Digital Business Women eMagazine

ISSUE NO.05

Digital Business Women

BADA*SS BUSINESS WOMEN LEARN ABOUT THE CHALLENGES, THE UP AND DOWNS, THE ADVICES, THE WHY AND ALL GLORY OF BEINGÂ IN BUSINESS.

WELCOME

Thank you for joining us in this journey!

This is the FIFTH Issue of Digital Business Women eMagazine and our main goal is to keep the debate active inspiring women around the globe.

CANDYCE COSTA founder

This edition is all about women who celebrate themselves and encourage other to do the same. Being strong and kind are their moto and we want to salute them.

They all know you only can make a difference and have a voice if you believe in yourself.

Thank you for accepting my invitation to speak out loud about your life and business expertise. The main goal is support women in business with genuine advise and techniques. If you are looking for support and collaboration, you have found your place here - we believe in collaboration and serious business.

If you want to join us, contact us!

We hope you enjoy this one.

Digital Business Women is changing because we need to grow!

From next year, we are starting a new website where you can follow us between the emagazines. We are going to offer continuos support and encouragement but we need your help: to spread the word, to finnancially support us and endorse our work!

Find us www.digitalbusinesswomen.com Our Mission To empower and nurture women in business and life to achieve their true potential and connecting them to create a collaborative and powerful community.

Our Vision To create the most collaborative and encouraging platform to accelerate the change of the role of women in business and in the modern society.

CONTACT US

CONTACT ARTICLES

THANK YOU

Candyce Costa @candycecosta

Emma Willams emma@digitalbusinesswomen.com

RACHEL STUVE RENATO MELO EMMA WILLIAMS

INTERVIEWS

AMANDA OVERS AMY PERKINS AVA WETTRICK CAROLYN BARTH CATHERINE DAAR CHARLOTTE REMO ALCANTARA DOMINIKA WESTON KAITLIN ZHANG KATIE B. GARNER KRISTIN GALLUCCI MATIJA SQUIRE MICHELLE M. GOMEZ MICHELLE GYIMAH RENATA FRADE TULSI PATEL

ARTICLES OWNING MOTHERHOOD LIKE A BOSS WHO USES WECHAT AND WHY IS WECHAT SO POPULAR IN CHINA? NON TECH PERSON AS A HACKATHON FACILITATOR? EQUAL PAY DAY - DOES IT MATTER? GENDER AND WOMEN IN TECH IN ACADEMIA: WHY WE REALLY NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT. WOMEN EMPOWERMENT WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP? 4 DOS & DON’TS OF SPEAKING AT WEB SUMMIT AND OTHER LARGE STAGES TIME TO RISE AND SHINE AND LEAVE IMPOSTER SYNDROME BEHIND CREATE WITH SIMPLICITY THE WOMEN IN TECH AWARDS WINNERS DIGITAL BUSINESS WOMEN EMAGAZINE AT WEBSUMITT WOMEN IN DATA AND TWENTY IN DATA AND TECHNOLOGY 2018 A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR FOR WOMEN IN BUSINESS CHRISTMAS * BEST GIFT UNDER £100

Amanda Overs I Can Make Shoes Founding Director.

AMANDA OVERS

What did you learn from your biggest failure?

To trust my gut. For some reason I used to feel like a bit of a fraud, most of that comes down to me starting my business at 24 and not feeling legit.. But in reality, I have been running a successful and profitable business for the past 9 years. Its important to be able to ask other people for their opinions on what to do but at the end of the day you need to do what you know is right.

How do you find inspiration?

I am lucky because my inspiration comes to me.

My students inspire me every day. It's really brave to take a punt on a new craft, to share your idea's and then attempt to make them in real life. Its also just so inspiring to see so many young women working in this industry now, when I started it was very much (and still sort of is) an old boys club, which can be very intimidating.

Tell us about you and your business.

I run a private shoemaking school based in London. The school which is called 'I Can Make Shoes', is a non-intimidating space where we teach total beginners how to make their own shoes by hand. By creating a technique which doesn't require any heavy machinery I've been able to spread shoemaking into the at-home craft space.

AMANDA OVERS What service(s) or product(s) do you offer?

We run a range of different shoemaking courses, have online shoemaking tutorials, sell step by step instructional books and hard to find shoemaking supplies. We also offer mentoring and ongoing support for people looking to start their own shoe business'.

Have you ever turned down a client?

Sure! We get requests all the time to make peoples designs into shoes, but we're not a factory and we're busy teaching classes. The amazing opportunity that has come from turning away these clients is that I've been able to start a whole new arm of the business, mentoring people and linking them with appropriate factories.

What is unique about your business?

Up until recently, we were the only shoe making school teaching without the use of any heavy machinery. This is really unique because for the first time ever it brought the craft of shoemaking out of stuffy old workshops and into peoples homes. We've always aimed to simplify the process to make it a more accessible craft for people.

What do you wish you knew before you started your first business?

Nothing really. Mistakes have been made for sure but its all been part of my journey as a business owner. I like to think I make pretty good decisions now.

If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?

Get clear about your idea and do it. If you are talking about it more than you are doing it flip the scale!

What is your mission?

The driving force behind ICMS is to inspire and empower people through the craft of footwear. We’re a 100% female run company and have all experienced criticism at one point or another by male industry leaders. We aim to provide a safe and supportive environment for people to learn and develop as designers/makers. Plus we're helping to re-grow the UK's footwear industry in a super modern way!

What's your favourite quote?

"What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail? "

To what do you attribute your success?

Perseverance, so much support and a Go Girl attitude!

What's your productivity secret?

Easy! Default Diary!

I schedule my work day down to 15-minute increments.

This way I know what I should be working on and I don't let myself get distracted.

For example, I wait until the designated email time slot to reply to emails.

I don't just hangout in my inbox all day.

This isn't me naturally by the way, I've had to train myself and still slip up quite regularly!

PERSEVERANCE, SO MUCH SUPPORT AND A GO GIRL ATTITUDE! TO WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE YOUR SUCCESS? AMANDA OVERS

Amy Perkins Founder of Keys to Courage Consultant & Educator.

AMY

PERKINS Tell us about you and your business.

My passion is helping people annihilate selfdoubt, break free from fear, build confidence, courage and design a life of their dreams.

Through my newsletter, blog, videos and online courses, I share stories, resources and encourage others to take action.

What do you wish you knew before you started your first business?

I've started multiple businesses and loved each one. The advice I'd give to someone starting out in any business is to know that you can't do it all. In each venture I've started, I've always paired up with people who had strengths in areas that were weaknesses of mine.

Don't try to learn every single aspect of any business, partner up with those smarter than you. Â

What is unique about your business?

What sets me apart in this arena is that I have lived this, I AM living this, every single day.

I'm walking the walk. I spent 17 years as an educational consultant and coach. I've utilized all of that experience, as well as the learning, personal development conferences and courses that I've taken to share what worked for me with you.

What did you learn from your biggest failure? I used to dread failure. Honestly, there were years where I played it safe to avoid failure at all costs. Now, I know that if I'm failing, it means that I'm TRYING. Any failures I have, I look at as a redirection from the universe. It means there's something else, something better out there for me. It means I need to keep going.

COURAGE DOESN'T MEAN YOU DON'T GET AFRAID. COURAGE MEANS YOU DON'T LET FEAR STOP YOU. UNKNOW

FAVORITE QUOTE AMY PERKINS

AMY PERKINS What service(s) or product(s) do you offer?

99% of my content is absolutely free. I have a weekly newsletter, YouTube channel, Instagram account, LinkedIn content and blog, all free. For people that want to take a deeper dive into Designing a Dream Life, I offer a course that comes with a workbook and set of videos to walk you through the process that I took to get where I am now.

To what do you attribute your success?

My purpose, my passion, is to make a difference. When I started teaching elementary school at 21 years old, I felt like I had won the lottery in life. Every single day I looked forward to going to work. I've always been wired to do work that fills my soul with joy, never by money. When you have pure intentions and a heart to serve, success will come.

What is your mission? (or) What’s your company’s goals?

I’m passionate about helping you live your best life. Two years ago, I got sick and tired of going through the motions.

I felt there had to be more.

I wanted a career that was fulfilling, one that made an impact and left a legacy.

I sought richer relationships with friends and family. On that journey, I found the keys to it all. Now I'm here to share that with you.

What's your favorite quote?

"Courage doesn't mean you don't get afraid. Courage means you don't let fear stop you." -Author Unknown How do you find inspiration?

Every day I wake up inspired.

This wasn't always the case.

Two years ago, my best friend from college died. Her illness, and consequent death, instilled a deep sense of gratitude in me.

I became grateful for simply being alive. Everything seemed like a gift. Every pain-free step I could take, every breath I could breathe. I stopped taking things for granted and inspiration showed up everywhere.

What's your productivity secret?

My productivity secret is that I gave up TV. The average person could free up an incredible amount of time in their day by doing this one simple thing.

Have you ever turned down a client?

Absolutely. I walked away from my 25-year career in educational coaching/consulting due to a lack of integrity in leadership. There is no amount of money to me worth working in an environment that doesn't align with my core values.

If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?

Listen to your intuition.

Don't ignore your gut.

If you feel like it's time to pivot, it probably is.

If you feel like something isn't right, it probably isn't.

My intuition has never failed me, except when I ignored it. .

Ava Wettrick MentorZ Media Founder & CEO.

AVA

WETTRICK What is your mission? (or) What’s your company’s goals?

My mission is to help youth take advantage of the alternate opportunities in life, and help them escape the 'typical path'.

More then ever, this 'typical path' set up for youth does more damage then good, lack of self awareness, living without passion or cause, depression, and debt are a few examples. MentorZ Media was made to help youth become aware of life's possibilities, and how to get there.

Tell us about you and your business.

The MentorZ Media is a media and education platform to help equip youth with an entrepreneurial mindset with the use of mentors, articles, stories, and a course launching in December.

What is unique about your business?

MentorZ Media provides entrepreneurial education opportunities for youth, most of the time these types of services are designed for adults. MentorZ Media is also currently building a community of like minded youth to help support and learn from one another.

AVA WETTRICK What service(s) or product(s) do you offer?

Currently, we have a podcast, video series, articles, and LinkedIn content. This December we will be providing a video-call style online course where I will be teaching young girls the entrepreneurial mindset.

To what do you attribute your success?

A lot of my success right now has to do with how I was raised. My parents really pushed me and saw that I had potential to be more so they helped me strive. Then as I grew more I develop a certain outlook on life which also allows me to better myself and try to leave the world a little better then I left it.

If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?

Find what you are good at, know yourself (so you know what's in your 'toolbox'), seek out things that you would love to do, or things that you hate and would want to change. Creativity is stealing and working in a small box, use that. Reading will be the best thing for you, and keep active and energized.

What's your productivity secret?

A set time, comfortable work environment, and some lofi music. But on a mental note, its a balance of keeping my focus and taking a break to do something fun. The back and forth between work and play keep me more sharp and ready to do my work, and light in spirit and creativity. Â What do you wish you knew before you started your first business?

Well being as young as a I am, I feel like I'm still learning a whole lot of unknowns, but I wish I would have truly known a year ago how critical it is to exert yourself now, and put nothing off for 'later'.

How do you find inspiration?

I look at others who do amazing work and help the world, I strive to be one of those people.

I find it in my own experiences or understanding someone else's. I try to re-focus on concepts we usually forget in day to day life. Or I see what I can make out of scribbles or two Disruptus cards!

What did you learn from your biggest failure?

I think the biggest thing I've learned from my failures, and they have a thousand faces, is that there is a difference between what is good, and what it right. It feels good to do or not to do something, but is it the right thing to do?

Separating the two, wether simple or complex, is a challenging thing. And I continue to learn that, and make these decisions everyday.

What's your favourite quote?

I don't think I have one at the moment.

FIND WHAT YOU ARE GOOD AT, KNOW YOURSELF (SO YOU KNOW WHAT'S IN YOUR 'TOOLBOX'), SEEK OUT THINGS THAT YOU WOULD LOVE TO DO, OR THINGS THAT YOU HATE AND WOULD WANT TO CHANGE. Â PIECE OF ADVISE AVA WETTRICK

Carolyn Barth, CEO, Digital Content Strategy LLC.

CAROLYN BARTH

What service(s) or product(s) do you offer?

Are you at the top of your field yet lack visibility? I do public relations for "real deal" experts who invent things -- disruptive technologies, innovative courses, or products and services to help people. My clients are highly educated leaders in their field who seek their next challenge.

We collaborate to take a challenge from startup into a successful launch and growth business.

Consulting / Plans Digital Content Strategy Publicity / Public Relations / Media Thought Leadership / KOL development Branding / Events / Marketing

What is your mission? (or) What’s your company’s goals?

You aim to be known. I make you a thought leader.

You're an expert in real life. I get you visible online.

You're great at your profession. I get you in the NYTimes. You create innovative courses. I help you fill them. You're the best dentist in town. I fill your chairs.

