42 Pieces of Advice, Atlanta

As we wrap up 2013, we hope you are inspired by the abundance of advice offered up today from our 42 FACES of Atlanta and FACES of the South 2013 women. We certainly are.

Special thanks to Amy Lesesne and Catrina Maxwell for the gorgeous photography each week of our FACES of Atlanta.

FACES of Atlanta

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“This too shall pass…I say it often.”- Stephanie Green-Bass

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“Don’t assume…”- Cheryl Crawford

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“It’s a long road, don’t give up. Celebrate the small things.”- Caroline Van Sickle

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“My favorite piece of advice is from a friend and artist Todd Murphy. He said, ‘Stay true to your vision, you’ve got it. Keep making it happen.'”- Kristen Hard

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“Enjoy the journey. Failure is not final, it’s feedback. Confidence is your best accessory.” – Moya Minns

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“Do what you love and the rest will follow.” – Gregg Irby

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“The greatest piece of advice I have received is from my grandmother. When I was younger she would always tell me before departing, ‘Don’t follow the crowd.’ I have applied that simple statement at every point. Whether it is creatively or socially. She made it okay and reminded me to go left when everyone else is going right.”- Kel Cadet-Lyons

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“My spunky grandmother always gave the best advice, two of my favorites: ‘Life is not a dress rehearsal,’ and ‘Do what you love and the money will come.'”- India Lynn Watso

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“To get something you have never had, you’ll have to do something you’ve never done before.”- Lauren Carey

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“’Gratitude is the attitude that gives you altitude.’ I saw it on a sign many years ago and have said it ever since. I enjoy torturing my teenage son and his friends by repeating this as often as I please. The runner up? ‘Sleep on it.’ Think of how many situations (and relationships!) have been salvaged by these three words!”- Cary Calhoun

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“Sleep on it. A good night’s sleep leaves you with a clear head for those tough decisions.” Meg Harrington

“Surround yourself with friends who bring out the best in you.”- Ann Huff 

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“Grace is sufficient. It’s from the Bible, and it keeps my perspective in check.”- Penny Treese

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“Bloom where you are planted”- Ann Davis

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“‘Grow where you are planted.’ To me it means no matter where you are in life, make the most of it. Blossom in a field of weeds if you have to. Be the best you can be no matter what your situation is, you have to shine no matter what your environment.”- Trayce Hutchins

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“Best piece of advice, from my Dad. ‘Do the right thing, and it will all work out.’ This covers all the bases, and I hear his voice in my head every day!”- Emily Followill

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“From my maternal grandfather, Henry William Hollingsworth, ‘It’s the poor dog that doesn’t wag his own tail.’ Because of this gem, I’ve never been short on confidence and I have long since realized that carrying myself a certain way could garner great opportunities.” – Shameeka Ayers

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“One of the most important things to do before you start your business is to define what you view as success. To me, success is putting yourself out there regardless of the outcome. So no matter where Sinless takes us in the end, I already feel like we have been successful.” – Cat Hawkins

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“Leonard Lauder of Estée Lauder was one of the smartest and most charismatic men I’ve ever met. He always had sage advice. My favorite was: ‘Catch someone doing something right and thank them for it—even if they are just doing their job.’ Another favorite is: ‘The three most important things to remember about opening a store (or a counter) is location, location, location.'”- Linda Silber

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“HAIR changed everything about musical theatre, and the 60′s are still romanticized and attractive to people. Times are tough now, and that time is looked back on as a time when young people rejected the status quo and sought peace and love and a different way of living. I can relate to her [character’s] frustration with society and the absurdity of what is thought to be important by our culture (money, possessions, power) versus what truly is important.”- Kylie Brown

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“Live each day to the fullest and please remember to treat others the way you wanted to be treated. No truer words have ever been spoken, and I remind myself of them daily.” – Michelle Larrabee

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“In 1999 my husband was between jobs and I was getting my MBA, so we took four months off to backpack around the world. It was an incredible experience that completely changed my outlook on life. Seeing so many other countries around the world made me realize just how fortunate we are here in America. I am so grateful and appreciative for all that America offers to its citizens.” – Cinda Boomershine

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“Don’t take things personally. I finally read The Four Agreements by Miguel Angel Ruiz last year and it has become not only an all-time favorite book, but somewhat of a life guide as well. Whether in my business or personal life, I try to remember that nothing is being done to me personally.”- Dayka Robinson

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“Think on your feet and take initiative, even when you’re not asked to. You’ll never make a name for yourself waiting to be told what to do!”- Kristin Cowart

