Tag Archives: Katie Couric

Meet Shannon Watts, the “NRA’s Worst Nightmare”. Go get ’em girl!

She is one of our favorite women. She’s a fave with Michael Bloomberg, Hilary Clinton and Katie Couric, this gem named Shannon Watts—and dubbed “the NRA’s Worst Nightmare”.

Fight Like a Mother: How a Grassroots Movement Took on the Gun Lobby and Why Women Will Change the World Fight Like a Mother: How a Grassroots Movement Took on the Gun Lobby and Why Women Will Change the World (HarperOne, $25.99) tells the inspiring story of how Watts’ rallying call-to-action grew into a powerful women’s
movement to protect children from America’s epidemic of gun violence, and offers lessons for others who want to make a difference in their community.

Fight Like a Mother: How a Grassroots Movement Took on the Gun Lobby and Why Women Will Change the WorldOn the morning of December 14, 2012, stay-at-home-mom Shannon Watts was folding laundry when the news broke that there had been a shooting in Newtown, Connecticut involving young children. Outraged and heartbroken, Shannon felt an overwhelming need to act. Discovering there was no organization for gun violence correspondent to MADD—Mothers Against Drunk Driving—she vowed to build it.

Fight Like a Mother is the powerful story of how one mother’s cry for action started a national women’s movement—MADD
Mom’s Demand Action—to fight some of the richest and most powerful people in America: the gun lobby. It is an inspiring
record of how outraged mothers became engaged citizens, creating a powerful grassroots network of local chapters in all
50 states.

Along with her observations and wisdom, Watts shares inspiring messages of perseverance, courage, and compassion, and outlines the core mantras and principles that MDA has used to battle the NRA and the intimidating tactics they use to prevent gun safety progress. Throughout, Shannon proves that a woman with a laptop can be more powerful than a man with a gun.

Fight Like a Mother explores the unique power of women. While not everyone can be on the front lines of the fight, every mom is already an organizer, and Shannon shows them how to put their skills to use in their own community, in their own way. Bringing activism into the everyday, the book will inspire everyone—mothers and fathers, students and teachers, lawmakers, and every citizen outraged, angry, and motivated to work for change—transforming hearts, minds and laws, and most importantly, show them how to honor their values with action.

Want to achieve it BIG in the New Year? Katie Couric urges a trip with Jeremy Cage

Looking to begin the New Year with New Ideas, New Success, New Fulfilled Potential?

Katie Couric recommends (highly) Jeremy Cage’s book, All Dreams on Deck: Charting the Course for Your Life and Work (Greenleaf Book Group, $19.95).  The work, says she, is “a great book that everyone who thinks about how to better balance work–life issues would benefit from reading.  Everything starts with a dream– but Jeremy really shows us how to get started on making these dreams come to life.”

Writes he: “Most businesses and most people die full of potential. I strongly urge you to pluck up the courage and take the action required to realize your dreams, instead of sitting back and saying ‘I could have or should have’ for the rest of your life.”

An entrepreneur, executive coach and former Fortune 100 executive, Cage believes that “dreams are the most powerful force on our planet and yet they are simultaneously incredibly vulnerable.  If not prioritized, protected and nurtured, they wither and die.”

Cage is an expert in turning dreams into reality.  One of his more ambitious dreams was to sail around the world with his wife and their two children.  They spent four years preparing for their 16-month, life-changing voyage.  Since returning, Cage has become an advisor to thousands of people, showing them how to fulfill their dreams for their businesses and for themselves.

Basing his advice on his years of corporate success as well as his around-the-world sailing adventure, Cage uses a boat metaphor to articulate his process in All Dreams on Deck.  A person’s dreams are the hull of the boat.  Intentionality is the rigging and the sails.  Planning and preparation are the training necessary to sail and navigate the boat.  Courage is the wind that must be harnessed to propel the boat forward. He brings these concepts to life, illustrating them with true stories and anecdotes, in separate chapters that include:

Dream Like You Mean It Sailing around the world, starting a business or winning a competition are all amazing dreams. However, dreams need to be specific.  When dreams are vague, people tend to focus on obstacles, fears, and dreads.  Being specific about your dreams enables you to clearly define the steps you need to make them a reality.

Climb Your Ladder of Intentionality Having specific dreams is not enough.  You need to become intentional.  Commit.  Write them down.  Declare them out loud.  Get others talking about them.  This helps you climb your ladder of intentionality.

Ready Yourself, Your Crew and Your Ship The better you plan and prepare, the more likely it is that you will succeed. Understand what you need to know, do, and know how to do, to accomplish your business and personal dreams.

Summon Your Courage Venturing into the unknown is not easy. Whatever your dream, you will encounter obstacles and challenges.  Overcoming your fears will allow you to achieve your goals.  Trust yourself and your team.  Be optimistic.  Listen carefully.  Accept reality quickly.

The book includes a “Chart Plotter” workbook so people can easily articulate their dreams and start taking immediate action.   All aboard!

TV’s sassiest and most trustworthy female newscasters? No, not Kim Barker!

TV’s greatest newscaster? In honor of the home entertainment debut of the smart and satirical comedy Whiskey Tango Foxtrot starring Tina Fey as a broadcast journalist, the National Research Group (a Stagwell Company) conducted an online survey on behalf of Paramount Pictures among a nationally representative sample of U.S. residents to elicit opinions about female journalists who appear on broadcast and cable news programs.
Yes, sometimes long sentences need to be long.

Respondents, all of whom watch national broadcast or cable news at least once per week, chose Diane Sawyer as their favorite on-air reporter (yes!), followed closely by Barbara Walters, Katie Couric and Robin Roberts.  All four were selected as top favorites regardless of respondents’ political party affiliation; however Republicans also chose Megyn Kelly as a favorite and Democrats added Lisa Ling.  All respondents considered Sawyer, Walters, Couric and Roberts the most trustworthy.

Respondents’ top picks for “great interviewer” were Diane Sawyer and Barbara Walters.  Those surveyed also described Walters, Sawyer, Lisa Ling, Rachel Maddow and Christiane Amanpour as “intelligent.”

The “classiest” broadcast journalists were Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric and Barbara Walters, while the “sassiest” was Megyn Kelly and the most “down to earth” was Robin Roberts.

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Most often described as “brave” were Robin Roberts, Lisa Ling, Christiane Amanpour and Lara Logan.  Respondents most often cited Megyn Kelly, Greta Van Susteren and Rachel Maddow as “opinionated.”

Based on real-life reporter Kim Barker’s revealing and funny memoir about covering the war beat in the Middle East, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is a sharp and savvy take on combat journalists as well as an illuminating story of self-discovery. The film follows Kim (Tina Fey) as she decides to shake things up by taking a dangerous assignment in Afghanistan.


There, in the midst of chaos, Kim discovers her true strength as she risks it all to find the next big story.  Whiskey Tango Foxtrot has arrived on Digital HD and on Blu-ray Combo Pack. No, none of TV’s “winners”  make an appearance.