The 10 Most Inspiring Women Leaders to Follow in 2022

www.insightssuccess.com Work-Life Balance Importance of Balancing All the Aspects of Life Business Moments Focusing on What Really Matters VOL 01 | ISSUE 05 | 2022 Th e 10Mo s t I n s pir in gWLeaders to Fo l low i n 2022 Chief Revenue Officer, JS Group

Women in business have become a powerful force. They have become the definition of efforts and results. Throw any challenge at them, and see them turning it into opportunity.

Breaking all the Odds, ShiningFurtherGoingand

women are redefining leadership. For instance, when the whole world was dealing with health crises in the year 2020 and 2021, leaders across every corner were put to the test. During this dilemma, women leaders displayed what wonders compassion and empathy can do.

Besides, the business world has become technology-driven today. There has never been a more exciting time for women to try their hands into business than now, as technology has brought enough opportunities with farreaching effects like 5G, AI, AR/VR, and IoT. The deployment of these technological tools has made the business world challenging as well as exciting to join, where everyone is welcomed.

So, enough talk about the male-dominated industry, genderpay, or work-life, know who you are, and begin your business journey today and re-live all your dreams.

or the last few years, we have witnessed a lot ofFwomen climbing the ladder of entrepreneurship and making their marks in the world through their businesses. It is true that the number of women in business has been improving, but a lot is yet to be achieved. The great news is these women leaders are inspiring many other women to get into the business world and prove their Today,mettle.

Editor’s Desk

Sourabh More

In this edition of The 10 Most Inspiring Women Leaders to Follow in 2022, we have brought forward the women who are shining in the business world through their unconventional approach to leadership and serving as an example for upcoming leaders.

Further, you will get to read more such stories of other inspiring women who are leading by example. Also, make sure to go through creative articles written by our in-house editorial team. Here we Go!

sourabh@insightssuccess.com

On the cover of this edition, we have Meredith Caram , the Chief Revenue Officer of JS Group. As an experienced veteran who has held multiple leadership hats over decades, from sales to marketing, Meredith’s distinctive approach has proven to deliver results while championing and sponsoring progress in technology solutions.

Over the years, Meredith has garnered various experiences that impacted the industry with her expertise and foundational values. Her love for technology aligns with her business and leadership to disrupt the status quo that helps tech firms expand to newer markets and shake up growth sectors to win additional business.

A Robust Advocate for Voice of Women Revolutionizing Tech Firms 08 16 Making Blockchain Accessible to Everyone Elena Sinelnikova Contents 28 42 Focusing on What Really Matters Importance of Balancing All the Aspects of Life Business Work-LifeMomentsBalance

24 18 34 30 44 38 52 48 Revolutionizing the World of Sponsorship Enlightening People through a Unique Experience of Food, Wine, and Giving Back Securing Your Data with Preparedness Solutions Illustrating YOUR Life Stories Ishveen Jolly Katie HamiltonMichelleShafferDroletTaayaGriffith Offering Industry Leading SAP Solutions Driving the Ongoing Transformation in the Telecom Industry A Sought-after Expert in the HR Fraternity Fighting Forward Katherine Colombino Leticia Latino Nicole VanessaMartinMbonu

sales@insightssuccess.com Editor-in-ChiefJanuary,2022SeniorSalesManager BusinessDevelopmentManager MarketingManagerTechnicalHeadTechnicalSpecialist DigitalMarketingManagerResearchAnalyst DatabaseManagement TechnologyConsultant Hitesh Dhamani Kshitij S Peter Collins John Matthew SalesExecutives David, Martin, Irfan BusinessDevelopmentExecutives Steve, Joe, SaurabhJacobAdityaSmile Marry D'Souza SME-SMOExecutive Amol Wadekar Frank Adams CirculationManager Robert Brown Stella Andrew David Stokes Copyright © 2021 Insights Success, All rights reserved. The content and images used in this magazine should not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission from Insights Success. Reprint rights remain solely with Insights Success. Follow us on : www.facebook.com/insightssuccess/ www.twitter.com/insightssuccess We are also available on : ManagingEditor Anish Miller ExecutiveEditor Sourabh More AssistantEditors Aditya Gaikar Visualizer David King AssociateDesigner Kartik BalapurkarShyam Sonawane Co-designer

OpenSponsorship connects brands to 11000 athletes for authentic, data-driven digital marketing campaigns.

BriefCompany Name Elena Sinelnikova Co-Founder & CEO Featured Person Ishveen Jolly CEO + Founder Katherine Colombino CEO Katie Hamilton Shaffer President & Founder Leticia Latino CEO Meredith Caram CRO Michelle Drolet Founder and CEO Nicole Martin CEO and Founder Taaya Griffith Founder & DirectorCreative Vanessa Mbonu M.S., Vice President, Digital Marketing Communications&

Towerwall, a woman-owned business, has helped scores of companies safeguard their data and leverage their investment in IT with advanced information security technology solutions and services.

Metis is an open protocol and the Metis Andromeda network is open to any developer or team that wants to launch a DApp, token, or any other kind of project on our EVM-Equivalent platform.

Neptuno Group is a family owned business that counts with over 45 years of international hands on experience in the Telecom, Broadcasting and Utilities industry. JSG specializes in creating impactful indirect go-to-market strategies for tech firms.

opensponsorship.comswankygiftbook.comfeastitforward.comFeastConsultingSoftwaremetis.ioMetis&ServicesSRLssc.com.pyitForwardNeptunoUSA,Corpneptunousa.comJSGroupjsgnow.comTowerwalltowerwall.comHRBoostLLChrboost.comSwankyPortraitsLimitedNAACPnaacp.orgOpenSponsorship

With more than 80 successful implementations and a highly qualified human team in the country, Software and Services Consulting SRL is positioned as the number one SAP Business One partner in Paraguay.

Feast it Forward is an online video based media company.

HRBoost, LLC is a Shared Services HR firm that provides highly qualified and experienced HR professionals. Swanky Portraits illustrates personalised books from your photo to achieve the most accurate resemblance possible. NAACP is the home of grassroots activism for civil rights and social justice.

C O V E R S T O R Y

A Robust Advocate for Voice of Women Revolutionizing Tech Firms We are the dawn of the fourth industrial revolution, powered by 5G, which gives us low latency, high-speed digital technology.

The 10 Most Inspiring Women Leaders to Follow in 2022

JS Group’s channel philosophy is partners, providers, and programs must break away from traditional ways of thinking and embrace a #DigitalNormal.new

Akin to such leadership is Meredith Caram, the Chief Revenue Officer of JS Group . She is responsible for business expansion leadership for diverse sales and marketing teams. As an experienced veteran who has held multiple leadership hats over decades, from sales to marketing, Meredith’s distinctive approach has proven to deliver results while championing and sponsoring progress in technology solutions.

JS Group swears by innovation to develop the next-gen channel framework and growth strategies that go well beyond theory to deliver accurate results. It is known for its routes-to-market, branding, sales programs, and solution development. The firm also provides Channel Evolution, Strategic Planning, Channel Marketing, Sales Enablement and, Talent Development services and studies the industry every day. The selective approach engrained in the company’s core values allows it to seek talented people with the same amount of passion, energy, and competitive edge. The company offers its clients an average improvement rate of 17% in the running cost of channels and >40% improvement in channel performance.

Technological Norm Meredith states that when technology changes, the channel changes with it. What sets JS Group apart from the rest is its focus on #digitalnormal, as it has become critical for the survival of many companies. #digitalnormal includes the company’s social selling program, which assists partners to find new leads and close more sales, creating a remarkable opportunity for the channel that helps organizations to harness growth. Utilizing the latest technology to its fullest, JS Group also provides its clients with an “as-a-service” business model, security, IoT, enterprise video, cloud, and mobility services.

Over the years, Meredith has garnered various experiences that impacted the industry with her expertise and foundational values. Her efforts were recognized, which led her to earn 5-Star Channel Program Awards, along with a long list of accolades, with the recent being The Top 10 Influential CROs for 2021 and Top 10 most Impactful Women in Technology for 2020.

he ever-evolving changes in the business worldTdemand adaptation to meet the needs of modern times. Often businesses struggle and fall short of matching up with these changes putting themselves in jeopardy. It requires strong leadership to lead organizations through these transformations to develop and execute innovative growth strategies while cultivating robust relationships.

