THE
10MOST
SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSWOMEN TO WATCH, 2022
Dream Big You Got This! Championing Leadership Traits of Successful Businesswomen
SHARON VINDERINE Changing the way consumers shop.
Founder And CEO PTPA Media
VOL-02 | ISSUE-06 | 2022
www.insightssuccess.com
Editor’s Desk T
Resolving Problems with Excellent Problem Solving Skills
he basic longing to live with dignity, the fundamental desire to have control of our lives and our futures, and to want to be part and parcel of determining the course of our nations and our communities is natural in every living entity. These longings are universal, and they burn in every civilized human heart. The path of entrepreneurship is a dignified way to make a difference in the world in our way. It gives us a sense of freedom, autonomy to run our business, and a good platform to contribute to the world. The path of entrepreneurship offers everyone an equal opportunity to make their unique contribution to the world. Entrepreneurship is a great level playing field. It does not make any discrimination between whether you are a male or a female leader. If you have the right skillsets and approach, you can be the most successful business leader, and gender does not make any difference. Gender is no longer a criterion to being a successful business leader. That being said, the essential traits required to be a successful entrepreneur are passion, perseverance, the right attitude, unwavering resilience, and proactiveness. Today, women possess every above-mentioned trait and are bringing drastic transformation to the business world. Their natural desire to contribute best to the world makes them great business leaders. They have the great emotional intelligence to connect with the communities and make a difference in people's lives through their businesses. Today, businesswomen who are regarded as successful are the ones who trust themselves, reduce fear, strategize their goals, build a solid team and deliver better business results. They ensure decent growth and well-being of everyone with their progressive, decisive, and action-oriented approach.
The best part about these businesswomen is they ensure the dignity of everyone in their offices, empower their employees and give them more control over their lives and their future. They become an essential part of the community by being an excellent problem solver. They guide other women leaders to pursue the path of their choice and inspire courageous spirit in them to be successful in the path of their choice. Educated business decisions are the need of the hour. Successful businesswomen make very intelligent and informed decisions to lead their businesses in the right direction with the right speed. They take calculated risks and never get trapped in their comfort zone or complacency. They constantly challenge themselves and take their businesses to the next level. They are passionate about their work and always strive to deliver something of value to the world. In this edition of "The 10 Most Successful Businesswomen to Watch 2022", we have enlisted women leaders that are contributing substantially to the businesses using their most admirable qualities. Delve into the inspiring stories of these businesswomen and also make sure to go through CxO standpoints and insightful articles written by our in-house editorial team. Have a Pleasant Read!
Sharad Chitalkar sharad@insightssuccess.com
Cover Story
08
Sharon Vinderine Changing the WayConsumers Shop
24
Articles
Dream Big You Got This!
34
cxo
Leader’s Viewpoint
Samantha Woodham On COVID-19 for Legal Industry
42
Championing Leadership
Traits of Successful Businesswomen
CONT
ENTS
16 Cloé Caron
Guiding Leaders to De velop their True Potential
20 Eileen Willett
Giving Women Confidence Through Luxurious Clothing
26 Elissa Weimer
Training Your Dog to be PAW-SOME
30 Jillian Weston
An Astute Digital Marketer Leading with Relatability and Empathy
38 KarinaTiwana AnArdentLegalProfessional ExemplifyingPassionateLeadership
44 Sherry Blinkhorn
An Accomplished Real Estate Broker and a Passionate Advocate for the Mentally Ill
Editor-in-Chief Hitesh Dhamani Managing Editor Anish Miller
Executive Editor Sharad Chitalkar
Assistant Editors Jenny Fernandes
Visualizer
Art & Design Director
Associate Designer
Co-designer
David King
Vishal Pawar
Shyam Sonawane
Revati Badkas
Senior Sales Manager
Business Development Manager
Kshitij S
Peter Collins
Marketing Manager
Sales Executives
John Matthew
David, Martin, Irfan
Technical Head
Business Development Executives
Jacob Smile
Steve, Joe, Saurabh
Technical Specialist Aditya
Digital Marketing Manager Marry D'Souza
SME-SMO Executive Amol Wadekar
Research Analyst Frank Adams
Database Management Stella Andrew
Circulation Manager Robert Brown
Technology Consultant David Stokes
sales@insightssuccess.com FEBRUARY , 2022
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Featured Person
Company Name
Brief
Alicia Asin Perez, Co-founder and CEO
Libelium libelium.com
Libelium Cloud is the software platform that allows the management of an IoT project from the beginning to the end.
Anna Warren, CEO
Acrelec acrelec.com
Acrelec is a global technology company focused on reinventing the customer experience for restaurant and retail brands.
Cloe Caron, President & Founder
o2Coaching o2coaching.ca
o2coaching strongly believes that any person or organization can acheive its goals by adopting simple fundamental shifts in mindset, attitude and behaviour.
Elissa Weimer, Owner & Professional Trainer
Paw & Order Dog Training pawandorder.com
Paw & Order Dog Training offers certified dog training programs that are tailored to the individual dog and are successful with all breeds, ages, and temperaments.
Ellen Ryan Mardiks, Chairman
GOLIN golin.com
GOLIN is a global public relations agency that helps companies create change that matters.
Jillian Weston, Owner/ Founder
Jillian's Circus jillianscircus.com
Jillian’s Circus is a full-service online marketing agency.
Karina Tiwana, Vice President, Legal
Infinera infinera.com
Infinera is a global supplier of innovative networking solutions.
Sharon Vinderine, Founder & CEO
PTPA Media Inc ptpa.com
Parent Tested Parent Approved is a parent-based, familyoriented community.
Sherry Blinkhorn, Broker/Owner
Blinkhorn Real Estate Ltd blinkhornrealestate.com
Blinkhorn Real Estat implements innovative technologies and offers virtual reality tours and drone videography to enhance the listings services.
Shelby Thomas, CEO & Director of Research
Ocean Rescue Alliance oceanrescuealliance.org
Ocean Rescue Alliance (ORA) is a marine conservation and restoration non-profit organization.
Cover Story
Sharon Vinderine Founder and CEO PTPA Media
The 10 Most Successful Businesswomen to Watch, 2022
Sharon Vinderine
Changing the Way Consumers Shop By leveraging our audience of more than 3,000 influencers and over 200,000 moms, we build credibility, trust, and of course, sales for your brand.
