Diva Connection Magazine

DI V A CONNECT I ON
MAGAZ I NE
SPRING-SUMMER 2013 | VOLUME 1
Little Pink
Book
Women share
area connections
they trust
Power of
connection
Six infuential F-M women
remember life-changing
connections
Inspiring
change
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4 | Diva Connection Magazine Spring/Summer 2013
10
Inspiring divas:
Fonda uses
celebrity
for good
Page 12
contents
Spring | Summer 2013
Global Connection:
Meet a Fargo woman making a
difference in Kenya
Diva Connection:
One woman recognizes
self in anothers call for
help
16
20
Power of connection:
How one chance meeting
can change your life
32
Little Pink Book:
Real referrals real
women trust
Empower each other, impact the world.
Visit DivaConnection.org
Chris Linnares
Diva Connection founder
Heidi Shaffer
Diva Connection Magazine editor
From the editor
From the founder
ln December 2005, I was experiencing
my frst winter in North Dakota. I left my
country, Brazil my culture, my friends, my
career and all my connections. I didnt know
where to go, with whom to talk or how to
begin to create the life of my hearts dreams.
Eventually, I was able to start making
connections with beautiful women in this
community, women who generously offered
their friendship, encouragement and support.
If it wasnt for them, I believe I wouldnt be
here today.
Those beautiful women inspired me to
dream of creating opportunities to facilitate
the connection between women in our
community. Not just a simple connection,
but a connection that can provoke powerful
change in our lives, families and world.
Today, I am so grateful this dream came
true! What you are holding in your hands is
not just a simple magazine, but the power
of dreams, connection, love and, most
importantly, the power of women.
From the executive director of our
foundation, to the editor of this magazine,
we are all volunteers who share the same
dream. We all believe, as Mother Teresa once
said, that together we can do great things.
We invite you to dream with us and be
a part of our community, one flled with
beautiful women who empower each other
and impact the world.
Change means something different to
every woman. We think of passing seasons,
transitioning to new stages in life and, as
we are so inclined as women, changing our
minds.
This issue is all about connecting for
change from our own families to the world
at large.
Many womens magazines promise to help
you change your eating habits to lose weight
or give you 10 ways to look great naked, but
Diva Connection Magazine is different.
We want to inspire readers to go out
and change the world around them by
highlighting what women are doing to help
those in need in our community.
Our Global Connection page illustrates
how one Fargo woman has changed the lives
of women living in poverty-stricken Kenya,
while our Inspiring Divas page examines the
life of Jane Fonda, an international advocate
for womens issues.
As we all know, change is inevitable. So
embrace it and let it inspire you.
Founder | Editor message
Connect:
Hannah Sorensen
Contributing writer
What: Diva Connection Happy Hour
When: 5:30 to 7 p.m. the third
Tuesday of each month, September
through May
Where: Maxwells, West Fargo
S
ometimes it feels impossible to connect
with your friends, family and community.
Carve out time in your schedule to make
some of these activities a priority, and you
will feel the positive power of connection.
1.
Join Diva Connection Foundation
each month for our Happy Hour socials at
Maxwells in West Fargo. Meet new people,
share your business, and enjoy good food
and drinks.
2.
Volunteer. Help others while enjoying
time with people who matter to you.
3.
Celebrate! Dont forget to encourage
each other as you reach your goals and
celebrate birthdays and anniversaries. These
are all great reasons to enjoy a meal together.
4.
Snail mail. Send someone you care
about a handwritten note. Out of the blue
or for a milestone, its always nice to receive
something other than a bill.
5.
Game night. Host a game night and
enjoy great conversation and lots of laughter.
A good friend is a
connection to life
and a tie to the past, a
road to the future, the
key to sanity in a totally
insane world.
Lois Wyse, author
Make time for yourself and others

