say.

The key to managing our relationships is to acknowledge how we are being perceived.  If we pay attention more to this and interact with others interests in mind, identifying the best foot is irrelevant because our focus shifts to connecting. 

To learn more about Robin Lavitch visit www.SurpassYourGoal.com, Robin@surpassyourgoal.com.

As 2013 continues to unfold, some clear, important success themes have emerged from our community.


Here are some of the highlights so far:

    •    Personal Brand and social media strategist Deborah Shane opened our year in January highlighting 13 Marketing Musts for 2013, focusing on content marketing via social media.

    •    Jennifer Samuel-Chance led a series of exercises to help you build the confidence to articulate your story.

    •    Entrepreneur panel with Fran Powers, Dawn Pici and Elizabeth Markie presented the best tools to connect with your audience and deliver solid, impactful content to become better presenters.


    •    Certified business coaches Barbara & Juliet Kyes outlined the top 10 strategies successful business owners use to get more out of their time and self manage their 24 hour clock.

    •    Our social media Panel with Charise Strandberg, Kim Garst and Deborah Shane talked about the latest social media trends and best practices for small business success.

    •    Author and expert Lisa Huetteman, presented best practices of value-centered leadership highlighting why creating the right culture is essential for long term business success.

    •    Our First Annual Leadership Lunch in honor of International Women’s Day brought together Tampa Bay’s top women in business for networking, leadership, building core strengths and mentorship.

Some of the questions we are tackling and working on this year are:

What does it take to sustain success?
Every one of us has to create their answer for this question. Depending on our situation and stage in life, we must create our best formula and strategy for sustaining our success.

What do I need to do every day to make sure I am advancing professionally?
Keeping up with your skills, industry information, market connections are all paramount. Keeping up with the pace of change is a daily occurrence.

How do I know when to change my course and tweak my plan?
Things change so fast that a plan we put in place may not be applicable or working. Don’t wait or procrastinate. Make changes when you know things are not working or moving in the best direction.

The course, path and professional advancement continues to unfold for women in business.

The latest State of Women-Owned Business Report by American Express Open published in 2012 provides some interesting insights into the current trends among WBEs.
    •    There are 8.3 million+ women-owned businesses in the United States
    •    WBEs are generating nearly $1.3 trillion in revenues and employing 7,697,000 people
    •    Between 1997 and 2012, women-owned firms increased 54%, 1½ times the national average of 34%

“There are many reasons to be positive. I strongly believe that the next five to 10 years will see a dramatic change for the better. Women managers can contribute to this by understanding that there are certain expectations related to organizational leadership, and developing their skills accordingly” says Professor Ginka Toegel,  in her Forbes article Disappointing Statistics, Positive Outlook.

As we continue to work on all of the areas, skills and fundamentals for success, we know that our commitment, dedication and consistency to them are what moves us forward.

Was the Dali Lama on to something, when he proclaimed “Western Women will Save the World, or will women worldwide save the world?