C
onsumerism has changed our world drastically. A new product finds its way onto the devices in your home and every billboard on your morning commute. You can't escape it. Add in a bit of Globalism, and it is easy to see how the average family has been inundated with poor quality products. This is how Sharon Vinderine started her most recent entrepreneurial journey. Sharon is the Founder and CEO of Parent Tested Parent Approved Media (PTPA Media), a company transforming the consumer journey for millions of families. PTPA Media's goal is to put manufacturers in the hot seat by empowering families to be the judge as to whether a product earns the Parent Tested Parent Approved seal. Sending products directly to parents for free, families can judge products in the only testing ground that matters - their home. Inspired by her vision to evolve the way we shop, we caught up with Sharon to learn more about the humble beginnings of PTPA and how she transformed her business into the success that it is today. Below are the excerpts from the interview: Brief our audience about your journey as a business leader until your current position at PTPA media. I’ve always considered myself a serial entrepreneur. I actually launched the first wireless internet company in Canada in the 90’s, which I sold after the birth of my first child. My next major launch was a baby products company, which coincided with my time as a new mom – it was an interesting position to be in, because while I was struggling to find the right ways to gain traction for my own product line, I was also acutely aware of how important and confusing it was to find the right products for my own kids as a first-time parent. It’s very easy to get caught up in the notion that the most expensive products, or the products with the flashiest promotional campaigns are the must-have products. But after being disappointed with the quality and value provided by some of the choices I had made, I quickly realized the best recommendations I received – the ones that were right on the money, were the ones recommended to me by my peers - other parents – who gave real, honest, unbiased reviews. Those were the products I ended up trusting and relying on most.
As I was making these realizations, to enhance the launch of my own company, I had entered my kids' product line into an awards program that promised promotional opportunities, brand awareness and research that would provide valuable insights to me as a product developer. I spent thousands of dollars and won the award, but the results were underwhelming, with very minimal insights that would actually help me grow my brand. This was all it took to light my entrepreneurial fire. From that point, I began to imagine a concept where I could bring my experience as a new parent and the shopping experience together. What if one could walk into a store and at-a-glance, pick a product off a shelf, knowing that it really was the best choice for their family? Of course, we can’t go shopping with 20 of our best friends, but if there was a symbol to show that people just like me truly believed in this product, well, that was the next best thing, right? And that’s how our Parent Tested Parent Approved seal and community were born. What challenges have you had to overcome to reach where you are today? When you’re a small business, your company is only as strong as the people behind it. Building a team of entrepreneurial-minded colleagues who truly believed in PTPA’s vision took some trial and error, especially considering that building a small business may not come with the same promises of career advancement more typical corporate environments can offer. It took some time, but finding the people who not only understand the value of the service we are providing, but the potential impact we can have as well, was and is worth the effort.
At PTPA Media, we are proud to play a role in certifying innovative products that families can trust.
Another core challenge I found was generating initial awareness for the PTPA seal itself. I literally invented a seal out of thin air and then had to build credibility around it for consumers, while convincing businesses that they wanted and needed it on their products in order to move their businesses forward. To drive awareness, I relentlessly pursued print and broadcast media. In fact, my very first TV segment, was on one of the country’s leading National morning shows at the time, and was approved by a Senior Producer who finally relented and offered me the spot if I promised to stop emailing her. Of course, one TV segment turned into highly anticipated monthly segments, which to date has turned into over 300 TV Shows positioning me as a trusted expert and building unprecedented awareness for the seal, which ultimately led to buy-in from multiple major national and boutique brands. Tell us something more about PTPA and its mission and vision. With our unique Seal-of-Approval program, our goal is to put the very best products into the hands of North American families and our community, comprising more than 200,000 members. These families are committed to giving honest, constructive product reviews to benefit parents and businesses alike. In order to earn our seal, products go through rigorous reallife testing in North American households and are critiqued based on factors that really matter to parents – not just the bells and whistles. Parents know that if a product has the PTPA seal, we’ve already cut through the clutter for them and found the best option in the category in terms of value, functionality, quality and more. On the flipside, partnering with us allows businesses to establish credibility and trust and potential for growth, through valuable feedback from real families. It’s truly a win-win for all. Investing in our communities and supporting each other as parents has also always been one of our objectives. We’re proud to share that to-date, we’ve given away more than 1 million dollars worth of product, which is something we are very proud of. Enlighten us on how you have made an impact in the brand building niche through your expertise in the market. Well, we created a seal out of thin air, that became a leading symbol of trust in the marketplace. It became as trusted a resource for product endorsement as a recommendation from your very best friend! We have helped businesses grow not only through earning our coveted Parent Tested
Parent Approved seal of approval, but also via additional exposure we have provided them through media coverage on over 300 television shows, cross promotion and more. We’ve also opened the door not just for big brands with big budgets to help stand out from the crowd, but also for smaller entrepreneurs whose ideas may have been born at kitchen tables between nap times, but are no less relevant and valuable. They are entrepreneurs, just like us, with big ideas and big dreams, and we are thrilled to be a part of their journey. Describe in detail the values and the work culture that drives your organization. We believe that consumers truly know best when it comes to what they need for their families - they are the toughest critics and to work with us, you really need to believe that and respect it. Our team is made up of entrepreneurial-minded critical thinkers who wear many hats. Everyone knows their role, but they are also committed to evolving the team and company on a grander scale. We’ve been around for 15 years, yet we operate with the mindset of a start-up – we’re nimble and we’re constantly looking for ways to evolve, while maintaining the integrity of our core values. Undeniably, technology is playing a significant role in almost every sector. How are you leveraging technological advancements to make your solutions resourceful? We’re currently in the process of developing a tool that will amalgamate our consumer data and purchasing trends and convert it to an (AI) Artificial Intelligence-based platform to provide even more insights for brands and products. Insights such as data on target demographics and potential success in key markets, in addition to more grassroots product functionality preferences. This platform will offer unparalleled insights for manufacturers looking to develop new products, in addition to those looking to improve existing products based on trending consumer demands. If given a chance, what change would you like to bring in the marketing industry? As influencer culture continues to grow, and sponsored content overshadows editorial, we stand by our desire to be honest, authentic and trustworthy. We hope to demonstrate our leadership through these values and encourage companies to look beyond likes and followers when sourcing collaborations for partnerships that can truly help grow businesses with integrity for the long term.