What's your favorite quote?

If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.

- Einstein

Tell us about you and your business.

Digital Content Strategy LLC is an award-winning public relations (PR) and digital marketing agency. Our specialty is helping "real deal" experts (dentists, scientists, PhDs, tech execs) become the "go to" experts in their field.

Patients, peers, and the public perceive them as Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), innovators, and trusted voices to follow.

CAROLYNBARTH Have you ever turned down a client?

Yes. I like to grow things for clients.

My job is done when a client can maintain growth with their internal team, have a strong foundation, and can avoid PR mistakes because they learned how. Nothing makes me prouder than when we get a working PR Program System in place (e.g. 90 spokespersons, 24,000 media mentions a year, win $1.25 million in grants) and scientists can DIY. What's your productivity secret?

We practice, coach, teach efficient and effective Public Relations skills.

We've built 3 successful programs for 3 clients over the years. It's the right media, the right channels, and the right formula for long-lasting visibility (versus a one-and-done marketing approach). Clients frustrated by spending huge marketing budgets on "one and dones?" I'm their next call. We fix it.

What do you wish you knew before you started your first business?

Everyone has their own genius zone.

Find yours, own it, and share it with clients. Pick nice clients, who do interesting work and you're golden.

What did you learn from your biggest failure?

My biggest failure was early: I'm a terrible secretary. I tried and failed miserably.

It's a hard job! A much harder job for me than being CEO of Digital Content Strategy LLC. Take the Myers-Briggs and Strong Armstrong test in your 20s so you know what you do best.

What is unique about your business?

I have a deep understanding of public relations, how to take something from unknown to known, and how to work with scientists, dentists, experts.

How do you find inspiration?

People around me who are smart, curious, kind and are trying to help people.

Constraints we face together (time, budget, evidencebased research, or even lack of visibility) keep it interesting. I like a challenge where there is some obstacle to overcome and it requires creative thinking to work it out.

To what do you attribute your success?

My relationships with my clients, friends, and family.

Always being curious.

An ability to spot a trend just before it happens by seeing patterns in words.

Love of learning keeps work fascinating.

If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?

Do what you love and are naturally good at; find your genius zone.

Pick great bosses.

Help others.

Stay curious.

Be kind to everyone (do no harm).

Work hard and celebrate success along the way.

CEO@DigitalContentStrategy.com https://DigitalContentStrategy.com LinkedIN: https://linkedin.com/in/carolynbarth FB: @DigitalContentStrategyLLC Consult: https://www.calendly.com/carolynbarth

DO WHAT YOU LOVE AND ARE NATURALLY GOOD AT; FIND YOUR GENIUS ZONE. PIECE OF ADVISE CAROLYN BARTH

Catherine (Cat) Daar Founder of The #nevertoolate Project.

CATHERINE DAAR

Tell us about you and your business.

I am a marketing and communication veteran and using my skills to launch "The NeverTooLate" Project.

What is your mission? (or) What’s your company’s goals?

My mission with the #nevertoolate project is to inspire and empower anyone of any age or stage in their life to start their dream. Even if they think it is too late, or not possible. For some people, it might be a sport, or launching a business, going back to study, etc.. Whatever it is, it is never too late!

What service(s) or product(s) do you offer?

I am offering digital marketing consulting to companies and individuals. And I am launching my new #nevertoolate services in the beginig of 2019. There will be 2 types of services Consulting companies on how to promote and market their services to a crowd over 50. Workshops for companies to empower their employes to reach out for their dream in harmony with their professional life.

What is unique about your business?

The NeverTooLate project is totally new and innovative.

No one, at this time, offers these kinds of workshops in the world.

We are the happy first!

CATHERINE What's your productivity secret?

My productivity secret number one is to prioritize my health and well being. So I don't work before I have meditated and wrote in my journal. I set very specific times and days for my yoga and swimming practice. Sometimes it helps me to be more productive to get out of my house/office to change the environment. I also try not to check my emails and social media more than 3 times a day.

Have you ever turned down a client?

OMG, yes I have turned down so many clients with my marketing agency...Too many actually. I usually know very early on when a client will be a good fit or not.

It is super important for me that the company who hires me will be happy with the services offered. I am not "selling" anything, just offering them solutions.

To what do you attribute your success?

I attribute my "professional" success to my vision, passion, and persistence. But it still did not make me happy. So I am at this time "redefine" what success means for me. I think today success means to be content, fulfilled and peaceful. And I am achieving it with my strict meditation and exercise practice.

DAAR

What do you wish you knew before you started your first business?

I wish I news that it was totally normal, ok and predictable that I might fail a few times before I "make" it. I also with I new that there are ups and down in business and everyone has them.

What did you learn from your biggest failure?

From my biggest failure, I have learned that I am enough, and my worth is not determined by my professional success of my bank account. I have learnt also that only when I feel "enough" and "complete" I can succeed. Â How do you find inspiration?

OMG, this is not my problem for me. I have so much inspiration all the time. It keeps flowing out of my head. But for sure I am an avide reader and podcast listenener so for sure it boosts my inspiration and creativty What's your favourite quote?

"The wound is the place where the light enters you" Rumi

If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?

Know that you are already enough and successful. Know that sometimes you set goals and objectives that are not really yours and not aligned with who you truly are.

Have the strength to look inside and be honest with yourself.

What really makes you happy?

And do it even if it is not what society of your familly wants you to do. . Â

HAVE THE STRENGTH TO LOOK INSIDE AND BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF. WHAT REALLY MAKES YOU HAPPY? PIECE OF ADVISE CATHERINA DAAR

Charlotte Remo Alcantara, OVA VIRTUAL, Founder & Managing Partner.

CHARLOTTE

REMO ALCANTARA

What is your mission? (or) What’s your company’s goals?

Our goals are simple and go two ways; 1. Empowering businesses, entrepreneurs and professionals by helping them to succeed in life and in business, through our virtual assistance solutions.

2. Providing a fulfilling work from home career to Filipino Women who are doubling their efforts in taking care of their family and building their professional competencies.

At the end of the day, it is about giving them Growth, Value, and Freedom for them to experience the quality of life they want.

Tell us about you and your business.

We are a virtual assistance solutions company consisting of a team of Filipino women virtual assistant professionals with backgrounds from the BPO, Call Center and Back Office Outsourcing who has shifted into working from home.

What do you wish you knew before you started your first business?

Believing in the idea that there is always a perfect time to start and venture into something. Well, there isn't!

You must go ahead and pull it off and skips the idea of procrastinating.

What service(s) or product(s) do you offer?

OVA VIRTUAL specialize in providing Executive Virtual Assistance, General Administrative Assistance, Research & Project Management, Sales and Marketing including Social Media Marketing, Human Resources & Recruitment, Customer Service, Accounting and Bookkeeping and Real Estate Virtual Assistance.

 SURROUND YOURSELF WITH LIKE-MINDED INDIVIDUALS THAT WILL ENCOURAGE AND MOTIVATE YOU. PIECE OF ADVISE CHARLOTTE REMO ALCANTARA

CHARLOTTE REMO ALCANTARA What's your productivity secret?

As an entrepreneur, there are a lot of things on my To-Do lists.. and my secret? Prioritize effectively, learn to delegate so you can work on what matters most for you and your business!

How do you find inspiration?

Seeing our clients achieve growth not only on their businesses but also with their personal life and providing opportunities to Filipino women achieving a superior work-life balance and having a long-term fulfilling career, these are the things that keep me going and believing on what OVA can provide and my life advocacy.

What's your favorite quote?

“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” ― Jane Goodall

What did you learn from your biggest failure?

The world is constantly changing and you need to make sure that you are competent and can meet the demands of your ever growing clients. You always need to think long-term!

To what do you attribute your success?

OVA VIRTUAL celebrates achievements no matter how big or small, we consider it a success of the company. My personal success is subjective, I am a devout Christian, and I believe that God gave me this knowledge, gift or calling, whatever we may call it, to be of a purpose to others. My dedication to their success is my success.

And also to my husband Raemin who has been the backbone to my career.

Have you ever turned down a client?

A few! As much as possible we would love to build a harmonious and trusting working relationship with our clients and we can only do that if they are also after a longterm commitment.

Email: enquiries@ovavirtual.com Phone: (02) 8006 2282

+63 9202365083

What is unique about your business?

OVA has a very high standard in hiring our staffs, with years of experience on the job they are applying for is the most important criteria. Our client trust percentage has been very high due to this business standard, they have people who have the highest performance rating and productivity turn out.

Quality and professionalism are what sets apart.

If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?

Spend time to develop yourself and always try to find balance in your life despite how overwhelming things are!

Surround yourself with like-minded individuals that will encourage and motivate you.

Website: www.ovavirtual.com

Dominika Weston Global Resource Manager at CETRA Language Solutions.

DOMINIKA

WESTON

What is unique about your business?

CETRA thrives on diversity and sees differences as something that unites people in their efforts of bridging the communication barrier.

I seek to understand the culture first in order to be understood. You flex, become adaptable. Same goes for doing consulting for R+F. When you meet new people and share your story standing by the brand, you succeed.

Skincare is universal in a sense.

Tell us about you and your business.

I have been around diversity and different cultures for quite some time now. It is dear to my heart as it reminds me of home. As a Global Resource Manager at CETRA, I get to do the work I love, which is meeting people from all over the world, hearing their stories and learning from them while bridging the communication barrier.

What is your mission? (or) What’s your company’s goals?

My mission is to empower others in finding their true calling . Some people call it intrinsic motivation, others point it to the upbringing, I see it as a readjustment and rediscovery process.

Kindness is power. Bridging the communication gap has a lot to do with it. As a R+F consultant I strive to help other women achieve residual income through skincare that changes lives.

What service(s) or product(s) do you offer?

CETRA works with Linguists, translators and interpreters from all over the world . We see languages/cultures as necessary educational piece in all aspects of communication.

Language barriers can be eliminated through effective communication. As R+F consultant, I share my story and empower other women to take control of their lives through skincare.

DOMINIKA WESTON How do you find inspiration?

I tend to listen to my heart more often than I used to in the past. I look around and embrace it.

Gratitude is powerful. It brings joy we tend to overlook so often.

What's your productivity secret?

Loving what you do! Knowing that I help others motivates me to want to do more. I am a forever learner at heart. There is work-life balance to be found when we enjoy what we do.

Have you ever turned down a client?

I only recall one time when the client was turned down and it was because of complexity of the request and inability to deliver due to lack of resources in specific area and time constraints.

What's your favorite quote?

P.Coelho- "Culture makes people understand each other better.

And if they understand each other better in their soul, it is easier to overcome the economic and political barriers. But first they have to understand that their neighbor is, in the end, just like them, with the same problems, the same questions". Saint-Exupery-“All grown-ups were once children... but only few of them remember it"

What do you wish you knew before you started your first business?

Giving up is not an option. There are several readjustments in the process that need to happen before we start rolling on the right track.

Just because Sue goes right, it does not mean we have to follow her.

We can take a left turn and still get to the destination.

Disappointments happen if we set the expectations. Having no expectations is the best way to approach any situation.

What did you learn from your biggest failure?

Do not take NO for an answer, as today's NO may become YES few months down the road or lead you to a door you never knew existed.

Always be genuine and kind.

Gratitude is the smallest, yet the most important thing to pay attention to on the road to selfdiscovery. Positive approach resonates with people much more than one can imagine. Heart leads the way. Listen to your heart.

To what do you attribute your success?

Decisions I have made shaped me into who I am now. Being grateful for what I have and who is present in my life. There are so many people coming to our lives, but only few stay and those are to cherish as they help us discover our truth.

Being blunt, but not rude. Speaking up. Trusting the journey even when it is scary. Being courageous in making decisions and always listening to my heart.

If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?

Take chances, treat people with respect and show gratitude for the smallest acts of kindness around you. Smile more and listen to your heart.

It is not always about the destination or the end goal in mind, but the journey itself.

Get to know who you are, look in the mirror and ask yourself whether you like what you see. There is your answer as to what needs to happen next...

GET TO KNOW WHO YOU ARE, LOOK IN THE MIRROR AND ASK YOURSELF WHETHER YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE. THERE IS YOUR ANSWER AS TO WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN NEXT...

PIECE OF ADVICE DOMINIKA WESTON

ARTICLES

OWNING MOTHERHOOD LIKE A BOSS

BY KATIE B. GARNER, PHD For many women, motherhood is a choice, but too often our social norms, corporate policies, and even government laws presume motherhood to be a singular responsibility rather than a social duty that benefits us all. While being a mother is damn hard, our governments and businesses make it even harder by not requiring that the women who are raising the next generation of citizens and workers get the support they need to thrive as caregivers, as workers, and as digital entrepreneurs.

Women carry the burden of parenthood personally and professionally. They suffer lower wages (see recent news about the growing wage gap at https://iwpr.org/publications/still-mans-labor-market/), experience stagnant career growth, and fight against marred professional perceptions. On average, in the U.S., a woman’s salary decreases 510% for each child she has, while a man’s salary increases 6% for each child he has. A lot goes into this sort of data, but even when studies control for many of the expected variables including hours worked and so on, the numbers stubbornly reflect entrenched biases against mothers who work.

