State Farm Provides Peace of Mind for the Present and Future with Don't Worry, Retire Happy™ #AD #RetireHappyNow

We've trusted State Farm for decades, for our car and life insurance, in case of unexpected accidents. Last Wednesday I discovered State Farm also provides peace of mind for planned life events, like retirement income planning. We were invited by State Farm to come check out the launch of a brand new philosophy for retirement, ​Don't Worry, Retire Happy™ (DWRH). This struck a chord with me, since I'm in a dual freelancer household, without a corporate retirement plan or even a social security safety net, so retirement security talk does cause us more anxiety than excitement.

We have two kids to put through college, a mortgage for the next 20 years, car payments and urban living expenses to deal with, so retirement has seemed like a distant concern. Yet, my husband's hitting the big five oh this year and I'm not far behind him. So it's not too early at all to make a solid financial retirement plan.

State Farm has been on our minds a lot this past week. Yesterday, Chicago had a spring blizzard with over 5" of snow and a Subaru skidded into my Rogue at a stop light and slammed me hard. Thankfully nobody was injured and we were still able to drive, but the cars involved needed body work. Accidents are always inconvenient, but State Farm insured both vehicles involved and made the claims process pretty painless. I was impressed how quickly they set up a rental car and a body shop the same day of the accident.

If State Farm is as efficient and knowledgeable about retirement income planning as they are about protecting our cars, I'd trust them with my future as well as my present. They've partnered up with renowned industry speaker, Tom Hegna and his Seven Steps to Retirement Security for a start. He has solid advice in understandable chunks that can be customized for everyone's unique situation. Unlike traditional age charts with unrealistically high savings requirements, Tom Hegna's ideas are attainable and easy to implement.

We also have to rave a bit about State Farm's Fireside Chat format and the Next Door Chicago Cafe where we met to watch highlights of the Don't Worry, Retire Happy™ ​ television special and discuss it on camera. It was invaluable to have a talk back with real people in real time. Their life stories, questions and fears for the future put a human face to the facts and figures. My husband only half jokes that as freelancing creatives we'll have to work till the day we die, but after the Fireside Chat I'm armed with a new confidence that even in the present economy, most working Americans truly do have the time, financial resources and courage to retire happy.

We're also enamored with State Farm's Next Door Chicago Cafe. It's a welcoming space with WiFi, excellent coffee, and a host of free coaching and classes for the community. I'm so excited this innovative space exists. Now you can benefit from State Farm's skills without a car crash or negative life event happening first! Come on by and have a cup of coffee and network. Lifelong learning is amazing and essential.

During the Don't Worry, Retire Happy™ ​talk back, some of our fellow attendees admitted out loud what most of us were thinking, that traditional retirement savings talks had their eyes glazing over and the words turning to gibberish. Thankfully, Tom Hegna is a best-selling author who's not only an articulate retirement income expert, but entertaining and easy to understand.

We're huge fans of public television as a source for excellent educational content. You can catch the Don't Worry, Retire Happy™ TV special on your local public television station. The show is airing as a fundraiser and those who wish to support their local station with a pledge can receive a copy of the DVD or book + DVD. Check out more details here on social media via the Don't Worry, Retire Happy™ Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

This blog post on "Don't Worry, Retire Happy™": The 7 Steps to Retirement Security", is sponsored by State Farm®. I accepted the opportunity to participate and want my readers to know that the opinions and statements expressed in this post are completely my own.

ChiIL Mama's Adventures at Women Driving Excellence #WDE15 #NissanCAS #AD

I've got to admit, 25 years ago, when I was a struggling writer/actor newly out of college, I worked the Chicago Auto Show for Saab, in what I only half jokingly refer to as my "booth bimbo" days. I had a college degree with honors, yet the market seemed more interested in my face than my brains. And I was one of the lucky ones among the Chicago Auto Show women. We got to wear t-shirts instead of bikinis, like so many of the "models" were required to work in. Still, we had to wear heels and hose with our short shorts and endure thousands of men hitting on us day after day and panning up and down us with giant, late 80s era video cameras. 

Thankfully, 25 years later, "Women's Day" at The Chicago Auto Show doesn't mean token complimentary manicures or more bikini babes. In 2015 women are THE major automotive purchasing force and a force to reckon with, and the women being recognized at the auto show include doctors, lawyers, politicians, police, entrepreneurs and TV producers. And not one of them was required to show up for work in a bikini!

