Suburban Atlanta Runaway Bride Should’ve Used Feminine Intuition And Friends To Overcome Fears

May 05, 2005 (PRLEAP.COM) Business News
Toronto, Ontario (PRLEAP) – Fear gripped 32 year-old runaway bride, Jennifer Wilbanks, to the point where she faked her own abduction as a way of dealing with the stress of her upcoming marriage. While both men and women have the same duo responses to stress – “fight it” or “flee from it” – Wilbanks should’ve relied on her feminine intuition of finding compassion amongst her friends to avoid the embarrassment she now faces.

“Women tend to find power in their friendships when faced with stress,” says Leesa Barnes, Founder of SaviaLane.com and an expert in personal branding and business networking. “If Wilbanks turned to her friends in her time of need instead of fleeing from the situation, she would’ve enjoyed much more support from her community.”

A study out of UCLA found that women tend to gather with other women when faced with stress. While men deal with their problems on their own, a woman’s intuition prompts her to seek support and rapport with other women. By doing this, a woman can still maintain her composure and make better decisions about her next move. Had Wilbanks relied less on her masculine response of needing alone time and instead, used her feminine response of seeking comfort, she would have looked at her upcoming marriage in a new light.

“This runaway bride is a clear example to business women of what not to do when faced with stress in the workplace,” says Barnes. “A woman’s number 1 fear is being isolated by others and I imagine that with the backlash from her community, Wilbanks is feeling quite alone.”

Barnes facilitates an interactive workshop called Cubicle Divas where she teaches business women how to advance their careers beyond the cubicle. In this workshop, Barnes encounters many women who are stressed at work due to increased workloads, demanding bosses and unclear goals.

“My experience coaching business women has shown me that whenever business women face a setback at work, they quickly gather with other female co-workers in the company bathroom where they find compassion and co-operation,” says Barnes. “It’s unfortunate that Wilbanks chose the path she did as she her feminine intuition should’ve prompted her to seek companionship to help her deal with her ‘cold feet’.”

Barnes is available for interviews and expert commentary regarding cubicle culture, career tips, personal branding, networking and the new roles of business women and how it relates to this case.

About Leesa Barnes
Leesa Barnes is a speaker and trainer who inspires women to create the career they deserve through her coaching program and interactive workshop called Cubicle Divas. Visit her website at http://www.savialane.com for more details.