2013 Honoree

Catherine Crier

Former judge, broadcast journalist, best-selling author, partner in Cajole Entertainment

“Know your stuff, and never stop learning. Yes, appearance is still too important, good contacts are invaluable, and plenty of people achieve great success without much substance. But, until computers match our brain’s ability to put content in context or imagine something grand from nothing at all, this advice will remain my mantra.”

What city best describes your personality?

No city describes my personality, but Montana’s Big Sky country or the game-filled plains of Africa would do nicely.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever ignored, and the worst advice you’ve ever taken?

Best advice ignored: “You don’t have to do this” (as guests gathered for my wedding, but I won’t say which of the two I’m referencing).
Worst Taken: A “sure thing: investment opportunity”…not.

What is your best read? What book would you want to be a character in?

Best read: There are too many to list, but I just finished two fabulous books: The Dog Stars, and Vampires in the Lemon Grove. I would want to be Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird.

How do you define power? Do you enjoy it? How do you live with your success?

Power is the ability to influence people and events. As an idealist, I view it as an opportunity to promote beneficial change, not as a tool of self-aggrandizement. Whatever success I’ve had, in the traditional sense, has given me the greatest gift–more freedom to choose how I live my life.

When do we stop asking questions about gender equality? When will it be Power People instead of Power Women? Is gender more important than politics?

Gender equality will be an issue long after I’m gone. In my experience, many women view power as a stewardship. As women increase their role in business and politics, I believe they will improve the opportunity for all people to participate in these institutions.

What do you think of social media?

Social media can truly promote “People Power,” we’ve witnessed a few great examples at home and abroad. However, this tool, like many others, has proved more a source of distraction and amusement than positive change.

What’s one place you’ve always wanted to visit on your travels?

As a political science/international affairs student in college, that place was the Soviet Union. So, in a bitterly cold January of 1975, I went. Since then, I’ve roamed from Tibet to the Galapagos, Myanmar to Cuba, and Patagonia to Botswana. Right now, I want to return to Vietnam to see Son Doong, the world’s largest cave, just opening up to public exploration!

When sending a child out to see the world for the first time, where would you send them?

I would want to send that child to a place unlike her own. It might be as simple as taking the city kid to the wilderness, or an impoverished child to great art and history museums. Whether through small excursions or grand adventures, travel should broaden vision while narrowing the imagined distance between others and ourselves.

What advice would you give to a young woman starting out?

Know your stuff, and never stop learning. Yes, appearance is still too important, good contacts are invaluable, and plenty of people achieve great success without much substance. But, until computers match our brain’s ability to put content in context or imagine something grand from nothing at all, this advice will remain my mantra.