Courtesy of Maxwells
Social connection
Jane Fonda
devotes life
to womens
advocacy
Associated Press photo
A
ctress, writer and activist Jane Fonda,
age 75, is known for many things.
Her more than 50 years of acting that
earned her two Academy Awards, an Emmy
Award and three Golden Globes; more than
20 exercise videos; political activism; and her
best-selling books.
What a lot of people dont know is that she
is a very big supporter of feminist causes.
A lot of the programs she stands behind
pertain to women empowering, helping and
supporting them.
Fonda writes on her website, I think you
can be most effective as an activist when you
are involved with something that speaks to
you in your gut. Stopping violence against
women and girls, helping adolescents see a
bright future for themselves so theyll avoid
risky behaviors, helping expand womens
presence in the media these are things that
matter to me.
Causes she supports:
Georgia Campaign for
Adolescent Pregnancy
Prevention (G-CAPP)
Fonda founded the campaign, which is a
statewide effort to reduce the high rates of
adolescent pregnancy in Georgia.
V-Day
A global activist movement to end violence
against women and girls. Fonda is a member of
the V-Board, along with other celebrities such as
Salma Hayek, Charlize Theron and Eve Ensler.
The Emory School of
Medicine
She established the Jane Fonda Center for
Adolescent Reproductive Health to help prevent
adolescent pregnancy and educate and guide
young people as they develop and mature.
Womens Media Center
Fonda is the co-founder and board member.
They work to give women greater presence and
voice in the media.
LaurelLee Loftsgard
Contributing writer | Director of
Operations for Diva Connection
Inspiring divas
Continued on page 14
A highlight on a womens issue in the world
and what one woman is doing for change
Jua means hope and sunshine in
Swahili, and thats what the Jua Project aims
to bring to the women of Kitale, Kenya, and
their families.
The Jua Project, founded by Lindsay
Erhardt of Fargo, provides employment and
basic skills training to help women out of
poverty by supporting themselves and their
families.
Lindsay started the Jua Project after she
and a friend found a mother of two named
Sellina, whose house was about to cave in.
Her 6-year-old and 4-year-old daughters were
so malnourished, they both ft into Lindsays
12-month-old daughters clothing.
Lindsay cared for the two girls until they
were healthy enough to live with their mother
again. Three months later, she brought the
girls back, but little had changed. Their
mother needed structure and accountability.
The Jua Project was born by a simple act
of giving Sellina a job, Lindsay says.
Now, six women come together to make
paper-bead necklaces and bracelets and pray
for and with each other. The women also
started making patchwork bags and banana-
Photo courtesy of Lindsay Erhardt
Fargo resident Lindsay Erhardt visits with some of the women she helped in Kenya.
Spreading
jua
By LaurelLee Loftsgard | Contributing writer
Fargo native helps Kenyan women
Forum Communications fle photo
Jua Project women make jewelry to support their
families.
Global connection
KENYA
In Kenya, many women face terrible circumstances, including unfair laws,
prostitution, disease and genital mutilation, according to the Foundation for
Sustainable Development.
Though the country continues to move forward, daily life for many
Kenyan women is still a struggle.
Agriculture creates of 80 percent of Kenyas jobs and 60 percent of
income, the FSD reports. Women do the vast majority of agricultural work
yet only earn a fraction of the income. Only 29 percent earning a formal
wage are women, and almost 40 percent of households are run solely by
women, many of whom exist in severe poverty, the FSD reports
Though female genital mutilation is against the law, some communities in
Kenya continue the practice because of cultural tradition and so men will
proft more when marrying off their daughters, according to the Womens
International Perspective, a global media organization for womens issues.
LaurelLee Loftsgard, contributing writer
Illustration by Troy Becker,
Forum Communications Co.
Global connection
Spring/Summer 2013 Diva Connection Magazine | 13
Continued from page 12
fber makeup bags they will debut later
this summer.
How to help
Because the Jua Project is funded
entirely by the jewelry sales each month,
they still need fnancial support.
You can sponsor a mom for $10 a
month, which goes directly to pay her
salary.
Host a jewelry party and promote Juas
website and pray for the women, their
families, and the possibility for them to
lead a better life.
Log on to www.juaproject.org to learn
more, call their offce at (763) 273-7911
or email Lindsay at lindsay@juaproject.
org to help.
Lindsay Erhardt bonds with children in Kenya.
Forum Communications fle photo
Erhardt sells Jua Project jewelry in July 2012 at
the Downtown Fargo Street Fair.
I really desire to see an entire community changed and
be on its way out of poverty. I wanted them to see hope,
like a bright light coming out of our compound ... Jua.
Lindsay Erhardt, founder of Jua Project

