For Pam Baer, it doesn’t get any better than this. As an executive board member of San Francisco General Hospital, an adviser to several other nonprofits and (one of her most high-profile roles) the wife of San Francisco Giants President Larry Baer, she’s attended her share of chic soirees and charitable events. Now she’s taken two of her passions—fashion and philanthropy—and started her own company to give back on a global level. … //READ MORE

This week, many of us are spending some time in the kitchen. We’re slicing, dicing and combining delicious flavors into festive dishes to share with friends and family. And to ensure that our holiday meals turn out just right, we’ve chosen the freshest, most aromatic ingredients available. If we’re lucky enough to live in a warmer climate, some of those ingredients may have even come straight from our garden. 

According to Allison Evanow, founder of Novato, Calif.,-based Square One Organic Spirits, this creative impulse lies behind everything culinary—whether it’s served on a plate or in a cocktail glass. … //READ MORE

These days, so many of us are lucky enough to be able to work from home. I know quite a few women who have recently transitioned from full-time jobs in the office to working from the comfort of their own house. It’s a fantastic option if you’ve got small children at home, as well as an opportunity to balance your professional and personal needs without too many compromises. Most women relish the opportunity to be able fetch their kids from school, while still being part of a corporate set-up and keeping their skill sets sharp.

However, there’s a downside to this newly gained freedom. Many females I know report that since they’ve been working from home, they’ve gained weight or … //READ MORE

You have a full time job. You have a side hustle. For so many women, this is becoming the new reality. Having a plan A, B and even C has become the new normal. Entrepreneurship is on the rise and there has never been a better time to start, build and grow your own side business.

But what if you want to turn that side gig into a full-time job? How do you nurture your passion when you have so many other responsibilities in your life? In order to get started on the right path, you must adopt certain strategies to help you focus on your plans and goals. The following tips have helped me create, build and run two successful businesses. If you incorporate them into your life and career, you’re bound to get results … //READ MORE

One should never underestimate the charms of a loving grandma—especially one whose homemade goodies inspire you to start your own business. For Susan Sarich, owner of the fast-growing SusieCakes chain, the charms of not only one, but two grandmothers were her delicious motivation.

Growing up in Chicago, Susie (as she was then called) would come home from school to enjoy the company—and the freshly baked treats—of grandmas Mildred and Madeline. When Susan grew up and moved to the West Coast, she brought along their precious recipes on handwritten 4-by-6 cards. Today, in her eight SusieCakes stores throughout California (and in three additional locations opening soon), Susan honors her family history, not only in her dedication to baked goods, but in her commitment to providing women with progressive careers in the food and hospitality industry. … //READ MORE

There they were, two of the most formidable women in America, sitting side by side on the stage of Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco: Arianna Huffington, president and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post Media Group, and her friend Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of Facebook. The media mavens united for this much-anticipated Commonwealth Club INFORUM event March 27 to discuss Huffington’s new book, Thrive, a heartfelt, inspirational read that poses an important question: How can women redefine success, not only in order to lead healthier, more productive lives, but also to change the world for the better?

For Huffington, that topic literally hit her hard one day in 2007 when she collapsed in her office, struck her head on her desk and ended up with a slashed eye and broken cheekbone. She saw several doctors to find out why she had fainted, but none could find anything medically wrong. But the reality was, during the two years leading up to the incident she had been working 24/7 building her new business, the Huffington Post. Yes, she had achieved success as defined by the traditional measures—money and power—but there was something missing. “There was nothing wrong with me—just with the way I was living my life,” she said. “Believe me, if you are lying in a pool of blood in your office … //READ MORE