Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/100910
from our staff ��� ��� Only those who will risk going too far can possibly ���nd out how far one can go. T. S. Eliot Bold Leaps In November, seven California women marched onto a plane in California and did something shocking: After the plane was thousands of feet in the air, they jumped out, wearing nothing but lingerie. Why did they do it? The jumpers told the media it was their way of encouraging women everywhere to embrace themselves and be bold. Here at BRAVA, we���re not necessarily ready to jump out of a plane donning lacey intimates, but we still think their stunt is pretty fabulous. As Eleanor Roosevelt once advised: ���Do one thing every day that scares you.��� Indeed, it may lead you in a new direction. Being a risk-taker is a top quality of most good leaders, and it���s a characteristic all of BRAVA���s 2013 Women to Watch share. Consider UW Hospitals and Clinics CEO Donna Katen-Bahensky���this woman���s steely reserve will knock your socks off. Standing just 5 feet tall in heels, Katen-Bahensky is a veritable powerhouse who ���nds herself excited and challenged by the upcoming changes in the delivery of health care. At a time when healthcare administrators are retiring in droves to avoid the changes the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act presents, she���s facing them head on, and ���nding herself excited by the challenge. Then there���s Lilada Gee. As a child she suffered years of abuse at the hands of her stepfather. As an adult she taps into her impenetrable inner strength to help other sexual abuse survivors heal. This month she opened Lilada���s House for Teen Mothers, a home designed to provide African-American mothers and their babies a safe place to rest their heads, heal and grow. Another one of the women highlighted in our Women to Watch feature, Lori Compas, calls herself ���an ordinary person who started paying attention.��� This petite dynamo became a household name when she launched a bid for state senate in a recall election against Sen. Scott Fitzgerald. While she didn���t come out on top, you can���t help but admire Compas for standing up for what she believes in, and for using the inertia gained from her grassroots election campaign to form the Wisconsin Business Alliance, a nonpro���t, nonpartisan organization representing business owners statewide. You can also read about Sarah Hoover. As the managing director of downtown Madison���s Bartell Theatre, she is a woman with a simple mission: keep the doors of this historic venue open. In the wake of the recession and the crippling donation cuts it brought, Hoover has been using innovative strategies to boost the venue���s revenue and keep them a���oat. As the coming years unfold, local theater-lovers can only wait, and hope, that Hoover���s efforts pay off. Read the stories of all the amazing women we���ve tracked down throughout Madison, who are each���for their own rightful reasons���this year���s Women to Watch. As we move into the New Year, it is time for resolutions. While we don���t have to jump out of a plane, we can ask: How will I be bold in 2013? Let���s all resolve to take a risk and see where it leads. Who knows? It may lead straight to the pages of BRAVA���s Women to Watch for 2014! But for now, kick up your feet and enjoy your issue. Your risktaking can begin tomorrow! Michelle Reddington Publisher Ronnie Garrett Editor-in-Chief Behind the Scenes at BRAVA: A tasty assignment When writing Chef���s Corner this month, editorial intern Liz Pelton could not resist the fare at Gates & Brovi. She chose lobster, which was a new experience for her since she���d never eaten an entire lobster before. Gates & Brovi Co-owner 8 BRAVA Magazine January 2013 Nate Kinderman graciously gave Liz a quick tutorial before she dug in. Says Liz of her ���adventure��� meal���where she had to work for every morsel: ���The lobster was super tasty���and messy! Good thing I had a bib on!���