Global connection
Inspiring
empowerment
By Nicole Phillips | Executive director of Diva Connection
Womans generosity inspires hope
R
oxanne Miller was like many other women surfng the Diva
Connection website, wondering, How do I know these
stories are legit? Which one of these women really needs my
help?
Thats when she came upon Nadines story. In one short
paragraph, Roxanne could see herself, as she was 17 years ago
a mother, alone, scared, hurting and not sure where to turn
for help. Roxanne knew Nadine needed her. What Roxanne
didnt know was how badly she was needed.
Photo by Laura Caroon, Frozen Music Studios
Diva connection
Just days before, Nadine was crying in her
car having a one-sided conversation with
God. She felt she was doing everything
right: working three jobs,
watching her spending
and making her young
son her top priority. But
she was falling behind.
If she couldnt make her
car payment soon, she
would lose the vehicle.
Without transportation, she would lose her
jobs and eventually her apartment. Nadine
was telling God she needed a miracle. God
was listening.
Roxanne gave Nadine $1,200 to get
current on her car payments. Then she gave
her money for gas and a gift card for Space
Aliens so Nadine and her son could let go
of the stresses of life and have some fun.
That generosity could seem like a simple
handout if you didnt know the rest of the
story. Nadine took that act of kindness
and spread it like wildfre. She immediately
posted on the website again, this time
offering up her sons
outgrown clothing and
encouraging women
to have the strength to
ask for help. She found
another woman in the
community who needed a
job and hired her to assist
in cleaning houses. She gave two free hours
of cleaning to a new mom of twins on a
tight budget.
Nadine has found her voice and is a
powerful force for good in this community,
thanks to the generosity of one woman,
Roxanne, who believed in her.
Thats the power of connection. Thats the
power of Diva Connection.
Nadine was telling

God she needed
a miracle. God was
listening.
Be part of our mission
Grow your business and help others by getting involved in the
Diva Connection Magazine mission. A portion of all advertising
goes to the Diva Connection Foundation.
Email Jaclyn King at jking@forumcomm.com or call (701) 451-5661
for advertising information.
Empower each other, impact the world.
Visit DivaConnection.org
Diva connection
2553 Kirsten Lane South #207 Fargo, ND 58104
701-566-3872
www.redlotusacupuncturecenter.com
Keeping You Happy, Healthy, and Whole
Adriane Maag
Featuring Mei Zen Cosmetic
Acupuncture for soft,
smooth, vibrant skin!
Build collagen naturally and
decrease lines and wrinkles
M.Om., Dipl. Ac.
Want to know more about
acupuncture and what it
can do for you?
Connect with your circle
of divas and host an
acupuncture party!
Adriane reviews my symptoms with care and
conducts a thorough review. Based on my
symptoms, she gently applies needles to the areas
most in need of attention. Spending one hour of
care with Adriane is worth every dime. I always
leave her ofce feeling healed and at peace. I no
longer require medication for depression. Thank
you Adriane! -Sharon
R001892393
2553 Kirsten Lane South #207 Fargo, ND 58104
701-566-3872
www.redlotusacupuncturecenter.com
Keeping You Happy, Healthy, and Whole
Adriane Maag
Featuring Mei Zen Cosmetic
Acupuncture for soft,
smooth, vibrant skin!
Build collagen naturally and
decrease lines and wrinkles
M.Om., Dipl. Ac.
Want to know more about
acupuncture and what it
can do for you?
Connect with your circle
of divas and host an
acupuncture party!
Adriane reviews my symptoms with care and
conducts a thorough review. Based on my
symptoms, she gently applies needles to the areas
most in need of attention. Spending one hour of
care with Adriane is worth every dime. I always
leave her ofce feeling healed and at peace. I no
longer require medication for depression. Thank
you Adriane! -Sharon
R001892393
Story by Jasmine Maki & Megan Havig | contributing writers
Photographs by Carrie Snyder | Forum Communications Co.
T
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From left: Chris Linnares Marcil, Stephanie Goetz,
Susan Mathison, Kerstin Kealy, Nicole Phillips and
Debra Dawson.
T
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p
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omen are more connected than ever, and its
changing our culture.
Social media use by women has surpassed mens usage
since 2009. In December 2012, 71 percent of American
women used social networking sites compared with only 62
percent of men, according to a Pew Internet study.
But what does this mean for
women? What does it mean for
society? And how can we use it for
doing good?
Connection is the key.
Alyssa Greve, social media
strategist at Sundog, a Fargo-based
company offering online and
offine marketing and technology
services, says the benefts of
social media are great when used
correctly.
Sharing life with far-away relatives
and investing in relationships with
business clients are opportunities
created by online venues. Greve
encourages further developing offine
relationships online.
Its the connection that defnes
the relationship, and carrying that
connection to online and social
media can be a benefcial edge of
business or icing to the cake of
W
personal relationships. And for passionate
users like Greve, its the untapped potential
to do more and through a larger sphere that
keep them coming back for more.
Online platforms also open the door to
new relationships. Greve has built her side
photography business off this concept.
Im able to come across new
photographers. With social (media), you can
build new relationships with people you may
have never met, Greve says.
Finally, Greve champions social media for
its ability to inspire.
It provides people an avenue to share
ideas with those who want them. Sharing
those ideas gives them the avenue to make
things happen.
Connecting with others when sharing
ideas can create a catalyst for social change.
Women connecting based on social causes
have reason to celebrate.
Diva Connection Foundation works to link
women through social media to build real-life
connections that can make changes in others
lives.
Each of us has a story of a connection so
important its changed the course of the rest
of our life.
Six of the most infuential women in
Fargo-Moorhead share their stories of
powerful connections.
When Dr. Susan Mathison opened the
Catalyst Medical Center, she hoped to form
connections with her patients. She never
dreamed one of those connections would
change her life forever.
Mathison, the oldest of seven children, had
always hoped to have a big family of her own.
I thought three (children) would be a good
number, she says.
But when Mathison and her husband
decided it was time to start having kids, they
ran into some diffculties.
They tried for fve years, suffering the pain
of several miscarriages.
Miscarriages are very disappointing and
sad, she says. When you are an older-
than-average mom-to-be, you are almost
told that you shouldnt be surprised that this
happened.
After the miscarriages, Mathison was on
the verge of giving up completely.
Thats when she made a connection with
one of her patients that changed her life.
The patient had recently adopted two
children and had heard that Mathison was
trying to have kids.
She put the word in someone elses ear,
Mathison says. She facilitated an adoption.
Within a couple of months, Mathison
