#VSBawards 2013

We’re exhausted! We’ve had the honor of receiving 6 awards in that last ten days, the latest of which was being recognized at the Eighth Annual Women-Led Businesses in Florida Luncheon & Awards Ceremony.

On March 13, our team donned our most elegant attire for the AAF Miami 2013 ADDY Awards at The Hoxton and walked away with three silver ADDYs as industry recognition of our amazing creative team. The very next day, we boarded the Celebrity Constellation to receive an Industry Award, as part of the 11^th Annual Beacon Awards, given to individuals, organizations and companies that have contributed to the strength of the local economy. Five days later, we took the stage again to accept an award from the Commonwealth Institute South Florida (TCI) for being one of the Top 50 Women-Led Business Leaders in Florida.

Want to see a blow by blow of the award action? Search #VSBawards on Twitter 

We’re humbled by the company we’re keeping with these awards, but, there’s one award on our wall that is all our own. Care to guess which one and how it was won?

The Commonwealth Institute Honors Diana Brooks

You know it’s award season when the Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tonys come out to play.  We just love all of the relentless fashion coverage that comes with.

But you don’t really know the thrill of the season until you receive the award yourself.

VSBrooks Advertising has been popping open the bubbly a lot lately – first with the prestigious Beacon Award honor, then being asked to participate in the United Way’s panel discussion for Women’s History Month (http://vsbrooks.blogspot.com/2013/03/united-way-of-miami-dades-womens.html) and now this… The Commonwealth Institute South Florida (TCI) has selected Diana Brooks as one of the Top 50 Women-Led Business Leaders in Florida for the second year in a row.  

It pays to participate when organizations send you requests because VSBrooks Advertising made the list after we took part in a TCI/Moore Research survey that looked at the characteristics of woman leaders and the businesses they lead.

The survey found that a majority of women-led organizations (53%) are more optimistic about current economic conditions in Florida, with many expecting continued improvement through 2013. We are positive thinkers! (But we already knew that.)

Diana Brooks, VSBrooks Advertising’s team and the other honored finalists were recognized at the Eighth Annual Women-Led Businesses in Florida Luncheon & Awards Ceremony on Tuesday March 19, 2013, at Jungle Island, Treetop Ballroom, Miami.

Time to break out the red-carpet dress, people.

United Way of Miami-Dade’s Women’s Leadership “Let’s Do Lunch”

I didn’t go into this business simply to inspire other women. I really didn’t.

When you have a passion or a dream to do something – and you have a partner as crazy as you are – you sit at a kitchen table and simply make it happen. Whatever is driving you, be it a lackluster 9-5 job, a need to create something all your own or a desire to make your life more, is more than enough to get you going.

Being the “s-hero” for women you don’t know is not priority #1 to being an entrepreneur.

It’s not until you start realizing your dream that you look around and notice how many people are looking at you. Other dreamers watch your moves, study your success and then venture on their own. If you’re lucky, they tell you how much your progress has encouraged them.

On March 12, I will join a panel of other distinguished businesswomen talking about how we started our businesses as part of the “Let’s Do Lunch” event for the United Way of Miami-Dade Women’s Leadership. In celebration of Women’s History Month, the lunch is a way for us to share our inspiration, our mistakes and our wisdom with other would-be businesswomen. I hope you’ll be there.

So as I said before, I didn’t go into this business to inspire other women… but I’m so glad I did and that I do.

-Diana Brooks