CURRENT FALL 2019
.png)
Donna Cole pauses in the coffeehouse doorway, grinning broadly as she deeply inhales the sweet aromas of Italian pastries and fresh brew. She studies the cases filled with desserts and asks the barrista about gluten content before selecting two almond flour biscotti. "Wouldn't you know I've gone keto," she smirked.
Cole, founder, president and CEO of Cole Chemical & Distributing, Inc., appears very “zen” and content with life’s many choices. She pensively reflects upon her career chronology.
“God has put me in places, and I didn’t know why at the time,” she said. “He has given me many purposes. Looking back, I realize there has been a lesson in this journey.”
Cole’s path to success certainly hasn’t been traditional or typical.
Born in Denver in 1952 to Japanese Americans, she moved in early childhood with her parents and two older brothers to Mission and McAllen, Texas. As a youngster, she endured bullying for her ethnic differences, yet prevailed by dedicating herself to personal accomplishments.
SPECIAL REPORTS
- 1
- 2
- 3
Workplace Problem No One Talks About
Imagine how you’d feel if you didn’t get a promotion because of your religion or skin color. The only good news would be that you could probably sue your employer...
Read moreKinder Houston Area Survey reveals lingering concerns in wake of Hurricane Harvey
The 38th Annual Kinder Houston Area Survey was released May 13 at the popular Kinder Institute luncheon at the Marriott Marquis in downtown Houston. Stephen Klineberg, the founding director of Rice’s...
Read more8 Handshakes that Hurt Your Influence
Have you ever wondered what your handshake says about you? Your handshake is like your business card. It conveys your confidence, credibility and influence without sharing a single word. Studies...
Read more8 Handshakes that Hurt Your Influence
Have you ever wondered what your handshake says about you? Your handshake is like your business card. It conveys your confidence, credibility and influence without sharing a single word. Studies...
Read moreGetting Around H-town: Car free and Carefree
From traffic jams to costly parking spots, driving in Houston can often spoil fun outings and weekend plans. In a city that ranks as the sixth most stressful place in...
Read more10 Leadership Traits that Work in Motherhood
Today, my best friend’s daughter passed her driver’s license test and within minutes I got a text from my BFF saying, “I stood in the parking lot at the DMV...
Read moreTaryn Sims' career highlighted by opportunities to learn
Taryn Sims has been in commercial real estate at Wulfe & Co. for 21 years, and still, she finds she’s constantly learning. “There’s never a day I don’t come across something...
Read moreBetty Bezemer believes in celebrating life each day!
Find the celebration of life in each day! That’s the motto of Betty Bezemer, a top real estate agent at Keller Williams Memorial. She has been working there since 1992...
Read moreBayou Land Conservancy renews accreditation
Since 1996, Bayou Land Conservancy (BLC), has been saving open spaces for the Houston region. Now, BLC has renewed its land trust accreditation – proving once again that, as part...
Read moreTenacity of persistent women led way for women leaders of today
Thanks to the dogged tenacity of generations of persistent women, the future is bright for business women in the 21st century; generations of women who shaped my journey as an...
Read moreMary Benton newly appointed press secretary
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner recently appointed Mary Benton as his press secretary. The appointment came just two months after Benton stepped into the job on an interim basis. “To no one’s...
Read moreDoerr Institute redefining how leaders are trained
Rice University is using a $50 million gift from John and Ann Doerr to redefine how leaders are made. The Ann and John Doerr Institute for New Leaders opened last July...
Read moreEileen Morris: 'Making art is like making gumbo'
The Ensemble Theatre celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, and Eileen Morris, its artistic director, has been involved since 1982 –– almost from the beginning. After earning a degree in theater...
Read moreBuffalo Bayou Cistern now open for public viewing
Buffalo Bayou Partnership debuted the Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern, a renovated architectural relic, on May 13. The Cistern, reminiscent of the ancient Roman cisterns under Istanbul, is a cavernous space...
Read moreBrent Clanton: Vacationing this Summer
The summer doldrums have set in early this year. Houston’s vast matrix of concrete simmers and shimmers in the harsh sunlight, and it’s only 10 in the morning. The hourly...