and her husband were welcoming Grant, a
newborn baby boy, into their lives.
I call him my wish granted, she says.
If it wouldnt have been for that special
connection with her patient, Mathison might
never have become a mother.
Now, she spends all her free time with
5-year-old Grant and says she cant imagine
her life without him.
Its amazing to see the world through a
childs eyes, she says. Simple things inspire
wonder, curiosity.
Dr. Susan Mathison
Catalyst Medical Center
Doctors wish granted
For more than a decade, Kerstin Kealy of
WDAY-TV has brought Fargo-Moorhead
news into our living rooms, but she may
never have become our trusted newswoman
if it wasnt for an important connection.
Studying broadcast journalism at Minnesota
State University Moorhead, Kealy spent her
college years helping run a campus news
program. During those growing years, Marv
Bossart, an MSUM instructor and then-
WDAY anchorman, taught her the skill of
news writing.
The pair built a good classroom
relationship, but it was in the spring of 1997,
when Kealy was graduating and searching for
a job, that the connection with her teacher
made all the difference.
The college senior brought in her tape and
resume to the news director at WDAY. Kealy
was told she didnt have enough experience.
Leaving Kealy to do some writing samples,
the news director was stopped in the hallway
by Bossart.
You really need to give this girl a chance,
Bossart told the news director.
The news director listened to the 40-year
news veteran and hired Kealy as an intern. She
was offered a job as a reporter weeks later.
Eventually, she anchored with Bossart himself.
My legs would be shaking under the set I
would be so nervous, and he would crack a
joke or lean over and say something risque,
Kealy says. He would try to get you to not
take yourself so seriously. There was never a
dull moment with him.
Kealy still visited Bossart in his assisted-
living facility up until his death last month.
He continue(d) to be one of my biggest
cheerleaders, she says.
The young anchorwoman looks back on
the connection and says she doesnt know
where she would be without his faith in her.
He saw something in me that he was
willing to fght for and willing to speak about,
and I am forever grateful, Kealy says.
Kerstin Kealy
Anchor/producer WDAY-TV News
Anchor pays tribute to mentor, colleague
Forum Communications Co. fle photo
WDAY news anchor Marv Bossart is comforted
by Kerstin Kealy during his fnal newscast on
March 24, 2000. Bossart died April 23.
Stepping up as director of Diva
Connection was more than a life move
for Nicole Phillips. It was a leap of faith.
The opportunity to lead the foundation
came through a powerful connection
with God.
Two years ago, I was a full-time,
stay-at-home mom, Phillips says. I had
retired from my job of working as a news
anchor on FOX because I wanted to be
with my kids, but what I found was that I
was lacking passion in my life.
At that time, Phillips met Chris
Linnares, founder of Diva Connection, at
an event. Linnares invited Phillips to join
her and a friend for a Bible study.
I had never been in a Bible study
before, and I just thought, What they
hey, Ill give it a shot, Phillips says.
We really used that Bible study to
do some tremendous growth that we
wouldnt have done had it not been for
this connection with the three of us and
God.
Through those relationships, two
opportunities arose. The frst opportunity
was a chance for Phillips to write her
weekly Kindness is contagious column
for The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead.
The second opportunity realized
dreams for both Phillips and Linnares.
In their study, Linnares shared she
would like to expand her new foundation,
Diva Connection, and for a director,
someone with passion for the mission
and time to commit for free.
Phillips, who had been praying to God
to work through her life for others, saw
this need as an answer to prayer.
I feel like its my life mission to be a
part of this, Phillips says. I love the
fact that I am a woman that other women
come to for help or advice.
Taking a leap
of faith
Nicole Phillips
Executive director of
Diva Connection Foundation
When Deb Dawson of Fargo met
Joseph Akol Makeer in 2007, she had no idea
what impact the connection would have on
her life.
Dawson has always had a heart for orphans.
More than a decade ago, she adopted three
orphan girls and raised them as her own.
In 2007, she was introduced to Makeer,
another orphan, one of the Lost Boys of
Sudan.
Makeer escaped his village in the late 1980s
and spent 11 years at a refugee camp in
Kenya. He told Dawson about his life as an
orphan and how he had raised his younger
siblings.
He wanted to return to the village and
help orphans, Dawson says. He thought if
he could make a movie, if American people
saw a movie, they would be moved to help.
Dawson initially thought she would connect
Makeer with the right person to make the
movie but later took on the responsibility
herself.
As it turns out, you have to kind of see a
flm through, she says. You have to have
a lot of passion and determination because
there are a lot of obstacles along the way.
Dawson had made four short flms while
working on her masters degree in creative
writing, so she had the skills and the
knowledge needed.
They held a fundraiser at the Fargo Theatre
and raised money to send a team of four
to Kenya to shoot the flm in December of
2007.
There were no programs for (the
orphans), Dawson says. Theyre working.