SIMPLY PUT, TOO LITTLE IS BEING DONE TO HELP EMPLOYEES -- WHO ARE ALSO MOTHERS -- THRIVE. A very recent study by Stephen Rose and Heidi Hartmann, “Still a Man’s Labor Market, The Slowly Narrowing Gender Wage Gap,” indicates that women, over a 15-year period of work, earns HALF of what a man makes. Women with the resources to do so are increasingly turning to self-employment, but these business owners still must contend with the problem of retention. What can be done to make work more equitable?

1) Governments can step up to close the gap.

Rose and Hartmann’s study also tells us that access to paid leave and affordable childcare are critical in terms of narrowing the wage gap. (File this next to “water is wet.”) Depending on the country a business is located in, though, laws and norms vary considerably. Scandinavian countries are typically held as the ideal, but other countries have enviable perks too, including Germany’s 24-month of paid parental leave (if both parents use the benefit) and France’s crèche system.

Meanwhile, the U.S. has steadfastly refused to mandate ANY paid leave and only guarantees unpaid leave if specific criteria are met. These previous countries prove that economic strength is not sacrificed when governments do more to support parents.

2) Companies can wise up. Some companies are wising up to the ways in which attractive pro-family benefits can attract top talent. Examples include Patagonia’s on-site daycare, Facebook’s $4000 bonus to employees who welcome a new child, Goldman Sachs’s on-site help for employees who are navigating changes in health and leave benefits, and Salesforce’s packages that include 26 weeks of paid leave, flexible family care, and more.

3) Women can unite for good. Women business owners are in a unique position to help advocate for and initiate pro-family policies.

While it may seem unfair to ask women to take on yet more of the burden of motherhood by offering perks that less forwardthinking companies do not, keep in mind that the cost of replacing an employee can be anywhere between 20% of the salary for mid-range positions to more than 200% for top-level positions. Patagonia in particular has been transparent about how employee loyalty has offset the costs of offering on-site daycare.

Any good news for working moms? Yes. We are also uniquely placed in terms of the history of work in that our ability to connect and work digitally is largely ubiquitous and efficient. This means companies can offer greater flexibility to workers in ways that increase productivity while permitting parents to structure challenging schedules more adeptly.

What the digital revolution has not changed though is the fundamental notion that women are and should be the ones in charge of hearth and home, even while it is has become commonplace for them to be employed, too. The digital revolution has not changed the ways bosses or colleagues give props to a father who leaves early to coach his kid’s soccer team but sneers to a mother who leaves early to help with a school party. The digital revolution certainly has not changed the huge wage discrepancy between full-time and part-time work, although the EU has recently taken active steps to change this.

Dual-income families will remain the norm amongst two-parent households and an increasing number of women are parenting solo. In too many cases, these families are held together by a rusty safety pin, which only adds stress and decreases productivity. Most of us are working in a system that wasn’t designed for women, and more specifically mothers, to be key players, and conforming to the typical “male breadwinner” model is pushing women, and their families, to the brink.

As leaders of our industries we should be willing to talk to our employees about what they need to thrive at work and at home. We must commit ourselves to initiating and supporting custom solutions. It is unlikely mass change will happen without the political will of powerful and enlightened women advocating for deep reform to these broken systems. As cliché as it sounds, the change starts with you. Consider the ways your family, your partner, even you yourself consider motherhood to be a choice and the ways that this mindset suggests that you carry the burden of being a parent on your own. Reframe this belief into one that foregrounds the ways in which others benefit from your work as a mother, particularly your government’s replenishment of its citizens and businesses’ need for well-raised workers to move industry forward.

From there, it’s about knowledge and cooperation. The vast majority of women become mothers and even women those who don’t still carry the social weight of reproduction and caregiving by association of their sex. Use this to your advantage. Identify the ways that your company could do better – even if it is just small changes – and recruit other women in your company to help you put these ideas into action. This might mean: • covering a bigger percentage of childcare or starting an on-site daycare • allowing employees to work from home one day a week or permitting workers to leave early if they check in again remotely later in the evening • ensuring job-sharing that is fairly compensated • encouraging male employees to take paternity leave • developing something completely new. (I’d love to hear about enterprises that fall into this final category!)

As bright, motivated women, we are well-versed in the importance of feminism in our lives, but motherhood is still considered the unfinished business of the movement. The next important hurdle is protecting mothers who work, incentivizing men to be more engaged, and ensure that government and business policies support families.

I encourage you to join the #FeministMothering movement at www.DrKatieBGarner.com or on Facebook @DrKatieBGarner (https://www.facebook.com/drkatiebgarner/).

WHO USES WECHAT AND WHY IS WECHAT SO POPULAR IN CHINA? In the West, where Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Instagram are the dominant social media platforms, WeChat may sound a little unfamiliar. However, in China, where the aforementioned platforms are banned and inaccessible, WeChat reigns king.

WHAT IS A WECHAT OFFICIAL ACCOUNT? According to the Official WeChat Official Accounts page, a WeChat Official Account Platform is “a cooperation and promotion service that can be used by individuals, governments, media organizations and business enterprises. Official accounts can promote their brands to billions of WeChat users through their WeChat channel, thus reducing propagation cost, raising brand popularity and building more influential brand images.” (WeChat Official, 2018)

WECHAT’S POPULARITY IN CHINA Founded in 2011 and owned by Tencent,WeChat has hit 1 billion accounts, highlighting the popularity of the pervasive service used for everything from communication to shopping (Financial Times, 2018).

WeChat isn’t only a messaging platform, but a social powerhouse that connects not only friends and family, but also businesses to consumers. Dominating the app market, it is used as a social messaging app that has largely replaced work emails, but also as a platform for mobile payments, e-commerce, train bookings and blogs, as well as being host to a universe of other apps. Last year, the reported annual growth in WeChat user accounts is 15.8 percent since last September (Financial Times, 2018).

In 2017, WeChat was the most frequently used application on mobile phones among 87.6% of users and used more than one hour a day among 81.5% of users.

WeChat is able to capture a large age range of users from under 18 to over 60, reaching most of China’s population.

Why should I use WeChat in my marketing strategy?

For businesses that want to tap into the China market, implementing WeChat as a marketing strategy is a must.

Below are the top 3 reasons why you need to add WeChat into your Chinese marketing strategy.

1. Large audience reach In a country where familiar social media platforms like Facebook, Youtube, Google are banned, WeChat may be the only social portal that foreign businesses can use to enter the Chinese market.

Through WeChat,companies can tap into the otherwise untapped Chinese market, in addition to users who use WeChat outside of China.

Plus, China’s use of social media is increasing faster than the rest of the world, and their consumption levels are also rising. Chinese consumers tend to consider products or services if they see them mentioned on a social media site.

(Harvard Business Review, 2012) In 2016, China’s digital economy attained RMB 22.6 trillion, an increase of 18% year on year. It represented 30.3% of the gross domestic product (GDP) and contributed to 69.9% of the GDP growth, providing core driving force for economic growth.

(WeChat Economic and Social Impact Report, 2017)

2. All-in-one services WeChat allows users to enjoy all the features of Uber, Facebook, ApplePay, Snapchap, Amazon, Skype, Tinder in one comprehensive app. You don’t have to go outside of WeChat to enjoy all the services 10 other apps would give you. In 2017, WeChat even developed Mini Programs, their own “app within an app” to ensure that you never need to leave the WeChat app.

Businesses can create their own apps right within the WeChat platform so that consumers can easily browse and spend all in one convenient place. Other interesting features such as “Red Pockets’ and “WeChat Payments” allow followers to easily purchase through the WeChat platform.

Below are just a couple of features that this all-in-one platform provides: A) Mini Programs Mini Programs is WeChat’s own “app within an app”. It was launched in 2017 to facilitate more options for businesses to push their content and products to consumers. By the end of December 2017, a total of 580,000 mini programs were put online, involving one million developers and 23 million third-party platforms and embracing 170 million daily active users.

Mini programs turn increasingly important through continuous development of new features. According to the survey, 64.4% of subscribers considered mini programs more convenient and 65.1% thought that mini programs can partially replace the corresponding applications on mobile phones. Mini programs contributed to over 10% of new subscriptions for 57.3% of the developers and helped to sales revenue for 72.8% and to reduce costs for 90%.(Jing Daily, 2018) B) Built-in Analytics Platform WeChat has its own analytics system that tracks consumer interaction and purchasing behavior. While it does provide less information than what you can receive from Google Analytics and Baidu Tongji, it breaks down the essential components that may need to improve your content or strategy to engage followers on a better level. (Nanjing Marketing Group, 2017) Some features provided in WeChat Analytics are: • Day-by-day data on the total number of followers, new followers and cancelled followers. These are filterable by source.

• User demographics. These figures may be unreliable as they are based on what users entered themselves.

• Gender • Language • Chinese province & city. There is no geo-date for users outside of China.

• Amounts of view and likes of each post 3. Different account options WeChat gives businesses flexibility to promote their products and services with its different accounts. Depending on the marketing strategy and desired outcome, a business can choose to register for a Service or Subscription Account. Official Accounts helps micro, small and medium-sized enterprises to improve operating efficiency and trim operational costs. As Official Accounts positively responds to the needs of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, a growing number of companies create official accounts and scale up capital investment in operation and development.

Official Accounts fuels the growth of enterprises by increasing income, improving efficiency, and cutting costs. Over 32% of operators have sold products via official accounts, about 40% offered customer services or public services, and nearly 34% cut costs by more than 30%. Up to 82.9% of operators were satisfied with the WeChat Official Accounts platform and more than 50% very willing to recommend to other organizations. (WeChat Economic and Social Impact Report, 2017) Creating an Official Account However, before any business can promote on WeChat, they must register for an Official Account.

While registering for a WeChat personal account for messaging purposes is pretty easy, registering an account through which to do business requires more effort.

Nellie Shen, writer and content marketer at Kaitlin Zhang Branding.

Kaitlin Zhang Branding is a cross-border marketing agency between China and the West that specialises in the technology and financial services sector. www.kaitlinzhang.com

LESS IS MORE. UNWAVERING FOCUS ON THE ESSENTIALS AND THE DISCIPLINED PURSUIT OF LESS. Produtivity secret Kaitlin Zhang

Kaitlin Zhang, Kaitlin Zhang Branding, CEO.

KAITLIN ZHANG What service(s) or product(s) do you offer?

We have helped UK technology firms in industries such as CleanTech, EdTech, HealthTech, gaming etc. enter into the Chinese market. In addition, we also work with some of the top Chinese venture capital firms and private investors to build their brands outside of China and have supported fundraising efforts in excess of $200 million USD.

Tell us about you and your business.

Kaitlin Zhang Branding is a cross-border digital marketing agency specialising in technology and financial services. The company works with UK technology firms to establish their brands in China and support them with raising capital in China. The company also works with some of the top Chinese venture capital firms and financial institutions.

What is your mission? (or) What’s your company’s goals?

Our mission is to build a bridge between China and the UK by providing top quality branding and marketing services.

Our corporate vision is to empower people.

Through branding and marketing, we want to bring the best ideas to the world.

KAITLIN ZHANG What is unique about your business?

We focus on building brands for cross-border businesses between China and the West (mainly focusing on the USA, Canada and the UK).

This leverages my unique cultural background and professional experience having worked in all these places. We have also expanded the team to include members from all these countries to deliver the best service to our clients.

Have you ever turned down a client?

We focus on the tech and financial services sectors. We can help UK tech businesses enter into the Chinese market or help Chinese finance firms establish their brands outside of China. We have turned down clients that are not in our areas of expertise, such as in fashion, luxury consumer goods etc.

How do you find inspiration?

I dedicate at least 2 months each year travelling, reading and thinking.

I use this time to learn new things and reflect on my life and business.

Without this self-reflection, I would not be as successful in my business as I would like to be. Living in London, I also enjoy contemporary art exhibits because it challenges me to think outside the box.

What do you wish you knew before you started your first business?

One the most challenging part of being a business leader is hiring the right team. I wish I knew how to hire slow and fire fast.

To what do you attribute your success?

Everyone's definition of success is different. To me, success means loving those in my life, adding value to the world through my work and taking care of myself and my family. I am thankful for all those people who supported me in my journey. I am also thankful for my Christian faith.

We can never be successful by our own efforts.

If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?

Never ever stop learning.

What's your productivity secret?

Less is more.

Unwavering focus on the essentials and the disciplined pursuit of less.

What's your favorite quote?

People discuss my art and pretend to understand as if it were necessary to understand, when it's simply necessary to love. Claude Monet, impressionist artist.

What did you learn from your biggest failure?

One of my biggest failures would be choosing the wrong people to work with.

When evaluating a potential candidate, business partners and even clients, it's important to listen to my gut feeling. Every time I ignored my gut feeling, I have lost an opportunity to be the best I can be.

