This past week on Artful Moxie, I wanted to highlight a truly wonderful nonprofit while also discussing a serious issue affecting the nation and my home of Seattle right now: education. For decades, the American education system has been regarded so highly worldwide, but with heavy budget cuts, lack of teachers, and more proposed cuts, the education system we rely on is truly in danger.

Recurring Artful Moxie guest Tre Maxie joined me in this discussion, as it’s one very dear to his heart and expertise. Tre is the Executive Director of Powerful Schools, a nonprofit based in southeast Seattle that is dedicated to engaging students in learning through literacy, arts, and after-school programs that partner with the surrounding community. From its original four elementary schools served in 1989, Powerful Schools now partners with 13 elementary schools and 8 preschools across the Seattle area, targeting those in greatest need of assistance. Tre was also recently appointed to the Washington State Board of Education. Nine months ago, Powerful Schools was recognized by the US Department of Education for doing education the right way.

It is a sobering thought that education, for the most part, is being handled the wrong way in our school systems. On Monday November 28^th, just after Thanksgiving, the Washington state legislature will meet again to discuss potential cuts to education that include dropping the school year from 180 days to 175, cutting full-day kindergarten entirely, and no longer supporting preschool for low-income families. For so many children and families, these changes could completely alter their lifestyle, availability to essential resources, and education.

Education is the key to our future, and our children’s future. The lack of media coverage of these potential cuts is a tragedy, and we need to think carefully while making choices that can have such long lasting effects on everyone.

What do you think is the most important aspect of education? Do you rely on any of the programs that might be lost in upcoming budget cuts?

In my September 12 radio show, I decided to take a look at some of the many positive changes that have happened in the 10 years since September 11, 2001. Specifically, the wonderful and growing trend of social entrepreneurship: that is, social change spurred by businesses and entrepreneurs! On the show with me last week were several local and truly inspiring social entrepreneurs creating social change through their organizations.

My first guests of the morning were Stacy Lill and Kathy Johanson of O Wines. O is a wine company founded in Woodinville, WA that creates delicious, affordable wines, and contributes 100% of their profits to scholarships for low-income, high-potential youth! Talk about a business geared for social good. Since their start in March of 2008, O Wines has funded 34 scholarships for first-generation college students across 7 states, and Stacy and Kathy informed me they won’t stop till they reach one million scholarships. A beautiful goal indeed.

When I asked Stacy and Kathy what inspired them to create a social venture through their business, they told me that it was their intent from the beginning to give back to the community. Both women had long experience with philanthropy and education, and it was only trying to decide exactly how they wanted to give back that took some time deciding. Eventually they decided that education is truly a foundation to build on, and that every student they mentor and fund through college may be the one to cure a disease, start their own social venture, or just better their own lives. O Wines is truly a socially conscious venture to its core.

Our other guests were Kurt Beecher Dammeier and Bill Marsh of Beecher’s Cheese, and of the Beecher’s Flagship Foundation. Most Seattle residents are familiar with Beecher’s locally made, artisan cheese free of preservatives and additives. But what I want to bring attention to is Beecher’s Flagship Foundation, organized by Kurt and Bill to educate children about food, preservatives, and how to eat right. Their great idea is amplified by their decision to gear the program towards fourth and fifth graders to capture the attention of kids who are on their way to middle school, and on the verge of making many more decisions on their own. In this way, they are not only educating children but empowering them to make healthy choices for themselves far into the future. This is a truly great example of social change spurred by business that goes far beyond the initial venture.

I want to thank O Wines and Beecher’s again for stopping by to chat, and for all the incredible social change they are promoting through their entrepreneurial efforts. I only hope to see more businesses following their lead! What could you do to create social change through your company?

This week on Artful Moxie we delved into the topic of style. Style is a hard to define concept, and we often consider it to simply mean a person’s fashion sense. However, I believe style is part of a much bigger idea. I would call personal style the outward expression of a person’s inner self. Unfortunately, many people struggle to accurately bring their inner self out into the world, or are afraid to stand out by doing so. This week we discussed how women can find and embrace their own personal style to let their inner selves shine.

Joining me in the discussion of style were my two wonderful guests, Karan Dannenberg and Andrea Ward. Karan Dannenberg is the proprietor of Karan Dannenberg Clothier, a beloved Seattle institution where she helps her international clientele find essential wardrobe pieces that suit them beautifully. My other guest was Andrea Ward, a fashion consultant with 35 years of experience, and author of “Strut In Signature Style: Reinvent Your Wardrobe”, a book that teaches women to find their style in their own closets!

Both women on my show this week mentioned Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis as a style icon, not just for her beautiful attire but for her positive attitude, courageousness, and desire to innovate. She challenged the style norms of the era and wowed the American public with her own flair in both fashion and personality. It is this fusion between fashion and personality that reveals true style and it is the part that most women miss!

Here are some of our tips for uncovering your own style:
1. Don’t be a slave to trends. Most trends (like skinny jeans) look great on a particular body type, but don’t feel required to follow trends that aren’t suited for your body. You’ll look much better if you dress for yourself, rather than what you seen in magazines.
2. Start with essentials. Every wardrobe can benefit from a foundation built of a few simple, timeless pieces. Try to have two pairs of sleek pants, a great white shirt, and a few versatile wrap shirts to start. These can go anywhere, and mix with almost anything.
3. Learn about yourself. The most undervalued element of a style transformation is self-discovery. You will fare much better choosing clothes—and wearing them with confidence—if you take the time to really understand your own self-image and personality. Dress like the person you imagine yourself to be!
4. Get out of your comfort zone. Many women either find or fall into a particular style—maybe a holdover from a previous job, or a slightly modernized version of what you wore back in college. Break out of the box you’ve built! Nobody has to only wear black, or never wear open-toed shoes, or whatever “rules” you might have developed. Try something new. You might find that it suited you all along.
5. Be confident. Nothing makes a jacket hang better than your own confident posture. Don’t be shy about changing your look! If you wear what you love, it will show. That’s how to truly create your own personal style.
Who is your fashion icon? What are some of your own style tips?