WOMEN MAKING INDIANA
SHINE BRIGHT Get to know these brilliant and empowering women By Mary Farucci
Thresette Briggs
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Thresette is passionate about helping women achieve their highest performance. Her company provides keynotes, training, facilitation and coaching so women “will have the right mindset, the right opportunities and the right culture to do so.” Having firsthand experience with poverty, the near loss of her physical voice and a lack of confidence and self-esteem inspires Thresette to help others find the tools to overcome them. What she enjoys most about what she does is getting to use her spiritual gifts and strengths every day, seeing significant transformations in the leaders and companies her business helps, and the absolutely wonderful people in her tribe. “Identify and use your gifts and strengths,” she says. “By doing so, you’ll have the most impact on everything you do and everyone you touch. And you’ll be in the best position to help others.” Thresette believes that sisters give us strength when we don’t have any. They lift you out of the darkest valley and applaud you when you’re shining. “You know they have your back and they keep you on track. There’s nothing like a strong, supportive sisterhood.” Most importantly, she adds, “Be uniquely you, you won’t get anything original from an echo.”
Mariah Oliver
Mariah, founder of Boss Babe Network, has been able to use her platform to uplift and empower women in a variety of ways. She holds events to connect boss women, incorporates blog contributions to educate on related topics, and provides opportunities for women-owned businesses to showcase themselves. Mariah has had to overcome many things, but she has found her biggest obstacle to be “imposter syndrome” and is overcoming it by reminding herself that she is deserving of everything that comes to her. “Positive affirmations can truly be useful!” Mariah exclaims. And she keeps what drives her close by, as her biggest inspiration is her older sister, Whitney, whose character inspires her professionally and personally. Mariah says she finds the most fulfillment when she meets ambitious entrepreneurs, hears their “why”, and gets to work with them in some capacity. She believes that you can truly do anything you put your mind to, as long as you take the leap with passion and discipline and, as she puts it, “don’t over think it!” Mariah understands that we, as women, face many unique challenges daily and believes the most valuable benefit of sisterhood is being reminded that we are not alone. “No matter what you are going through, there ARE other women out there that can relate to you and offer support.” And remember, “be yourself; the rest will follow.”
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Gloria tries to help people see the good in everything, even in the darkest of situations. She likes to radiate joy through her smile and make people laugh. Raised in a low-income household, Gloria says there were times when she didn’t have a whole lot and resources were scarce, but her mother and grandmother always had a way of doing a lot with a little. “As a student affairs educator working at a Black Culture Center and teaching freshman students, I get the best seat in the house when it comes to watching students grow and develop,” she says. “My Black students in particular are incredibly special. I mentor a lot of them, and I love to witness their journeys. The successes, the growing pains, all of it. It’s such a joy to support them and to learn from them.” For Gloria, sisterhood is magical. For Black women in particular, she believes sisterhood can transform so many aspects of our lives, including how we think, which is so critical to how we act. “True sisterhood is one of the best demonstrations of love. It exudes compassion, joy and the capacity to weather any storm,” she says. “Value integrity and don’t let anyone or anything cause you to compromise that.”
EVOLVING
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Gloria Howell