Dr. Katie B. Garner, M(o)ther Space, LLC, Founder and President.

KATIE

What is unique about your business?

There are lot of experts on motherhood; most women live it every day! I offer women a platform to connect with like-minded leaders while contributing my own deep and broad understanding of maternal feminism based academic research and interviews.

College students don’t always know what they need from a feminism course; I want to give women in the next stage of life information they need.

B. GARNER What is your mission? (or) What’s your company’s goals?

Women should know they aren’t struggling because they aren’t capable, but because they are trying to adapt to an out-of-date system. The average woman works more hours AND completes more hands-on parenting than a generation ago, often with little support.

Still, there hasn’t been a serious policy conversation about childcare in the US for 50 years. I want to change that.

Tell us about you and your business.

I am a professor, an author, and a mom. I teach moms how to advocate for childcare, labor equality, and partner participation online and via workshops.

I’ve also been compiling interviews of nearly 100 US mothers for a book that examines why we lack paid family leave, national childcare, and better worker protection and suggests how to change that.

KATIE B. GARNER What service(s) or product(s) do you offer?

I run workshops for moms and write about the culture of motherhood. This April, I will accept directorship of MIRCI, an organization for maternal scholars, and plan to rename the organization IAMAS, International Assoc. of Maternal Activism and Scholarship. I’m eager to connect more women and scholars as we fight for better structural support. Find out more at www.drkatiebgarner.com Have you ever turned down a client?

Well, I can’t fire my kids, though they can be very high-maintenance sometimes!

Seriously, though, I left my teaching post when I was pregnant and pursued a PhD since it offered more flexibility. Few meaningful careers accommodate mothering in real ways and we accept that too easily as an issue of choice. I wanted more moms to have, in their own hands, the critical theory we were discussing.

What do you wish you knew before you started your first business? I wish I knew how much marketing and PR would be involved – and embarrassingly that each functions differently, which I didn’t know at all beforehand. The movie line, “If you build it, they will come,” just doesn’t hold water in our media-saturated world.

What's your productivity secret?

A good babysitter! There is no way that I would be able to do what I do without childcare help, particularly when I was pursuing my PhD and had three little ones in five years. I’m not sure that women are naturally better multi-taskers, but we sure have to learn how after becoming moms. I also make sure that I continually remember what I am fighting for. It’s easy to forget that in the day-to-day.

To what do you attribute your success?

A strong work ethic, a love of learning, and an innate passion to improve the world are prerequisites, but I know I wouldn’t have the opportunity to be doing this work without parents who sacrificed a lot so I could have a good education, finding a spouse who supports my work, and raising amazing kids who have proven to be darn awesome cheerleaders.

What did you learn from your biggest failure?

I’m still in the process of learning! I don’t know if I can point to a single moment as my “biggest failure,” and perhaps that means I should take more risks. I can say that I face the daily challenge of feeling like I’m not reaching a wide enough audience and not crafting a message that resonates as well as I want it to. This a process of trial and error that I’m always honing.

How do you find inspiration?

One of my professors used to say “we are standing on the shoulders of giants,” and it’s so true. Scores of brilliant, passionate, good people have shaped the world we live in and I admire their perseverance in the face of impossible odds.

I also look at the harried, fatigued mom at the grocery store and after I experience relief that I’m not alone, think, “what I can I do to make this less hard?”

If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?

Try to find work you can bring your whole self to and does more than pay the bills.

Know that having a family will likely take more time and resources than you can imagine. Challenge the work and family structures that haven’t caught up to the 21st century when you can. Align with women who can mentor your professional sweet spot. Travel as much as your budget allows and read widely.

What's your favorite quote?

BElieve THEre is GOOD in the world.

(BE THE GOOD.) .

BELIEVE THERE IS GOOD IN THE WORLD. (BE THE GOOD.) FAVOURITE QUOTE DR. KATIE B. GARNER

Kristin Gallucci Brand & Marketing Strategist Principal at COVET, Linkedin Top Voice 2018: Marketing and Social Media

KRISTIN GALLUCCI What is your mission?

MyI have a personal mission to help others build a life and career they dream of. Through my company, I help businesses become truly customer-centric through branding and marketing initiatives..

What is unique about your business?

I'm a solopreneur, so what is unique about my business is what is unique about me. I'm a hybrid marketer, having sat on both sides of the table as an agency executive and as a CMO, I have a unique perspective on the industry and what companies must do to stay ahead.

Tell us about you and your business After 17 years in a marketing agency and 3 years as a Chief Marketing Officer I recently relaunched my consultancy.

COVET is a global brand and marketing consultancy that drives relevance, creates compelling customer experiences, ignites digital transformation and embraces consumer-centric thinking.

What's your favorite quote? “You either walk inside your story and own it or you stand outside your story and hustle for your worthiness.� - Brene Brown

If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?

Listen.

Listen with intent to understand not just to hear and respond.

KRISTINGALLUCCI What service(s) or product(s) do you offer?

Brand and Marketing Strategy and Personal Branding.

What do you wish you knew before you started your first business?

When I have an opportunity to speak to students I encourage them to explore every part of the industry to see what excites them and where their passions lie.

What's your productivity secret?

Deadlines, I thrive under a hard deadline.

How do you find inspiration?

As a solopreneur I work from home and I’ve realized that I do not find inspiration sitting behind my computer. I find it through exploring, travel and events, meeting new people and have inspiring conversations.

What did you learn from your biggest failure?

I will always get through and I'm stronger every time I come out on the other side.

Have you ever turned down a client?

I worked in behavioral health as a CMO for almost 2 years. It takes a special person to be able to work in healthcare and see people suffering and not be able help. I learned a lot from this position, mostly about myself.

To what do you attribute your success?

I attribute it to having my mother as a role model.

As a single mother with her own business, she always showed strength and never let me see vulnerability or weakness.

She made me believe that anything is possible.

She has incredible energy and grit.

Marketing & Social Media k@kristingallucci.com kristingallucci.com

LISTEN. LISTEN WITH INTENT TO UNDERSTAND NOT JUST TO HEAR AND RESPOND. PIECE OF ADVICE KRISTIN GALLUCCI

Matija Squire The Paradigm Effect Founder - Creator of Positive Change.

MATIJA SQUIRE What is your mission? (or) What’s your company’s goals?

My mission is to create positive change in the world. To help others realise the power of their stories, to build self-awareness, to be able to make better decisions, to live by their values and for them to choose their own path. I chose the name TPE as it happens when people realise a paradigm shift on an individual level and their perception of themselves and the world changes for the better.

What is unique about your business?

My business isn't about just one function, the workshops are my main mode of operations but I also run an interview series.

I interview people who are creators of positive change. I also cover events that are supporting the Startup community, such as Coca-Cola Amatil's Xcelerate Showcase, Optus' Innovation Challenge and Cisco Live.

The people I work with are all so different, no day is the same.

Tell us about you and your business I am the Founder of The Paradigm Effect and known as #thecreatorofpositivechange on LinkedIn. I believe that the power of collaboration is greater than competition and am in my element when I am working to solve problems, educate and inspire others. I run workshops on a variety of topics such as personal branding, leadership and EQ. What's your favorite quote?

The only person you are destined to become, is the person you decide to be Ralph Waldo Emerson

If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?

Don't get ready, get started. When starting a Startup or new business, part of making it a success is learning that you have to find what works for you and being able to grow through your own experience.

Trust in yourself and the process, accept that things aren't always going to work but as long as you stay true to your values, a growth mindset, and are able to pivot if needed, you'll flourish!

MATIJA SQUIRE

What service(s) or product(s) do you offer?

I offer collaborative workshops and have worked with companies such as Cisco, Amicus and The Executive Centre. These workshops are limited to 20 people and often I team up with another coach to deliver greater value and perspectives. I am constantly inspired by the vision of other coaches and am always looking for those with resonating values to create new content with.

What do you wish you knew before you started your first business?

That your circumstances do not dictate your potential. Whether you've been in business one month or ten years, if you're passionate and driven you deserve respect and kindness from others and from yourself. Don't be afraid to approach people just because you think you're not ready, everyone is human at the end of the day and none of us are perfect so take every opportunity to connect with others.

What's your productivity secret?

Is coffee a suitable answer?

Honestly I draw my productivity and inspiration from the people I meet each day. When you're surrounded by highly motivated, inspirational and compassionate individuals you can never feel flat for too long.

Other than that, I also use my calendar to segment my time and I always have breaks between meetings to refresh my mind through some light meditation.

How do you find inspiration?

Everyday I am connecting with amazing people, reading invigorating stories and surrounding myself with people who are creating positive change. The more connected I am to others, the greater the inspiration I have. I also take time to get out into nature and breathe, reflect, gain clarity and then come back to the present ready to tackle everything head on.

What did you learn from your biggest failure? Don't force yourself to meet other people's expectations, you have to set your own.

The truth is sometimes you will never be good enough for some people and that is perfectly okay. I had a person tell me that I would never succeed in business because I'm too bubbly and no one would take me seriously.

I tried to change for a while and it made me lose sight of why I started in the first place.

To what do you attribute your success?

I have the best friends and connections in the world (as cheesy as it sounds). To quote good 'ol Arny - "there's no such thing as a self-made man" *or woman*. I've had people who believed in me when I failed to believe in myself. I faced many adversities which strengthened my resolve.

And of course there is my son, my successes are his too and I can always move forward for him.

Have you ever turned down a client?

Of course, humans are all so different that not everyone will be suitable as a client. This is also why I am so proud of the wonderful LinkedIn community I have built, I am able to identify whether or not someone is my ideal client but in the case where I cannot help them, I can then direct them to someone who can. I often say "if I can't help you, it's okay because I know someone who can".

THE ONLY PERSON YOU ARE DESTINED TO BECOME, IS THE PERSON YOU DECIDE TO BE. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Favourite Quote Matija Squire

Michelle M. Gomez Author, Speaker, and Career Growth Coach.

MICHELLE

M. GOMEZ

What is your mission? (or) What’s your company’s goals?

To help women overcome the impostor experience in their own career and achieve their next promotion or career transition with an emphasis on leadership style, wellness and family.

What's your favorite quote?

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won't feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine. Marianne Williamson

What do you wish you knew before you started your first business?

That it is a journey, not a race. It takes patience, consistency and an unwavering commitment to 'showing up' daily.

What did you learn from your biggest failure?

Read the fine print.

Never go with the first offer.

Tell us about you and your business.

I am a published author of a book titled "Own Your Brilliance: Overcome Impostor Syndrome for career success". I am also a speaker and career growth coach.

MICHELLE

M. GOMEZ

If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?

Don't compare yourself to anyone else. It's not a race, it's a journey.

Your journey is unique to you. Small, consistent steps and continuous learning, will be your key to success when the time comes.

To what do you attribute your success?

Consistency, discipline and the daily affirmation that I can do hard things.

Have you ever turned down a client?

Yes. I have actually turned down a few. The reason was their inability to commit to "do the work" required to be successful.

How do you find inspiration? Daily prayer, affirmations, and reading of books. I also find inspiration in random connections with people that I encounter.

What service(s) or product(s) do you offer?

Book, keynote speaker or panelist, workshops and 1:1 coaching.

What's your productivity secret? Learning to be present by limiting distractions.

What is unique about your business?

My business is one part mindset framework and one part executive coaching for the wellrounded and balanced working woman of today.

DON'T COMPARE YOURSELF TO ANYONE ELSE. IT'S NOT A RACE, IT'S A JOURNEY. YOUR JOURNEY IS UNIQUE TO YOU. piece of advise Michelle Gomez

Michelle Gyimah, Equality Pays, Director.

MICHELLE

GYIMAH

Tell us about you and your business.

I run a gender pay consultancy called Equality Pays which is dedicated to helping close pay gaps. My work is based on a 5 point framework which enables both employers and employees to address the root causes of pay gaps in the workplace.

What's your favorite quote?

'Everything you've ever wanted is on the other side of fear ' George Addair

What is unique about your business?

I've worked in this space for 10 years. As a black woman I've both seen and experienced the negative impact of being held back in the workplace due to gender and/race. I'm also privvy to the private conversations that women have about how their employers actions affect them.

I'm able to bring this unique insight to my clients without compromising privacy.

What is your mission? (or) What’s your company’s goals?

My mission to make workplaces really work for women and ethnicity minorities.

Current workplace structures and management styles is contributing to talent drain and we see this through gender and ethnicity pay gaps.

MICHELLE

GYIMAH

How do you find inspiration?

I look around me at the women I know and see what great things they're up to. I feel that being around them, that rubs off on me.

And when I'm feeling low I remember that there will be someone who thinks I'm inspirational so I keep going.

What service(s) or product(s) do you offer?

For employers I offer gender and ethnicity pay gap analysis and action planning services. For employees I teach negotiation to women to help them ask for more money and/or workplace benefits.

Have you ever turned down a client?