What, according to you, could be the next big change in the business development industry? How is PTPA preparing to be a part of that change? We believe in the return of authenticity and honesty in the marketplace and we are already walking the walk, not just talking the talk. Consumers are smart and we need to earn their trust before we can earn their dollars. The most valuable tool a company can have today is honesty and transparency. Our entire business model was created from just that and our seal and community have grown rapidly because of it. We’re also exploring the expansion of our awards program into new categories, and growth through new partnerships like our most recent one with Newsweek and many more on the horizon! Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run and what are your future goals for PTPA? With the power of our seal and access to our consumer and product data, we believe that every brand that wants to stand out from their competition should be looking to earn the Parent Tested Parent Approved seal as an essential component of their launch strategy. Another long-term goal is to partner with a larger media conglomerate in the family and parenting space, and position our community and program offerings as an ideal hub for content creation, video and TV production and more! What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the marketing sector? There is a perception that being an entrepreneur is glamorous, and that good ideas sell themselves. But the idea is just one piece of the puzzle. You have to really believe in what you’re doing, not just on the good days, but the bad days too – and there will be lots of bad days. That belief system is going to be what pushes you day in and day out. Surround yourself with team members who believe in you and your company’s success – but know that they also rely on you, which can bring a high level of anxiety as things change day to day. Ultimately, creating and growing your own business takes lots of work, every day, but if you’ve got that dream brewing inside you, there is no end to the pride and excitement you can open yourself up to by giving it your best shot.
The 10 Most Successful Businesswomen to Watch, 2022
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Eileen Willett
Giving Women Confidence Through Luxurious Clothing
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eadership is almost always associated with strength, force, power and ambition - all traits that translate easily to the battlefield, believes Eileen Willett, the Co-Founder at Cucumber Clothing. According to Eileen, these important traits should be possessed by every leader, but equally important are those of empathy, emotional intelligence, integrity, vision and humility. The combination of all these traits together allows for a rounded leadership, one that allows for the strength of dissention, resilience in the face of discord and ultimately success of the team as a whole. In an interview conducted between Eileen and Insights Success, she sheds light on her entrepreneurial journey and how she headed Cucumber Clothing to reach where it is today. Below are the highlights of the interview: How do you diversify your organization’s offerings to entice the target audience? At Cucumber, we are proud for what we stand for, this includes our strong commitment to sustainability and our support for women at all stages of their lives. We believe this can be seen in our dedication to customer service that encompasses personal follow ups to all enquiries, as well as ensuring that the products we offer are the ones our customers want. We do this through constant attention to where our sales lie, as well as reaching out to our wonderful customer base by email, social media and focus groups. What roadblocks or challenges were faced by you in a corporate business? And how did you overcome them? Every business faces multiple stumbling blocks, from the small irritations of an email being bounced back to more serious ones that affect customers or cash flow. We have
had our fair share of challenging moments. One of the most serious was our first foray into outsourcing fulfillment. At great cost we moved all our stock to a distant warehouse and entrusted a fulfillment company to send out our orders. With strict instructions as to how to pack, how to label to try and ensure a seamless continuation of our five star customer service we were dismayed and then horrified to find that customers were receiving the wrong items, double orders and some orders marked ‘shoes’ (we do not make shoes). We quickly moved back in house, lesson learned. According to you, what essential traits should a business leader possess to thrive in any given competitive market? The world of business shares some characteristics with the world of academe. With a goal to achieve (read thesis) one of the key supports is the undertaking of deep and serious research. These investigations must cover competitors, data analytics, new material and manufacturing technology, the latest social media and online technology to name but a few areas. A keen interest in facts and figures is an absolute essential for a successful business leader. Working in vacuum is not realistic, however brilliant an idea may be, it has to reside in the real world. Where are you focusing your energy now, and where do you hope to make an impact next? The background to business of the last twelve months has been one of chaos and bewilderment, to put it mildly. No sector has been untouched and fashion and retail have been on a what feels like a high speed roller coaster ride. With this in mind we have spent much of the past year focusing on the consolidation and reorganization of our business to ensure that as the world begins to open up, we will be ideally placed to benefit. Right now we are focusing our energies in creating new supply lines, accelerating the
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The 10 Most Successful Businesswomen to Watch, 2022
Eileen Willett Co – founder Cucumber Clothing
‘‘
Cucumber means clothes that give women confidence.
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widening of our routes to market and investing in marketing. We aim to continue increasing our market share nationally and internationally. What is your idea of impactful leadership? What style of leadership do you personally prefer and have implemented within your team at Cucumber Clothing? Following on from leadership traits above, for me personally, impactful leadership is a troika led by inspiration, vision and emotional intelligence. A leader must have the original vision. This is what every cog in the business ultimately is working towards achieving. A successful leader must also be able to inspire passion for this vision, both within themselves and their team. Finally, a business is a community. How we treat and interact with those within that community will always play a major role in how that community functions. To be able to lead, to be able to have an impact as a leader, draws on deep wells of emotional intelligence. A leader must be able to gauge and understand each employee’s strengths and weaknesses. They must be able to utilise the former and improve the latter. What is emotional intelligence other than a type of kindness? An acknowledgement that we are all different and all have a role to play. A true leader is understands this instinctively. What have you envisioned for your organization’s future, with regards to your role at Cucumber Clothing and for your personal ambitions as well? At Cucumber we are keen to be recognized as a brand leader in sustainable, luxury leisurewear that empowers women. Quite a mouthful, but we have been ploughing all our energies into making this happen and feel we have come a long way since our launch only three years ago. On a personal note, I am very keen to become more involved in leveling the playing field for those of a diverse background entering the
start-up world. I am a featured member of i:Entrepreneur, a campaign celebrating, championing and shining a light on small businesses founded by entrepreneurs of diverse backgrounds; a founding member of the Allbright Diversity and Inclusion Committee, as well as a shortlisted candidate for the 2020 Asian Women of Achievement Awards. Finally, after a year of global turbulence, what I really wish for is a future of peace where we can spend time with those we love and hug them once again.
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Dream Big
You Got This! hat are you passionate about? Sports, business, travel, movies, poetry, photography, writing? For some people leading is also a passion, and in my humble opinion, it takes a lot of effort to lead. Leading is a continuous process of improvement. Today, conventional leading practices are not enough for leaders as they need to stay ahead of the competition. Leaders with a passion learn and gain knowledge and implement them into their business practices. These practices come in handy but work best when the mortgage industry comes into the picture.