They dont go to school, theyre usually
married off before puberty ... and so we
came back with the idea to build a boarding
school and decided to focus on girls.
After a few years of planning and
fundraising, Dawson was able to start a small
program for the orphan girls. In March 2012,
they started with 12 girls at the boarding
school. They now have 23 girls and are
expected to have 30 girls by May. They hope
to eventually reach 50 girls.
Our mission is protect, educate,
empower, she says. We protect the girls
from forced marriage at puberty. We educate
the girls in school subjects and practical skills.
We empower them to be leaders and give
back to their communities.
Debra Dawson
African Soul,
American Heart
founder
lntroduction leads to film, project of passion
It takes one connection to
change a life.
This was true for Chris
Linnares, founder of Diva
Connection. Through her
foundation, she hopes to
make it true for women in
Fargo-Moorhead, across
the country and all over the
world.
The successful counselor
and author for womens
issues in Sao Paulo, Brazil,
moved to L.A., where she
met Bill Marcil Jr. through
a mutual friend. The two
fell in love, married, and
Linnares moved to Fargo to
begin a new life with him.
Living in a new country
proved to be a major life
challenge for Linnares.
That was a diffcult but
powerful time for me to
truly connect with God,
Linnares says. I lost
everything that I knew, but
it was an opportunity for me
to grow.
Learning English,
struggling with postpartum
depression after the birth
of her daughter and looking
for purpose in a diffcult
time led to a connection
that would change Linnares
Fargo life.
A new friend opened
her door to Linnares. She
took the young Brazilian to
Fargos best eateries, cared
for her daughter and helped
Chris to feel connected.
A few years later, as this
friend was going through
a divorce, she was left with
no money or place to turn.
Linnares opened her home
and started sending emails
to contacts to help her friend
fnd a lawyer.
My friend didnt qualify
for any social services. The
only way out of her situation
was through the help of
friends.
It was in that moment of
reaching out that Linnares
felt the need to create ways
for women to use the power
of connection to empower
each other. This friendship
inspired the initial seed of
Diva Connection.
Linnares hopes the links
and friendships women make
through Diva Connection
will help to change their lives
and bring social change to
Fargo-Moorhead and many
other communities.
Just one
connection
can change
your life
Chris Linnares
Author, psychotherapist
and founder of Diva
Connection Foundation
Caring Professionals, offering
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When Stephanie Goetzs brother died
of suicide in 2002, hed been diagnosed with
depression for a year.
We knew, but he didnt tell any of his
friends, Goetz says. I believe he was afraid
of what theyd think.
Last year, the Valley News Live news
anchor had a vision to help children with
mental illness.
Goetz says she wanted to start a foundation
in Fargo-Moorhead that would erase the
stigmas associated with mental illnesses.
Although she had the vision, passion and
connections, Goetz lacked the resources
and business knowledge to actually start a
nonproft organization. In the fall of 2012,
Goetz connected with Pat Traynor, president
of the Dakota Medical Foundation, who
helped fll in those missing pieces.
Pat said, We can be your physical sponsor,
and we do everything for you, Goetz recalls.
Through the Dakota Medical Foundation,
Traynor was able to help fnd funds for
Goetz and kick-start the Stephanie Goetz
Foundation, an organization dedicated to
helping those with mental illness.
Basically, they do all the paperwork for
you, so you can focus on the people, Goetz
says. I was off the ground running.
Goetz wanted to start a program to train
teachers and counselors how to identify
students struggling with mental illness but
knew they were already overwhelmed with
other duties.
I met Read Sulik, vice president of
behavioral health at Sanford, Goetz says.
He said, Lets not reinvent the wheel;
theres already a program working in St.
Cloud.
Mimicking the program in St. Cloud, Sulik
and Goetz plan to hire triage therapists to
work within schools, identifying the students
who are struggling with mental illness and
getting them to a health provider for long-
term care.
I had no idea sitting in that room that
day that that would be the beginning of
something remarkably great and life-
changing, Goetz says. This is only the
beginning of something really great, and
these relationships will continue to fourish.
Finding the missing pieces
Stephanie Goetz
Anchor at Valley News Live,
Stephanie Goetz Foundation founder
Divas ideas for summer
I love going to the races at the West Fargo Red River Valley Speed
Way. (redrivervalleyfair.com)
Sheri Paulson
Little Pink Book
Women you know | Recommendations you can trust
Diva Connection Foundation polled hundreds of women in Fargo-
Moorhead to fnd out which businesses, events and services they
recommend.
Think of it as the best place to fnd what to do this summer, where
to eat, where to shop, where to pamper yourself and more.
Do you have a business or event youd like to recommend? Email
them to Diva@DivaConnection.org.
Attend a movie in the park at Island Park
(fargoparks.com). It is free, and you can even
bring your dog.
Heather Ostrowski
Bring my daughter to the Red River Zoo

