Quotabelle - Grit and Grace: Uncommon Wisdom for Inspiring Leaders Designed to Make You Think

UNCOMMON WISDOM FOR INSPIRING LEADERS DESIGNED TO MAKE YOU THINK

Quotabelle

quoteur / KW TR / noun A person who originates a collection of words worth sharing

TO BUILD THE WORLD YOU IMAGINE YOU CANT GO AT IT ALONE.

YOURE DESTINED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

ALONG THE WAY, PEOPLE WILL JOIN YOU. MENTORS WILL GUIDE YOU.

AND YOUR OWN STYLE FOR LEADING WILL BEGIN TO TAKE SHAPE.

This book is a personal inspiration gallery, curated especially for modern leaders. Weve gathered the ideas and stories of ninety remarkable femalesa mix of visible and not so widely known women & girls, from history through today. Youll find artists & athletes, coaches & community builders, entrepreneurs & engineers, scientists & tech titans. Fueled by purpose and lit by passion, these people have inspired those around them to make the world sweeter, greener, fairer, finer, more creative, conscious, connected & streamlined.

Whats uncommon about them? Their trailblazing careers. Their unexpected life paths. Their unique experiences. Their insights. Ultimately, their impact.

Through research, we discovered that less than 15 percent of the quotations shared every day are from women and girls. In fact, of the 19,800 quotes in one of the most respected quotation resource books, 12 percent were attributed to anonymous authors and only 5 percent to female authors. Missing, too, were ideas by women associated with innovation, science, sports, technology, adventure, art, leadership, and more.

Quotes are pocket wisdom. Theyre packed with the power to spark an idea, create a connection or light a fire that keeps a team moving forward.

Our aim is to fix the quote supply problem. Were adding missing voices back into history, and creating entres to a host of true stories. Its how we ensure todays thinkers and doers arent overlooked going forward.

In Grit & Grace, were going beyond the vaults of familiar, age-old wisdom to scout fresh, real-world advice. Weve gathered a collection of ideas lifted from the aha moments of intrepid leaders and dished up with intriguing backstories to give you a peek at the hows and whys. There are no rules here. So, take away what speaks to you, adding to your creative toolbox as you craft your own mantra and leadership approach.

& The ampersand its intentional. You may be surprised to learn about its ancient origin as a slapdash shorthand used by Roman scribes. Found in graffiti on walls and hand-lettered on papyrus, those who study language believe the ampersand came from 1st-century writers hastily scribbling et, which meant and, often, connecting the two letters to form one.

Over time, the stylized single character came to distinctly stand for and, even becoming the twenty-seventh letter in the English alphabet at one point. For us, this fascinating figure is a symbol of connection and the importance of dual effort. Its our visual reminder that balance is key to navigating the uncharted paths towards achieving goals big & small. Like the wisdom in Grit & Grace, we love that it makes a statement, and that theres a story behind it.

Our hope is that youll find muses to inspire you as you fashion your own style of leading, and that youll share what youre loving. After all, leadership is about bringing people along on your journey.

Cheers!

Pauline & Alicia

Grit & Grace

18671934

CHEMIST FIRST FEMALE NOBEL LAUREATE & FIRST PERSON TO WIN TWO NOBEL PRIZES MOTHER OF MODERN PHYSICS

When Marie Curie found out she had cancer, she responded with the characteristic calm of a scientist who had dedicated her career to understanding one of natures most potentially powerful yet dangerous phenomenon: radioactivity. Her diagnosis was just one more occasion to muster courage in a life defined by the unwavering pursuit of knowledge.

As a girl in occupied Poland, Maries educational opportunities were limited. She worked as a governess to fund her and her sisters studies in Paris. There, she met her husband Pierre. The two scientific devotees bonded over magnetism and became tireless collaborators until Pierres sudden and tragic death. The first woman to earn a PhD in France, Maries research at the prestigious Sorbonne University was deemed the greatest contribution to science of any thesis project. After her first Nobel win, she eventually became the universitys first female professor and lab head. By the time she hung up her lab coat, Marie had expanded the chemical periodic table by two elements (Polonium + Radium) and pioneered the study of radioactivity (a term she coined). Her work influenced everything from x-rays to cancer treatments to carbon dating. She also inspired one of her two daughters to become a Nobel-winning chemist herself!

Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.

MARIE CURIE

SCIENTIST

19172001

SOCIALITE FIRST FEMALE FORTUNE 500 CEO COURAGEOUS PROTECTOR OF FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS

Becoming a leading publisher was not the sort of fun Katharine Graham imagined for herself. Her father, owner of the fledgling paper, The Washington Post, tapped Katharines charismatic and savvy husband, Phil, as heir apparent. Phil made great progress, but battled depression, ultimately taking his own life in 1963. Katharine, a middle-aged mother of four, faced a fateful decision: sell the family business or step up to the plate. With no formal business experience, she took a leap of faith. Supported by male mentors, she emerged as one of Americas most influential media moguls.

The Washington Post thrived. The company went public during her two decades of leadership. Her paper earned a reputation for stellar journalism, taking risks to release The Pentagon Papers and uncover the Watergate Scandal. When the government tried to suppress her, she took them all the way to the Supreme Court, securing a victory for freedom of the press. Briefly a newsroom journalist herself, Katherine returned to writing to publish a memoir. The book offered a candid account of her rise to power at a moment when the womens movement was only beginning to make waves. It also nabbed her a Pulitzer.

To love what you do and feel that it mattershow could anything be more fun?

KATHARINE GRAHAM

PUBLISHER

19272006

CONSERVATORY-TRAINED SINGER ARCHITECT OF THE KING LEGACY PEACE ACTIVIST & NONVIOLENT RESISTER

Growing up in segregated Alabama, Coretta Scott Kings family home and timber mill were intentionally burned down by her white neighbors. A disciplined nonconformist all her life, she refused to let hate-filled acts hold her back. She picked cotton and waitressed to put herself through college, crediting her family and education for prepping her to take a stand when she found herself at the very center of the civil rights movement. The Montgomery Bus Boycott, sparked by Rosa Parks, established Corettas pastor husband, Martin Luther King, Jr., as the movements inspiring figurehead. Coretta stepped out as his committed partner in nonviolent social change. Just four days after Martins assassination, she led a march of 50,000 people through Atlanta. The message? She was never going to back down from their courageous work. She founded a center and successfully lobbied for a national holiday that ensured her late husbands words and deeds remain among the most celebrated in American history.