OtherThanThat

I spent my day today at the 140 Conference in LA … mostly listening to other speakers but then capping off the day with a lovely fireside chat with Traci Dinwiddie an amazing woman who I not only respect for her talent as an actress and truly gentle and grounded spirit but who I am also honored to call a friend. Our session was about her latest endeavor, Project Wonder Woman, which is her personal quest to pursue the role of Wonder Woman in the film currently in development by Warner Brothers.

This conference, which is a focus on the way in which real-time social web technologies (primarily Twitter but also Facebook, et. al.) are impacting our way of life – from disaster relief in Haiti to education, healthcare and even raising cattle. The conversation Traci and I had centered around her quest to pursue a major film role, leveraging her existing fan base and reaching out through Twitter, Facebook and YouTube not only to galvanize fans and attention to herself as a viable candidate for the role, but also to do something a bit different.

Generally when developing a character, an actor does their research then goes internally to explore how they fit into that character’s skin. Traci is taking this process to a new level by reaching out and asking fans for their input. Specifically what qualities do they feel Wonder Woman should possess? Because let’s face it, Wonder Woman is about as fantasy character as they come for women. Most all women I know at some point wanted to be Wonder Woman – or at least be like her. The idea of being powerful, sexy, feminine and having superpowers (not to mention the super cool invisible airplane, truth lasso and bullet reflecting bracelets), can’t help but appeal to a young girl. Hell, the idea appeals to me as a grown woman.

Thinking about how this character was formed, however, not to mention the historical portrayal of the role as seen through the TV series in the 70s gives rise to the thought of how this powerful woman could and should manifest in today’s day and age. What qualities might make sense today that didn’t make sense in the days just as feminism was coming into it own? This is part of the journey that Traci intends to explore with Project Wonder Woman.

Speaking of wonder …

This evening I received an email informing me that I’d been nominated as a Top Female Business Leader. A dear friend, Laurel Kaufman, had mentioned this to me a week or so ago, asking if I would be open to being nominated so I knew it was coming, but when I received the email with official details right on the heels of having had this conversation with Traci about what it means to be a “wonder”ful woman, I suddenly felt humbled.

There are so many remarkably accomplished women in business today and to know that I’ve been identified as someone who focuses on inspiring and guiding others … that feels pretty good. Of course, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that it also would feel pretty cool to win. So with that, a shameless plug on my own blog to invite you to vote …

Whether I win or not, I know that this is no less wonder-filled an experience.

Note: In the event you can’t actually vote in the widget below, here’s the link directly to the site where you can do so. Simple process. Click next to my name then fill out and confirm the CAPTCHA to prove you’re human. 🙂