(redriverzoo.org). Go golfng at one of the Fargo
Parks Golf Courses with my husband or girlfriends.
Roxanne Maris Ellis
I love to go dancing at the Hotel Shoreham on Lake Melissa when the

Front Fenders are playing.
NancyLee Loftsgard
www.SlimAmbition.com
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D & M Roofng (dmroofng.us ) did a wonderful job. It went fast, and
they cleaned up my yard and fower beds better than they were before
they started!
Sonja Meline
Accent cleaning (chooseaccent1.com) are always so nice and easy to
work with.
Heather Ostrowski
Health care provider
Dr. Laqua at Essentia Health (essentiahealth.org). She is a very nice per-
son, always listens carefully to our concerns and does her best.
Gunel Huseynova
Dr. Gupta at Essentia Health. It only took her two months to fnd out
what my obscure syndrome was. She kept at it until she had an answer.
Sonja Meline
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Autumn Wagner at the north-
side Sanford Clinic (sanfordhealth.org). I trust her;
she is a fabulous listener; she is a professional, caring
woman.
Kathy Cieslak
Matt Tollefson at Opp Construction (oppconstruction.

com) is an amazing landscape designer! He is creative
and listens to what you want, yet also has a great
vision and ideas. He knows how to transform the
curb appeal of your home and how to make a vision
a reality.
Hannah Sorensen

Where divas go shopping
Art Materials and Tandy Leather
(tandyleatherfactory.com) and Shotwell
Nursery (shotwellforal.com).
Stevie Famulari
Pamper yourself
Nail Bar (nailbarfargo.com) on Broadway. The best pedicurists/
manicurists in town. These ladies know how to pamper a little wine at
the same time never hurt anyone!
Lynette Burgan
Hair Success Day Spa (hairsuccesssalons.com) massage and herbal
steam shower. The steam shower is amazing!
Jaime Paulson
T.J.Maxx (tjmaxx.com), I love buying designer bags and european choco-
lates and candies there.
Gunel Huseynova
The Source (thesource.com). Amanda Torres does a
great job with haircuts, styling, waxing and shoulder mas-
sage (all in one sitting). I feel so much better after just
taking a little time for myself.
Mary Murchie
I love the local boutiques in town, like SHANNALEE, Lauries and Proper
& Prim.
Melissa Lindemoen
Glam green lifestyle
Eco Chic (beingecochic.com). I love all the products in
that store!
Jodie Harvala
Melaleuca (melaleuca.com) products and Scheels Home and Hardware
(scheelshomeandhardware.com).
Sheri Fercho
Best tastes in town
Sarellos (sarellos.com) sea bass (but I LOVE their entire menu). I have
never had a bad meal there!
Marcie Vesey
Juanos (701-232-3123) downtown. Everything is
so fresh. The chimis are decadent.
Nicole Welle Nere
The Shack on Broadway (shackonbroadway.com). I would order the eggs
Benedict. It reminds me of my hometown cafe.
Stephanie Maier
How divas get in shape
Dance Fit (danceftnd.com) is the bomb! (located in the
basement of Catalyst with health pros) Not only can
you burn 600-800 calories, you get to shake your
bootie with the fabulous instructors!
Tracy Cater
Spin class every morning at 5:30 a.m. at Courts Plus (courtsplus.org). Or
Zumba with Sandie Anders at Family Wellness (familywellnessfargo.com)
love her! She sure knows how to bring in the crowd and get them
shaking!
Sonya Jeanotte

