When former government exec Anne-Marie Slaughter published her article, Why Women Still Can’t Have It All, in the July/August issue of Atlantic magazine, the essay touched off a firestorm of debate.

CNN asked, Why is ‘having it all’ just a women’s issue?
Foreign Policy magazine published the response, Why America Can’t Have It All.
And the New York Times insisted that Slaughter was Inciting a Debate on Women and Work.

The Inkandescent team thought the Princeton professor of politics and international affairs asked some powerful questions, and made important points. Scroll down to read more about her revolutionary ideas.

And when it comes to the heart of the question about having it all, the working women among us have clear thoughts on the topic. They are the ones who are struggling to balance paying their mortgage, utilities, health care, and grocery bills—while managing hormonal teens, aging parents, and estranged spouses who are also burning the proverbial candle at both ends.

What does having it all mean, anyway? That’s the query we wanted answers to. So we polled dozens of powerful women who are our clients, columnists, and those we have profiled on our book project, Truly Amazing Women.

We asked them: Can women have it all? Do you have any regrets? And what advice would you offer others struggling to balance a powerful career while nurturing a healthy and happy family, hoping to have a loving and passionate marriage—and having enough down time to keep ourselves in shape mentally and physically.

To read their thoughts, click here. If you’d like to chime in on the discussion, we invite you to send us an email with your thoughts on the topic: hope@inkandescentpr.com.

Also in this issue:

• In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October, our dear friend Debbie Gee bravely shares the news about her diagnosis. “I must admit that writing this article is very weird to me—just like this news I got on Sept. 12: I have breast cancer.

• The future of men: How do men, 18-49 years old, feel about fatherhood and family, politics, relationships, role models, stress, technology, women, and work? Futurist Chris Carbone reports.

• Do women really invest differently than men? Twenty-five-year veteran financial adviser Carmen Martinez says yes, they do!

• How do you help your website have it all? Traffic, that is. “If you haven’t been adding new content to your site regularly, it will catch up with you,” insists InsideSales co-founder Kenneth Krogue, who warns: Prepare for the Death of SEO.

• And this month we welcome Curry’s Auto Service, our new Inknadescent PR client. Owners Judy and Matt Curry will be writing the Car Care column, and this month Judy shares great tips for women (and men) on how a simple driveway inspection can save you from a roadside breakdown. Read all about it.

We leave you with this thought from Pema Chödrön: “Nothing ever goes away until it teaches you what you need to know.”

Here’s to having it all—whatever that means to you.
Hope Katz Gibbs, founder, The Inkandescent Group, LLC
Illustrations by Michael Gibbs, from his Opera Poster Series.