Linda Schlesinger-Wagner Will Share Her Trade Secrets on March 9

Necessity is the mother of invention and no one knows this better than Linda Schlesinger-Wagner, of West Bloomfield. When Linda found herself without enough money to fill her gas tank after a difficult divorce, she took a chance on herself and an idea for creating the perfect tank top.

Like the lead character in the blockbuster film, “Joy,” Schlesinger-Wagner’s success skyrocketed with sales of her skinnytees™ through a home shopping network. After her original tank top debut in a small boutique in Brighton, skinnytees™ has grown into an $8 million clothing line featuring tees, tops, skirts, dresses, bandeaus, leggings and active wear sold across the globe in retail stores, online and on QVC.

Also like Joy, Schlesinger-Wagner’s hard-won success didn’t happen overnight or by luck. She’ll share her struggles and successes with an audience of 500 people at JVS’s eighth annual Trade Secrets dinner on March 9 at Temple Beth El. The fundraising event benefits women’s jobs programming at JVS including the Women to Work Program, which helps women reinvent themselves and enter the workforce after difficult life changes, such as divorce or disability or death of a spouse or partner.

“We are thrilled to welcome Linda as our honorary chair and keynote speaker,” said Leah Rosenbaum, JVS president and CEO. “Her story is similar to what many women are experiencing when they come to our Women to Work Program. She went through a difficult period and landed at the same crossroads many of us encounter when our lives have drastically changed.”

The Women to Work program provides individual and group support, job search assistance, financial education and other services to help participants overcome challenges, build self-confidence and become successfully employed after being out of the worforce.

Felicia Militello, a Women to Work graduate from Commerce Township, will be honored at Trade Secrets with the JVS Women to Work Award for successfully retooling herself to re-enter the workforce.

“After completing the program, 85 percent of participants are employed or enrolled in further training or education,” said Judy Richmond, Women to Work coordinator. “The program has changed the lives of thousands of women and their children, making a cross-generational difference for families throughout southeast Michigan.”

For ticket and sponsorship information, visit jvsdet.org/tradesecrets or contact Fran Victor, chief development officer, at fvictor@jvsdet.org or (248) 233-4290.

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About JVS
JVS, an award-winning human services organization with four main locations in
Metropolitan Detroit, helps people realize life’s potential through a variety of
programs to maximize their self-sufficiency. The agency helps job seekers jump-start their job search, provides meaningful programs to people with disabilities and helps seniors remain active and engaged.