Whenmodels.Janet Schijns, the Co-founder and CEO, saw tech companies struggling to identify their fundamental value proposition to end-users, that meant the channel couldn’t survive. She learned that about 50% of partners go out of business or retire. With these many consolidations coupled with challenging conversations between vendors and partners regarding shady deals, the battles for leads, and a hidden list of protected accounts were coming out in the open. Noticing these shifts that lacks transparency from the days of “mystery breeding margin,” JS Group was born to lead the industry through its transformational solutions.

Meredith’s love for technology aligns with her business and leadership to disrupt the status quo that helps tech firms expand to newer markets and shake up growth sectors to win additional business. She asserts, “We are at a critical time with the dawn of the fourth industrial revolution, powered by 5G, which gives us low latency, high-speed digital technology. Smart technologies like edge computing and connected devices shape a new future for all of us. This revolution is expected to impact all disciplines, industries, and economies.”

With the addition of Meredith Caram to the roster, JS Group learns from their leaders’ journeys to lead some of the largest businesses in the world to grow while helping the technology industry achieve record growth.

Improved Channel Performance JS Group was launched in 2018 and has become one of the industry’s leading consulting firms responsible for creating impactful go-to-market strategies and channel activation programs for technology firms. The company helps its clients capitalize on tech innovation changes, customer buying behavior, and evolving distribution and resale

Meredith Caram Chief Revenue Officer JS Group

JS Group is doubling down in areas like edge computing and 5G to enable the adoption of exciting emerging technologies and seeks in areas like AI and security.

Meredith’saction.prominent voice for women in technology inspired other women leaders to share their journeys, offer career-building advice, and lead thought-provoking discussions. She says, “The world is full of people who are trying to find ways to sell their solutions through the indirect channel.”

Meredith asserts, “Our goal is to build creative new ways to maximize channel capacity while maximizing growth and crafting new ways to generate high margin revenue for their clients.”

Meredith mentions that JS Group was focused on digital and emerging channels of distribution long before the pandemic. It led the firm to create programs to help its clients create demand, capture sales, and evolve its prowess in an increasingly digital world. It allowed it to capture share during challenging times and positioned itself to continue to win in the future.

Embracing Potential Alterations

Our team has hundreds of years of technology channel leadershipgo-to-marketexperience.

Maximizing Revenues

Inspiring Future Generations

Meredith notes, “This year more than ever, everyone is focused on demonstrating value in a world that has shifted and will never go back, which means partners’ business models need to change.” The company’s programs solve these challenges with how to provide the technologies, market the technologies, and sell the technologies to make sure the channel remains relevant in the coming years as we move into another evolution.

So Long As Every one wishes to change the face of the industry that they operate in. Meredith expresses that she would love to help various organizations enable their channel, whether startups or existing brands. JS Group carries out a complete study of the clients’ full channel route-to-market. It examines its arsenal to find the right program and strategic design and asks questions, “What is their framework? Their benefits? Their requirements?” The firm looks at partner-readiness coupled with product development from an alternate focal point of this new #digitalnorm that in and how the channels advance and change towards this with regards to sales enablement. This tactic facilitates the client to re-evaluate their choices in the market; however, JS Group’s approach includes partner recruiting, onboarding, and activation.

One of the challenges Meredith noticed in her career that stuck out to her was a lack of confidence in women. However, the root of the problem lies beneath another layer that several firms lack confidence in women. She was often stereotyped and was suggested by these mindsets that the role of woman is secondary. Meredith put her passionate methodologies to advocate such situations to make the change from secondary to primary. She became bold about these changes and addressed gender-biased issues by communicating with stakeholders to create beneficial business

“It is a rewarding but difficult journey that requires true expertise and guidance to make it work. This is an area that firms need to invest in, focus on, and engage experts in to win,” Meredith concludes.

Adapting and embracing the new changes as soon as possible has become essential. Growth is now the name of the game. JS Group has evolved its offering to ensure channel acceleration in the market while simultaneously being a good partner and excellent industry member.

Making Blockchain Accessible to Everyone Like any other industry, women have set their foot in the blockchain industry as well. Though the percentage of their involvement in the crypto sector is low, they are playing a significant role in shaping the industry’s path forward, ensuring sustainable growth, and strengthening its global influence.

Elena Sinelnikova

Elena Sinelnikova Co-founder and CEO Metis www.insightssuccess.com

We at Insights Success got into conversation with Elena to learn more about her journey and how she is changing the landscape of the industry.

16 | January 2022

One such woman who has made her mark in the blockchain industry is Elena Sinelnikova, the Co-founder and CEO of Metis.

With an extensive background in developing enterprise software solutions for government and law enforcement industries, Elena is now significantly contributing to the enhancement of the blockchain industry.

What, according to you, could be the next big change in the industry? How is your company preparing to be a part of that change? Mass adoption for Blockchain and Crypto is upon us, and this is exactly where Metis.io comes into play by providing an affordable and simple way to drive this adoption.

Brief our audience about your journey as a business leader until your current position at the company. What challenges you had to overcome to reach where you are today?

Below are the highlights of the interview:

Women Leaders to Follow in 2022

Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run, and what are your future goals for the company? Our vision is to build a decentralized Web3 economy platform, so after our team creates it, it will live a life of its own without any of our involvement. This is the gift we want to make to the world

If given a chance, what change would you like to bring in the industry? The regulatory landscape and supporting laws are very much behind in the blockchain space. Instead of penalizing them, we help regulators get educated so they have all the knowledge they need to support blockchain companies in their business. I wish this process had moved a bit faster.

By profession, I am a software developer with 20 plus years of experience in developing enterprise solutions for the Canadian government and law enforcement. In 2016, with my close friend's help, I came across blockchain technology that changed my life. I left my well-paid and stable corporate job and became an entrepreneur. First, I founded CryptoChicks, a non-profit organization that is now helping women get educated and find jobs in blockchain space in 56 countries. While working on the CryptoChicks project, I met my future co-founders of Metis.io, and we built an amazing new startup that is now among the most prominent scalability solutions in blockchain space. Tell us something more about the company and its mission and vision. Metis.io has a goal to help startups and mature organizations to move their business to blockchain with just a click of a button. Many would like to do so, but very few can afford expensive blockchain developers, so Metis.io is helping those by providing a decentralized platform where pretty much anyone can create a company on blockchain, invite people to join, hire new employees or freelancers, and pay them salaries via blockchain. Also, you are able to create different types of organizations. For example, membership with members paying their dues via blockchain and receiving services from you for that.

Undeniably, technology is playing a significant role in almost every sector. How are you leveraging technological advancements to make your solutions resourceful? We are building strong tech, but we also reused open-source code that was developed by other blockchain companies and enhanced and improved it to the extent that allowed us to solve the problem that we aimed to solve. For example, we took the Optimistic Rollup code developed by the Optimism team and made it more scalable by adding a new chain and new virtual machine for every organization dynamically with the ability to set unique permissions for each team - and with that, we are able to create various types of decentralized organizations.

Anything is possible. Describe in detail the values and the work culture that drives your organization. Our policy is very simple - full transparency, trust, and holding each other accountable. We don't have titles or bosses - any team member can approach and help anyone in a team if he or she thinks they need help. It works really great, and I am very proud of the team that we have.

We provide the infrastructure for creating and managing decentralized companies on blockchain fast, cheap and easy.

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Quitting my job and starting a business was the best decision I made. It is not like this for everyone. But if you are thinking of doing that, I would be happy to help and mentor.

What would be your advice to budding women entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the industry?

The Most Inspiring

Ishveen Jolly Founder & CEO OpenSponsorship www.insightssuccess.com18 | January 2022

Revolutionizing the World of Sponsorship S ponsorship is the backbone of sports.