Read moreSarah Gish and Labyrinths
The idea of walking around and around in circles may seem like an ideal way to get dizzy, but veteran labyrinth walker Sarah Gish knows she can always find serenity...
Read moreTake the panic out of packing!
Do you struggle with a large suitcase on a trip but only wear half of what you’ve packed? Or, are you at the other extreme, throwing things into a suitcase...
Read moreLegacy of Booker T. Washington
The most terrorizing and oppressive form of slavery in recorded history was abolished on December 6, 1865 with the ratification of the 13th Amendment. For nearly four million Blacks, the...
Read moreProfessional Mediator Talks about Art of Arbitration
Wondering how to peacefully resolve a family dispute without taking siblings to court? Need help deciding how to handle the affairs of an elderly relative? Looking for a way to...
Read moreColoring Books for Adults
There is something delightfully nostalgic about opening up a coloring book and willing yourself to stay inside the lines as you fill in blank spaces with bright color, just as...
Read moreOptimize Your Brand Thru Impression Management
While we never have a second chance to make a first impression, there may be some solutions for turning things around if we’re dissatisfied with the way others perceive us...
Read moreBrent Clanton: Rodeo Daze
My heroes haven’t always been cowboys. Contrary to Willie Nelson’s sentimentalities, my favorite cowboy flew a twin-engine Cessna T-50. Schuyler “Sky” King named his aerial steed “Songbird” and captured crooks...
Read more7 Ways to Participate in #GivingTuesday
After a frenzied shopping weekend featuring tons of doorbusters and a few brawls, it's easy to feel a little disenfranchised with the holidays. This season is supposed to be about giving...
Read moreLeadership Style of Oveta Culp Hobby
Born in Killeen in 1905, Oveta Culp’s small Texas town beginnings belied what would be her legacy: to become the first woman appointed a colonel in the United States Army...
Read moreWhat's does "multicultural" really mean?
For citizens born in America, the term “multicultural” tends to sit on a spectrum of meanings, usually a connotation of something good. For many, it means celebrating cultures into which they...
Read moreClanton: Going Postal in Houston
“A man’s gotta know his limitations.” (Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry) We manly men like to think of ourselves as capable of accomplishing anything. The more abilities we perfect, the more we...
Read moreWomen: Participate in Business Golf Now!
Here in Houston, there are a plethora of year-round business opportunities for golfers. Every Monday, for example, there are countless charity events at public and private facilities all over town...
Read moreTheater LaB opens 23rd season
Theater LaB Houston makes a theatrical move to MATCH (Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston) this fall with the start of its 23rd season of major Houston premieres. The new season…
New book tells 30-year history of The Rose
Much is new at The Rose, Houston’s leading non-profit breast health organization. With another mobile unit added to its growing fleet, The Rose is expanding its Mobile Mammography program into…
Losing My Mammogram Virginity
From behind her pink-goggled eyes, the little girl smiled up at me. With a swim float encircling her waist and an Esther Williams-era bathing cap adorning her head, she had…
Survivor raises awareness of IBC
Just over eight years ago, Terry Arnold was told “we are sorry but it is most likely too late.” This came after four months of hearing “there is nothing seriously…
Women on the Move Awards to be presented
For the 30th time, Texas Executive Women will present its annual Women on the Move® Awards at a luncheon on Thursday, Nov. 12 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at…
Bayou Greenways 2020 to reshape city's urban fabric
More than 100 years ago, urban planner Arthur Comey laid out a master plan for Houston that included a park system organized around its bayou corridors, a plan that created…
Bonnie Blue's career in art 'all about making people smile'
On the southeast side of Houston, not too far from Hobby Airport, there’s a post-World War II neighborhood on a dead-end street. The houses are well-kept, and the lawns are…
Melissa Bender: 'Lung cancer is not just a smoker's disease'
For Melissa Bender, the nightmare started with an upper respiratory infection that wouldn’t go away, plus a little more fatigue than usual and a little shortness of breath when climbing…
Coming Back from the Edge: Dealing with Stress
By the time Diane (not her real name) came to see me, she was at the end of her rope. She was a working mother, trying to balance a full-time…
- 1
- 2
- 3
From The Publisher