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loans to financial guidance had to be done online. Women leaders offered the perfect solutions in such situations with their innovative technological setup. And we felt the importance of having versatile women leadership through this situation, as it stood tall in such a critical situation. To grow in the financial and mortgage industry, the goal you started as a leader is important; that's what sets the culture of leadership for others. Being in the financial and mortgage field is a demanding and responsible cause; it is an act of building the future roadmap for the organization and the clients.
Leaders, especially women, have impacted the sector worldwide in the mortgage space by creating a dent in the universe with their immense knowledge and passionate drive. They have helped the clients by providing a personalized approach, resolving their client's concerns with their skillset and dedication. So, if you are concerned about your financial and mortgage issues, women leaders will give you the best guidance, wise lessons and will be a perfect fit for your financial problems.
With technological innovation, women in the mortgage will be the next big thing in the industry. The results speak for themselves; it is a field where continuous improvement is necessary to revalue their progress and, more importantly, the organization.
The Greater Responsibility Everybody speaks about the problem; no one talks about the solution. So, it is not about what the world holds for us, but what business leaders bring to the world. Businesswomen always show the will to learn new things and are flexible to nurture the employees, clients, and mortgage companies. And their influence can already be seen on the people, which is truly inspiring. Of course, the industry is filled with challenges, and these women can face them head-on.
Embracing Talents Gaining all the experience, every passing day, we can say the best is yet to come, and the mortgage industry as a whole will be a strong force for women leadership is not just mortgage, but the entire industry as a whole. The nextgeneration women leaders will have a lot to learn and catch up with, and there is no doubt they will shine in every aspect of their work.
Doing the Right Thing
So, dream big; the sky is the limit in the mortgage, as the field is full of opportunities, and make the mortgage your own. Lastly never, let anyone tell you how what to do, have the courage to take risks instead of just thinking about it because whatever the result it will always be, you will be proud of it. Keep punching above weight; that's the platform you want to set for the next-generation women leaders.
The covid pandemic has changed the mortgage industry drastically because the entire workings from providing
Be involved; the world waits for such creative women's minds in the mortgage industry.
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The 10 Most Successful Businesswomen to Watch, 2022
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Elissa Weimer Training Your Dog to be PAW-SOME
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f you are a pet owner, you may understand that the bond between a dog and owner is impeccable. You might have come across several videos on social media where a dog is happy, carrying out his shenanigans, spreading smiles on millions of faces. However, many efforts go into training these dogs, considered as an essential part of canine companionship. Elissa Weimer takes dog training to her heart to deepen the bond between the owner and the dog to widen their smile. Elissa is the Owner of Paw & Order Dog Training and is a Professional Trainer, with numerous certifications to her name. Through Paw & Order, she offers professional, balanced, dog training and behavioral problem solving throughout the Pittsburgh area. Paw & Order recently expanded its reach to Southwest Florida, Houston, TX, and Central Ohio through franchising.
different feeling than seeing an agent or police officer at your door. I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur, but I did not know where to start. I spent a long time figuring out what I was good at and realized I am good at teaching people. I just had to decide what I would be excited to teach! I realized that I love animals and that they had the power of making people feel good in so many ways. I realized that so many people have dogs, so I decided to shadow many other dog trainers and attended a ton of schools to learn as many techniques as possible to help people ENJOY their dogs. To this day, I continue to learn and better myself and my team of trainers to help as many people as possible. We not only continue our education with behavioral problems, but also
Insights Success caught up with Elissa in our endeavor to find “The 10 Most Successful Businesswomen to Watch 2022” and talked about how she is instilling pride in dog owners, as well as making dogs safer in the community as a whole! Below are the highlights of the interview: Brief our audience about your journey as a business leader until your current position at Paw & Order Dog Training. What challenges have you had to overcome to reach where you are today? I joined the military right out of High School. Being a Military Policewoman led me to the path I am on now. During college, I acquired a paid internship with the Attorney General’s office and later with the Federal Bureau of Investigations on their Violent Drug and Gang squad in Philadelphia, PA. After two years of interning there, I applied for a Special Agent position, but quickly realized that just was not what I genuinely wanted to do for the rest of my life. I wanted to help people and wanted people to be excited when they saw me arrive at their homes—a FEBRUARY | 27 | www.insightssuccess.com
“We pride ourselves on solving behavior problems and teaching good behaviors for the long term, not just for the moment. We will investigate and solve your dog's behavior problems.” with other areas of dog training such as trick training, Therapy Dog Training, Canine Good Citizen, agility training, large field socialization classes, and K9 Detection training (my Belgian Malinois and I won 1st Place Narcotics at last year’s Police K9 Competition in Kentucky). We realized how much we have to offer and how unique our company is that we decided it was time to franchise in 2019! Tell us something more about your company and its mission and vision. Paw & Order’s mission is to improve the lives of as many families as we can by providing quality and effective individualized dog training. Our vision is to continue spreading Paw & Order nationwide and have an amazing training program to ensure that the quality of our local Pittsburgh market is mirrored in every major city in the United States. We train our trainers to the highest standards and treat our employees like family. All our trainers are extremely valuable to us, and we make sure that they are well taken care of. It builds their loyalty to our brand, making them want to work even harder to ensure that our clients are happy and excited to refer us to their family and friends. Enlighten us on how you have impacted the training niche through your expertise in the market. Our training is unique to each dog and family. We have also made training simple and effective for families and dogs. So often, we hear that “my dog will only listen if I am holding treats or the leash/some other piece of training equipment.” Or a client will say that their dog knows all basic commands (sit, down, come, stay) but will not do it when there are other distractions around or the environment does not look the same every time for the dog. Dogs do not generalize things well and need hundreds of repetitions in as many situations as possible to reliably understand what you are asking them to do. We have mastered our communication with dogs and their owners to
train SIMPLE. We have found that overloading our clients with a bunch of training jargon that means nothing to them is not helpful. Dog owners want their dog to be a good family dog they can trust and be proud of! They are not competing in shows with their dog where they need to learn fancy tricks and unrealistic positions to their family situation (there is nothing wrong with competitions, but most pet owners do not care about that). Most people do not have perfect timing when it comes to communicating with their dog, so we use methods that allow a delay between rewards and consequences once their behavior, like/dislike, has been identified. This helps tremendously so that their dog will listen even if their owner does not have food or a leash in their hand. We pride ourselves on solving behavior problems and teaching good behaviors for the long term, not just for the moment. Our clients have lifetime access to our trainers and they have access to a free private adventure group after their training is complete to make sure that they continue to be successful. It introduces them to an amazing community of other dogs and owners to experience fun things with. At least once a week, we meet up at trails, parks, stores, lakes, bars, etc., and go hiking, camping, kayaking, or just enjoy a nice day outside with our dogs and a drink! We want people to experience how life-changing our dog training programs are. Once your dog is well trained, your world becomes more fulfilling and exciting! Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run, and what are your future Paw & Order Dog Training goals? We recently started opening new locations nationwide and want to continue doing so. We strive for the QUALITY of our trainers instead of quantity. Paw & Order is my “baby,” and we will only expand with individuals that match our integrity and motivation to work hard, be proud of what they are doing, and continue to improve the quality of the business.