Insights Success caught up with Ishveen in our voyage to find “The 10 Most Inspiring Women Leaders to Follow in 2022” and talked with her to know how she has connected brands to 11000 athletes for authentic, data-driven digital marketing campaigns.

And while interest is exploding, so is spending on Sports Sponsorship. In 2020, it was estimated that $57 billion was spent by brands for some form of Sports Sponsorship, and it is projected to reach $90 billion by 2027. With the almost 500,000 collegiate athletes now accessible due to the June 2021 NCAA NIL ruling, the game has changed for the Tobetter.unlock such possibilities to boost your brand, Ishveen Jolly, the Founder and CEO of OpenSponsorship , democratized sponsorship by making it accessible, transparent, and data driven.

We're the largest marketplace connecting brands and athletes, now also increasing to team and events. Mission: Our whole mission is around democratizing access for sponsorship. Big companies like Nike and Pepsi with big budgets have been using sponsorship so effectively, but unfortunately, we haven't seen much of smaller regional, local, and D2C brands use sponsorship marketing or athletes in their marketing mix, so we felt like we needed to fix that. That's why we created a platform that's accessible, efficient, and gets the job done for all. Whether it's support and strategy, access to athletes, we make it really easy for them.

Below are the highlights of the interview:

Brief our audience about your journey as a business leader until your current position at the company. What challenges have you overcome to reach where you are today?

19 | January 2022www.insightssuccess.com

Tell us something more about the company and its mission and vision.

Ishveen Jolly

Vision: We want to make sure that every brand uses sponsorship in its marketing mix. Right now, it's sports sponsorship; maybe in the future, it would be sports entertainment or music. We want to make sure that anyone who needs sponsorship can get it easily the same way if you want to rent your house out and you put it on Airbnb.

The interest in sports is exploding, and it's bound to increase. In a recent Statista survey, it is reported that 83% of men report themselves as either Casual or Avid fans, and 61% of women report themselves the same. In a separate Statista survey, more than 50% of the respondents between ages 18-51 actively consume sports content on social media, with those between the ages of 52-60 not far behind at 39%. The morning water cooler catch-up and the social media opinion posts are blending into one shared conversation about sports and the athletes who bring the games to life.

Sponsorship is a global industry. Sports are global. Media rights are very global. I think Sponsorship to date has been

I started my career as a management consultant and a sports agent. After seeing some serious inefficiencies within the sponsorship industry, I started OS about six years ago. Some of my biggest challenges would probably be starting a tech company without being technical while trying and failing at new things—a lot.

The 10 Most Inspiring Women Leaders to Follow in 2022

fairly regionalized. So, with our platform and technology, along with its accessibility, expanding internationally across countries is definitely on our minds.

Enlighten us on how you have made an impact in the industry through your expertise in the market.

3. Accountability, especially with a remote environment, we want to hire people that have extreme ownership of their stuff and get things done. Also, on the other side, we're a two-sided marketplace. Our athletes rely on us, our brands

2. Education. We enjoy hiring people that may not have worked in the sports industry before and educating them on the ways. We also enjoy educating our clients, including our agents and athletes, through our platform. Everything is really easy to use and efficient, without them needing any extra assistance.

1. Transparency. Internally, we want everyone in our company to know everything, no politics or anything like that. Externally, we're very transparent in terms of our athlete pricing, and it's something we preach a lot because transparency is not something the sponsorship industry has been great at.

“Our marketplacetwo-sidedmakes it easy for brands to partner with athletes for markeng campaigns.”

Describe in detail the values and the work culture that drives your organization.

I think starting out as a sports agent and management consultant has really helped me make an impact in the industry. But I think the biggest impact really came from the help I received from people I've met along the journey and just constant trial and error.

www.insightssuccess.com20 | January 2022

rely on us, and we want to be held accountable for that. Whether it's money exchange, contracts, or service-level, we believe in giving the best.

We're also always figuring out ways to plug in other technological solutions to ours, like transitioning all our payments to athletes through Tipalti, using Stripe to collect payments from brands just to make it easier and quicker. We also use Intercom so that people can message us in realtime in the app. We're constantly leveraging technology to make our process quicker and more seamless.

If given a chance, what change would you like to bring to the industry?

I love what we do; I enjoy breaking new barriers and thinking about new solutions, so just building OpenSponsorship and making it bigger. As far as future goals, growing our team, revenue, and reaching new milestones really gets me excited for the future.

Undeniably, technology is playing a significant role in almost every sector. How are you leveraging technological advancements to make your solutions resourceful? Technology is core to what we do. About a year back, we released our mobile app, and we see an uptick in that from our users – Mobile is becoming core to our product. We love the use of AI and data for our platform, from matching to suggesting the right campaigns for brands.

21 | January 2022www.insightssuccess.com

What would be your advice to budding women entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the industry? Obviously, sports and technology both have independently been male-dominated industries. You have to be ready to know your stuff to prove that you belong at the table. The entrepreneurship journey can be long, hard, and lonely, so definitely be ready for that and have a strong support system throughout the journey.

I don't want sponsorship to be a chance, based on whom you know or whether or not you got lucky. So, we're determined to make sure that there is access for everyone and that it's meritocratic, just like how finding a job or dating is meritocratic.

What, according to you, could be the next big change in the industry? How is your company preparing to be a part of that change? College NIL is a big one. We've recently got 476,000 college athletes now applicable to do sponsorship deals, so we're obviously making big moves there. The NBA also recently allowed international brands to do deals, which have never been done before. You can use the rights abroad for teams, opening up big opportunities there as well. Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run, and what are your future goals for the company?

The world's greatest Leaders have always remained focused on their goals and have constantly been putting their efforts to make them successful. Incredible things can happen if you never give up! Sometimes we give up due to the lack of self-confidence for some reason as we enter on our journey. The limitations in life are not given by your physical or by the situation itself; they are given by you, if your mind changes, your world too.

Tell us something more about the company and its mission and vision.

I have started the company Software and Services Consulting S.R.L., with a clear objective of Education and Training SAP SYSTEMS in 2012. We were always putting all our efforts towards a sole focus: Customer satisfaction. Today, S.S.C. S.R.L accomplished more than 100 successful implementations with highly skilled professionals who hold more than two decades of experience in leading the most challenging projects in the country. SSC SRL became one of the most important partners in Paraguay of SAP Business One Systems.

I Have a degree in Systems Analysis, Post-degrees in University Didactics, and English Teaching Staff.

With extensive experience in the area of management of Work Teams, I held various positions at Headquarters for more than two decades. Before the opening of SSC SRL, for four years, I was in charge of the Business Unit of SAP Business One in another Paraguayan partner of SAP and an I.T. company with an exemplary track record in the national market and with more than 20 consultants in different areas.

Enlighten us on how you have made an impact in the industry through your expertise in the market?

It doesn't matter how your limitations are; cling to bright vision; learn and try to explore new things. Get up! This vision of life has a lot to do with my physical limitation, which always makes everything difficult for me, studying, working, having friends. Time and so much effort made me stronger and braver.

Offering
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I am the C.E.O. of S.S.C. - Software & Services Consulting S.R.L. An expert consultant in Sales, Implementation, Development, Training, and Support of SAP systems.

Katherine Colombino

leader committed to a cause will always give theirA all to get the desired result; they understand the importance of their word and how it affects people around them. Cultivating this committed approach in her workings is Katherine Colombino . Her dedication to her work led her to lead on multiple leadership roles, and currently, she serves as the CEO at SSC Software & Services Consulting S.R.L. She has developed a work culture that has a clear objective of the satisfaction of its Wecustomers.caught up with Katherine in our quest to find "The 10 Most Inspiring Women Leaders to Follow in 2022." We talked with her to understand how her professional journey of over three decades empowers everyone around her. Below are the highlights of the interview: Brief our audience about your journey as a business leader until your current position at the company. What challenges you had to overcome to reach where you are today?

www.insightssuccess.com24 | January 2022

I am also SAP Certified Consultant "F.I." and "MM."

