By Richelle Kimble | Photo by Aleka Thrash

The modern woman is dynamic and focused, compassionate and powerful, independent and nurturing, brilliant and ambitious. Her traits are paralleled by their opposite, accentuating her talent to fulfill an entire spectrum of duties. In Michigan author Shannon Cohen’s words, women wear the hats of most spaces that they occupy—where they love, lead and serve. Join Cohen and moderator Mayor Rosalynn Bliss at the Grand Rapids Public Library for an intimate discussion about Cohen’s new book, Tough Skin, Soft Heart: A Leadership Guide for Growing Stronger, Better and Wiser. Rockstar women, get ready for relentless inspiration!

While reading Cohen’s book, Mayor Bliss shared the impact it had on her on social media, and insisted on connecting with Cohen to create an inclusive, intimate and inspirational event for Grand Rapids community members. Cohen, who received several other messages from women who felt her book served as a lifeline for their individual journey, is thrilled to continue inspiring lives and sharing tidbits of her book, which she refers to as “a bit of my soul.”   

Tough Skin, Soft Heart began as inspiration for “rockstar women” who seek emotional intelligence, support and health amid the multi-faceted role of a modern woman.

“By rockstar, I don’t mean famous, I mean women who are rocks; they are anchors, pillars, the person everyone calls for help whether it’s a 401 or 911, who can be so involved in others that they forget about self-care,” Cohen said.

Cohen is an established writer and speaker who inspires organizations, businesses, cities and beyond to find the purposeful and powerful difference-making strategy for success. Cohen’s approach is a combination of education, research, experimentation, intuition and intelligence. Her refined leadership method has taken her to serve local, regional and national level clients including the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, multiple universities and several organizations in Grand Rapids.

“We [women] manage and navigate a lot of titles and roles,” Cohen said. “Because we love and we lead and we serve, we take on a lot of work. That mantle gets heavy. I’m very passionate about creating safe spaces for women to lay down the mantle, be honest about what they’re going through and receive support and help.”

Join Cohen and Mayor Bliss for an evening of empowerment and self-care focused motivation. Take this opportunity to interact with and learn from a renowned West Michigan speaker and writer (and get your new copy of Tough Skin, Soft Heart autographed) as a step toward prioritizing yourself amid honoring the incredible impact you have on your community and the people that surround you. See you there, women of GR!

When she’s not editing for WLM, Richelle enjoys exploring, traveling, writing, reading, cooking, learning and playing. Follow her for adventure inspiration: @richelle.kimble