Experiential stories that revolve around the importance of being authentic to not only yourself but to those around you. After years of never finding the time to ‘stop and smell the roses,’ Jeannette is unearthing many of her passions including writing, fashion, and thrifting through her online blog ‘My Authentic Journey’ (formerly called ‘The Vineyard Life’) – a creative outlet that allows her to share, learn, and grow with others. You can explore more of her stories at @jeannettepdardenne on Instagram or www.myauthenticjourney.com.

By Jeannette Dardenne

AUTHENTICITY – aside from the standard definition, I believe that showing your emotions, sharing the real not the planned, and believing in what matters to YOU is authentic.

My greatest gift is getting to spend quality time with my daughters. They are my teachers, my inspiration, and the reason why I work so hard.

Everyday they see me busting my tush at work, cooking, cleaning, <you know the drill>. They see me making decisions that not only affect others, but our family. And they get to see the frustrations AND GIFTS that come with being a woman.

This evening, while I was writing an email, they pulled up next to me and also started to work. My eldest decided that she wanted to make a healthy snack for all of us – homemade granola bars – while my youngest worked on her iPad to create her latest business idea, <logo & website design all on her own!>.

This is happiness.

This is what makes the WORKING PARENT so AMAZING.

And this is why sharing real life, not staged “it took me four hours to get my makeup perfect for this photo” is so necessary on a social platform like Instagram and Facebook.

Carry on and do your best to BE AUTHENTIC.

Jeannette Punsoni Dardenne is an entrepreneur who started the popular Facebook group @eatinconnecticut – a community forum that connects foodies and the food and beverage industry for delicious conversations. She and her business partner now together run @eatinconnecticut and INGroup Creative – a public relations and marketing company that helps small businesses thrive. Jeannette is also a business advisor at the University of Hartford Entrepreneur Center & Women’s Business Center. When she isn’t helping others, she enjoys exploring the state and beyond with her husband and two children.

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