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Elissa Weimer
Owner & Professional Trainer Paw & Order Dog Training
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Jillian Weston Owner/Founder
Jillian's Circus
The 10 Most Successful Businesswomen to Watch, 2022
Jillian Weston An Astute Digital Marketer Leading with Relatability and Empathy
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he effectiveness of the leaders is mainly figured out by their ability to cooperatively work with their team and lead that team effectively to deliver great results. Learning how to teach and motivate people who have different values, goals, and motivations than you do, is tough. Leaders need to deal with a variety of people in the team. They need to have good soft skills to relate with all the people in the team. They need to empathize with people and bring out the best in them to drive organizational success. Leaders who relate to the people in their team deliver remarkable results for the organizations as well as their clients. One such leader who has cultivated the art of relating to the people is Jillian Weston. Understanding people and becoming more empathetic has made her a better leader. She is the Owner/Founder of Jillian's Circus. The company’s finely-honed balancing act identifies its clients’ goals and achieves them utilizing a wide array of online marketing tools. Inspiring Employees to Meet Needs of the Clients Jillian believes that as the owner of a digital marketing agency, it is important to create a strong foundation with the right pricing and service offering, hire motivated people with positive attitudes and natural skills, teach them how to do their specific job, and finally continue to teach, check-in and motivate each person in her company. On-going encouragement and education keep her employees current with their clients’ needs. Being Competitive by Maintaining Solid Online Presence Talking about the significance of digital marketing, Jillian mentions that it is impossible to reach your company’s full potential without digital marketing. The return on investment is insane. Digital marketing saves an incredible amount of time and money because the internet provides a
place for people to do business anywhere in the world at any time without the expense of an office, staff, etc. For example, a boutique might spend $10,000 on their online website, but that isn’t even close to what they would spend on rent, utilities, and staffing in just one year at a brick and motor location. And their website will last at least 3-5 years. Another example she gives is of coaching. A coach can put their lessons online as videos or host them virtually, allowing more people to view/ attend each lesson and raising the amount of money they could earn. Scheduling individual appointments or having a physical classroom limits both your time and the number of people who attend each lesson. Jillian states, “Even if you cannot sell your products/ services online, it must be said that maintaining a solid online presence is still relevant. The presence alone increases your opportunity to gain new business, increases customer loyalty, repeat business, and referrals; and allows you to stay competitive. Few business owners achieve success without a digital marketing strategy.” Being Adaptable in Unprecedented Times Everyone can agree that the Spring of 2020 was a difficult time for everyone due to the pandemic. However, it forced many businesses to realize that their business needs to adapt to this digital era. Jillian opines that if entrepreneurs did not know before, the pandemic showed them that they needed to energetically sell their goods and services online. In any disaster, some industries suffer, and others benefit. Jillian’s Circus adapted by having employees work from home/ remotely and working with current and new clients on getting their business online as quickly as possible. Jillian states, “That’s all part of business- sometimes you’re up and sometimes you’re down and must find a way to adapt.”
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“Jillian’s Circus is a
full-service online marketing agency that regularly makes magic happen for clients.”
Celebrating Success of Each Other When it comes to driving an organization’s success, maintaining a positive work culture is essential. Jillian’s Circus strives for a positive work environment. Its training manual goes beyond basic skills/rules. It stresses interoffice relationships and collaborative strategies by encouraging a non-competitive environment, offering ongoing training/team meetings, and hosting several parties every year for all employees and clients. Jillian’s Circus celebrates one another’s successes and provides incentives to reward excellence. Besides, Jillian expresses, “If there is even one negative Ned/Nancy in your office- get them out!!! Like right nowstop reading and fire them. If you’re the person who is negative, then you need to stop because it’s killing your business.”
who has or can do it, then book a meeting with them to see if what they offer makes sense. If it does, move forward. If it doesn’t, let them know and thank them for their time.” Creating Strong Base and Building on that Jillian advises aspiring businesswomen to start by creating a strong base. She instructs, “Think about your client’s journey from hearing about your business to working with you for 10 years. Think about what they will see, what they will hear, what they will receive, etc. when they interact with your business and employees. Will they see a professional website? When they call how does someone answer? What does follow-up look like? If they walk into your office, is it comfortable? Then create a consistent, professional, branded flow every customer will experience.” Creating Authority in Digital Marketing Space and Growing Like a Wildfire
One Desired Change If given a chance, one change that Jillian would bring in the way brands and people connect is to remove people's skepticism when it comes to sales. She states, “Every business is in business because it fills a need. If there is something you need or want, and you hear about someone
Over the next 5 years, Jillian’s vision is to establish Jillian’s Circus as an authority in the digital marketing space, work on digital advocacy, and grow like wildfire.
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Leader's Viewpoint
Samantha Woodham On COVID-19 for Legal Industry 1. The Impact of Covid-19 on Divorces I am often asked about the impact of Covid-19 on the rate of divorce and couples’ attitude to divorce. The truth is that, as yet, we do not know the full impact. I have seen statistics pointing to an upwards trend but also a lowering of the divorce rate. The decision to separate or divorce is one which takes months, and often years, so whilst the pandemic may have acted as an accelerator for some couples, it is hugely unlikely to have been the cause of a relationship coming to an end. What I have seen in practice is a change in couples’ attitudes to divorce and separation. I have been a family law barrister for 16 years, and certainly in the last 5 years I have seen a noticeable shift in the way separating couples approach divorce. Most do not want conflict for conflict’s sake. They recognise that some relationships have a shelf-life, and that does not mean that they are a failure, it just means that the marriage has run its course. Increasingly, couples are viewing divorce as a shared obstacle to navigate together. And they are quite right to take that view. Ultimately, the only way to achieve a fair outcome on divorce is to reach an agreement which you can both live with and recognise as fair.
