As the old saying goes, behind every great man is a great woman. And what's behind every great woman is the subject of the new book by Sarahlyn Argrow, Secrets of the Woman in the Suit.
Argrow is the founder of the local non-profit organization Assisting Working Women in Need (AWWIN), which is dedicated to giving struggling women the tools they need to succeed in life and the workplace.
The book is an extension of AWWIN's mission, "changing lives, one woman at a time," and Argrow hopes that it will help provide inspiration for women of all ages who might not think they have what it takes to achieve their dreams.
"That's really the motive of the book, to let women know that regardless of what you want to do, there's a tomorrow and you can do better," she explains. "You can reach your goals in life."
On Friday, August 6 at 5:30 p.m., Argrow will host a book signing event at ThincSpace, the downtown creative business development center, celebrating the recent release of the book that takes an intimate, first-hand look at the lives of some of Savannah's most notable business women.
"When I read what these women went through, I realize they persevered," says Argrow. "One word I like to define myself as is being an indefatigable woman, which means incapable of tiring. You have to continue to persevere and there's nothing you can't overcome."
In addition to telling the story of her own success, overcoming the hardships of being a single mother and a high school dropout, surviving difficult relationships and more before finally finding her calling, Argrow enlisted help from eight other successful local women, including Coastal Pet Rescue Founder Lisa Scarborough, SEDA Vice President Brynn Grant, and WoundCare Clinic owner Paula Kreissler, to name just a few, all of whom had been honored among the Top 10 Working Women of the Year award given out at ceremony hosted by AWWIN every spring.
So far as the title goes, the "Woman in the Suit," is all of these women - an archetype of the successful, professional woman that years earlier had intimated Argrow, until she realized that behind the façade of power and composure was a woman no different than herself.
"Women in suits always intimidated me to a point, [because] that woman is someone that is not tangible." Argrow explains. "Becoming that woman, and being around all the women that are part of the book, I realized that that woman really is tangible, and she really does care."
With the book officially released earlier this summer, she hopes that being able to read all the harrowing tales, which cover journeys from hardship to happiness, will help other women understand that the woman in the suit's secret to success is more often perseverance than anything else.
"That's the first thing, you have to believe in yourself," says Argrow. "In our organization, with the professional development, you have to teach women to believe in themselves. I'm hoping that's what this book will do."
Secrets of the Woman in the Suit is available through online booksellers like Amazon, BarnesAndNoble.com and AuthorHouse.com.
Book Signing with Sarahlyn Argrow
When: Friday, August 6, 5:30pm
Where: ThincSpace, 35 Barnard St., 3rd Floor
Info: www.awwin.org
Cost: Free
