I was born and raised in California and have never considered living anywhere else.  I love this State from border to border.  Considering all that, naming this Magazine the California Woman just seemed natural.  It was suggested to me that perhaps I should start with the Northern California Woman, but I don't think of myself as a Northern California Woman. I love this State from border to border, and have lived all over California, throughout my lifetime.  I'm a California Woman, inside and out.

Publishing is not new to me. I’ve been publishing a smaller magazine; the Peninsula Woman, for a while now. Many of my readers and editorial contributors have asked me to grow the magazine in size and circulation. I listened to my readers because they are the women who have contributed their stories and made TPW such a success. The one comment I have heard over and over concerning TPW is; I read this cover to cover. I’ve never seen anything like it. So, while I’m growing, I’m not changing the concept in anyway. TCW will offer women a forum for sharing their stories on every aspect of life. I’ve yet to meet a woman who didn’t make my mouth drop open in awe when they open up and tell me their story. So many women think their story isn’t important. Nothing could be further from the truth. No matter where your life has taken you, there is a woman out there who can benefit from knowing where your path has led you and why.

Cassie Schindler had a hand in my decision to grow. She came to me and let me know that she would like to be part of this new venture. Cassie isn’t the first woman who wanted to join me in publishing, but none were so passionate and sincere as Cassie. She advertised her business; the Alternate Path; in the Peninsula Woman, and wrote some great articles and fell in love with the idea of supporting women in their life endeavors, through print. Cassie has contributed so much already, I know I wouldn’t have made it this far without her.

Along with this introductory editorial, I’m running my first editorial I wrote years ago, with some updates, because it so completely explains my desire for publishing a magazine strictly by and for women. Enjoy, and please; Come Grow With Us!!

Waking Up In The Middle Of The Night
Several years ago, I was going through a bit of a mid life crisis. I had dedicated my entire adult life to raising my three daughters, as a single mother. Those were the most rewarding years of my life. I knew exactly what I would be doing each day and why. For me, nothing could compare.

When I started waking up in the middle of the night depressed and not understanding why, it took awhile for me to realize that this was the old empty nest syndrome rearing it’s ugly head. My children had been my focus for 32 years. That was about to change. My youngest daughter would be graduating from high school soon, and already had her bags packed. All that free time I had been longing for, suddenly didn’t look so exciting. I felt lonely and scared.

That’s when I read somewhere: Find a niche and fill it. I knew I had to find another focus for my life. I meditated and the concept of a magazine for and by women was the result. I had worked in the newspaper business for years, and noticed that women weren’t given much of a voice. I knew we had more to offer than was being allowed, which is how my first publication: “Women As Mentors”, evolved. I began publishing my little magazine and loved it.

My magazine has been through two incarnations since then. It went from Women As Mentors to; the Peninsula Woman; and now I’m growing it into; the California Woman. The focus, women sharing their stories, hasn’t changed though. Through the years, many women have asked me: “How do you do the things you do?” I would think: “How do you not?” Then I realized how scary life can be at times for somebody who thinks that reaching for your dream and not quite making it is failing. For me, the only failure is not reaching for that dream.

Which brings me to the present. I’ve read some remarkable stories through the years, written by everyday women. We’ve all read the stories of our famous sisters, and those are inspiring and wonderful. Even more inspiring and wonderful for me, was realizing how much ALL women, including our neighbors and business associates, have to share. I’ve yet to meet a woman who opens her heart, that doesn’t sooner or later make my mouth drop open in awe when she shares an experience that shaped and formed who she is today.

The following was my first editorial all those years ago. I’ve never looked back: “I don’t have a car. I don’t have any savings. I don’t have a computer and I can barely pay my rent and utilities. I have spent the past 32 years working and raising my three daughters. I chose to have these children and was willing to put aside my dreams until all three were out of the nest. That time is just about here. My youngest will graduate from high school this June, and already has her bags packed. Suddenly, I don’t have to work in someone else’s time frame just to pay the bills. Instead, I’m diving headfirst into my dream of publishing this magazine.

Publishing a magazine has not always been my dream. I just knew that I would soon be overwhelmed with the fact that I no longer have a full time job at home and the loneliness and feeling of not being ‘needed’ could be devastating. As a favor to my daughters, and myself, I found a niche and I’m filling it. Clinging to them could have destroyed the wonderful relationship we share.

I could have and almost did, talk myself out of this endeavor because of my lack of material resources, but I just kept talking myself right back into it! When you believe in your dreams, so do other people. I’m constantly stunned at how helpful people have been, friends and strangers alike. So, don’t be afraid of failure if you truly feel a strong need to go in a different direction with your life. Dreams can only come true if we let them!!