Author urges women to maximize their financial power

LAS VEGAS — Women, no matter how successful or wealthy they might be, must take charge of their own finances in order to fully realize their power, according to a speaker here.

Author Barbara Stanny told an audience of about 300 people that women should not allow themselves to live under an "illusion of affluence." The guest speaker at an event sponsored by the Ophthalmic Women Leaders (OWL) group, Ms. Stanny addressed the predominantly female group during the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting.

"Just because you have money does not mean you will keep it," she cautioned.

Ms. Stanny, whose book credits include Secrets of Six-Figure Women and Overcoming Underearning, drew on her own life story for her talk. As the daughter of one of the founders of H&R Block, she grew up wealthy and sheltered from having to make financial decisions for herself.

However, as a young married women, she said she learned early how quickly her good fortune could change, when she discovered her first husband had gambled away their wealth.

Since then, Ms. Stanny said she gradually learned how to rely on her own earning potential, and how not to compromise her high financial goals.

"If you don't deal with your money, your money will deal with you," she said.

Women must do three things in order to break the cycle of devaluing themselves and "underearning," Ms. Stanny said. These include having a profit motive (or a true desire to make money), leaving their comfort zone to try what they think is not possible and avoiding negative people.

"Don't wait one more minute to figure out how much power you have and how different your life can be," she said.

Also at last night's event, Jaci M. Lindstrom, IIIC Executive Director, took over presidency of OWL for Tamara Church Swanson. Now in its third year of existence, the non-profit association has drawn increasingly high numbers to its annual event. This year some 70 people joined the organization onsite.