Baby Boomer Divas Reach Out and Touch

You know, there's something special when grown-ups can connect with young people in a positive way. That's what Bern Nadette Stanis did today when she spoke to the drama class at Hillside High School in Durham, NC. I arranged to have her speak there because of my admiration and respect for their drama teacher Wendell Tabb.

Even before we could get inside the school a student spotted her from a distance and started yelling "Thelma! Thelma!" How she could see that far away is beyond me. Before I knew it we we swarmed by excited teenagers. These are teens who weren't even born when Good Times was on the air! Still, they were starry-eyed and anxious to get up close and personal with someone they've seen on the TV Land re-runs.

The crowd became so large at one point, sheriff's deputies had to be called in because they thought there was a big gang fight going on! Once they realized it was Thelma they, too, became star struck and starting pulling out camera phones to get a picture.

For more than an hour, the students sat attentively as Bern Nadette told them about her journey in the world of acting. She even did an improvisation with some of the students.

Watching Bern Nadette in action today makes me honored to have her as a member of Boomer Diva Nation. Our motto is: Women on the Move and Making a Difference---and that she certainly did!


NOW HERE'S THE REST OF MY DAY.......

9am: Phone rings. I'm dead asleep. It's Bern Nadette's Publicist, Sheila. She asks me if I'm coming to pick her up from the airport (she missed her flight yesterday). I'm not sure what I mumbled, however, she decided it would be best if she took the shuttle and allowed me to get some more sleep. Bless her heart!

10:00am: Get dressed to go to the airport to pick up Dr. Stan Fine (author of Business Boot Camp for Women) and his wife, Bethany. I had trouble finding him but there was no way he could miss me with my Diva green jacket on. We went to lunch at Quiznos.

12:15pm: Picked up Bern Nadette to go to Hillside H.S.

3pm: We had lunch at Blue Coffee Cafe---yes, I had two lunches :)

4:30pm: Picked up Debbie Zipp from the airport

Friday: 6:32pm EST

I'm finally home after spending ALL DAY on the road here and there and everywhere. After dropping Thelma--I mean Bern Nadette--off at the hotel last night, I went home and continued making final preparations for Saturday's Business Boot Camp for Women's Event. I didn't get to bed until about 3am.

working.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way from the Airport

I GOT LOST!!!

What was supposed to be a ten minute ride from the RDU airport to the hotel ended up being more than 30 minutes. I even had to stop at a gas station to ask someone for directions and I STILL GOT LOST.

Why did this happen? Because I was looking to cut down on expenses for my Business Boot Camp for Women Event. Here's the deal: Instead of hiring a limousine service to pick up my celebrity guests for this weekend's Business Boot Camp for Women Event, I decided to save on expenses and become the "celebrity chauffeur."

First guest to arrive is Bern Nadette Stanis. Most people know her as "Thelma" from the 70s hit TV show Good Times. She had to fly from Los Angeles to Atlanta and then to Raleigh-Durham. She was up at the crack of dawn to get here. The plane was about 30 minutes late. So instead of getting here BEFORE 11pm--she arrived closer to 11:45.

I waited patiently to see her come down the escalator. But instead of being one of the first off the plane, she was practically last. That's because we Baby Boomer Divas need to make a grand entrance--and that she did with her dark sunglasses on and bright pink luggage.

It was good to see her again. The last time was in Daytona Beach back in April. She still looks fabulous!

Now it's my job to get her to the hotel. You would think that someone who has lived in this area for more than 20 years would know how to get from point A to point B, but not me.

During this confusion, I learned something interesting about Bern Nadette. She's afraid of the dark---and let me tell you it was pitch black on some of those streets I was traveling on.

But we finally made it after I decided to use my house as my starting point :)

Be sure to stay tuned to this blog to find out more about the behind the scenes stories of my Business Boot Camp for Women Event.