Children are coming to school with trauma, everyday trauma, that they live under: violence in the homes, alcoholism in the community, unemployment that's 80 percent, not just during the recession. We need to help treat that before they can even go sit in a class and learn about math.

When you're educated, you must offer others a road to success.

For some students, school is the only place where they get a hot meal and a warm hug. Teachers are sometimes the only ones who tell our children they can go from an Indian reservation to the Ivy League, from the home of a struggling single mom to the White House.

I look back and see the kids who made it through school - it made a huge difference in their lives, which made me believe in the power of public education and what it can do for individuals and communities and the state.

In any community there's a strong pull home. People want to return, see their community get better economically and socially. You can build those community-grown opportunities for the kids who've graduated from college to return home, to provide businesses and support things going on. It'll only happen through education.

My parents told me that education was the path to success - and they showed me, taking me to Head Start while they were pursuing their own college degrees.

Our public education system does a great job. I don't think it's broken. We aren't interested in doing reform for reform's sake. I believe in public education; it did a great job for me. It deserves our support and encouragement.

Teachers do the noble work of educating our children. And we can't thank them enough for the hard work they put in every day to ensure a bright future for all of us.

There are pros and cons of experience. A con is that you can't look at the business with a fresh pair of eyes and as objectively as if you were a new CEO. Fire yourself on a Friday night and come in on Monday morning as if a search firm put you there as a turn-around leader. Can you be objective and make the bold change?

If you feel like it's difficult to change, you will probably have a harder time succeeding.

Avon is a unique place to work; we've got family-friendly policies. We have more senior women in high-level management than any other company; 46 percent of our officers are women.

Talent is the No. 1 priority for a CEO. You think it's about vision and strategy, but you have to get the right people first.

When a woman earns a dollar, the payback is higher. She'll invest in her children, in their education, health care, and basic needs. The impact of a woman's role in the economy benefits society at large.

A representative is free delivery; she's a personal beauty consultant. Some people want that high touch.

I can only have dinner with my girlfriends once a month instead of once a week.

I feel like I'm part of history being made. I leave Apple board meetings thinking, 'I've got to do a better job.'

I think it's critical that you feel you're working for a person who is committed to advancing your career.

Women like myself, CEOs, can pave the way for more women to get to the top.

You know, you go home and you try on a new mascara, and I guess a male CEO can't do that.

Avon invented the concept of direct marketing and direct selling beauty. And that's still very valid to us. We'll have a firm that will be around for another 114 years as strongly as it was the first 114.