Last Thursday, I made my first public speaking appearance in Aspen, asked to speak at the Women to Women luncheon at the Explore Bookstore.  Seventeen women lunched and chatted about their backgrounds…all fascinating…and their present endeavors.  I was blown away by the extensive experience and multiple talents of the women at the table.  I was humbled and quite honored to have been asked to speak about fashion and style, but, in reality, I felt compelled to speak more about appreciation and positive feedback towards each other in the workplace as well in our inter-personal relationships.  This was sparked by my career as a special needs teacher in three states.  I saw children who had never been praised for their academic accomplishments, who desperately needed to be complimented for something.  I made it my life’s work to find something in which to genuinely give them kudos for their good efforts  The results were both amazing and gratifying.  They bloomed.    It follows for adults in every walk of life.  I was thankful to share my experiences, briefly, to these lovely women, who never knew that my first career was as an educator, and how these lessons were completely applicable to my new life in retail and in journalism.  It was, indeed, a beautiful afternoon for me to meet these extraodinary women.