Lady and the Tribe
by Brenda Billings Ridgley
BLURB:
Wives,
mothers, and career women—we have all fallen victim to the silent epidemic that
is, literally . . . letting ourselves go. Not the makeup free, yoga pants,
weight gain routine. Little by little, we have allowed our preferences,
interests, and individuality to slip away until we no longer recognize
ourselves outside of our role as wives, mothers, or professionals. Who we are
has become what we do.
In the process, our
friendships have become the casualty of a “busy life” and lack consistency and
depth. We have a gaping hole inside us that longs to be filled. How do we reclaim
who we really are and fill this empty space that seemed to appear from nowhere?
The answer lies in our Tribe. Our best friends see us more clearly than we see
ourselves and are representations and extensions of our individuality. They are
our companions, cheerleaders, and counselors—always in our corner. They are the
branches of our tree of life that lift and support us, so we can flourish. Our
Tribe is the family with whom we choose to live our life . . . with no strings
attached.
Lady and the Tribe is a
blueprint for building deep connections. As you read, you’ll be swept away on a
journey of friendship as the author shares her own personal stories and those
of other women. In the process, you’ll discover how to find, nurture, and
deepen friendships and create a Tribe culture that is unique to you.
We can become whole
again through the power of connection.
When three or more
gather, we are Tribe.
Excerpt:
The Tribe
Traditionally, a Tribe is a social division in society
consisting of families or communities linked by social, economic, religious, or
blood ties. Some Tribes have a common culture and dialect, and typically they
have a recognized leader. A customary Tribe is a face-to-face community,
relatively bound by kinship relations, reciprocal exchange, and strong ties to
place.
The term Tribe should be utilized only with great respect
and consideration of its origins. It is with the term’s heritage in mind that I
aspire to create that culture with my closest friends. This social division, group,
or pack are linked by common social patterns, interests, and sometimes, goals.
As the group connects together over time, they establish the Tribe’s
personality, lingo, patterns, and rituals.
Your Tribal space feels like home when you arrive. It is safe,
encouraging and makes you feel relevant because you are truly seen. Your Tribe
cares about your opinions and what you have to say. They are proud of your
talents and strengths and are not threatened by your success. Your Tribe will
promote rather than ignore or diminish your wins. Although these close friends
can be a great influence for you to be better and do better, there is no
contest; you do not feel competitive with one another. The experience of
finding your Tribe can be life changing. It becomes a mirror reaffirming who
you are and where you belong.
Author Interview
Can you tell us
a little bit about yourself?
Thank you for inviting me to share with your readers
today! I’m a Colorado girl who spent a
decade in corporate America as a human resources manager and then decades more
as an entrepreneur with businesses ranging from brick-and-mortar retail to
consulting and direct sales.
Once career-focused and driven to hit the top of any
organization I deemed worthy, motherhood significantly shifted my priorities to
focus on the family. Over a period of 15
years, I “let myself go”. I’m not
talking about the typical weight gain and yoga pants seven days a week,
although that happened too. I found
myself feeling surrounded by people and activity and responsibility, yet I felt
isolated. I was highly connected on
social media but most of my friendships were superficial because they had little
face-time.
Over those years I let go of my own preferences, activities
and friendships and found myself with a very busy life, yet something was
missing. As my kids were about to launch
into their adult lives, I no longer knew who I was outside of my role as
MOM. I discovered what was lost was deep,
meaningful friendships.
I feel my story is not unique. There is a silent epidemic happening across
the globe that is loneliness. We are not
lonely because we lack friends, we are lonely because those friendships lack
the intimacy and depth that we long for as human beings. My journey back to wholeness and resilience
is documented in my book Lady and the Tribe, How to Create Empowering
Friendship Circles. I am on a mission to
help women reconnect and deep dive into meaningful friendships that will
enhance their lives.
Do you have a
day job as well?
I do! I help individuals, families and small businesses cut
their healthcare costs significantly with a Health Sharing alternative to
expensive health insurance. Readers can learn more about Impact Health Sharing
.
How do you
market your work? What avenues have you found to work best for your genre?
It's funny you ask this, I tell my husband every day “I’m
off to make something out of nothing!”, which means I just go out into the world
and cyberspace and put myself out there in any way that I think might reach the
women who could benefit from Lady and the Tribe. I don’t know if or how it will work out but I
am open to opportunities to share the message of connection. I am utilizing book blasts, blog tours like visiting
yours here, and regular social media. I
am interviewing for online magazines, podcasts and have even been on Chat and Spin Radio in the UK and Ticker News, Australian live streaming news
network. As far as “If it’s working?” Well, I must say its just too soon to
tell. I believe it will pay off because
the Universe always returns on our efforts, and I am All In!
Can you tell us
about your upcoming book?
Lady and the Tribe is about the woman, her journey through
career, marriage, and children, and how it often leads us to “let ourselves go”
to include our preferences, hobbies, interests and friendships. We are left with a full life yet feeling a
bit empty. The book identifies the issue
and helps readers create a game plan to rediscover themselves through nurturing
friendships.
I have a couple of ideas for my next books. One is about women in the workplace and how
we could take our power and influence to the next level if we chose to
collaborate more rather than compete with each other. (Lady and the Tribe at Work). The other is
about the newly wed woman who is about to embark on her “adulting” life and how
to avoid the pitfalls and not only successfully raise a family or career and remain
whole but to expand their interests and friendships and live a Big life. (New
Bride and the Tribe)
Is anything in
your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?
There are many real-life true stories of friendship in Lady
and the Tribe. Although its genre is Non-Fiction, Self-Help/Happiness and
offers facts, data and a plan of action, the real stories are the heart of the
work and make a big impact.
Is there
anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?
I am grateful and honored by the love, support and
encouragement from family and friends. I
am excited to work with women around the world helping them to create their own
Lady Tribes. I invite you and your readers to join
the movement! Thank you for this fun
opportunity to share!
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
BRENDA RIDGLEY
is an author, speaker, and girlfriend guru who loves helping women connect,
find success, and discover joy through friendship. Her mission is to start a movement: women
coming together to build thousands of new Lady Tribes around the globe. Through her workshops, vlogs, blogs, and book
clubs, Brenda helps women connect and communicate with respect, love, and
trust. She holds an MA in human resources and has spent decades cultivating her
own Tribe. A Colorado girl at heart,
Brenda lives in the Carbon Valley area with her husband, Parker, two kids,
Parker Jr. and Gillian, and pooch, Perry.
She enjoys hiking and has conquered Longs Peak and several other
14’ers.
To connect with
Brenda, visit her website at www.BrendaRidgley.com.
Invite Brenda
to speak at your next event: mailto:brenda@brendaridgley.com.
Order: Lady and the Tribe - https://www.amazon.com/Lady-Tribe-Empowering-Friendship-Circles/dp/1737289709
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@TheConnectionConnoisseur -
https://www.podserve.fm/series/website/the-connection-connoisseur,3341/
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER
Brenda Billings Ridgley will be awarding a Cape Diablo wrap bracelet and
a $25 Amazon Gift Card (US ONLY) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter
during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway