What Sisterhood means to us at Thalé Blanc
“Stand up, stand out, and most importantly, stand together.”
Shelley Zalis on the importance of a collective of women
Sisterhood is more than having parents in common; it is more than blood. It is a spirit of solidarity, and unity that can bridge any cultural, religious, or political divide. It is about standing out as an individual, but standing up as a collective intertwined at a common core. Shelley states, “We’re all uniquely different, but with the same core values, and I think that’s really what sisterhood is- all of you feeling comfortable being different” and having the freedom to express those differences in a way that benefits the collective.
Sawaf and Zalis exemplify this idea of sisterhood in their complementary traits that they use to build each other up in an ever widening circle of a loving network of friends, family, and sisters of the heart. Sawaf says of Zalis, “She always tries to make sure that I’m growing every day whatever I’m doing and that’s been a really big gift and a pivotal point for me, it’s given me confidence more than I have ever had in my business,” while Zalis poignantly describes Sawaf, as “love, just pure love.”
Their relationship is part of a story that has been told for generations upon generations of women. A story of a glittering, spiral staircase that reaches beyond all limits and all boundaries. A staircase made up of women helping women, mothers lifting daughters upward, sisters reaching across to sisters, daughters stretching back and pulling mothers forward, ever rising, swirling higher and higher in a never-ending strand of DNA, all united, all related, all one family; a human family. This generational saga is exemplified in Zalis' mother, who led by example and created the first conference for women in California, and her father, who taught her to live in the moment and seize life with both hands but with generosity and care not to step on other's backs while climbing. Unfortunately, the progress is slow and the staircase is long, but women like Zalis and Sawaf are doing all in their power to make this progress grow exponentially.