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“TLC from friends — whether it’s dinner with my ‘Bless Your Heart’ mothers group to a phone chat with my roommates from college, I am re-energized from those who are in my corner. An occasional massage and some retail therapy also provide good fixes.”- Laura Stanley

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“Always trust your instincts.”- Sarah Moats

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“Gandhi said: ‘You must be the change you want to see in the world.’ This doesn’t have to be anything drastic like changing your career, but taking steps to make your own community a better place within your comfort zone.”- Jen Soong

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“I live by two pieces of advice. The first is to be a friend-raiser. People do business with people they enjoy, and I love meeting new people and working with team of smart enthusiastic people. Second, if you do what you’ve always done, then you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.”- Dale DeSena

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“Success comes in cans, not can’t’s!”- McCall Wilder

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“Together, we can help Georgians thrive, to grow up healthy, to weather tough times with the support of their neighbors. I’ve seen first hand how taking a simple step for caring for someone in crisis, by volunteering or a food drive, gives the person helping more hope, more trust, a sense of purpose. By helping, we are all helped. In this time of political turmoil, zero-sum gamesmanship, I think we all have an opportunity to turn things around by taking action, by starting small.”- Sarah Fonder-Kristy

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“Thomas Edison said, ‘The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense.’ My mom lives and works that way and instilled that in me.”- Mimi Bremer

FACES of South

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“Stand up for what you believe. Follow your gut, which most of the time is your heart talking. This has been my hardest lesson. I have given this advice and not always followed it myself. The truth is, there is no other way.” – Faith Hill

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“Love what you do. Never compromise your dreams or desires for the sake of money.” – Carla Hall

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“My friend and fellow jewelry designer Nicholas Varney told me: ‘Buy what you think is beautiful. If you do that, you will always end up with a beautiful final piece.’  It is true. I take that with me any time I am looking for materials to work with.” – Kimberly McDonald

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“My father told me, ‘Remember who you are and who you represent.'” – Michelle Weaver

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“If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that life passes by in phases, and phases end. So if you’re in a phase of life that is just totally amazing, then relish every second. On the flip-side, if you’re at a low point or in a stressful place, keep the faith because that phase will end and a new one will begin. You just have to hang on until then. I’ve given that advice to a lot of deployed troops or friends going through work or marriage troubles…or newborns, ha ha!” – Angie Johnson

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“Strive for the three ‘Be’s’: Be naïve, be real, be hungry. Be naïve enough to believe in your dreams, but also be aware of the obstacles. Know the odds, but believe you can beat them. Be real enough to connect with consumers and cross that difficult divide from brand loyalty to brand love. Be hungry enough to realize that when ideas stand still, they get old and are eventually replaced by better ideas.” – Laurie Ann Goldman

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“I was never allowed to say the word can’t or quit any sports when I was a little girl. My parents taught me that I could do anything that I set my mind to and that to be successful, you had to keep going even when the going gets tough.” – Heidi Elnora

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“To live wholeheartedly with compassion, courage and connection. This is my daily mantra as a mother, sister, daughter, wife, friend, business owner and mentor.” – Elaine Turner

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“During those heavy workload, sleep deprived years of the early 1990s, my mother-in-law, Mary Chapman, suggested I pray this simple prayer every day: ‘Lord, lead me today to those I need and to those who need me and let something I do have eternal significance. Amen.’ That simple prayer continually reboots my anticipation and openness about what a day might hold.” – Amy Grant

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“Life is finite. Every single day I wish I could have just one more conversation, or cup of coffee, or even just one more laugh with my dad. But missing him helps me to love the people in my life with that much more abandon. And so it is the best lesson of all.” – Damaris Phillips

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“It really goes back to my parents instilling in me the belief that one can do whatever they want to if they don’t give up. So, I guess, my mantra is all about guts and being willing to do things a little differently. The letter that hangs in my office from a reader in 2009 that says, ‘If you close this magazine, I will hunt you down and shoot you!’ was also a pretty good motivator to overcome the odds.” – Rebecca Darwin

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“When something would come up that was something I did not feel comfortable deciding on, I have always sought advice from the people that had the expertise and knowledge that I did not have. I do know this: you must believe in yourself and in your product or service. Grow as fast as you can, but as slowly as you have to to maintain your quality. All things are possible with God’s help. I believe I was lucky to bring a product to the marketplace at just the right time—a fully-baked frozen yeast roll—when there was nothing else like it at the time. We filled a niche in the grocery stores, and that made it much easier to sell.” – Patricia Barnes

What a group of amazing women!