Tips, tales, and non-partisan humour of a political wife. How to survive being a political wife.
Jeanette Rubio: A Not-So-Political Wife
Jeanette Dousdebes Rubio is a bit of a mystery among American Presidential nominee candidates’ political wives. She doesn’t give speeches and tends to remove herself from politics. What little we know of her can be gleaned by her actions more than what she’s said to interviewers.
Why Heidi Cruz Kicks Butt
Although this is a non-partisan blog, I am going to be very honest and just come out and say it: Heidi Cruz kicks butt. If she was running for President, it is likely I would vote for her.
1. Heidi is extremely driven (and really smart too).
Her mother claims that in the 5th grade Heidi announced that she was going to Harvard Business School. Eighteen years later she had not only completed her BA at Claremont and her master’s in European Business from Strausbourg, she was also standing in line to receive her M.B.A at Harvard. Suffice it to say this is a woman who was born driven.
Melania Trump, Much More Than Just A Pretty Face
Love him or hate him, it is pretty much assured that it would take a certain kind of woman to be the wife of Donald Trump. The couple’s ten year marriage has seen the birth of one son, the entry into fashion design, and –most recently—a great deal of stigma and ridicule attached to this former model from Slovenia.
Melania Trump Celebrates Her Husband’s Victory By Speaking Out Loud
Gawker’s latest side-swipe is only the latest in a long line of undercover hit pieces aimed at Melania to present her as the stereotypical “dumb model”. I wonder if she had been the wife of a less controversial candidate if these outlets would have resorted to such stereotypes. But it begs the question: is it true, is she nothing more than a pretty face? Let’s discover exactly who Melania Trump is and what type of First Lady she might make.
Her Beginnings
Melania Trump was born “Melanija Knavs” on April 26, 1970 in Slovenia’s lower valley to parents, Viktor and Amalija. Her father managed a string of motorcycle and car dealerships, and her mother worked in fashion providing her and her sister Ines with what would be considered a “middle class” lifestyle under the communist system. She attended the University of Ljublijana pursuing degrees in design and architecture, while modeling part time in Italy. As her modeling career took off, Melania left her studies behind to pursue it more aggressively.
Modeling and America
Melania worked for several years on the runways of Milan and Paris before making a leap to New York. It was there under the tutelage of Helmut Newton that her career in print ads expanded, and she eventually began to find work with Conde Nast periodicals and other well-known photographers like Patrick Demarchelier, and Mario Testino. In addition to being one of the featured models of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition, Melania made the covers of Vogue, In Style, Vanity Fair, Allure, Harper’s Bazaare, Elle and other high end magazines.
Despite the naysayers who have made her nothing more than a trophy wife in the eyes of the public, this former girl from a Soviet block nation had managed to parlay her own assets into an established modeling career before even meeting Donald Trump. To go from Slovenia to New York, requires more than a pretty face. It takes work ethic, determination, and good networking. Most models never make it past catalog ads. Melania made it to New York and the cover of Vogue.
However, it was her modeling work and her transition to working at Trump Model Management which put Melania on the path of her future husband, and it can be said that meeting him certainly changed the trajectory of where she was heading.
Continue reading “Melania Trump, Much More Than Just A Pretty Face”
Have you fallen off your New Year’s resolution bandwagon? Don’t worry, because for China and me (and let’s face it, they have the large chunk of the world’s population), the new year started this week!
Did you know that it is the Year of the Monkey? I don’t have any Chinese ancestry nor do any real knowledge of the Chinese astrological calendar but here is how I know that THIS year is going to be a life changing year. You see, a few months ago a monkey helped me change careers (which actually is fitting because I describe my life as a zoo).
2014 and half of 2015 were overwhelming for me. I was so busy and stressed that I felt paralyzed. But I finally got to the point where I was extremely motivated to make changes. The first goal I set was to start this blog by the end of the summer in 2015.
Little did I know that starting this blog would change the course of my professional life.
Because of a rough pregnancy with AG I ended up taking more time away from my professional life than I had anticipated. Although I loved what I did, it involved a lot of travel and returning to it wouldn’t allow me to have the life I wanted after having a baby.
When I started this blog, I didn’t know anything about creating websites. But with help from the good people from Go Daddy, youtube videos, and some advice from friends, I slowly figured out blogging basics. The skills I learned from setting up this blog gave me the confidence to start my own business.
After starting Political Wife Life, I saw a “Become A Social Media Manager” ad in a blogging Facebook group. It was a free webinar so I thought, “what the heck—I love social media and community building.” If I wanted to re-enter the paid workforce I knew I was going to need to be my own boss and find a career that would allow me to embrace my nomadic lifestyle and work from anywhere.
Cue Liz Benny and Social Monkey Business (see, I told you a monkey would show up). Liz really resonated with me and I loved her program and signed up for Social Monkey Business which is essentially a “how to start a social media management business” in a box.
It sounds so cheesy to say “finding Liz Benny’s course changed my life” but it is so true. If you want a really fun job where you can be your own boss, make your own hours and work from wherever there is an internet connection, click here to learn more and to read my full review of the Social Monkey business course.
I was so fortunate to find a client as soon as I completed the course. October-December were spent learning the basics of starting a business and client work. I love to do 90 day sprints of work and then schedule some down time and slower paced work. January was a scheduled downtime.
I am now one of those crazy people who loves their job and likes to tell everyone I meet how much I LOVE MY JOB.
The only downside is that I was having so much fun doing work for a client and learning how to run my own business that I didn’t make blog writing a priority. But I am back!
Embrace the Chinese new year and take advantage of fresh beginnings and a second chance at resolutions. Set a goal and work towards it. You never know where it will take you.
If omens mean anything, the year of the monkey is going to be the best one yet.
What goals are you setting for yourself? A little accountability is a good thing, so comment below and share the accomplishments your sights are set on!