About the Author Samantha Woodham is a family law barrister and co-founder of The Divorce Surgery, a unique service which enables separating couples to share one lawyer who advises them both as to a fair outcome on divorce, for a fixed fee http://www.thedivorcesurgery.c o.uk.
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Samantha Woodham Co-founder The Divorce Surgery
When I co-founded The Divorce Surgery in 2018, we were the first and only regulated service in England and Wales enabling separating couples to share one impartial lawyer, who advises them both, together, as to what a Court would view as fair with regards to the division of their finances or arrangements for their children. We were described as a ‘disruption’ of the family law market. But what we do is in fact the default in many other European jurisdictions. And the success of our One Couple One Lawyer model comes from the fact that the vast majority of separating couples do not start their separation wanting an acrimonious, lengthy and costly legal battle. They just want an outcome which works for their family and is fair on everyone. If anything, the pandemic has given us all a wake-up call as to what matters in life. I believe we are going to need to work hard to retain those perspectives as lockdown lifts. But some changes are irreversible. My hope is that one of the lasting impacts of Covid-19 is for us all to reflect on why, as a society, we stigmatise divorce. 42% of marriages end in divorce. That is not a failure. It is most likely inevitable given the fact that people change as they grow older, and can grow apart. But if couples approach separation in the same way that they approached marriage in the first place, with respect, dignity and a shared sense of responsibility to do it right, but ditch the shame and the guilt, we can enable a much kinder, more positive experience. 2. Effective Parenting through Pandemic and Beyond Co-parenting is a life-long endeavour. Whether a marriage lasts or doesn’t is an issue for the adults, but really must be kept in that adult domain. When children are dragged into the adult dispute, we are depriving them of the opportunity to be children. No parent starts a separation wanting conflict. But it can be very difficult to see each other’s perspectives and work together when emotions are running high. Which is why professional support is so crucial, and the earlier the better. It may surprise you to hear that I don’t think a parent’s first port of call should be a lawyer. In most situations, parents first need therapeutic rather than legal support, unless of course a family member is in a situation where their safety is at risk. Decisions surrounding the right arrangements for children on divorce involve a multitude of disciplines. Yes, parents will want to understand the legal landscape, and should receive specialist advice on this, but they also, crucially, need to learn how to be effective co-parents living
apart. To redefine their adult relationship into one which supports both the adults and children in the many years of co-parenting ahead. This is why, at The Divorce Surgery, we have pioneered our Living Apart Parenting Together service, which enables separating parents to share both a co-parenting expert and a lawyer who can, together, help them navigate the separation well and reach a child-centred agreement about the arrangements for their children. 3. The Road ahead for Courts, Judiciary and Family Law We are at an important crossroads in Family Justice. There is agreement across the board by Family Judges and lawyers alike that the Family Courts should be the absolute law resort for families. Research has consistently shown the damaging impact on children and adults alike which results from being in conflict, and adversarial legal proceedings can cause emotional harm to those involved in them. A report from the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory in 2019 found that of all separating couples in England and Wales, 38% end up in court over the arrangements for their children on separation. It is estimated that at least 25% of those do not need to be there at all. Given the damaging impact court proceedings have on children, this is being viewed as a public health crisis. So what can be done? Many stakeholders are now joining force: senior Family Judges, the Ministry of Justice, the Department of Work and Pensions, solicitors, barristers, mediators, therapists and co-parenting professionals to call for a radical change in the way couples approach divorce and separation. We need a solutions-based approach, rather than problem-driven one. We need to de-stigmatise divorce. To create a family justice system which serves families by enabling them to work together, not against each other. I am very proud that The Divorce Surgery has been part of that change, but fundamentally every industry is the product of the consumers it services. The more separating couples demand a joint, constructive approach to divorce, the more quickly the profession will change to meet that need.
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The 10 Most Successful Businesswomen to Watch, 2022 “
Karina Tiwana An Ardent Legal Professional Exemplifying Passionate Leadership “
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t takes dedication and laser focus to find success, not to mention rolled-up sleeves and dirt under your finger nails”, states an ardent leader, Karina Tiwana. As the General Counsel, Vice President and Corporate Secretary of ALE USA – the U.S. entity name of AlcatelLucent Enterprise - Tiwana has been an integral part of the success of the company. Her passion for the business side of law and sheer dedication has led Tiwana to where she is today.
After spending almost 15 years at Alcatel-Lucent, first as a Contract Manager for five years, Tiwana moved up through the ranks of the legal department, where she landed a corporate counsel position supporting the most innovative business divisions of the company. Eventually, became a primary legal resource to one of these divisions, the Enterprise division, in 2006. Thereafter, she was tapped to support one of the highest revenue-producing divisions in the company. She did that up until 2014 when she was invited to support the planned divestiture of the Enterprise division as General Counsel in the United States. Tiwana would be charged with building a department to support all the legal needs of Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, the new stand-alone company, in North America. This was no small feat but, she said, “many talented and professional people carried my torch.” Reflecting on the experience, Tiwana recognizes she’s grateful for the men and women along her path that buoyed her up when she felt she might be drowning. Helping a new company be born is a daunting task. The Enterprise Business Division, turned Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, contains a close-knit group with many employees boasting long tenures with the company. Let’s know more about Tiwana and her contribution to the industry through an interview conducted between her and Insights Success.
