On Wednesday, January 11, 2012, PWCC luncheon attendees were graced with the presence of Kathleen Ameche, CEO & President of Ameche Group LLC and author of The Woman Road Warrior. Kathleen, with her wit and charm, gave us not only important tips on personal safety while traveling but also practical do’s and don'ts while traveling – something many of us do on a daily basis even if it’s just commuting to and from work. Here are some of the tips Kathleen shared:

1. Every time you get into a cab, text the cab number to a friend or family member. This way should anything happen to you – like being held up at gun point by your driver (which happened to Kathleen) – someone will have this valuable information.
   
2. When your hotel front desk attendant says “Thank you Miss Smith, you will be staying in Room 202 tonight,” respond back, "I’m sure Room 202 is lovely, but can I get another room and just write the room number down on this paper for me?"  You never know who can be lurking around to hear what your room number is. 
    
3.  When you get into the elevator with a stranger and you get an eerie feeling – act like you forgot something and don’t get off on your floor. It only takes a few minutes to head back down to the ground level and back up to your floor safely without worrying you may be followed.
   
4. Use concierges and valets when traveling to an unknown location. Concierges are there to assist you in getting where you need to go safely and via the best route, and they can also explain any nuances or differences with the culture at your destination. Valets keep you from entering unsafe parking garages.
   
5. When in doubt, ALWAYS follow your gut instinct. It was given to us for a reason, so we should use it! 9 times out of 10 if something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.

Kathy also mentioned that she is COO of a tech start-up, called CareBinders. It's personal record keeping software that helps simplify your life. It stores all of your medical, insurance and banking information. It also keeps track of your passwords, emergency contacts and much more.

If you're interested in checking it out, go to www.CareBinders.com. The cost is $199.00, but you'll receive $40.00 off if you type in the word "Ameche" (as a discount code) during checkout.