It was our great pleasure to partner up with ChicagonistaLIVE and Nissan for Women Driving Excellence for the second year. Last Tuesday was indeed an enriching, educational, and fun day with informative, inspiring women. I'm also thrilled to say I'm back, working The Auto Show, and getting paid for my writing skills, with Media credentials around my neck, and no short shorts and high heels required!

Smart blonde, Janet Davies, getting honored instead of ogled at The Chicago Auto Show, with emcee, Andrea Metcalf. 



Disclosure: We have been compensated for sharing this information with our readers and covering the event. As always all opinions are our own. Thanks to Women Driving Excellence for inviting ChiIL Mama to partner up with them on this fabulous programing again this year. 

Women Driving Excellence - celebrating women who start, accelerate, fuel, and steer others to excellence. 

Check out our slide show here for our full photo recap from the day including the incredible honorees. Some of our favorite shots are embedded below as well.

Women's Day, Feb. 17, 2015


I couldn't possibly choose a favorite story among the nominees. We all laughed together, and commiserated. I did enjoy Debi Lilly's story of hiring on friends of her little brother as a summer favor, and how that ended up being her golden ticket to work with Oprah. The honorees had empowering stories of overcoming good old boy networks, husbands who step up to help with the kids while the women fly out to pursue their careers, stick shift skills beating the boys for a car parking job, and so many more tiny triumphs and brave chances these women all took to follow their dreams.



Another high point of the day was the medley of tunes from First Date the Musical, sung by the male and female leads. The show is currently playing at Royal George Theatre and highly recommended. We had a chance to catch opening night, and it's hilarious, heartfelt and too true. Check back with ChiIL Live Shows for our full review and video clips from their performance at Women Driving Excellence that will be up shortly.

Dana Parker and Charlie Lubeck (Production Photos Via 'First Date')

Thanks again to Nissan for sponsoring this excellent annual event. And thanks to producers MJ Tam & Beth Rosen (inspiring women in their own right) of the #ChicagonistaLIVE show in coordination with the Chicago Tribune. 

This time last year we were in the market for a new car and I'm excited to admit that we bought that Nissan Rogue I was ogling last year at the Chicago Auto Show. I've been driving it since last March and it's definitely excellent. (No, I didn't get the "ChiIL Mama Rogue" as awesome as it was... I went for the slightly more subtle, gorgeous graphite blue!) We got the 7 seater and it's perfect for occasional visits from the grandparents, carpooling, and taking friends to fun events with us. When Nissan steps up and takes women seriously, and backs some seriously brilliant women, it makes me even prouder to be driving a Rogue.



Thanks also to State Farm. We insure our cars with them, and last year when someone rear ended me and totaled my car at a Kennedy on ramp red light they made the claims process pretty painless. They gave us a rental car while we went car hunting and a decent settlement that went toward the down payment on my sweet new Nissan Rogue! 



"The State Farm Swag Bag Stretch"-- a mini work out lead by emcee and fitness guru, Andrea Metcalf.

2014 Recap:

The ChiIL Mama Nissan Rogue

The Graphite Blue Nissan Rogue

Click here and scroll down to check out our photo filled recap from last year.

We were quite happy that Women Driving Excellence brought back the networking sessions this year. I made quite a few invaluable connections and came home with a stack of business cards. Thanks to Nawbo (National Women's Business Organization) & Epwng (Exclusive Professional Women's Networking Group) for facilitating. The honorees recognition portion was beyond empowering, with a fabulous assortment of women who are all amazing in their fields. We've been to numerous tapings of The ChicagonistaLIVE show, and it's always a treat to see the rapport of the fab four of the Chicagonista team, imparting wit and wisdom.

Check out more honorees below:

Get social: Want a recap of all the stellar live coverage from #WDE15, follow the hashtag on Twitter and Instagram or check out the Women Driving Excellence Facebook Page. 

For flash giveaways, real time photo features, and the first heads up on incoming fun in Chi, IL and beyond, FOLLOW ChiIL Mama (family friendly) and ChiIL Live Shows (adult) on line and social media.

Disclosure: We have been compensated for sharing this information with our readers and covering the event. As always all opinions are our own. Thanks to Women Driving Excellence for inviting ChiIL Mama to partner up with them on this fabulous programing again this year.