Todays blog reminds of the type of email you get from the friend of a friend, yet you immediately feel connected to the woman behind the words. In our magazine we're finishing out a month dedicated to partnerships and I can't imagine a better message or lesson to go out on. As women, we forge relationships with the other women in our lives that transcend what we have with our men, our children, our parents, our families. These are the women we've chosen as family, and as Chris Blackwood testifies, we can only hope to honor these deeply impactful, intimate "partnerships," as much while they're alive and well, as we do when they leave us.
Amy Swift, Editor in Chief, www.ladieswholaunch.com
Chris Russo Blackwood
Publisher, InRegister
www.inregister.com
General Manager, Blacktie Louisiana
www.blacktie-louisiana.com
Baton Rouge Leader, Ladies Who Launch
www.ladieswholaunch.com
Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women. I found out the hard way a decade ago on March 15, the day my friend of 20 years and business partner for nine years died. We had an unusual relationship: we were business partners and best friends and we never fought. Wanda was only 54! We founded InRegister, a monthly city magazine in Baton Rouge in 1989, and worked round the clock to ensure its success. We were perfect complements to each other. Between Wanda, ever the people person with the steady, helpful personality, and me, the impatient driver with an eye always on the bottom line, together we covered the entire spectrum on the DISC personality test. Through the fog of dealing with her funeral arrangements and later, through the complications her death brought to our business, I was able to continue making the magazine's constant deadlines with the help of a wonderful staff. Wanda and I made many mistakes through the years, but one thing we did correctly was the implementation of a buy-sell agreement, funded by two life insurance policies, each of us named as the beneficiary on the others' policy. The monthly insurance premiums were expensive and I hated paying them. Yet, it was THE measure that made it possible for me to continue the vision we started. Oh yeah, there was one other unwritten agreement between us I honored. We had "secret" credit cards (unbeknownst by our husbands) that we used to purchase certain "pretties." Of course, those bills were sent to our office address. We joked that if one of us died, the other would pay off the deceased's secret credit card immediately. I routinely felt guilty about keeping a balance of several hundred dollars on my card. Imagine my surprise when I opened Wanda's bill after her death and found her balance to be $3200. I laughed and cried as I paid off that bill.
Chris Russo Blackwood publishes InRegister, a monthly, multi-media magazine in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Since its inception in 1989, InRegister has expanded to include an online magazine, weekly eLetters from fictional characters Kiki & Kate and special events, such as the bi-annual Bayou Blowout Sale, an end of season sale event, and The Big Chill, a woman's expo. In the mid 1990s, Chris and her late partner, Wanda Horn spent two years doing a weekly television show, InRegister OnTheAir. She has also done bridal shows and directories through her business, Weddings South Louisiana Style. Additionally, Chris manages Blacktie Louisiana, a dazzling array of web-based tools for non-profits allowing them to take donations online as well as sell tickets to events, map venues and run turnkey silent auctions. In August, Chris trained with Ladies Who Launch and is the Baton Rouge leader. She previously worked in the features department of the Baton Rouge daily newspaper, The Advocate and holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Louisiana State University. Hats are InRegister's trademark and Chris is often seen covering events around town in a variety of chapeaux.
Follow Amy Swift on Twitter: www.twitter.com/SMARTYAmy
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