Why She Buys (39 page)

Anne Marie Carver leveraged her charm, intellect, and project management skills to organize the many tasks involved in making this book come together. Her wisdom helped me untangle my thoughts on a daily basis. Rich Carver graciously contributed his graphic design skills.

Lauren Zeinfeld worked with me as an intern while she was still an undergraduate and proved herself to be a prodigy. Fearless and bright, she is a star in the making, and one day I will brag to people “I knew her when.”

Kristie Rowling took me across the finish line with this book as a research maven extraordinaire, helping me with the arduous task of fact-checking the final proofs.

Eric Elder of Ryland Homes has been a staunch supporter of this book since day one, and I feel fortunate to call him both a client and a friend. Rob Matteucci of Evenflo has given me more than my fair share of his time and wisdom, and he never fails to make me see the world in new ways.

In India, Roopa Purushothaman and Shefalee Vasudev
helped to enlighten me about the country’s complex culture and its magnificent women.

In China, Kunal Sinha and Adam Schokora helped guide me through the complexities of that fascinating country.

To all the executives, medical experts, and women who generously shared their stories and insights for this book, my heartfelt thanks.

I owe a debt of gratitude to Dan Edelman, who always believed in me and gave me the courage to stretch myself in ways I never thought I could. Jerry Epstein enabled my dreams for a female-focused business to take root at Zeno, and I will always be grateful his support, friendship, and zeal for life.

My wonderful gang of friends in Chicago (you know who you are) has been with me every step of the way, celebrating victories large and small, and cheering me on. Susanna Negovan’s creative brainstorming has been invaluable.

My mother, Rosemarie Brennan, has instilled in me a lifelong enthusiasm for learning new things, seeing new places, and meeting new people. These qualities have served me well in writing this book. Whatever success I’ve had in life, I owe to her. Thank you, Mom.

My sisters, Katy, Mary Ellen, Patricia, and Caroline, are four of the biggest reasons I’ve always found female culture so fascinating. Thank you for being my best friends and unending sources of inspiration.

My wonderful in-laws, Bob and Bibi Orelind, and the entire Orelind and Lamy families of California, have adopted me as one of their own. Their unflagging love and support have enriched my life a thousandfold. Joe Smith has listened to all my book stories with the patience of a saint.

My husband, Erik Orelind, is the person I admire most in the world. Brilliant, hilarious, and kind, he inspires me to be a better person and has always been my greatest source of support. He makes our marriage the most delightful study of gender differences I could possibly imagine.

About the Author

As the oldest of five sisters, it was only natural that
B
RIDGET
B
RENNAN
developed an interest in the needs and wants of women. She is the founder and CEO of Female Factor, a strategic consultancy that advises companies on how to increase their success with women consumers.

Brennan developed her craft as an award-winning agency executive, working with major clients such as Whirlpool Corporation, Johnson & Johnson, Evenflo, Ryland Homes, Pizza Hut, Colgate-Palmolive, United Airlines, and Sprint, among others. She was named U.S. Public Relations Agency Practitioner of the Year by
PRNews
for her work in applying gender psychology to communications.

Brennan has served as an instructor at Northwestern University’s graduate program in marketing communications at Medill, and a guest lecturer at the Kellogg School of Management. She is a founder of the Marketing to Moms Coalition and an active member of the Network of Executive Women and the National Speakers Association. She lives in Chicago.

More information about Brennan can be found at
www.thefemalefactor.com
.