VOTE 4 ME, my sister, my cousin, my dog's chew toy...

You know I love you guys. I do! I love your baby pics, your food pics, your mid-winter-I'm-in-Hawaii-toes-in-the-sand pics and your almost-3 a.m.-drunk-song posts. Totally love. And like, like, like. But then there's THE VOTE.

Please don't be mad when I call you (us) out on this. Because it's not your fault. Or mine for that matter. We've all been totally manipulated by the all-powerful survey monkey. Herein lies the problem:

Just the other day, I found myself on the edge of clicking a link to get to a link that would allow me to click to vote for the friend of a friend for god-knows-what. Seriously. I almost did this. I'm not even sure what stopped me. Perhaps it was the fresh air that blew into my office and brain at the very moment of clicking to a link to click to a link to..whoooooooosh. 

My next thought was: why? No, really, why? Who is Suzy? What does she do? And why in God's name would I vote for her?  

Yes, my dear friends and followers, we actually make completely uninformed decisions that may or may not have important consequences, like someone getting a kajillion scholarship dollars, getting on a national television program, or winning a pink stuffy. Or even perhaps, electing a Prime Minister. EVERY DAY. Uninformed. Every day. 

I understand that some of it is the point and power of social media. I believe anonymity plays a role. I also think we want to like and be liked. To show we care. And there is, of course, what I like to call: LAZI-ASS-NESS. It's just so darn easy. Click, link, click, VOTE. Phew, my social and political contributions made for the day. Time for Tims!

My dilemma? I still want to support you and yours. Vote for you and yours even. But now that my slippery slope has hit the buffer, I realize I need more from you. Tell me why it should be you. Or yours. Pretend you're Justin Trudeau and you want to lead the Liberal party. Because I'm already on your side; you just need to push me over the wall. 

These women I know - celebrating enterprising women in Victoria

Each year, a local newspaper will announce an event or gala or two that aim to celebrate and honour our Victorian women in business. There are categories like: "Rising Star", "Eco-Entrepreneur", or "Business Owner of the Year".

Each year, as I scan the details of the full-page spread, I usually have these three thoughts: 1) What a great event! 2) Do we still need a woman-only event? and 3) Why don't I know anybody in these pictures?! Once these inevitable musings have cycled through my brain, I almost always assert, and almost always out loud: I should nominate __________!

 While #2 will likely remain fodder for women's studies' theses for some time to come, I can usually resolve #3 all my myself: the quite substantial and incredibly-talented, self-employed/entrepreneurial group of women that I know are just quietly going about their, ahem, business.

Regardless of what title(s) each of these women might hold, these self-starters are all-in-one bookkeepers, tax experts, tech wizards, editors, marketers, social media contributors and curators, designers, general contractors, salespeople, content providers, mediators, project managers, caregivers, teachers, facilitators, employers and employees cramming all their responsibilities into what is often much more than a 12-hour work day.

These women I know employ people, provide essential services, engage the community, inspire innovation, and contribute creative talent. These women I know are the backbone of our lives and our small town. These women I know I am proud to call friends.

So, from my home office to yours, in no particular order of fabulosity, and in honour of a new year and old-fashioned hard work, please join me in recognizing:

Marnie Frolek: Mynx Boutique
Lisette & Leah Scabar: Lizzy Lee & Me
Paisley Aiken: Story Studio
Meaghan Smith: Trapper Jane
Jo Zambri: Zambri's
Carollyne Yardley: Carollyne Yardley, Artist
Rena Kendall & Christine Wood: Kendall Wood
Karen Rivers: Karen Rivers, Author
Emma Zolbrod: Zolbrod Consulting Inc.
Pamela Úbeda Bosman: Coast + Beam Architecture
Rosemary Lee: Modus Inc.
Rachel Staples: Academy Dental 
Jodi Baker: Remax
Kendi Kurka: Fairfield Children's House
Silvia Schriever, General Practitioner
Julia Stolk: The Midwives Collective
SPECIAL MENTION: Debbie Currie Henry:  The Revive Company (based in Leeds but Victorian-at-heart)

You are my Victorian ENTERPRISING WOMEN OF THE YEAR  and each of you is, naturally*: 

I welcome any worthy additions to this list. 

*any omissions of fabulous self-employed women I know and love is completely accidental and due to the second glass of wine I had last night.