Breaking The Glass Slipper: Debunking the Myths that Hold Women Back

Hats (and glass slippers) off to Elaine Turner for giving us such a relatable metaphor for this exhausting dance we do as women, trying to be the perfect business professional, wife, mother, daughter, sibling, school volunteer, neighborhood block party chair, book club hostess, and...pant, pant, pant...friend. All without fairy godmothers and magic mice!Elaine takes her readers by the hand and leads them through her own refreshingly honest journey from her first internship in the fashion world to the launch of her own, iconic, women-empowering brand, alongside her husband and business partner/Prince Charming, Jim. With her trademark wit and humor, Elaine addresses the difficulty in balancing career and family, searching for answers to help her special needs daughter navigate her world, and the generational societal pressures women face to do it all with effortless grace...while dancing in glass slippers! Elaine shares insights into how we as women are shaped (in good and bad ways) by the voices (and shoes) of the women who have gone before us, paving the way for women in our generation to enter and become leaders in business.In her own raw, emotional, and hilarious voice, Elaine takes us through her life from childhood to fashion designer. With candor, comedy, and tears, she portrays the struggle of being a parent to her company and employees while at the same time experiencing the pains and joys of bearing and raising her own two children. She doesn't sugar coat the difficult choices and consequences that accompany this fine balancing act. Instead, she offers a new concept in life/work balance that is refreshing and perhaps more realistic. With well-researched insights from CEOs, life coaches, priests, authors, researchers, and even Abraham Lincoln, Elaine gives us a narrative for thought-provoking discussion around what it really means to be successful and happy in life and how individual the journey and result truly is.Thankfully and not a moment too soon, the glass slipper has truly been shattered in Elaine's thought-provoking, social myth-busting book that challenges the notion that we have to do it all to have it all.

This book is one of the most honest and relatable pieces I think I have ever read. Elaine is so open and truly shines in this piece. And I can tell you, it's a book that I am sure to go back to when I need some encouragement. There are so many excellent tidbits throughout, you go from one page to the next as if you are talking with an old friend. Reading such inspiring words from one of my favorite ready-to-wear designers was a dream! Thank you for sharing!

Regardless of who you are-- career woman, college student, stay at home mom, young and single--I think you can relate to this book. Elaine Turner is a designer, mother of two, wife and on a journey of self discovery to become the best woman she can be. The book is full of funny and heartfelt personal stories that will have you laughing out loud while at the same time seriously pondering why we women try to conform to the many societal myths and expectations that plague us from an early age. Elaine is all at once irreverent, hilarious and thoughtful about how we can all fight these myths and dated pressures in order to find our own happiness and fulfillment. I think it would be a great selection for a book club. The discussions would go on for hours!

This book made a lasting impression on me. So much of what Elaine said resonated with me as if these were messages I somehow knew but had forgotten or not seen communicated with so much clarity. Her voice is imminently authentic as she tells her story and pulls you into her humorous story of self-discovery. I loved this book!

We are all fortunate that Elaine Turner chose to keep a journal and seriously explore the myths that hold women back. In her book, she takes us through her journey and allows us to see that life is not always perfect and shouldn't be. In the end,Love for family, good friends and solid relationships are what matter. Elaine does this with serious research, a look at her personal growth and a very generous dose of humor! A must read guide to a less stressful, more authentic life withoutunrealistic expectations.. Bonnie Franklin

This book written to inspire woven with stories from Elaine’s life; struggles and victories, is wonderful, “Having someone believe in your capabilities and talents often leads to further curiosity and exploration of the thing you love. “ Exactly!!!

Bravo, Elaine! A charming, funny, sentimental read that I could not put down. This is definitely a book that I will pick up again and again to read. I have just ordered yet another copy to give to a friend!

Elaine is funny, charming and transparent! She is the REAL DEAL! This is a must read!