Growing up I was always considered more the tom boy then the girly girl.  That changed for a while when I was in high school.  Prior to high school, I would watch my dad work on his cars, motorcycles and fix things in the house.  I was intrigued!  I played football in the front yard with the boys next door, played kick the can across the street with the neighborhood kids and arm wrestled the boys, and sometimes won!  During high school I became more of the girly girl.  I had to if I wanted a boyfriend, I couldn't just beat them all up to make them go out with me.  But then when I got older I mixed the two.  I changed the oil, did the tune ups and rotated the tires on my own cars.  I ride a Harley and look like a professional woman daily for work. 

Working in a mostly male dominated field, it was important to me to establish myself in the "boys club" as I like to refer to it.  I was the first woman in our office to make it to this "boys club".  This will be my 5th year in the "boys club".  The boys club consists of those that make it to the Presidents club.  Each year the stakes are raised and the reward is a company trip determined by management. 

As this year has been slower than those in the past few years, it was time for me to create new contacts and rekindle old ones.  I have been keeping in touch with my database better, sending out newsletters, making more phone calls and networking!   

DPWN (DuPage Professional Woman's Networking) is for Girls Only!  Lets face it woman network differently than men.  Women helping Women.  DPWN was formed in 2003 and meets twice a month over lunch.  DPWN was created to meet the needs of professional working mothers.  Many professional working mothers are unable to commit to early morning meetings.  The meetings are from 11:30am until 1:00pm, allowing enough time for building new business relationships, sharing networking opportunities, marketing ideas and generating new business through referrals.  The excitement for a womens networking group has been so well received, 5 new chapters have been formed this year alone.  I enjoy networking with other women in business.  The Chicago Suburban News ran an article on DPWN ~~ click here to read the full story. 

Girls get out there and take a stand!  Let them know who you are and what you can do!

Kim Murphy

First Advantage Mortgage

"I make dreams come true without Murphy's Law"

Illinois Mortgage Lender | Serving DuPage, Kane, Lake and Cook Counties

Pictures courtesy of photobucket and DPWN