Katherine Colombino C.E.O. SSC Software & Services Consulting S.R.L The
satisfaction
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is
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motivates
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solutions. The 10 Most Inspiring Women Leaders to Follow in 2022 25 | January 2022www.insightssuccess.com

Employees are essential for any service company. In our company, knowledge, experience, and responsibility are very valuable things regardless of sex, age, race, or religion. We are always thinking about the human part, and especially at this time, in which many people have suffered losses, we are permanently taking care of mental health.

I would like business to be accompanied by ethics and morals. Also, those small companies have the possibility of working with the State in more convenient conditions.

Describe in detail the values and the work culture that drives your organization.

What would be your advice to budding women entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the industry? My message is that you be brave and dare to undertake and venture into the technological environment as it offers very important opportunities for women.

www.insightssuccess.com26 | January 2022

If given a chance, what change would you like to bring in the industry?

Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run and what are your future goals for the company? In the medium term, I see myself delegating tasks and working in our own office, analyzing options to conquer new markets abroad, and continuing with my writing career.

What, according to you, could be the next big change in the industry? How is your company preparing to be a part of that change?

I develop M.K.T. plans, sales, and personnel motivation policies, among others within the unit, and contributed progress towards the project goal. Prior to that, I acquired an interesting background of knowledge of various business areas, in which I bestowed all my knowledge, attitude, and commitment to work and compliance of goals. So, my expertise was very important to drive the company to success.

The big changes are already happening, and possibly the adoption of the intelligence of things as well as artificial intelligence will be present both in software technology, as in vehicles, medicine, and almost any machine.

ife is not black and white. There are many shadesLof grey. We are not islands or saints or renunciants or frustrated monks or fanatic or dogmatic people to be perfectly detached from everything and focus on only one aspect of life. There are many aspects to the lives of every individual. Doing justice to all responsibilities means work-life balance. Jobs or businesses fill our pockets; adventures fill our souls. Therefore, having a healthy balance of entrepreneurship and personal life is of great importance in the lives of almost everyone. Although attaining perfect work-life balance in the ultra-modern world is nearly impossible, but reasonable amount of worklife balance in the lives of professionals and entrepreneurs is essential for functioning efficiently in the long run. Although a healthy work-life balance is different for everyone, the essential aspects of doing justice to the role, routines, relationships, responsibilities, and results are the vital aspects of a healthy work-life balance almost for everyone. Focusing too much on business results and ignoring important relationships will not be sustainable; we need to diligently balance the different aspects of life. We www.insightssuccess.com

28 | January 2022

ofAllofImportanceofAllofImportanceBalancingtheAspectsLifeBalancingtheAspectsLife

To conclude, physical fitness, mental toughness, intellectual sharpness, spiritual calmness, and business acumen are the most important qualities to be a successful business leader, balance all the aspects of life very judiciously, and ensure a healthy work-life balance.

Learning to say no to unnecessary things, events, people also plays a significant role in balancing work and life. It is equally important for business leaders to know what to do and what not to do. Taking scheduled breaks at regular intervals is the most important work-life balance element.

should have the capabilities of delivering great business results and the ability to do justice to our relationships in our personal lives. We should not be too busy making a living by being engaged in our jobs or businesses that we may forget to make a life. Business leaders need to be smart enough to be able to balance the professional and personal aspects of their lives.

Business leaders should have the right disposition and positive mental attitude to respond to the eventual challenges and different situations.

Planning work activities in such a way that it will not hamper fitness and family goals should be the priority of business leaders. They should set an example of leading balanced personal and professional lives. They should use productivity tools for managing their work and life. They should ensure that they are not neglecting the other aspect by focusing only on one aspect too much. And they should also ensure that they are not becoming complacent in their professional responsibilities in the name of attaining worklife balance. Making efficient use of available time will help business leaders attain a healthy work-life balance. They should practice some meditation techniques that will enhance their thought process, calmness, and ability to do things balanced without being overreactive.

Responding to situations calmly, wisely, and intelligently is a sign of a healthy work-life balance. As they say, life is 10% what happens to us and 90% the way we react to it.

A healthy work-life balance gives business leaders the edge to make profitable business decisions and enhances productivity at workplaces. Taking some time off from work helps business leaders to function more effectively and creatively when they are back to work. Besides, innovativeness gets enhanced with a healthy work-life balance. In fact, business leaders should promote the culture of healthy work-life balance in the employees to bring out the best in them for organizational growth.

29 | January 2022www.insightssuccess.com Work-Life Balance

Katie Shaffer's journey is a striking instance of the above-mentioned statement. Katie turned her passion for food, wine, music and philanthropy into an online video-based media company named Feast it Forward. It connects fans to social and instructional content with a purposeful and simple motto: “Inspiring Living. Philanthropic Giving.”

hen you tie your passion with a purpose, you can bring a significant difference to the world.

Below are the highlights of the interview: Brief our audience about your journey as a business leader until your current position at the company. What challenges you had to overcome to reach where you are today?

Inspired by her vision, we at Insights Success caught up with Katie to learn more about her journey and how she is changing the way people think about food and wine with a taste of music.

FiF is a video content, merchandise, and electronic commerce business centered around three core content areas- food, wine, and cause-related content feeding all business segments of the company.

W

From lemonade stands to garage sales, since a little girl, I have considered myself a passionate and relentless gogetter. I am very much the same person I am now as I was growing up – always excited to try new things and never afraid to take risks. While playing soccer through my childhood up until the semi-pro level, being a team player

www.insightssuccess.com30 | January 2022

Enlightening People through a Unique Experience of Food, Wine, and Giving Back

Katie Hamilton Shaffer President and Founder Feast it Forward & Feast.Network 31 | January 2022www.insightssuccess.com

In-studio live filming,"Riffs & Recipes" with celeb Chef Chris Cosenno & Musicians Bacon Brothers (Michael & Kevin Bacon)

was of the utmost importance – it's engrained in me and absolutely correlates to how I run my company today. However, what I also found from my experience over the years is when you are a “team captain”, sometimes your eagerness and natural strength to lead can be taken out of context. I had many jobs over the years throughout my journey of getting to where I am today when my “leading” was not appreciated by my authorities – possibly because the spotlight was taken away from them. I still find it odd when I look back on these experiences, but these challenges have helped shape me into the leader I am today. I will forever cheer on my employees from the sidelines and support their wins. From this, I guess you could say I learned quite early on that coaching my own “team” was what I was truly meant to do. Tell us something more about the company and its mission and vision. I first launched Feast.Network, our digital platform seeking to entertain and inspire alongside master chefs, actors, tastemakers and musicians. Having filmed original content around the country for nearly five years, in 2018, after nearly two years of construction, I opened my flagship “click & mortar”, The Studio by Feast it Forward. This highly visible live marketing venue in downtown Napa is a film studio + experiential showroom shifting our visiting fans to consumers as everything experienced from the moment you walk in the door is an on-camera sponsor. I like to say it's a Pinterest house of sorts as this living and breathing sandbox offers brands to engage visitors without market competition alongside a shop-the-look virtual hub and a multi-winery tasting collective. Vintners B. Wise Vineyards, Layne Family Wines, and Acre Wines are official sponsors who act as the “coke can in our movie” when filming. Alongside hosting many community events, when live stream sessions occur in our film studio, 100% of the audience ticket fee supports the charity of choice of the visiting talent. Along came the pandemic and I had the opportunity to take over a vacant property behind our existing location and open The Yard by Feast it Forward. This outdoor event and music venue offers two-story shipping containers for brand activations, instagrammable

Oct 2021 Grand Opening of Feast it Forward property expansion, The Yard by Feast it Forward www.insightssuccess.com

32 | January 2022

“Throughout my career I have been struck by what incredible things can be accomplished when you bring together amazing people over fantastic food and wine.”