Yes, I once turned down the offer of associate work as I felt that the money I was being offered was way too low. I explained my reasons and judging by the curt response I got, it's obvious I'd touched a nerve as they were not very happy!

What's your productivity secret?

I've learnt the hard way that focusing on money making activities is key. Everything else can become a distraction if you're not careful. Also, technology is your friend. It's amazing how much I can get done on my phone with 20 minutes grabbed here and there. Like this interview I'm doing!

What do you wish you knew before you started your first business?

I wish I knew that getting a consistent coach would be really beneficial to help me formulate solid business ideas and deal with confidence issues.

Also I wish I knew that buying the latest software or digital business wouldn't necessarily be 'the thing' that would get my business off the ground.

To what do you attribute your success?

It looks like different things to me at different times in my life. It's up to me to decide what success looks like and as long as I'm happy that's all that matters.

What did you learn from your biggest failure?

To date it has been around giving away too much in my proposals.

There have numerous occasions where after submitting my proposal they've decided to do the work themselves.

Now I focus on providing them with the benefits of working with me not just giving away all my knowledge!

If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?

Surround yourself with other people who are on the same journey as you and are at the same point as well as slightly ahead of you.

Starting a business can be hard and sometimes lonely so you need that support network.

EVERYTHING YOU'VE EVER WANTED IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF FEAR .

George Addair

favourite quote Michelle Gyimah

Renata Frade, Tech and Gender PhD researcher and lecturer, tech and digital multiplatform marketing entrepreneur and transmedia developer.

Writer and freelancer journalist.

RENATA FRADE

What is your mission? (or) What’s your company’s goals?

Empower women in tech to work in STEAM careers through my thesis and work as entrepreneur.

Build partnerships to develop apps, tech projects and exchange knowledge.

Make the world a much better place for everybody.

What did you learn from your biggest failure?

If you fail you succeed: you left your comfort zone and decided to be brave enough to try and learn from mistakes in order to be successful.

To what do you attribute your success?

Be brave enough to never give up when obstacles come, learn from mistakes, share knowledge, inspire people and be opened to by inspired, develop disruptive projects with academic research associated, be always curious, flexible to daily work changes.

Tell us about you and your business.

Gender, Tech and Transmedia PhD student at Porto and Aveiro Universities.

Portuguese and Brazilian entrepreneur who has been working, researching, developing and teaching Communication, Transmedia, Marketing and Tech in the last 16 years in Brazil, USA & Europe companies.

Girls in Tech Brazil Board member. Gartner speaker.

Transmedia M.I.T. student.

RENATA FRADE What service(s) or product(s) do you offer?

Since I became a digital marketing and tech entrepreneur I use to say I don´t have customers, but companies and people interested about developing disruptive solutions, projects, campaigns that will become legacy in their business.

I want to develop relationship and partnership with my clients and partners, where everybody wins, earns and be happy. It´s not a naive vision, it´s a way to make things that will last or be transformed in a positive strategic vision.

I want to empower people at keynotes and meetings to embrace what they have best and make with us things happen for real and for good. I´m a multiplatform digital marketing and content producer and strategist who always turn and translate academic researches and experience into something people can benefit their life quality, work performance. As I became a technology entrepreneur, developing applications, virtual and augmented reality platforms and tech tools inside of them I have a doble vision: know what to do when technologies are released through a strategic multiple platform marketing and communication plan. It´s a huge challenge knowing what to do with your technology after it´s available for everyone, more than release it. That´s something really special for me: design projects in a storytelling worldbuilding universe for customers and personal projects. I´ve also been Corporate Communication and Public Relations for more than 10 years, I´m very focused about building brands and relate to fans and customers of my customers in a close and positive perspective. I´m a Public Speaker on Digital Marketing, Transmedia and New Media for Entrepreneurs and Startups and Women in Tech due to my PhD research.

What is unique about your business?

Reunite innovation, knowledge, creativity, successful tech, communication and marketing cases in 16 years of international work, strong commitment and so much pleasure and fun working in what I love with amazing people.

What's your productivity secret?

Focus, anticipate trends, be extreme organised, committed and love my work.

How do you find inspiration?

Watching people behaviour, reading, watching movies and TV series, attending art expositions and concerts, talking to unknown people and people I love, admiring nature.

What do you wish you knew before you started your first business?

All I had to achieve my goals was inside of me.

If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?

Be yourself, listen to yourself, be humble and brave, always curious to learn and share the best of you in everything you do.

What's your favorite quote?

"Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim."

—Nora Ephron

BE YOURSELF, LISTEN TO YOURSELF, BE HUMBLE AND BRAVE, ALWAYS CURIOUS TO LEARN AND SHARE THE BEST OF YOU IN EVERYTHING YOU DO. PIECE OF ADVISE RENATA FRADE

Tulsi Patel, Senior Project Analyst and Business Change Project Manager.

TULSI PATEL

Tell us about you and your career.

I graduated with a degree in Medical Science from the University of Birmingham in 2016 and I am now in my final year of the Grayce Britain Ltd. Development Programme. As part of the programme, I have worked on transformational business change projects, specifically within the FinTech and Financial Services industries.

Tell us about your journey so far.

Since joining Grayce I have been able to launch and manage a number of initiatives. I was cofounder and co-chair of the South Social Committee, organising and hosting monthly socials, quarterly business briefings and charitable fundraisers within the London area. I am also the chairwoman of the Grayce Women in Business initiative, promoting female empowerment and workplace equality through networking events, conferences and internal content promotion to strengthen the network across the company nationally.

This has promoted greater engagement among the wider analyst community, and I hope to continue with this in my future endeavours.

How have been your work experience?

The projects I have worked on range from executing large cross-platform data migrations to the international implementation of an e-trading platform.

Within a short space of time, I have gained invaluable experience and skills that are transferable across industries, whilst collaborating with globally dispersed teams, working in high-pressure and high-stakes situations.

TULSI PATEL What is unique about your job?

I have been able to deliver real change from my first day at client site. This can be seen tangibly through the achievement of quantifiable targets, but also through the continuous evolution of each project. The scale and magnitude of the projects that I have worked on have provided a steep learning curve whereby I have become well versed in dealing with multiple streams of work simultaneously.

What's your productivity secret?

My productivity secret is simply being organised. Having always been involved in multiple activities, trying to keep a work-life balance is hard. I would be lost without my diary, I plan everything! I like to complete the more onerous tasks first and set myself small achievable goals. This helps with feeling a sense of achievement every day which is so important for keeping a positive mindset.

What's your favourite quote?

"Happiness can be found in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light."

What do you wish you knew before you started ?

Enjoy the challenges that the industry presents and learn to thrive under pressure. There are change projects within all types of businesses so, ensure that you develop transferable skills that enable you to be adaptable and remain current. Find mentors in your workplace and use them to stimulate your personal and professional growth. They will provide a great sounding board for ideas and issues.

What did you learn from your biggest failure?

I learned that I am stronger than I think and that every failure is an opportunity. Everything happens for a reason and every failure that I have experienced has shaped me into the person that I am today. It always seems worse in the immediate aftermath but taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture always helps to put things into perspective and focus on what is important.

To what do you attribute your success?

I would attribute my success to my strong network of friends and family whom I can always rely on for support and advice. In addition, I believe self-motivation and a good work ethic has enabled me to reach the position that I am in.

Tenacity, commitment to helping others and having a clear purpose in what I want to achieve has prevented me from losing focus and always keeps me motivated.

How do you find inspiration?

I find inspiration through the people around me. By working on initiatives, such as the Women in Business I am surrounded by likeminded individuals who are looking to make a positive difference in the world. I also like to disconnect from everything over the weekends and spend time doing things I enjoy to ensure I have enough energy and a positive attitude during the working week.

If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out,what would it be?

It's ok to ask for help and it's ok to make mistakes. The change industry is very dynamic and challenging so you will always be on a learning curve. Ensure that you ask for regular feedback to ensure that you are on the right track and can close any potential gaps. I always find that I am my harshest critic, so most importantly always try your best and don't be too hard on yourself!

HAPPINESS CAN BE FOUND IN THE DARKEST OF TIMES, IF ONE ONLY REMEMBERS TO TURN ON THE LIGHT. FAVOURITE QUOTE TULSI PATEL

ARTICLES

Equal Pay Day - Does it matter?

Equal Pay Day is the point in the year when women stop earning relative to men.

This year it was Saturday 10th November, the same day as last year which means no progress has been made.

Beyond this date women, on average, are working for no pay compared to men.

The Conservative party is responsible for vast improvements in the opportunities women are now able to embrace, but the work is not over.

I teach maths to adults in West London. My students are mainly women who are studying hard to improve their qualifications so that they can work, contribute to society and support their families and their communities. Some of my students come from oppressive regimes where they would have had no opportunities. Most don’t know about Equal Pay Day, let alone the 1970 Equal Pay Act. What they care about is finding a part time job in a hospital, a nursery school or a shop that will fit in with school hours and their caring responsibilities. Almost three quarters of part time workers are women. Part time jobs are generally lower paid, lower skilled and with fewer promotional opportunities. Recent research shows that the gender pay gap increases as women get older and has widened in traditionally women dominated sectors like social care, customer service and administration. The gender pay gap (difference in median pay between men and women) is currently 13.7% and disappointingly progress in closing this gap has slowed in recent years.

Why is it important?

This year one of the main themes at the Conservative Conference was Opportunity. If we as a party are serious about tackling injustices in society so that everyone can achieve their true potential we need to tackle the gender pay gap.

In the recent budget the Chancellor announced that the national living wage will rise from ÂŁ7.83 to ÂŁ8.21 an hour next April.

This is good news for our lowest paid workers who are disproportionately women. But we need to do more. We need to do more because it makes economic sense. Women’s representation in the work force is increasing. Over 70% of women are now employed (53% in 1971) and women represent just under half of our total workforce in the UK. Women are now more than a third more likely to go to university than men and so represent a growing share of our economic talent.

As a party, we are committed to meritocracy, but this must be about more than fairness, it must culminate in results.

Innovative, effective and creative policies that not only change women’s opportunities, but ultimately, stories. If the best we have to offer cannot rise to the top because of discrimination or lack of childcare options this will have a deleterious effect on our ability to compete on the global stage. In some sectors like the UK’s fast growing £184bn technology sector women are significantly underrepresented. The recent Tech Nation report highlighted that men in tech outnumber women by 4:1. To maintain our world-leading presence we need to broaden our talent pool with diversity.

We can all help by calling on the government and businesses to speed up change.

Since 2017 all companies with 250 or more employees are legally required to publish their gender pay gaps. Around half the UK workforce are affected by these reporting rules. Currently there are no civic penalties for companies that fail to comply and those that do have a gender pay gap are only encouraged to publish an action plan. The introduction of civic penalties plus increasing transparency and access to pay information that would enable women to challenge unequal pay can and will bring about change. When Carrie Gracie resigned as the BBC’s China editor earlier this year she said she did not wish to be seen as a ‘troublemaker’. Culturally we need to address these fears as it is one of the key reasons women do not go ahead with employment tribunals.

Many companies have understood for the first time that the reason for their gender pay gap is the lack of women in senior positions. The gender pay gap has been revolutionary in creating conversations that have not been made before.

Research by the banking sector shows that diversity also makes economic sense with benefits to increased productivity, greater innovation, better decision making and ultimately the bottom line. Equality is good for business. The DBEIS, Hampton-Alexander review set a target of a third of FTSE350 board positions filled by women by 2020. Targets work; almost 29% of FTSE100 board positions are now held by women up from 12.5% in 2011.

Finally, if we do not achieve equality both at work and at home nothing will change. Shared parental leave and encouraging more men to take it is key. Only around 2% of eligible new parents a year have taken advantage of SPL since its introduction in 2015. One of the reasons cited for its low uptake is the gender pay gap, and employers are still not embracing the importance of male employees taking up shared parental leave. We need to do more to increase the sharing of caring responsibilities which will in turn significantly help to narrow the gender pay gap.

At the current rate of progress, it will take almost 50 years to close the gender pay gap. Let’s work to ensure that in their lifetime the daughters of my maths students are paid the same as their brothers. Let’s change their stories.

Virginia Crosbie is the National Director of Women2Win and she leads the campaign to elect more Conservative women to Parliament. Women2Win is responsible for supporting and mentoring women on the Parliamentary candidate list, focusing on policy, public speaking and digital media.

Women2Win is entirely self-funded via a vibrant Business Club and popular events.

Its mission is to ensure the Conservative Party fairly represents women at all levels of politics.

Contacts: https://www.linkedin.com/in/virginiacrosbie/ tweet @virginiacrosbie

VIRGINIA CROSBIE

GENDER AND WOMEN IN TECH IN ACADEMIA: WHY WE REALLY NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT. Work, social and political perspectives use to be the ones when we discuss women in tech inclusion.

Although these domains remain extremely relevant in this debate, there is one field that we (me and you, dearest reader) should move all attentions and concerns too: academic research and development.

I have good news for you.