Below are the highlights of the interview: As a business leader, what is your opinion on the impact of the current pandemic on the telecommunications industry? The pandemic’s impact on people, in some cases, has been horrifying and deadly. I will in no way minimize my feelings of empathy toward families that have lost loved ones and those who have fallen ill from the virus. And, of course, to parents trying to cope with both at-home working and at-home teaching of children ripped from schools and their friends. This at-home working and teaching has created an increase in the need for tools like the AlcatelLucent Enterprise Rainbow Unified Communication Platform, as well as infrastructure solutions, such as the company’s OmniAccess Stellar wireless LAN and the OmniSwitch network switches that make everything connect to support the increased communication needs spawned by the crisis. In this way, many telecom industry segments are reaping the benefits of the “new normal”. It’s a shift from in-office to home working and from in-person school to home school. Even events and what used to be live entertainment have gone online as we all try to cope with the restrictions required to keep all of us safe through the pandemic. I hear through news reports that many companies will continue the work-from-home options in some form or other so, it looks like the need for telecom industry tools, solutions and infrastructure is going to continue to grow. What is your opinion on the necessity for businesses to align their offerings with newer technological developments, especially when it comes to Digital Transformation? I think that when it comes to digital transformation, businesses that align their offerings to advances in
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technology further drive the evolution. Technology continues to be instrumental in our lives and the growth of business. In particular, I think, as a strategy, aligning business infrastructure with Cloud technology builds a mindset that pushes innovation, agility and problemsolving. Our company’s Cloud technology products and services have helped our customers push beyond digital transformation plans and overcome the challenges of working through a pandemic. It’s clear to me that Cloud delivers the benefit of scale and adapts to opportunities, while being reliable and secure. It just makes sense to me how flexible technology enables businesses to adapt the work environment, ensure efficient operations and manage costs.
alongside their Parents, Grandmothers and Grandfathers to participate in the toy and food distribution portion of the event. I strongly believe in the empowerment provided by serving a cause much greater than yourself. I get this empowerment through working within our American Legion Family. I currently serve on the Executive Board as Sergeant-at-Arms and have served in the past as Post Commander. At the time I served as Commander, I was the very first woman everto serve as Commander in the Post’s 77-year history.
How do you bring your General Counsel skills in establishing strategic direction and delivering results globally?
If given a chance, what change would you bring in providing growth opportunities to Women?
In what ways have you contributed to the community? In my community, as a woman Veteran, I am very active in our American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary. This “American Legion Family” provides support to local Veterans, their families and the general community where Veterans live and work. One example of a recent project in 2020, we recognized the needs of so many children in our community around Christmas time. We sponsored, locally, Toys for Tots supported by the United States Marine Corps Reserve. We served over 300 children and all of them received gifts and a food donation for their families. Supporting this kind of “all-volunteer” community event brings me great joy because I saw the power of giving in action. College students, home for the holidays, stood
I am very lucky to have been given the chance at AlcatelLucent Enterprise to effect real change in my role as General Counsel at ALE USA. I hired student interns in 2014 as a creative way to augment my staff. We showed so much success with training and utilizing student interns in our legal department that it inspired the company to adopt an Internship Program and now, many departments are hiring student interns. In fact, a recent hire is going to supplement our global CSR endeavors. She will be
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Step-up and lead from the front.
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I do this in many ways, but one of my greatest pleasures in the recent past has been contributing legal advice to our team of women and men that have created the Diversity and Inclusion Employee Resource Group (ESG) under our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program. With the executive sponsorship of Rukmini Glanard, our Executive Vice President of Worldwide Sales, Services and Marketing, the ESG hosted our second global online summit to highlight that diversity and equality are life issues and, definitely, a business issue impacting financial results. An equal world in business results in an enabled and better world for business. We need all of our minds and all of our hands, as a company, to compete and succeed. Diversity and inclusion – across gender, ethnicity, age, religion, etc. – enable a better, balanced environment for economies and communities to thrive.
Today, I’m proud to say, as other notable “first women” leaders are saying more and more, “I may have been the first, but I won’t be the last.”
Karina Tiwana,
General Counsel, Vice President, and Corporate Secretary,
ALE USA Inc.
graduating from college soon with a degree in Ethnic Studies. I think these internship programs are vital to creating opportunities and success for everyone, especially for women. In my case, all of my interns moved on to become practicing lawyers and have secured positions in law firms. I’m very proud of all of them. As an established business leader, what would be your advice for the budding women entrepreneurs?
people to give you a helpful push so you can keep going. Leverage your mentors and allies. These are your friends, your classmates, your teachers, your family, your colleagues, and your professional network. They will help you navigate. But, above all, do what you love. Do it a lot. If you do what you love and you do it a lot, you will get really good at it. If you get good at it, you will likely make money at it and you will be wealthy. Wealth is not money alone. Wealth includes not only professional success but also self-fulfillment and realizing your dreams.
Make sure you know a good lawyer! Not a shameless plug. No, seriously, it’s very important to build a strong network of diversely talented individuals that can be asked for the help you need along the way. Be yourself because your authentic self is your best face. Have a clear picture of what your authentic self is. Remember, there will be roadblocks on your journey to success and some may be related to your gender, your age or any number of things but the roadblocks are just hills to climb and there are plenty of FEBRUARY | 41 | www.insightssuccess.com
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constraints while starting up a business or enterprise. So, what are the qualities that make a businesswoman stand out from the crowd? Obviously, the answer is self-confidence, but there are many to count.
What stands strong behind the success of a businesswoman? Many businesswomen today have their family support but some of them have had objections,
Ambition – What if a businessperson is not ambitious and serious with his or her business. What if he or she is not conscious about business and does not have sense of purpose. One may come to a point in life where one squanders everything, comes back to earlier one and doesn’t become a successful one. Many businesswomen are successful today because, they are ambitious at something. They have charisma to achieve what they dream and where they want to reach.
n this modern age, a woman is not confined to the boundaries of a home. There is a lot of development in the freedom of woman’s life. Today, a woman toils & reaches from rags to riches. There are many examples like Kylie Jenner, Sheryl Sandberg, Mary Barra etc. It is seen that in all businesspersons in the world, 36% consists of businesswomen.