The 10 Most Inspiring Women Leaders to Follow in 2022

If given a chance, what change would you like to bring in your respective industry? As my company doesn't really fit into a specific industry “box”, it's hard to pin down a singular change. However, something I am very passionate about is authenticity and the ability to act on who you sincerely want to be without concern for judgment. Coming from someone that is overly positive, I also admit that we, unfortunately, live in fingerpointing and sometimes toxic society. As a mother of two young daughters, I continually try to instill in them that kindness and being your original YOU is so incredibly important. There is a magic behind creating the “you” that YOU wish to be…how special is that? Can a third of the globe genuinely decide the path they wish to walk? Not everyone has that ability, right? While getting deep for the sake of conversation and checking an “industry box”, I would say that the change I wish to bring to all industries is radical candor and the ability to express YOU without judgment. The world would really be a much happier place.

Enlighten us on how you have made an impact in the industry through your expertise in the market. I don't consider myself having made an impact necessarily, but I do believe we are onto something very progressive that could quite possibly change the way businesses and brands interact with the consumer. We don't fit in a box. I don't fit in a box. When I think of “industry” or “market”, we check off so many. We've merged media, experiential marketing, food, libations, music and philanthropy into a feel-good lifestyle. Everything that inspires me is under one roof within my brand vs a singular career path I could have pursued. That is beyond meaningful. Feast it Forward is the culmination of my joy for living my best life and making a difference while doing so. That said, I think and hope my impact is just that.

What would be your advice to budding women entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the industry? DREAM BIG and be fueled by falling down and getting back up. GET UP stronger. FALL AGAIN. WORK HARD. Let the cheering echo louder than the negative comments. Learn to love the dirt and wipe it off without question…but don't ever question your DREAMS. Be authentic. YOU are the only YOU that will ever exist.

33 | January 2022www.insightssuccess.com

Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run, and what are your future goals for the company? So many things come to mind. I do have intentions of opening more experiential Studio venues across the country. It will be a cool opportunity for our vintner partners and national sponsors to have visibility in other markets while the design vibe and interactive partners reflect that culture and location. While our current retail line of “products with purpose” is small, I would love to develop a robust lifestyle product line that gives back in partnership with a large retail store. I am not afraid to dream BIG so I can honestly say I do believe Feast it Forward has the ability to become a household lifestyle brand name with a sincere purpose.

In-studio live filming,"Food for Fitness" with NFL legend Charles Woodson & Chef Curs Di Fede

moments, food trucks, pop-up retail vendors, art installations and stage. Expanding upon our experiential sponsor opportunities, I like to refer to this as a year-round festival-like experience.

Leticia Latino CEO Neptuno USA www.insightssuccess.com34 | January 2022

Driving the Ongoing Transformation in the Telecom Industry

www.insightssuccess.com The 10 Most Inspiring Women Leaders to Follow in 2022 35 | January 2022

Inspired by her vision, we at Insights Success talked with Leticia to learn more about her journey and how she is leading by example. Below are the highlights of the interview: Brief our audience about your journey as a business leader until your current position at the company. What challenges you had to overcome to reach where you are today? When I was a little girl, my father used to take me to his office all the time. I envisioned what it would be like to one day run his Telecom Tower Company, “if I come to work for you is only to make the company three times bigger,” I used to joke to tickle his ego. Interestingly enough, right after I graduated from Business School, instead of going to work in the family business, I felt I needed to forge my own path and accepted a position at Merrill Lynch. I We like to tackle old fashion problems with innovative tools.

wanted to pursue a career in Investments but it didn’t take me long to realize that I didn’t enjoy managing other people’s money; something about it didn’t fit with my personality. I then decided to leave Venezuela and come to Florida to pursue a dual degree Master’s program at the University of Miami, which upon completion, landed me a job offer from Nortel Networks, which is how I “officially” got into Telecom. I spent several years at Nortel before the company started having financial troubles triggering massive lay-offs and its ultimate demise. It was after going through that traumatic experience that it became clear to me that if I was ever going to work as hard as I did at Nortel, it better be for the family business, and that’s how exactly 20 years ago, I accepted an old but always outstanding job offer from my father, which by the way is the best mentor and boss one can hope for, and joined Neptuno. Tell us something more about the company and its mission and vision. The story of Neptuno is one that has all the ingredients to make a good movie. Italian immigrant arrives penniless in South America and, through a lot of hard work and sacrifices, creates a company that is credited with engineering, manufacturing, and installing towers for many of the first cellular networks in the Americas. The founder’s From working for Merrill Lynch and Nortel to joining the family business, Neptuno USA, and bringing its name, legacy, and know-how to the US, Leticia Latino’s 20+ years of experience in the telecom industry has been enriching. Under the leadership of Leticia, Neptuno has patented several tower designs, applied 3-Dimensional technology to Site Surveys and Tower Mapping, created telecom assets virtual libraries, and helped develop Telecom Asset Management Software and is taking an active role in the Smart Cities movement.

What, according to you, could be the next big change in the industry? How is your company preparing to be a part of that change? Thanks to advancements in 5G technology and the historic investment in broadband expansion included in the recently signed bipartisan infrastructure bill, 5G deployments will contribute $1.7 trillion to the economy, create 4.6 million jobs, and enhance everything from how we communicate to the way farmers raise their crops over the next decade, and this will be a big change and huge growth for our industry.

I envision myself continuing to get Neptuno involved in initiatives that bring impact to bettering the way we conduct business and create positive change for the industry all together. Someone once said to me that while my father was at the center of the wireless revolution, I seemed poised to be at the center of the SmartCity revolution, and that is an exciting thought to me. I am also very passionate about nurturing genuine connections and that’s why three years ago, I created a podcast called “Back2Basics- Reconnecting to the essence of YOU”, in which the guests share their stories about how through failures and successes they have stayed connected to their essence and to what makes them tick. Inspiring change is ultimately what makes me tick, so I do as much as I can to live with the alignment of my inner and outer goals. What would be your advice to budding women entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the industry? In my opinion, there has never been more exciting to join the Telecom Industry than right now. Even if many times it is only with the goal of making a diversity quota, Women are finally being given opportunities that were unreachable just a few years back. There is a new platform being created, and our perspective is finding a voice in it. And as mentioned before, the infrastructure bill and 5G deployment are bringing an insurmountable number of new opportunities, and all help is needed to fulfil very aggressive deployment goals, so if you want to join in, this is the time, and everyone is welcomed!

www.insightssuccess.com36 | January 2022

Having been raised playing around wireless construction sites and telecommunications technicians, I have what I call an “insiders perspective” on the challenges that not only construction companies face but also our workforce. My father has always been someone that has treated the field crews like family. We have tower climbers whose grandfathers started with my dad back in the 1970’s. I was raised with humanity to understand that the telecom workers are the ones making the ‘magic’ happen, but unfortunately, their contribution is often overlooked. The Telecom Industry is so large that people making decisions from the office often forget that the “heart” of this industry is in the field. In 2019, I was appointed by the FCC Chairman to the Broadband Development Advisory Committee and was also asked to chair the Jobs and Skills Working group. The work we did was incredible, and we produced a detailed report that was unanimously approved, with actionable recommendations on what the industry could do to help solve the workforce shortage. This is one of the reasons why I am so passionate about developing a highly-skilled workforce and leveraging apprenticeship programs such as TIRAP to do so, because I know firsthand the difference that training and a formal certificate can have in someone’s life. Of course, being a woman who has spent over two decades in a very male-dominated industry also provides me with relevant perspective around what can be done to ensure that our industry is more diversified and equitably represented.

To help create those jobs, Neptuno became a Telecom Industry Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP) Employer in 2020, which is a Department of Labor Program whose national Sponsor is the Wireless Infrastructure Association and it aims at skilling and training a more diverse and inclusive telecom workforce while promoting an incredible ‘earn as you learn’ apprenticeship model. Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run, and what are your future goals for the company?

three kids each have their own professional journey but eventually join their father to protect his legacy and lifelong work. The company has a major setback because it’s headquartered in Venezuela, a country plagued with political instability and socio-economic challenges, prompting it to transform and pivot in a major way to avoid going under as most Venezuelan companies have, since the late 1990’s. With a high moral compass that has integrity as the main North, in 2003 the company’s mission became making important inroads in the US market and becoming a key player in helping advance bridging the digital divide, and supporting telecommunications stakeholders in the plan of enabling connectivity for all.

