Women Fitness E-Mag Vol No. 466
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Profiles - Your Stories
 Andrea Cohen - Passion for Change
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1. What do you believe makes you special or interesting?
People are always amazed at the amount of work that I get done in a given day. I get up before dawn to exercise then dive in to a schedule that typically includes speaking with anxious clients who need help with their parents, negotiating a complicated business deal, responding to at least one "crisis" call from a teenaged daughter, delivering a presentation . . . and the list never ends.
I am constantly looking for extra time and trying to find the right work/family balance. There are days when I think I’ve mastered it, and others when I’m certain it’s impossible.
2. What kind of effect have you had, or would like to have on the world? I would have to say that raising great kids who will wind up doing a lot for the world is my number-one priority. I want to teach them that whatever they do -- however big or small -- can make a huge difference. I hope I can pass on to them my passion for change.
I also plan to shape the way my generation will live as we get older. With the help of my staff and my company, I want to create a world where people look forward to getting older rather than dreading it.
I hope my kids will want to visit me when I get older because I’m living in a place where there is a lot going on that interests them. And as I get older, I want to live with friends I know and love -- not with a group of seniors I’ve never met.
3. What events shaped or changed your life?
Raising children has clearly been my most life-changing experience -- and is often more challenging than running my company. Parenting is both exhilarating and humbling -- an experience I will always cherish.
I have learned so much from my kids and am having such fun watching them grow into responsible young women. They're fortunate to be living in a world where women have more opportunity for accomplishment than ever before, so their possibilities are endless.
Running my own company has been an extraordinary journey. It wasn't something I was trained to do -- nor did it come naturally -- but I figured it out. And because I did, I am now in a position to affect a great deal of change. It is such a great feeling and lots of fun. I am constantly challenged.
I consider myself extremely lucky to have the opportunity to run a company and work towards something that I care about so deeply.
Finally I would say that exercise has added an important dimension to my life. It is "me" time when I can listen to my IPOD and order my thoughts. I am able to step away from my hectic day for just a bit and remove some of the clutter. This helps me think more clearly, and prepares me to tackle the day ahead.
4. Did you overcome obstacles -- take risks -- get lucky? For me, overcoming obstacles has meant working hard, never giving up, and being in the right place at the right time. I do not think many people can turn their passion into a successful business venture. I consider myself very lucky to have had the opportunity to do so.
I‘m also fortunate to have found a great mentor and partner, Alan Solomont -- philanthropist, political activist, and HouseWorks co-founder -- who has supported me from the start.
In all honesty, it can be difficult to marry my passion for my work with raising children and being a good wife and friend. But I never stop trying as my family is so important to me. At the end of the day, they are how I can make the biggest difference. I want to do all I can to help them be the best they can be.
5. What have you done that no one would guess you’d done upon first meeting you?
Many years ago, I was a bartender at the Jersey Shore! And as recently as two years ago, I was a guest bartender at Croma -- a restaurant on Newbury Street in Boston -- for a Boston Medical Center fundraiser. I donated all my tips to BMC and had a great time mixing business and pleasure!
6. What is still left to be done in your life?
I look forward to watching my daughters grow up, hanging out with my husband without the distraction of kids, traveling more, spending more time with friends, and growing old with style.
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