Humility & Willingness to Learn – A successful person never give up learning. Be it a successful entrepreneur or an employee. Learning is what keeps them boosted up. They open up anywhere to share the knowledge they have and why not one should do that. It helps at every stage of
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Championing Leadership
human development which leads to a successful businessperson. Assertiveness – This is what many lack to be even they are confident enough to do her job. Being assertive, facing criticism, answering critics fearlessly and at the same time being cool, calm and considered are very qualities that a businesswoman must possess. This results in a positive response from people around and they respect you for that. Persistence – Simply starting a business and working sporadically doesn’t work in this real world. One has to be persistent with her duties. If not, they will face a big downfall in business. Sticking to own word and proving self to the world seems to be just a phrase, but it means a lot when you step in a business and interact with this pragmatic world. We know many famous businesswomen in this world. They are big names to take but there are many female entrepreneurs in this world which account to hold a massive portion of businesses in this world. What percentage of women own businesses and running them successfully? It is nearly equal to men owing businesses. It is 48% of women
who run businesses in this world. According to a report by American Express, the number of women owned businesses grew by 4.2% each year from 2007 to 2018. Isn’t it an inspirational news? In this competitive world, where most of the businessmen feel it difficult to thrive, in such a situation women hold a good amount of stake in businesses. This is what motivates other women around the world. A woman has more responsibilities when she runs the household and business together. Though the businesswomen are successful and continuously manages to be in the position firmly, but it cannot be the same for her every time. There are many challenges, faced by women entrepreneurs today. These might be the family ties, male dominated society, problem of finance. Family holds to be the most important thing to a woman. In this world, where a man is deemed to work and earn bread and butter, and woman to run the households, it is not easy for people to digest the freedom of a woman and allow her to work whether she is an entrepreneur or an employee. This world is by fact, the male-dominated society and no one can deny but still proving self and standing shoulder to shoulder make a successful businesswoman stand out of the box.
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Sherry Blinkhorn Broker/Owner
Blinkhorn Real Estate Ltd
The 10 Most Successful Businesswomen to Watch, 2022
Sherry Blinkhorn
An Accomplished Real Estate Broker and a Passionate Advocate for the Mentally Ill
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t is easy to say be the change you want, but it is quite difficult to really understand the struggle one goes through to change oneself. We hear stories about people who have achieved success and paved their way to the top of their field, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. Numerous factors drive one to make desired changes to be the change they want. In our search to find such a persona, driven to adapt to change, we came across Sherry Blinkhorn, who perfectly fits the definition of 'be the change you want.' Currently, Sherry passionately leads her venture, Blinkhorn Real Estate Ltd., with her dedication to being the best of the best. The Thorns and The Roses Sherry's journey hasn’t been an easy one. She came up through the foster care system and went through many challenges in her life, but she made some conscious decisions that would change her life for the good after her children were born. Sherry began her professional journey as a commercial and residential property manager in her initial years then in 1998 she pursued getting her salesperson’s license. She began to achieve one milestone after the other by utilizing her extensive knowledge and experience to accumulate record-breaking sales. It resulted in her receiving national recognition in 2002 and 2003 and in 2004 she received the 'Platinum Award' for her sales achievement, placing her in
the top 5% in Canada's total sales volume with Royal LePage National Franchise. Subsequently, embarking on the success, Sherry's adaptability to change led her to the quest of incepting her independent real estate firm, in 2005, Blinkhorn Real Estate Ltd., and she has never looked backed since. She sowed the seeds of efforts and dedication, forming a team with likeminded colleagues that reaped her and her firm the fruit of gaining a solid reputation for providing exceptional services and supporting many non-profit charitable organizations. Adding Different Ingredients to the Recipe of Success Plunging forward in her path of success, she says the learning process never stops. Sherry holds a diploma in adult psychology, social work, and counselling skills. Being amply trained in the mental health field, she understands how stressful it can be to buy or sell a house. Sherry has fostered an environment where she puts people first and encourages her colleagues to do the same. She’s created a caring and natural positive atmosphere in her workspace. She knows how crucial it is and is humbled to be part of the most significant transaction of one's life and is overjoyed to help it to become a reality. “We don’t see ourselves as good salespeople – we are good Realtors; there is a big difference,” says Sherry. Sherry has focused her work approach around her buyers and sellers making them the utmost priority. It was vital to
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her to create a familial workspace which gives a feeling of comfort and smoothens the work process. She truly cares about her clients and understands their real estate needs, which is why she implies a friendly and professional atmosphere in her unique way. She has sculpted a valuedriven team that strives and implements effective marketing strategies with honesty and hard work. Cherishing The Victories The amount of hard work and dedication Sherry puts in her work is commendable in itself. Her work ethic has set an example, and her efforts have been acknowledged with numerous awards, including the ‘Community Mentor Award’ from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Pictou County. She also received the prestigious ‘Business Leader of the Year award at the Pictou County Chamber of Commerce Gala in 2012. Sherry is the first female to receive this honor since its inception in 1991. Her achievements don’t stop there and go further; in 2018, Sherry received the ‘Volunteer Vision Award’ from the Nova Scotia Mental Health Foundation. The following year she was also recognized with the ‘Women in Business Award’ at the Chamber Business Achievements Gala. Aside
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Blinkhorn Real Estate is dedicated to selling your home or nding you that dream home creating the best possible experience throughout the entire real estate transaction. Professionally we serve, personally we care!
from awards, Sherry was featured in 2020 in the International ‘Top Agent Magazine’ and her life story in the Nova Scotia ‘At Home Magazine’. Leveraging Technology to Provide Upscale Services At Blinkhorn Real Estate, Sherry has created a work culture driven by values to make client's lives easier and delivers high-quality products. The company implements innovative technologies and offers virtual reality tours and drone videography to enhance the listings services. They do their best to ensure that clients get the best prices for buyers and sellers by through their experience and expertise. Above and Beyond for the Community The journey that Sherry embarked on has been a challenge in itself, she’s worked hard to forge her path to be at the position she is today. Her experiences have all contributed to finding transparency in her life. She has been a passionate advocate for the mentally ill for years. She was also the public relations director for the Canadian Cancer Society, Pictou, volunteered for years on the Palliative Care unit and made it part of her life to give back to her community. Sherry has built Blinkhorn Real Estate from the ground up and contributed to many community organizations in various ways along the way including sponsoring sports teams and is routinely involved with multiple non-profits and other organizations across the county. The Guiding Flame Unfolding the pages of Sherry's life, it is crystal clear that despite hurdles she’s faced, she always has come out on top. She always empowers, inspires, and encourages a TEAM environment at her work. She ensures an ambiance of professionalism, integrity, and superior client service. She leads with a positive attitude, high ethical values, and hard work and says she will persist in doing the same into the future. Last but not least, Sherry has asserted herself in a firm spot being a leader in the field of real estate. She is an inspiration to numerous people and continues to change many lives. Her compassion, dedication, and her drive to change have made her a successful businesswoman. She is truly an example of taking charge of her own life and being the change, she wants.
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