Enlighten us on how you have made an impact in the industry through your expertise in the market.

Enlighten us on how you have made an impact in the industry through your expertise in the market. We stand behind our notion of "programmatic" security services. We've created a repeatable process that integrates People (user awareness), Process (policies/procedures), and Technology (MDR: Managed Detection, Response). This serves as a kind of roadmap of best practices to battle cyber criminals and better protect our clients. We spend countless hours educating all levels of an organization, including the Board and C-suite, so that they can understand the threat landscape and how best to protect not only their company but their customers' data as well.

Describe in detail the values and the work culture that drives your organization. We believe in finding the right balance between work and family life. In fact, my husband is the CTO, and my daughter leads client relations and sales. Like her, we have employees starting their families. Our values are about

eeping one's data protected has become the top-

Kmost priority in the digital revolution. The organizations operating in the cybersecurity niche are working to the bone trying to meet the demand of a skills and labor shortage which has become a massive issue. Overcoming these challenges by providing organizations with strategies to safeguard their critical data and privacy while actively educating and developing the next generation of promising talent is top-of-mind for Michelle Drolet

As Founder & CEO of Towerwall, Inc ., Michelle is a highly focused professional specializing in the preparedness side of cybersecurity with a proven and integrated Insightsapproach.Success caught up with Michelle in our expedition to find "The 10 Most Inspiring Women Leaders to Follow in 2022" and talked with her to understand her methodologies in the ever-changing landscape of cybersecurity.

The 10 Most Inspiring Women Leaders to Follow in 2022 www.insightssuccess.com38 | January 2022

At the start of my career in 1993, I met Nizar Huddani, who turned out to be my mentor. He hired me to run the US Operations for his IT consulting business CDG Technologies. Together we grew the consulting business which eventually led to an acquisition by a public company. I stayed with the new company but grew disenchanted by its direction, so I decided to buy back the company and shape it into where we are today with Towerwall. That was my proudest moment in business. Nizar saw potential in me that I hadn't realized. Those lessons have stuck with me and still guide me today.

Michelle Drolet

Below are the highlights of the interview: Brief our audience about your journey as a business leader until your current position at the company. What challenges have you had to overcome to reach where you are today?

Securing Your Data with Preparedness Solutions

Tell us something more about the company and its mission and vision. For nearly 30 years now, I've worked closely with many small to mid-size organizations in banking, life sciences, education, and manufacturing, providing highly specialized cybersecurity technology and services. Cybersecurity is all we do here at Towerwall. We are highly focused and specialized in protecting our client's critical assets. We take great pride in being our client's trusted security partner, addressing the daily challenges they face in securing key data as well as keeping them abreast of the evolving legal and regulatory requirements. Following our mantra of people, process, and technology, we build security user awareness programs that educate employees, converting them from being the weakest link to being the strongest asset, which I recommend is a winning combination.

Michelle Drolet

Founder and CEO Towerwall, Inc. 39 | January 2022www.insightssuccess.com

having focus, determination, and compassion. We all face challenges in our personal and business life, but the ability to persevere is the difference between success and failure. Particularly in business, nothing is more important than solving your customer's needs. Our entire team is focused on cybersecurity. We often compete and win against larger players because our team has a 'run through the wall' attitude when we are maturing our customers' security programs. Undeniably, technology is playing a significant role in almost every sector. How are you leveraging technological advancements to make your solutions resourceful? Security is not a destination but a journey. Keeping up with the growing list of regulatory mandates and upcoming data privacy laws can be challenging. A great example is a client who came to us to help answer a seemingly simple governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) security questionnaire from one of their partners. In doing so, we discovered they needed an entire information security infrastructure to protect not only their own intellectual property but their customers as well. The big challenge was getting a plan in place in short order to ensure they could continue doing business. What, according to you, could be the next big change in the industry? How is your company preparing to be a part of that change? We're in the tightest labor market ever seen, and the largest challenge is finding enough qualified security professionals.

www.insightssuccess.com40 | January 2022

“Building

To offset the high demand for skilled services, we have ramped up an innovative service we call "virtual CISO," a personal service Towerwall offers to take on the responsibilities and duties associated with the Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO) role, the virtual Data Protection Officer (vDPO) role, and virtual Chief Privacy Officer (vCPO) role. We are also in the process of building a comprehensive Managed Compliance Security Service program, alleviating the day-to-day security operations for our customers (e.g., Vendor Risk Management, Security Awareness Training, Vulnerability Scanning, ongoing Information Security Program Plan development and management). Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run, and what are your future goals for the company? The programs we've developed have evolved to serve our clients' pressing security concerns. Our strategic plan has outlined a number of initiatives to continue our leadership in shaping the future of cybersecurity. With new privacy laws, the regulatory environment has grown more complex. With full trust and confidence, we rely on a network of vendor partnerships tasked with building the best front-line security software possible. These include the likes of Alert Logic, Varonis, LogRhythm, KnowBe4, Tenable, Sophos, and other best-of-breed security vendors. Our goal is simply to keep providing the best hands-on, customized cybersecurity services. What would be your advice to budding women entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the industry? My advice to young women is this: Work hard, work smart, and be good to yourself. Nothing comes from nothing. You make your own destiny. Don't look for handouts. There are far too many opportunities and open positions in cybersecurity. I would suggest finding internships at any one of the many cyber security vendors and shadowing their mentors for direct hands-on experience. I would recommend security certification training via Cybrary.com, which offers SANS-like training for free. Here in Massachusetts, we are involved with the MassBay Community College Cyber Program, the Women's Independent Network, Young Women and Minorities in Science and Technology, Cyber Internship Programs. Most recently, we made a donation to the newly introduced Lauro Garner Minority Cybersecurity Scholarship, in association with Mercer University. safeguardecosystemscybersecuritythatYOURmostcriticalassets.”

www.insightssuccess.com42 | January 2022

Successful business leaders have different traits than ordinary people. They slow down once in a while to relook where they are going on, assess the situation well, and change the strategy if needed. They are very flexible in their approach. They are not hallucinatory, but they match their actions and thoughts. They are not rigid in their approach but take situational decisions that will eventually help them attain their business targets. If they are met with temporary failure, they don’t change their goals but change their strategy to achieve those goals. They don’t give up on their most important goals. Failure is not a word in the dictionary of successful business leaders. They treat failure as a stepping stone or as a learning experience on the journey of Nothingsuccess.

The mark of great business leaders is that they have the sharp abilities to focus on the good and remove the bad. They replace everything bad with the potential good. They transform challenges into opportunities. They utilize resources most diligently. They make the best utilization of what they have. They understand that it is equally important to know what to do and what not to do. Their ability to distinguish between truth and illusion helps them make high-value decisions that will be profitable in the long run.

In a world full of distractions, we can achieve our goals only if we focus on achieving our goals instead of being diverted or distracted by anything else.

belittles the morale and the conscience of successful business leaders. They remain committed to the process of consistently working hard towards their most cherished goals. Their commitment to the process makes them glorious and sustainably successful. They remain resolute in their purpose and eventually reach the landmark of success. They address the needs that need to be addressed most profoundly and make a significant impact in the business they are leading.

hat separates successful business leaders fromW the rest? It is their sheer ability to focus on what matters and eliminate the unessential.

Successful business leaders align their vision with the execution. They don’t give in to the negative temptations and the allurements that will divert them from their most precious goals. They believe that it is more important to mind their resolutions than anything else.

43 | January 2022www.insightssuccess.com Business Moments

Successful business leaders have the knack for getting things done differently. They think big to win big. They have a broad-minded approach. They are concise and eloquent. They speak what they mean, and they mean what they speak. They are rational and crystal-clear in their approach. They know that there are better practices to even best practices, and thus, they deliver beyond expectations.

We are living in a world with a lot of temptations all around, and it is very easy to get distracted. But great leaders can focus on what they want to accomplish even amidst a lot of temptations. They are never distracted from their goals and visions. They understand that to be distracted means to be disempowered and, thus, always look at the bigger picture. The leaders who can focus on the tasks in their hands can achieve remarkable feats in the businesses they are leading. Focusing on one particular aspect doesn’t mean they are short-sighted, but they keep track of important things that will help them reach their goals.