Several gender and technology scientific works have been developed in USA and Europe in the last ten years in universities, governmental and private institutions. When Science comes together to an urgent and daily agenda not only female IT entrepreneurs and workers benefit from reliable data to brush up their conditions, but new generations will grow up in a more inclusive and mature professional ecosystem.

You might be asking why you should really care about this. I´ll give you a personal and a scientific reasons.

For almost 10 years I’ve been a tech entrepreneur in a digital marketing and an app, virtual and augmented reality company. In 2015 I decided to join a non-profitable organization, Girls in Tech Brazil. Technology was always a concern on my academic studies, such as transmedia (at Massachussets Institute of Technology/M.I.T.) and new media (Stanford).

My speaker routine increased as a volunteer representing GIT in events and companies as Gartner´s symposium and ThoughtWorks talking about my expertise and studies to female audiences, from youngers to mature women interested about joining and improving their participation in IT. I always concern about finding statistic and academic researches in order to give more arguments and reliable information for those who could not believe in such gender and social disparities in technology. In the last year started my PhD thesis research to fill a gap in Academia about women in tech entrepreneurship, empowerment and gender IT inclusion and participation in a European and Latin America contexts.

Perhaps you can´t imagine this situation, but I was asked if I really need to dedicate myself for 3, 4 years in the research by women and men university teachers. I´ll add the last experience which was fundamental to decide coming back to Science to try to change this status quo. I was in charge for a women in tech round table panel in Gartner´s IT Brazilian symposium in 2017. Many female tech disruptive and pioneers took part to a debate concentrated in their testimonial storytelling. They were surprised and very interested when I mentioned women in tech activist groups because they want to change this reality but didn’t know how to start and to help.

Diversity drives financial targets according to “Gartner Top Strategic Predictions for 2019 and Beyond”, released recently.

The world’s most important technology research company says “through 2022, 75% of organizations with frontline decision-making teams reflecting diverse and inclusive culture will exceed their financial targets.

Companies understand the benefits of diversity, but must now move toward a focus on different types of diversity (e.g., thought processes and work styles) and a deliberate focus on inclusivity. These policies should be co-developed by business and HR leaders”.

Mathias Wullum Nielsen, Carter Walter Bloch (both from Aarhus University, Denmark) and Londa Schiebinger (History of Science, Stanford University, USA) defended the use of methods in scientific knowledge-making in their article “Making Gender Diversity Work for Scientific Discovery and Innovation”, released last September. The researchers developed a framework “for understanding the best ways to support the three approaches to gender diversity across four interdependent domains—from research teams to the broader disciplines in which they are embedded to research organizations and ultimately to the different societies that shape them through specific gender norms and policies. Gender diversity in teams, research methods, and research questions has the potential to drive scientific discovery and innovation. Demographic diversity, including age, class, ethnicity, and nationality, may also influence research in important ways”. It´s important to follow secure and formal scientific guidelines when talking about women in tech too.

Once in the past I was lost when I decided to be a tech entrepreneur and to find other women to share experiences and knowledge. There were few books and academic articles published and a lot of confusing and redundant information on the web. Besides reading Digital Business Women magazine, I recommend you follow this tips to find reliable women in tech entrepreneurship and professional information:

Look at yourself and try to discover what kind of women in tech you want to be. Perhaps you won´t be able to find it by yourself but it´s necessary to start from an introspective view. Entrepreneur, Scientist, Tech Company worker, Developer? Relate your professional and personal actual skills to the abilities required for this IT profile. List what you already have to start looking for opportunities and what you need to search for. Focus in module objectives and one day you will be surprised of how much you achieved.

Establish a specific agenda to follow women in tech discussions: online and presential events, people to follow, books to read, courses. Check out what are the women in tech activist groups and events you identify most and be present. They are great opportunities to promote yourself, exchange experiences, look for relevant information.

Technology is always changing, it´s mandatory being updated about new trends, features, devices, digital platforms, for instance. When you finally achieve your IT project, startup or company position you might feel overwhelmed about men concentration and resistance. Prepare your mind and spirit, be positive, don’t give up. Women in tech and business conquered their goals being resilient and focused no matter what happen. You will fail once or many times. Don’t worry.

It´s the path of your success. Encourage other young and adult women to become an IT researcher, developer, businesswoman. If you don´t have all argumentation needed, look for them in press and women in tech digital platforms articles. If you already are a tech entrepreneur or IT executive defend hiring women and building corporate gender inclusive politics.

About me: I´m a Information and Communication in Digital Platforms PhD student at Porto and Aveiro Universities (Portugal). I´m also a Portuguese and Brazilian entrepreneur who has been working, researching, developing and teaching Communication, Transmedia, Digital Marketing and Technology in the last 16 years in Brazil, USA and Europe. I've been working with ONG institutions as a volunteer and consultant since 2004, such as Girls in Tech.

My PhD thesis is a new, disruptive and unprecedented research: building a organizational, communicational and transmedia of empowering and entrepreneurism model to help women in tech become more representative with equal social and economical rights.

Contact me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renatafrade/ frade.renata@gmail.com @renatafrade

RENATA FRADE

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?

by Candyce Costa

Empowering other women around you!

As women, we have a difficult and massive task in business and in life: To be able to find the right balance in our family life and career/business, and on top of everything - be happy.

To be successful in both, is hard work and we need to find as much support as we can - not only from our family and friends but from the whole community.

Have you heard the saying “it takes a village to raise a child”? To be able to empower women around the world we need to think of it like in a village, taking small steps to make a revolution in our neighborhoods and help raise the girls of the next generation.

My 10 personal tips to help 1. Be Yourself

3. Take Initiative in a Women

5. Engage with Clever Women.

Remember: YOU are the most

Group

Don’t be afraid!

important woman in your life.

We’ve seen more and more only-

Thinking that you are not good

Recognize your qualities and

women groups as a safe place

enough is not real. Get around with

strengths and inspire other

where we can develop a

women by sharing your opinion,

conversation about female

collaborating and encouraging.

power and to not be evaluated from a male point of view. Find

2. Praise

one nearby you and get involved!

women that you think are smarter than you. Why? To learn from their experience. Ask questions, learn and share your own journey.

Praising and cherishing other women abilities is an amazing

4. Become a Mentor

6. Find a Cause

way of expressing what you

Share your knowledge and guide

Empowering women is also

really mean when you say that

people through your experience.

empowering a cause. Be a role

she is fabulous. Praise is a one

Look for projects, organizations

model because the world needs

of the most empowering way to

or companies where mentoring

people who believe in changing

remind people of their qualities

is accessible and sign it up.

the word for better and want to

and value in the society.

make a difference.

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP?

by Candyce Costa

7. Help Women Get Connected with other Women Do not hesitate in introducing women in your network to each other and to make this link between them for potential collaboration. The more you offer, the more you get!

8. Encourage Young Women One of the biggest reasons a lot of girls won’t follow their dreams of being a coder, an engineer, an astronaut or a politician is due to the lack of encouragement. It is our job to reassure that going to the moon or studying how to build a bridge is definitely a “girl thing".

9. Start at Home Look around your family and friends to find girls who need your strength. They are the first who need your reassurance and stimulation and as a role model, value these women to recognize the value that they have.

10. Collaborate Surround yourself with people that has the same values and believe in collaboration.

What are you doing to support women around you?

Do you still think that as women, we have achieved equality?

If not, please share your thoughts with us and let’s start a conversation.

We are gathering outstanding women around the world that are accountable for making changes and support the next generation of girls to have a future that we contemplate as “equal” sharing not only responsibilities on the workplace but at home as well with family household tasks.

Candyce Costa

4 DOS & DON’TS OF SPEAKING AT WEB SUMMIT AND OTHER LARGE STAGES Whether it’s speaking just in front of a couple of people or thousands – sweaty palms, racing heart, forgetting what you wanted to say, we’ve all felt some level of nerves when speaking publicly. Recently we had the pleasure of attending Web Summit, one of the biggest tech conferences from around the world. There were many highlights from the trip and the conference itself (shout out to Booking.com for providing an awesome women in tech lounge!), but a perk was seeing great speakers live and in action. The event was a perfect case study of good examples of what to do to make a positive impact on stage – and one cautionary tale of what to watch out for. Here my top 4 dos & don’ts of speaking at Web Summit and other large stages: 1. Do make an entrance

Those first few moments on stage are the most nerve-wracking ones, but they are also the most important. So don’t waste them on thanking anyone, saying hi to the audience, or introducing yourself! David Nihill, who held a great talk on hacking public speaking, had these two great tips for making a memorable first impression: One, try to outsource the introduction of who you are to the moderator or someone else so you don’t need to cover it.

Two, you don’t need to memorize your whole talk, but do memorize the first 30 seconds of it. After that, your nerves will have calmed down and you’ll feel more confident on stage.

2. Don’t forget about people People notice how you treat people. So when you’re on stage, make sure you know the names of the people you are introducing or who introduced you. There were a few moments where speakers simply thanked “the moderator” or moderators had to read off cards who the next speaker was. The audience notices this, so make an effort to know the names of the people you’re sharing the stage with.

3. Do be an active participant in the conversation You might be on stage as a moderator instead of a speaker or panelist once in a while, and that can be a lot to deal with. Especially on a stage like Web Summit’s where talks are closely timed and the audience can submit questions.

Yet the most important bit is being an active participant and listening. Don’t just focus on the script of questions you want to get through! There was a moment where a moderator repeated a question that had already been asked by someone in the audience – don’t let that be you.

4. Do get up on that stage My most important takeaway: Don’t let fear, or nerves, or someone else stop you from getting on stage and sharing what you have to say. Women especially need to be seen and speak more on stage to not only inspire others about what is possible, but to also show they are capable and qualified to do big things. On the Women in Tech panel, Lindsey Turrentine from CNET said, “The more you talk about who you are, the more people can see that you are qualified to do what they do.” So make use of these tips or forget them all – in either case, make sure you get out there and make your voice heard.

That was also one of our favorite parts: Be it through Whatsapp or Facebook groups, Slack channels, or oldschool in person meeting, the women at Web Summit banded together. And that’s all we are about at CoWomen. We’re stronger together after all! And one of the things I’m most excited about our new location for the community club & coworking space in the Alte Muenze in Berlin-Mitte is that we’ll have more space to hold events and workshops to teach women skills to get the confidence to go out there and have their voices heard! If you haven’t yet, you can check out all the info on the crowdfunding campaign running until December 8th, where you can also become a CoWoman or support rising women: www.ConnectRisingCoWomen.com Kat Brendel is the cofounder of Berlin's first women's community & coworking space, CoWomen, and host the women's leadership podcast Leading Rebels where she interviews inspiring female leaders from around the world.

Having gained ample marketing experience in NYC, London, and Berlin, I also help organizations create clear and human-friendly messaging and content as a marketing and podcasting consultant. Find out more about me at www.katbrendel.com

Kat Brendel

Time to RISE and SHINE and leave Imposter Syndrome behind Shelly Elsliger is a Globally Recognized LinkedIn Trainer, Career Specialist, Confidence Coach - LinkedIn in High Heels Many people ask me how I came up with my signature workshop, “LinkedIn in High Heels: Rise Up and Lead Online”?

I have to say, I didn’t go looking for it, it came looking for me. I was at a Toronto Lean-In event and as I cam out of the restroom, in between speakers, I ran into a Lawyer who was curious to know more about my work as a LinkedIn Trainer. As I told her about how my intention is to use LinkedIn as an “empowerment tool” and to help diverse professionals (but especially women) find their voice and own their space online. After a brief discussion, it was not long before this credible, and highly recognized, female lawyer decided to tell me how she really felt about LinkedIn. Since I am always excited to talk about LinkedIn, I expected nothing but excitement to ring from her voice. But it was anything but! She explained how she decided to be unengaged because she could not see how she could effectively transfer her brand, her personality, her mission and vision, and her career story online-on LinkedIn! Many times, she had attempted to jump from her comfort zone into the “LinkedIn Abyss” but never quite made it pass so many of the negative and fearful feelings that were holding her back. She wondered if she ever would.

IMPOSTER SYNDROME Mike Pedler in “Leadership, Risk, and Imposter Syndrome” he recognizes “Imposter Syndrome” as a “condition where people find it hard to believe that they deserve any credit for what they may have achieved and, whatever their outward appearances, remain internally convinced they are frauds.” We chatted about this term, and I was surprised to hear that she felt too unfamiliar with this online networking life; feeling unable and incapable of living up to her own standards and successfully able to show she has all the answers.

It was evident that in the real world, she was not caught up in such a negative downward spiralling thought pattern.

She walked with grace and power, answered questions without pause, owned her space, and was regarded as the woman lawyer you need to know! Online, her profile, was a mere skeleton of the Lawyer and amazing woman, I met that night at Lean-In. EVERYONE IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO FEELING LIKE AN IMPOSTER ONLINE After meeting the Lawyer, I decided to interview several women, from diverse industries and in diverse roles, and found one thing that was very prevalent: many women who can embrace their success, and stop comparing the themselves to others offline, have not necessarily managed the art online. For some, it is almost like going back to the basics and working up enough courage and strength to start such a journey again. For many, the path of career advancement had not been easy, and some were just simply not up to doing it again; especially since the online path seemed that it would even present more barriers to cross.