Dreams for our community
Whole Foods store and a Dunkin Donuts shop.
Holly Holden-Eklund
An adult day care center where adults with disabilities could go during
the day, allowing them to get out of the home, have interaction with
others and do activities. This would also offer their families a break and
opportunities to work and better provide for them.
Sheri Paulson
Divas you should know
The most amazing woman I know is my best friend, Mary Gotta. As a
busy mother of nine children and one grandchild, Mary is always there
to lend a hand, listen and give support. She is a prayer warrior, and I am
blessed to have her in my life. She is so beautiful, but she doesnt know
she is; very humble and grateful for everything.
Jeanne Erickson
The MOST AMAZING woman in town is Nancy Jordheim, assistant
superintendent for Fargo Public Schools. She is an advocate for children,
a mentor, a volunteer and a fabulous role model for women who want
to have an impact on the world!
Kathy Cieslak
A gigantic indoor water park.
Lynette Burgan
June Johnson. She started a tradition of having coffee time on Fridays for
international women where I met many nice people during my frst year
in Fargo.
Gunel Huseynova
L
i
t
t
l
e

P
i
n
k

B
o
o
k

l nspiration happens when you least expect
it.
Open up and let life in, said a TV
commercial for a popular toothpaste.
Letting life get to you, in all its glory,
disappointment, joy and occasional
heartbreak is what its all about. Making
connections and opening the door to your
heart and mind is the key to life.
To me, connection is taking time to engage
and be fully present with another person
or even a particular moment. It is a spark
of possibility for a richer, more meaningful
experience.
The key to connection is successful
communication. Small talk can become a
portal to sharing bigger ideas. It may be the
waitress you ask a thoughtful question about
her day, the cabbie who gives you the inside
scoop or a co-worker who opens up and
shares her life challenges.
Connections may be planned or
serendipitous. The outcome is unknown,
but you never know when a moment in
time leads to a new friend, a new job, a new
adventure, a start-up company or even a
marriage proposal.
Connection gives us the opportunity to
change the world in big and small ways, and
we receive unexpected gifts.
Several years ago, my husband and I were
heading to a friends wedding in the Prince
Charles Islands off British Columbia. It
would be a once-in-a-lifetime trip.
We arrived at the Vancouver airport very
early to fnd that the small plane had been
Open yourself to
finding inspiration
By Dr. Susan Mathison
Catalyst Medical Center
oversold by dozens and that a fshing group
took precedence over our reservation. The
next available fight wouldnt get us there
until late in the evening ... after the wedding.
We sat down to lament alongside another
bumped passenger. We chatted for a while
and learned he was planning to meet some
fshing friends but wasnt in the big group.
He made a couple of calls, then offered us a
lift. He had chartered a private plane, so we
made it to the wedding in style.
In our busy lives, technology sometimes
limits our opportunities to connect and
can make us feel isolated. It makes a kind
word, a meaningful exchange, a warm hug, a
delightful phone call or an unexpected letter
even more precious.
Research has shown that babies in
orphanages failed to thrive even though
their material needs were met by the well-
intentioned but busy staff. They lacked
suffcient human connection. So connection
can even be lifesaving.
Perhaps you will be the one whose effort to
encourage and support another person will
be the factor that saves their lives.
We all have great capacity for meaningful
connections when we open up and let life in.
Howard Zinn said it well: Small acts,
when multiplied by millions of people, can
transform the world.
Dr. Susan Mathison, a Diva Connection board
member, founded Catalyst Medical Center in
Fargo, N.D., and created PositivelyBeautiful.com.
Diva Voice invites a guest writer to share her view
of the world and how to make a difference in it.
Diva voices

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DI V A CONNECT I ON

Make time for yourself and others

14 | Diva Connection Magazine Spring/Summer 2013

Nadine was telling

Bring my daughter to the Red River Zoo

I love to go dancing at the Hotel Shoreham on Lake Melissa when the

Matt Tollefson at Opp Construction (oppconstruction.

34 | Diva Connection Magazine Spring/Summer 2013

36 | Diva Connection Magazine Spring/Summer 2013

Spring/Summer 2013 Diva Connection Magazine | 37

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