Nicole Marn Founder and Chief Empowerment Officer HRBoost www.insightssuccess.com44 | January 2022

Nicole Martin

Below are the highlights of the interview: Tell us something more about the HRBoost and its mission and vision. As the corporate world grows, there has been an increase in employees in organizations. Managing this ever-growing workforce can be an uphill battle for companies. For effective workforce management and better business success, human resource management plays an important role.

A Sought-after Expert in the HR Fraternity

HRBoost offers a unique view. We believe you must be tactical and strategic all at the same time. Every resource should be transactional with efficiency but effective for the long term, thus facilitating transformational work.

Nicole considers herself an accidental entrepreneur, as she didn’t set out to create HRBoost. She simply followed her passion for helping clients understand the importance human resources can play in developing a strong business.

I recently engaged a partner to be the HR Expert on Demand, and this truly takes our bench strength to small businesses across the country via the phone or their chosen mobile device. While they prefer in-person, like everyone else these days, they have gone digital.

Today, Nicole is a successful entrepreneur and an HR industry innovator who is dedicated to helping small to midsize businesses realize their potential through their Nicoleemployees.considers it her number one responsibility to empower her team of Boosters, invest in ongoing education, tools, and resources to optimize her team. She has faith that they will, in turn, delight their clients. “I was truly humbled when after years of serving on the Advisory Board and being part of a winning organization in my prior roles, my own company took the stage of Best & Brightest® Companies to Work For in Chicago in 2020,” shares InspiredNicole.byher vision, we at Insights Success got into conversation with Nicole to learn more about her journey and how HRBoost is meeting the HR needs of businesses.

We offer small and midsize businesses HR services on an ala carte, project, or retainer basis. We meet our clients wherever they are on their journey to be an employer of choice and also at their pace and budget. Our Shared Services approach allows them to build HR departments from scratch and align them to the business strategy. While we see great value in the middle market, we do have some larger companies that augment their internal HR teams with strategic project initiatives from our team. Undeniably, technology is playing a significant role in almost every sector. How are you leveraging technological advancements to make your solutions resourceful?

The 10 Most Inspiring Women Leaders to Follow in 2022 45 | January 2022www.insightssuccess.com

HR expertise is essential to any business as they grow their enterprise. Our Shared Services approach allows businesses to access strategic HR at their pace and budget all while

A n epitome of passionate leadership, Nicole Martin is the Founder and Chief Empowerment Officer of HRBoost. She founded HR Boost with a vision to bring JOY and PURPOSE to PEOPLE through their work. It is how HRBoost serves its clients and the people that choose to join up on their visions.

With the vision to bring joy and purpose to people through their work, I founded HRBoost. I advocate the thought that software is not HR. And HR is more than payroll and benefits. I believe in building a high-performance culture that drives innovation and profitability, which leaders require at all levels. HR infrastructure can uphold the Culture Invitation, and once it is strategically aligned and reinforced, a company can create workforce alignment, empowering leaders to innovate amidst even the toughest climate in business.

Enlighten us on how you have made an impact in the industry through your expertise in the market.

www.insightssuccess.com46 | January 2022

Whether you are simply looking for guidance on a particular human resources matter or to implement a complete human resources support solution,HRBoost can add value to your business. ‘‘ ‘‘ taking a holistic approach to integrating a culture plan that enables their strategic and/or operational plans as a business.

I feel it is imperative to get hands on experience doing what you seek to learn. Make sure it brings you joy before investing time, energy, and dedicating your life to it. Enjoy the journey and be prepared to learn, unlearn, and relearn. Surround yourself with people who inspire and support you, but also don’t patronize you. Remember, even if it

I aim to lead by example and share for the benefit of all. I have published two books that really speak to women. ‘The Power of Joy and Purpose’ is my personal story, and I share my ‘7 Presence Principles’ as I get asked nearly every day, how do I do it all so joyfully? ‘NO FEAR Negotiation for Women’, a co-authored book with John Tinghitella, where I set forth a process that women can add to their list of abilities and for the greater benefit of our country. Men are about results, and Women are about effort. We need both in business.

The competition for skilled talent has no boundaries in our country, and virtual and hybrid approaches to working will outlive this pandemic. Our Recruiter on Demand services have increased as of Q3 2021 begins. "My book "The Talent Emergency™"- Amazon Best seller in 2015- the reality of the skills shortage- is being lived by employers now. Wellbeing, Diversity, and Inclusion became the forefront as well as Safety as an ongoing precursor. Newer measures of engagement include wellbeing and overall health to include mental health in the workplace.

gets harder, or takes longer, stay diligent. Anything you love will be worth it.

Businesses that showed care during this past year will retain talent, but those that failed to keep talent informed, part of the discussion, and ahead of the anxiety will see their team change and likely in a big way before year end.

I believe that flexibility and trust are critical to building a team of women. My business happens to be all women, and many are in their child-rearing years. I look back at how I built an intellectual playground for myself as a new mother back in 2010. Now my business serves many more who are like I once was, and they too deserve to do the work they have become skilled at and not stop earning just because they want to be mothers and/or grandmothers too.

I also believe they need both strategic and tactical resources at the same time. One human is not ideal as there are various cognitive abilities to optimize HR strategically. Our shared services approach to the middle market is the PEO Alternative.

What would be your advice to budding women entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the industry?

If given a chance, what change would you like to bring to the HR industry?

www.insightssuccess.com48 | January 2022 Taaya Griffith Founder & Creative Director Swanky Portraits Limited

Ta a y a Gr i ffit h

picture is worth a thousand words. It makes oneA relive the beautiful moments spent with loved ones, capturing emotions one cannot always express. Turning such memories into a personalized illustrated book to tell a picture-perfect story, Taaya Griffith adds her creative touch in versatile ways. Taaya is an illustrator, innovative thinker with multidisciplinary skills and founder of Swanky Portraits Limited. As the Creative Director, she holds ten years of experience in the graphics and designing industry. Her work continues to create opportunities in the design industry and charity projects, giving the world hope, optimism and a reason to live and smile. How It All Started?

Taaya started Swanky Portraits while working full-time as a Graphic and Marketing Designer for a Design company in London. The idea for the personalized books came to Taaya when she read a bedtime story to her two year-old-daughter.

Illustrating YOUR Life Stories

Taaya wanted her daughter to believe that the stories which put her to bed were about her, and that her daughter would

The 10 Most Inspiring Women Leaders to Follow in 2022 49 | January 2022www.insightssuccess.com

An Innovative and Forward Thinker Taaya was honored to be named in 2021 as one of the top 20 female entrepreneurs disrupting their industry (Disruptors Magazine). She would love to see more people from diverse backgrounds represented in this industry and in books generally.

see herself in those stories. After producing personalised books initially for family and friends, Taaya took the idea to the UK's leading online retailer (Not On The High Street) for personalized gifts, where it got approved after several trials. The books have been retailing on their site since 2016.

The other initial challenge was starting the books at a higher price than the competitors. However, over the last six years, Swanky Portraits have established a high quality brand with a growing range of high-end personalized products to justify the price to a growing customer base.

Swanky Portraits is cognizant of years spent talking about diversity, and it is now time to do diversity.

Taaya states that an inward-looking industry or enterprise that is not inclusive at the strategic and operational level risks missing out on the richness of ideas and vibrance that marginalized groups bring. It means a lot to her, to continue to inspire others, starting with school children who might not have imagined themselves taking lead roles in the industry. Continues to Surprise with Creativity Like any self-sustaining business Taaya and her team need to make a www.insightssuccess.com

The biggest challenge Taaya faced was ensuring every customer's illustration was hand-drawn by a real illustrator. Although highly creative, Taaya had little experience in drawing people. She taught herself various techniques to speed up the process that has resulted in her illustrating over 5000 people to date. She has been training other illustrators to create these illustrations at speed.