It was interesting to talk with these women and discover the feelings they possessed and the thought about taking their respective leadership styles on LinkedIn:

1. “Online presents some limitations” 2. “I can’t be myself!”

3. “I don’t know how to be a leader online” 4. “I don’t know who else is out there” 5. “I am scared my credibility won’t shine through the noise” 6. “I am scared to ruin my reputation” 7. “I don’t know what to say or how to say it” 8. “I don’t know where to start”

9. “Failure is not an option” 10. “I can’t express success” 11. “Sometimes I don’t feel I deserve it” 12. “It’s too much work” 13. “I don’t have time” 14. “I just want to be me” 15. “I am scared to not do it right”

It was obvious that there was a lot of frustration, ambiguity, lack of trust, feelings of limitation and powerlessness, and just plain fear of the unknown.

LINKEDIN IN HIGH HEELS: RISE UP AND LEAD ONLINE IS ABOUT RISING ABOVE AND EMBRACING THE UNKNOWN The more interviews I did, the more I realized that my career as a LinkedIn Trainer, Confidence Coach, and Career Specialist, just had its calling and I could help advance women by helping them conquer Imposter Syndrome, write their career stories, and find their dedicated place and space on LinkedIn. 70% of us suffer from “imposter syndrome,” the feeling of being a fraud, according to the International Journal of Behavioral Science. Lean-In Canada came about from Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg who said, “Every time I was called on in class, I was sure that I was about to embarrass myself,” she writes in her book Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead. “Every time I took a test, I was sure that it had gone badly. And every time I didn’t embarrass myself — or even excelled — I believed that I had fooled everyone yet again. One day soon, the jig would be up.”

SOME TIPS TO HELP OVERCOME IMPOSTER SYNDROME Recognize that everyone has it at one time or another; even Sheryl Sandberg Become a positive self-talker-work with positive affirmations and hit the “stop” button when you feel that negative self-talk coming on Focus on being good to others in your network Recognize you are human and be human on LinkedIn #linkedinhuman Talk about your feelings with others-you would be surprised how have experienced the same feelings as you Show up and get used to the platform-set up a schedule that will allow you to touch base a few moments each day-Lurkers are usually referred to as lonely lurkers Take steps to change your narrative; it may not have anything to do with being on LinkedIn Believe you earned it and let people know that if they wish, they can do the same Write a Career Story that clearly shows who you are behind the title and the degrees

Eliminate “shoulds” because they do not add to your confidence No one is perfect and there is no perfection scale on LinkedIn Add content in a way that is helpful to your target audience Do not make it difficult for people to connect with you or get to know you Realize that being vulnerable is not a sign of weakness but rather a trait that can pull people towards you Engage people and be a great listener-take the focus of you Invest in the art of reciprocity Focus on providing value Write your story in first person because it is your storyown it!

Whenever you are on LinkedIn, immediately put on your leadership hat and realize that you have the power to be a leader, a guide, a mentor, an advisor, and / or a coach Keep in mind that LinkedIn is just the online version of you-so be the you, you want to be and practice until you get comfortable online

LinkedIn in High Heels aims at bringing women together so they learn how to motivate, inspire, and be the amazing leaders they were meant to be…ONLINE…and have some fun doing it!

Create with Simplicity We live today in a very different world than we were just a decade ago. Technological innovation has resulted in benefits such as websites being able to be launched in under 24 hours, the ability to reach millions of people through social media and access to over 30 million songs through a single app.

All of which comes for free, or at worst, less than the price of two cups of coffee per month. It’s therefore unsurprising to see how many entrepreneurial ideas are being discussed, executed and brought to life around us.

The downside of all this however, is a world that is increasingly messy with consumers often overwhelmed by the number of choices that face them. On the app stores for both Apple and Android customers, there are over 2 million apps available for download.

This is why simple, clean and easy-to-use products and services can be a powerful breath of fresh air in the marketplace.

Paul Graham once noted in a tweet that: “In a time of bad design, building something simple is a revolutionary act.”

In a study conducted by Google in 2012, researchers concluded that visually complex websites were rated as less loved by their simpler counterparts. Looking at the California-based technology firm’s search page, it is clear that they have embraced this since their inception in 1998.

Embracing the notion of simplicity and good design is thus critical and even more so in a world where people’s attention spans are getting ever shorter.

I’ve read from a number of sources that our average attention span is now shorter than that of a goldfish!

“Make your designs distinctively simple or be extinct.”

Achieving this however is harder than it looks. Simplicity is not just about the visuals and how minimalist something looks. It’s also very much about how it works and why it is being built in the first place.

Jonathan Ives, Chief Design Officer at Apple, noted that ‘you have to deeply understand the essence of a product in order to be able to get rid of the parts that are not essential’.

If your users are engaging with 20% of the features you offer 80% of the time, surely it makes sense to spend 80% of your time on the most important 20% of the product?

Building with simplicity at the heart of everything is particularly evident in the growth of Apple as a company. Their philosophy and approach triggered a design revolution and has inspired countless other companies to learn from their approach.

One of the fundamental drivers for this companyhas been to ensure that all of their products are intuitive to use no matter your background, knowledge of computers, or age.

In striving for simplicity, this must be balanced with keeping things human so as not to alienate users (think back to the Nokia 7280 handset released in 2005).

This concept of less is more is universal and has been widely discussed. Jason Fried, author of Rework, argues that the focus of all businesses must be on the epicentre of their products. He employs the simple analogy of a hot dog stand to help illustrate his thoughts: “If you’re opening a hot dog stand, you could worry about the condiments, the cart, the name, the decoration. But the first thing you should worry about is the hot dog. The hot dogs are the epicentre. Everything else is secondary.”

Ideas that are executed with the above in mind, end up delivering exactly what is promised through having empathy with the end user and the way they will interact with what is offered.

Slack for example, is increasingly becoming one of the main forms of communication between employees at companies that have embraced the application.

It has simplified the way internal teams communicate.

Despite all of the additional features of custom Emojis and Giphy integration, it is at its core a well-designed messaging system. It delivers a solid user experience on a consistent basis by encouraging collaborative office environments seamlessly across a variety of digital devices.

From the perspective of a consumer, simplicity in today’s society means that we can be more efficient with our time. With more and more clutter and information coming into our lives, digital devices, and desks, consumers seek refuge in things that help them be more productive.

The website zenpen.io appealed to me because of this and is what I used in putting this article together.

It is a writing tool that is as simple as the Google search homepage and with a focus on just one thing: getting your writing done without getting distracted.

Once you open the site, you can maximise the page to fill your screen. You are then presented with a blank canvas where you begin converting your thoughts to words. The result? I’ve found that I can accomplish more writing in half the time it took me before!

While I’ve discussed simplicity from the way we experience a product or service, I believe it is important that businesses also embrace this.

As Simon Sinek, TED speaker and author of Start with Why states: “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it”.

Instead of asking ‘WHAT should we do to compete?’ first, it would be wiser to begin with the question of ‘WHY do we exist?’

The bigger the why, the easier the how.

In addition to everyone being able to rally behind an inspiring vision, a company’s ability to succeed in the marketplace can also be determined by its willingness to strip away layers of bureaucracy, red tape and complex structures.

Building with simplicity should be an iterative process — a journey to refine and remove the non-essentials, while discovering better ways of doing thing along the way.

In your journey towards building your product and executing your ideas, take the wireframes and mockups further by applying the concept of simplicity and aspects of design thinking to ensure that the result is something that users can truly benefit from.

Every great vision requires an effective plan and execution strategy. By focusing on why you exist, what you do best, stripping out the unnecessary, you will be well on your way to creating a product that your customers will fall in love with.

Laurie Wang is Award-Winning Digital Marketing Consultant & Public Speaker Social Media & Content Marketing https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauriewang/

Laurie Wang

Events

Laurie Wang

L I S B O N Women in Tech® is an international non-profit organization with a double mission: to close the gender gap and to help women embrace technology. The organization focuses on 4 primary areas that are a call for action: Education, Entrepreneurship, Challenge, Awards. The aim is to educate, equip and empower women and girls with the necessary skills to succeed in STEM career fields. More than an organization, we are a movement representing all people – regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, class, age, sexual orientation, or disability status. We have members in 53 different countries.

We proudly joined as a media partner and I was invited to join the first "Women in Tech international Awards" that took place in Lisbon, on the 7th November and the gala was suberb ... a fantastic way to celebrate their achievements and determination in their respective fields: Fintech, LegalTech, EdTech, Smartcity, GreenTech, Comms, ArtTech, HealthTec, HRTEch, Science and FashionTech.

The Women in Tech® Awards Jury was a selection of women and men that are renowned experts in their specific domain: Silvina Moschini, Co-founder & President of Transparent Business, Founder & CEO of SheWorks!

Uwe Diegel, Keynote speaker, CEO, Venture Capitalist, HealthWorks Global, LifeInA, South-Africa, France Lisa Lang, CEO ThePowerHouse & ElektroCouture, Germany Brian Marrinan, Managing Partner, Journey Partners, Ireland Bejal Joshi, Founder and CEO International Women in Science, CEO Plush Communique Limited, UK, Switzerland Amleto Montinari, CEO and co-founder Fluttr, Italy, Spain Sophie Devonshire, CEO The Caffeine Partnership, United Kingdom Stéphane Couleaud, CEO Webmecanik, France Tee Ganbold, Director of Strategic Initiatives & Operations Intrepid Capital Partners, Mongolia and UK Adele Savarese, Chief Content Officer Ninja Academy, Italy Daria Vodopianova, Personal Branding & LinkedIn Strategist, Russia, Sweden Heikki Haldre, Chairman The Future of Retail Organisation, Estonia Mo Lishomwa, Director of Strategic Alliances, United Kingdom Bruno Nascimento, CEO & Co-Founder Barba Brada, Parqly, Portugal Dot Lung, Social Media Marketing Director & Founder 360VR.BARCELONA USA, Spain Ikrame El Bouayadi, Head of Marketing Twitter France, France

Ayumi Moore Aoki

THE WOMEN IN TECH WINNERS

Woman in FinTech: Jalak Jobanputra, FuturePerfect Ventures, USA. Woman in LegalTech: Alexandra Isenegger, Linkilaw, UK. Woman in EdTech: Aisha Bowe, STEMBoard, USA. Woman in SmartCity: Sandra Costa, Bosch, Portugal.

Woman in GreenTech: Polina Vasilenko, HelioRec, Russia.

Woman in Communications: Katrina German, Katrina.German, Canada.

Woman in ArtTech: Ksenia Ashrafullina, Invisible City, Portugal.

Most Promising Junior: Zest- A Branch of Young Enterprise, UK. Women in HealthTech: Tetiana Botsva, Devali,Inc, Ukraine.

Woman in HRTech: Pip Jamieson, The Dots Global, U.K. Best Inclusive Tech Company: Katerina Trajchevska, Adeva, Macedonia.

Women in Science: Sue Black, Comic Relie, UK Woman in FashionTech: Joanna Hir, 4D, UK/Poland (Top right to left)

DIGITAL BUSINESS WOMEN EMAGAZINE AT WEBSUMITT

WebSummit is the best web conference in the planet, according Forbes and I definetly agree. Over 70,000 people came to Lisbon, Portugal, for the WebSummit this year and we have met with CEOs and founders and the most promising new startups from around the world. The app is the perfect tool to make appointments, introducing yourself and check the agenda because you are going to need it. It had more than 800 speakers, talking about Artificial Inteligence, drones, robots, Customer Experience, Big Data, Sustanability, Growth. Investement, Fintech, Artech, EduTech, you name it!

It was my first time at the WebSummit and it is on my radar now, every single year! It was awesome!

For me in particular, I had a very strict agenda planned and I cannot thank you enough Women in Tech Lounge Team and the sponsor, Booking.com team. I have planned a Video Challenge Marathon to interviewing women from around the world in two different kind of videos: interview and pitch. More than 50 women contacted me and we booked 20 interviews during two afternoons.

Why I have decided to do this challenge? To start doing videos (if you dont know, I hate videos), to meet fantastic women who are changing their local, sometimes global, environment and support them via the emagazine. I also realised, after the challenge, that videos are not so scary so I have started a Youtube Channel and the challenge is now, officialy, an initiative for 2019. You can follow us here.

My takeaways from the WebSummit 1. Virtual Reality is now part of the marketing strategy. Not anymore something we expect to "see in the future" 2. Social Entrepreneurship is getting bigger and big companies are now developing new applications 3. Wearables. Big thing in MedTech at the moment.

4. When Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of internet, said “We have an obligation to look after both parts of the world – the online and the offline.”

