Women on What Matters Most

NEWSWEEK talked to moguls in medicine, media, modeling and more to get their advice for the next generation of successful, empowered females. The women talked about the importance of family, the success that comes after failure, or the valuable motivation behind fear. Here you'll find swimmer Dara Torres admitting she likely has a genetic gift, director Kimberly Peirce (“Boys Don’t Cry”) explaining why there are so few women directors and Cynthia Nixon (“Sex and the City”) discussing acting and activism. What follows are excerpts from their stories accompanied by exclusive photos.