50 | January 2022

Taaya notes, "Our books are bought by individuals, so it has the unusual benefit of getting direct feedback from customers. Generally, it is a 'wow, WOW'! Human needs are universal; if the books trigger a 'wow' from Englishspeaking customers, they will do the same for others, and the book brand has tested this idea out."

On mentoring upcoming women entrepreneurs, Taaya says, " Do you have an idea you are passionate about? Talk it through with a small group of friends who know something about it, including those who don't like the idea. Listen to them all, and then refine your idea. Start small; when you stumble, pick yourself up, again and again. Look at yourself as an entrepreneur, not a woman but, understand that as a woman, you will face extra-high hurdles, be prepared to jump higher rather than feel sorry for yourself. The best way to remain focused is to continue to celebrate every little milestone.”

profit to invest in developing the products and justifying the premium price the customers respond to so positively. However, the primary motivation comes from the personal impact that the books have on individuals, as illustrated through some moving testimonies below; if one book makes a difference in one person's life, that's worth more than money: One message was from a lady who received a personalized 'Just Married' book. She made contact to say that reading the quotes during challenging times, and seeing the images of her and her new partner together, had 'literally saved the marriage .' In another case, the family inserted the book in the casket because it had meant so much to their loved one. When Taaya heard their story, she decided to make a replica complimentary copy for the family, which they truly appreciated. Individual and Community Contribution Swanky Portraits is premised on listening to each customer and tailoring the product to their circumstances. Its illustrations match the individual's features such that they are recognizable yet not replicable. Focusing on individual stories has enabled it to create books that handle fun and serious personal circumstances; therefore, the products have a deeper meaning and impact beyond off-the-shelf cards and other predesigned goods where one inserts a name. They are suitable for all ages and cultures, reflecting the diverse team behind the brand. It has put wheelchair children and children with Down syndrome into the amazing adventure books to make the character instantly recognizable, and looking just like them.

Our impact is wide-ranging but specifically noticeable among marginalized groups.

These changes, reflected in their books, have increased Swanky Portraits sales, particularly the past year, where more people than ever are shopping online for gifts. The books, Our Covid-19 Heroes, are available on Amazon. The firm continues to engage with the customers personally and is acutely aware of the growing need to express appreciation of one another, which its books do so well.

Swanky Portraits aims to translate its current range of books into French, Spanish, Mandarin, and Kiswahili, targeting various parts of the world where those languages are the dominant ones; that is the company's way of conducting diversity.

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Encouraging Others

Change has been forced upon people by the pandemic. Taaya and her team created easy-read books to appreciate people like the NHS, teachers and Care Workers, and illustrated how we all embraced technology overnight.

Expanding to Worldwide Destinations

Following her drive to tell stories that positively impact people's lives, Vanessa made a conscious decision, pivoting into public relations for non-profit organizations and started her journey at the NAACP as a Communications Associate.

Vanessa has reached audiences across the country and beyond by conducting extensive research, testing, and strategy. NAACP’s email marketing program is incredibly successful, surpassing industry engagement standards by more than half. She says, "We've been able to do this, as a small team at that, by taking the time to STIR the pot. Strategize, Test, Implement and Report. Sometimes you stir the pot too much, and you end up burning your food. That's okay. Fail, but fail fast. You can't build award-winning campaigns by playing it safe."

Sustaining Democracy Digitally

Vanessa sees millions of opportunities to impact when viewing analytics, metrics, and numbers.

Fighting Forward

There are thousands of untold stories that could have changed the course of humankind. For decades, people's voice has been suppressed, creating racial hatred and discrimination. Even now, millions of people are fighting the arduous battles against racial prejudice to receive proper civil rights and social justice. For over a century, (NAACP ) has led the fight, ensuring all persons' political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights and eliminating race-based discrimination.

Supporting the fight against racial prejudice is Vanessa Mbonu , the Vice President, Digital Marketing & Communications, utilizing her experience as a communicator to work advancing social justice through media and technology.

NAACP created a fostering environment where she could learn and innovate on the job. Her agility aided her in climbing the ladder in the organization to become the Vice President of Digital Marketing and Communications.

The Storyteller Vanessa knew that she wanted to tell stories for a living from a young age; thus, she received a degree in journalism from St. John's University and a Masters in Global Media and Communication from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She then interned at Maxim Magazine and worked as a production assistant at Voice of America until landing her first paid job as a content creator for AARP the Magazine.

VanessabonuM

While constantly being challenged with learning the ins and outs of public policy to keep up with the ever-changing digital landscape, innovative strategies, and campaigns at a legacy organization, Vanessa tries to be a bold, supportive, and motivational team leader. She asserts, "With any career transition, there will always be a learning curve, but I've been fortunate enough to learn from a team of inspiring women leaders. After all, the NAACP is the nation's first and largest civil rights organization and it’s led by a C-suite made up almost entirely of women of color."

Vanessa oversees, protects, and manages the NAACP brand online. Her work directly impacts people's lives, which is why she doesn't take it lightly. Understanding the power of words, every email, tweet, and ad that engages the audience brings them one step closer to sustaining democracy.

Vanessa mentions that the culture of the NAACP aims to reflect the world it advocates for, valuing diversity, inclusion, and equity, and believes these should be stfundamental principles of every organization in the 21 We are two million+ activists united in the fight to end racial inequality.

“ “ The 10 Most Inspiring Women Leaders to Follow in 2022 www.insightssuccess.com52 | January 2022

Fostering Encouraging Work Culture

Vanessa

Mbonu Vice President, Digital Marketing Communications& (NAACP) 53 | January 2022www.insightssucce ss.com

From ME to YOU Sharing her thoughts about the future, Vanessa envisions herself building a life where she is pouring back into the community more than it has poured into her. She has seen firsthand, people dedicating their entire lives to the betterment of their communities, leaving incredible legacies for the next generation. She heartily expresses, "If I can achieve just 10 percent of what some of the most notable people who've come from this organization have done, I will be feel accomplished."

century. The NAACP also prides itself in fostering a culture where every staff person is encouraged to show up as their most authentic self. The organization genuinely invests in the wellbeing of staff, knowing the importance of the work they do. The NAACP recently launched a Find Your Fit initiate, with programs, tools, and resources that help the staff enhance their physical, financial, professional, and emotional wellbeing. Vanessa asserts, "We're dedicated to improving the country for people of color, and we do that by starting from the inside out."

The technological advancements have made it more straightforward for the companies that work as B2B and B2C; however, the NAACP is a non-profit organization that tries to leverage technology to improve, protect, and change communities. Vanessa is constantly looking at data analytics, researching the latest marketing trends, and diving deeper to figure out how to leverage them. The primary goal is to mobilize activists, and social media, digital ads, and geo-targeting have proven themselves invaluable on that front. Though technology can be a huge helping hand, it can also disrupt the flow, so it is a huge responsibility to ensure it is not inherently discriminatory in nature and use it to advance society. Vanessa expresses, "We've tackled tech giants like Facebook for negligence and malpractice in the spread of misinformation on its platform. We've fought back against mobile carriers for rules such as "10DLC," which make it harder for organizations like us to reach our subscribers through text message."

The Responsible Use of Technology

“Last but not least, You need to see people like you achieving what the world has told you is impossible,” Vanessa concludes. www.insightssuccess.com

The Upcoming Transformative Shifts

Tell Your Tales

Vanessa sees a gradual growth in the non-profit industry and wishes that there would be more innovation. She says, "We can't fight 21st-century problems with 20th-century weapons."

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Millennials and Gen Z are increasingly more in tune with the world around them, demanding more transparency, committing to make the world better than how they see it today. Vanessa sees them as self-starters, having the entrepreneurial spirit of starting more organizations and bringing the change.

Vanessa advises budding women entrepreneurs to find a mentor. She notes, "Whenever people ask me how I've been able to achieve what I have at such a young-ish age (I'm 27), I always tell them I only did 60 percent of the work. The other 40 percent came from the Black women who've helped me along the way. Even if you don't have someone in your immediate circle that can serve as a mentor, go on LinkedIn, open up a business journal, find someone who emulates the career path you desire, and follow their journey. Read their articles. Listen to their talks."