5. More and more women - 44.5% of the attendees were women.

To ble able to really enjoy and do not get confused during the WebSummit - you are going to waste your time looking to the map or trying to find the right pavillion and get on time to the specific talk if you do not do your homework before its started. So this is my advise 1. Be clear with your goals - create a map for your daily plan to action.

It could be visiting a few stands, meeting some people that you can introduce yourself virtually first with a clear idea of why you two should meet, checking the talks and pavillions beforehand, having fund around Lisbon because there is a lot of satellites events like debates, parties and get together while WebSummit is happening.

2. Get out of your comfort zone.

You can meet the cool developer from this small and innovative startup to the billion company CEO because they are together in the same building during this event. Network, ask questions, go to events, do not miss out opportunities because you are comfortable (and safe!)

3. Do not forget to have water and some food. You are so busy walking. meeting, learning, connecting that you forget that you need water and food - I did!. Experience Portuguese food and eat bacalhau (cod) in so many different and absolutely exquisite ways. Also if you are a wine fan, do not forget Portuguese wine. It is the best!

My Highlights 1. My Video Challenge that gave the opportunity to connect with more than 50 women 2. Women in Tech Lounge - the vibe and the energy in that lounge was unbeliveable.

3. Mrs Lisa Jackson (photo), Apple Senior VP for the Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives saying " "We need more girls in tech, we need more women in tech."

4. Mrs Jacquelline Fuller, Google, said Google needed to do a "better job at creating a safe and inclusive workplace."

5. Test driving the BMW i8 coupe!

6. Mr Tim Berners-Lee (the inventor of the Internet) announcing his plans to save the web.

7. Women in Tech awards - our first event as Media Partner and first International Award 8. Wayve is crowned winner of PITCH at Web Summit 2018.

9. The Stockholm startup Furhat Robotics revealed their "social robot".

10. All coffee and croissants (Portuguese coffee is the best!)

Click in the buttons below for more video informations:

Watch The Video Challenge here Watch BMW Test Drive here

Watch Women in Tech WrapUp

Candyce Costa

L O N D O N Women in Data and Twenty in Data and Technology 2018.

The event took place at Central Hall, Westminster, one of the largest venues in central London and the organisers expected 1000 data practitioners during the day. The number of delegates at WiD has doubled year on year from its inception in 2015 at 125 attendees, to 1000 in 2018. A community that has grown to over 20,000 participants, featuring some of the most influential women in the data sector. They also announced the winners of the "Twenty in Data and Technology" in partnership with Edwina Dunn and "The Female Lead".

The delegates were welcomed by Roisin McCarthy and Rachel Keane, Co-founders of WiD and Payal Jain, Managing Director and Chair of Women in Data UK. Mrs Liz Truss, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, opened the event with a presentation on “The importance of women in data".

The first speaker in the Great Hall was Mrs Helen Hunter, Group CDO Sainsbury’s Group, presenting “Do less laundry: the empowering effect of agile applied analytics”. She spoke about her greatest challenge - implementing Agile in the company. She cited "the different disciplines that you have to manage, for example; working with farmers as fast as the product went off the shelves, and the interaction with the IT systems."

Helen also talked about her role in getting this data in order to drive the changes. She said: "We have a community of practitioners inside the group, what if the community could come together? Different approaches, different answers and the ability to tell stories challenging the company mindset to change."

After that, we were invited to move to other rooms if we wanted to join workshop sessions "Mango – Introduction to Python" and "Creating your own blueprint" with Kate Thompson. If not, we could stay in the Great Hall to follow "Public Sector Panel Session Citizen Data" with: Caroline Bellamy – CDO Ordnance Survey Johanna Hutchinson – CDO The Pensions Regulator Lauren Sager-Weinstein – CDO Transport for London Tabitha Goldstaub – Co-founder Cogniton X Jacky Wright – HMRC Moderator: Juliette Scott – NED HMRC

Ayumi

During this debate, they talked about public services collecting data to improve services and turning Big Data into valuable data to generate insight and understand customers better. Following on from this Payal Jain introduced Mrs Amanda Parker with "Notes to my future self." She discussed how proud and happy she was to find out that Jodie Whittaker is the new Dr Who. She said: "The new Dr. who is making grown women cry."

Then, she talked about "Sci-fi rules of engagement" and told us: "Avoid logic (avoid analysis) and suspend disbelief in favour of "instinct".

She encouraged us to reflect about ourselves asking: "What would your teenager self say to your adult self?" She shared the answer her youngest son gave to her: Â "Don't spend the money all at once." which made us laugh out loud, it was an amazing hour well spent with Mrs Parker!

After lunch, I decided to join JCURV and "Agile, a practical experience with JCURV." It was a fantastic workshop where we had the opportunity to explore different ways to work with a team combining our skills (a team that was formed there and then so none of us knew each other, quite a challenge!), finding how Agile accesses projects; breaking it into little steps, prioritizing them to continue delivering in short cycles instead of all in once. I worked hard all afternoon surrounded by smart women to deliver an eco-city at the end of the session.

After the tea break, we all returned to the Great Hall and Mrs Edwina Dunn, founder of The Female Lead, welcomed us to announce the "Twenty in Data and Technology". She explained that this years’ Twenty in Data and Technology will act as role models to encourage women in Data and Technology at every stage of their careers.

And the winners are: Anthea DeSyllas, Barbara Fusinska, Caroline Carruthers, Clare Mortimer,

Diana Akanho, Elizabeth Moorcroft, Helen Crooks, Helen Hunter,

Helen Louwrens Imogen Heap, Jackie Ronson, Lara Izian,

Lindsay Pellow, Magda Piatkowska, Maxine Mackintosh, Michelle Wong,

Natalie Jakomis, Nicola Klein, Tess Merkulova, Venty Gill.

It was so inspiring to see women standing up and celebrating each other! I truly believe this is one of the most important steps towards redressing the balance in the workplace. In my opinion, celebrating role models, taking action to encourage others and supporting initiatives that are braving the status quo will help to facilitate change for the future.

Thank you again Roisin and Rachel for the invitation. See you next year!

To know more, join and support Women in Data, please visit the website here.

LONDON OCTOBER 2019

A prosperous New Year for women in business Could 2019 be the most positive year yet for the female working population? There are certainly reasons for cautious optimism, as the barriers that might have previously prevented women from achieving success in business are slowly being addressed. From employment rates and the gender pay gap, to childcare costs and funding for start-ups, the latest statistics suggest there is a definite modicum of hope on the horizon.

According to a recent report by the Women’s Business Council (WBC) there has been a ‘significant shift’ in the experiences of women in the workplace during the last five years. An upward trend can be seen in several key areas.

Women in managerial roles increased from 32.8% in 2013 to 35.5% in 2018, the number of females in STEM occupations rose by 175,000 and the percentage of women who are self-employed is up by 2.7 percentage points.

The government appointed the WBC specifically to help maximise women’s contribution to the economy and level the playing field between women and men in the workplace. It’s not just moral pressure motivating the group.

Management consultancy firm McKinsey estimates that bridging the gender gap in work would add £150 billion to the UK economy by 2025.

Does that tell us the true state of play for women in business? The trends may demonstrate progression rather than regression, but these are still challenging times for the female working population. If we look at women’s enterprise, this is one area that offers great opportunity. However, it needs stronger development. Unfortunately, there’s been a drop in female entrepreneurial activity in recent years, with the WBC report citing several reasons for the decline.

These include a perceived lack of diverse role models, confidence in business skills and problems with access to finance.

It exposes a stark reality. Yet these vital issues can be tackled if supportive measures are put in place to encourage women back into business.

For the first time in the UK, there will be an entire exhibition dedicated to helping women in business in 2019. We are organising the inaugural event to recognise the important role that women play as innovators, owners and founders of British business. It is being championed by some of the highest profile female business role models, with Karren Brady and Michelle Mone already confirmed as key speakers at the two day event.

The aim is to support all women looking for business and back to work opportunities and give them the tools, ideas and inspiration to plan their next career move. There will be a strong focus on enterprise, with new business and franchise opportunities from local SMEs and major national brands exhibiting at the event. Currently, 25% of franchise owners in the UK are female, so there is a great deal of scope to encourage women into entrepreneurship and support their business start-ups.

We’ve deliberately chosen to host the Women in Business Expo outside of London, in a brand new exhibition space in Farnborough, Hampshire. As we want to give as many women as possible the opportunity to attend by offering free entry, free parking and a free professionally run crèche to allow mums with children time to focus on their career.

As 2019 beckons, it’s a time of reflection and resolutions for both businesses and individuals. For women considering the next chapter in their career the outlook should be positive. The WBC remains upbeat as it battles to transform workplace culture for women and there are opportunities on the horizon to help women succeed in business.

New year, new prospects and, potentially, a career of prosperity.

Register your interest!

We are Media Partners

Thank You!

Christie Day

Christmas Best Gift Under £100 1

1 2

PRACTICAL 1

1. Belkin Boost Up Wireless Charging Pad 7.5W – Wireless Charger for SmartPhones. £49.99 2. NOVETE Fast Wireless Charger, QiCertified 10W Fast Wireless Charging. £ 16.99

1

3

6

4

3. ESR Wireless Charger, [10W Metal Frame] £34.99 4. All-new Echo Dot (3rd Gen) Smart speaker with Alexa. £49.99

6

GADGETS 5 5. Tile Style Key Finder, Phone Finder, Anything Finder - Champagne £29.99 6. PARROT Mambo Mission Drone with Flypad Controller & FPV Goggles Bundle - Black & White £ 79.99

Christmas Best Gift Under £100 1 7

7. EDESTEK V4 VR, Eye Protected HD Virtual Reality Headset w/Controller, Touch Button £32.99 8. FitBit Alta HR Fitness Wristband from £79.99 9. Plantronics BackBeat 500 Wireless Headphones £ 81.00

8

8

4

10. AKASO Brave Action Camera Ultra HD Underwater Waterproof Camera £ 89.99

9

6

ONE MORE...

10 10

12 11. ECOSUSI Women Satchel Backpack Soft PU Leather Laptop School Rucksack with Small Purse. £39.99 12. A good time to be a girl by Helena Morrissey. Kindle £8.99 13. You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero Kindle £2.99 11

13

THANK YOU! To all of you that made 2018 a fantastic year! You helped us with your energy, your support, kind words, positivism, ...

You gave us your time, attention, smiles, that necessary "you can do it", ...

The number of people touched by your journey, expertise and experience is so valuable ...

For you that joined our events, news, emagazines ... there is no words to say how grateful I am that you have said YES! You empower my own journey ... and I can only say Thank You! 2019 will be a year of challenges, another one, but I will have another reason to keep going, learning from my mistakes and giving my 100%, Digital Business Women was a dream.

Now it is a reality.

Articles Owning Motherhood Like a Boss Who Uses WeChat and Why is WeChat so Popular in China?

Equal Pay Day - Does it matter?

Gender and Women in Tech in Academia: why we really need to talk about it.

Women Empowerment What can you do to help?

4 dos & don’ts of speaking at Web Summit and other large stages Time to RISE and SHINE and leave Imposter Syndrome behind Create with Simplicity Christmas * Best Gift Under £10

Events THE WOMEN IN TECH Awards WINNERS Digital Business Women emagazine at websumitt Women in Data and Twenty in Data and Technology 2018 A prosperous New Year for women in business

Before you go...

From next year, we are starting a new website where you can follow us between the emagazines. We are going to offer continuos support and encouragement but we need your help: to spread the word, to finnancially support us and endorse our work!

What we are looking for?

Collaboration with other Women Groups and Inniciatives Partnership with Companies who aligned with our mission

Support sharing our content - the emagazine, Youtube Channel, Podcast ...

Introduce us to others in your network and like, share and comment (engage!)

What can I do?

You can stand up and join our "Raise your Profile 2019" You can introduce us to someone You can sign up for our newsletter and follow in social media You can support our content engaging And you can take part in our events, pledges and crownfunding.

Do you have any other idea? Let's us know :)

Find us www.digitalbusinesswomen.com

Digital Business Women eMagazine is changing because we need to grow!

What we offer...

We profile amazing women around the world involved in Digital and Tech - running their own business or climbing the career ladder right up to the top.

We offer a few business opportunities like eMagazine and Website Advertising, Social Media coverage, Sponsored Articles, Giveaways and Events Sponsorship (online and offline), Editorial Sponsorship, ShoutOuts and Influencers specific on LinkedIn and the eMagazine.

The eMagazine features interviews, inspirational advice, recommendations and business articles.

We are also incorporating a new website & blog, monthly newsletter and Youtube Channel as well Instagram and Twitter account. From February, we are launching a podcast and webinars to inspiring and motivate you weekly with a reality check to give you confidence and support all year along.

eMagazine Advertising, Website Advertising, Social Media coverage, Sponsored Articles, Giveaways and ShoutOuts, Speakers and Influencers, Events Sponsorship (online and offline), Editorial Sponsorship, Monthly newsletter, Podcast and webinars.

Contact us

Find us www.digitalbusinesswomen.com