I just want to take a minute to give some gratitude to BenefitsPRO for this platform and helping us connect with incredible women from around the country.  As some of you know, this series has been the brainchild of our "Wonder Woman Mastermind" that we started over a year ago.  Our topic for the monthly meeting this week, led by Christy Aleckson, was Burn Out.  Oh, to be a fly on that virtual wall.  It was absolutely incredible to have such a connection with women who openly shared about their struggles to be Wonder Women and keep everything going all the time.  It was such a great reminder for all of us to make a conscious effort to put in "release valves" to help us combat burn out, especially as we head into 4^th Quarter.

I grew up in a small farming community in Northwest Missouri, where all of us drove at a young age. Most of the time, we drove on the farm, but I remember when it came to highway driving, my father would always say in a calm voice "Drive the car…. drive the car." He would pull the wheel to have you go onto the shoulder or when you'd pop over the hill and there would be a tractor in your lane, and he would remain constant and say: "Drive the car…drive the car." To this day, when I'm driving in NYC and someone pulls out in front of me, I still hear his voice telling me to "drive the car."  When I think about burn out, it reminds me of that experience. Sometimes, I think we have to remind ourselves to just go back to the basics.  When I met Genevieve and Robyn at the Broker Expo in August, I was in awe of their presence, demeanor and their sense of calm.  It's no surprise that these ladies have both learned a great deal about balancing their lives as they take on new challenges.

Genevieve Marie Cardona, Lane Health:  The Card with a Heart