The 20 Most Successful Businesswomen to Watch 2020 by Insights Success Media

Vol 06 | Issue 03 | 2020

20 THE

MOST SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSWOMEN TO WATCH 2020 “Things don’t always go as planned and the world of work is changing and evolving at a pace that’s faster than ever.” EXPERT’S ADVICE The Glass Ceiling Effect: Another Perspective on Women and Leadership

WOMEN IMPOWER Dynamics of Women Participation in the Everchanging Modern Workforce

Amanda Managing Director Lead Consultant and Trainer

Haddaway

A Positive, Hard-working, and Result-oriented Businesswomen

Editor’s Desk

Leading with the Conﬁdence

Conﬁdence transforms every action into result

t used to be believed that the majority of entrepreneurs to be male. However, in recent years the number of female entrepreneurs in the world has been on the hike. Past few years have been a ground breaking years for women in business; Sheryl Sandberg led Facebook through a much-anticipated IPO, IBM appointed its first female CEO in Ginni Rometty, and Marissa Mayer jumped became CEO of Yahoo. Today, women have begun to make their rights for leadership but often encounter a workplace culture that makes the challenges severe. For so long, women have determined career accomplishment by their ability to adjust to the male-dominated principles and business processes in their field. Women try to work by the existing rules in the workspace and have the additional obstacle of society’s perceptions of how women should act and be seen. While education and preparation are lessening some of the invisible angst of being a woman in a leadership role, there are still dares to face and overcome. It depends on current women leaders to embrace their status as a role model and address those difficulties head-on with action and execution. To that end, gradually women in leadership positions are pushing the limits of gender equality by utilizing their abilities and leadership qualities – in skill, experience, knowledge and emotion. They are following the things they want from their profession and their career, and not waiting for it to come to them. The key is confidence in all your abilities and resources, not just those represented on PPT. In its upcoming edition “The 20 Most Successful Businesswomen to Watch 2020”, Insights Success is bringing the journeys of some of these dynamic women

who are recognized for successful business, leadership and entrepreneurship across the world. The cover features Amanda Haddaway- Managing Director, Lead Consultant, and Trainer, who believes communication is key, whether it’s her internal team or the client teams she works with. Since Amanda does a lot of employee relations work, one thing that she observes in most co-workers and employee/manager disputes is a breakdown in communication or the parties having different communication styles. To resolve this problem her company provides expert advice on how to have difficult conversations, engaging and motivating employees, delegation and prioritization, and many other key management areas. For some clients, the company also gets into more tactical management skills like interviewing and performance evaluation. Sometimes, it includes information on what managers need to know about employment law. Let’s unveil such alike, inspiring stories and interviews of many such passionate leaders in this special edition and spread a word about their contribution in making this world a better place. Also, while flipping the pages, don’t forget to go through the articles and CXOs written by our in-house editorial team and industry experts respectively.

Rohit Chaturvedi

COVER STORY

ARTICLES

34 Expert’s Advice The Glass Ceiling Effect: Another Perspective on Women and Leadership

54 Women Impower Dynamics of Women Participation in the Everchanging Modern Workforce

Amanda Haddaway A Positive, Hard-working, and Resultoriented Businesswomen

JUN

020

Amy C. Cross Industry Leader for the Greater Good

Arabella Carey Adolfsson

Dominique “Nika” Cagle Providing Home Away From Home

Emma He Providing a Comfortable and Supportive Sleeping Experience

Gail Adinamis Successfully Paving her Path in Clinical Trial Industry

Jessica Spina The Experienced Leade

Marnice Miller A Supportive Leader You Can Rely On

Pat Kehoe An Insightful, Savvy Marketing Professional

Sahar Andrade A Gem in the Jewel of Leadership Development

Subriana McFadden Pierce Leading with Inspiration and Innovation

Susan Frech Connecting Brands to the Power of Communities

Syama Meagher A Gem in the Jewel of Scaling Retail

Editor-in-Chief Pooja M. Bansal Managing Editor Anish Miller

Executive Editor

Assistant Editors

Rohit Chaturvedi

Jenny Fernandes Bhushan Ghate

Visualizer

Art & Design Director

Associate Designer

David King

Amol Kamble

Kushagra Gupta

Co-designer Asha Bange

Senior Sales Manager

Business Development Manager

Kshitij S

Andy Mitter

Marketing Manager

Sales Executives

John Matthew

Daniel, Ethan, Vishnu Vardan

Technical Head

Business Development Executives

Jacob Smile

Anish, Joe, Alan, Omkar

Technical Specialist Aditya

Digital Marketing Manager Marry D'Souza

SME-SMO Executive Prashant Chevale

Research Analyst Frank Adams

Database Management Stella Andrew

Circulation Manager Robert Brown

Technology Consultant David Stokes

sales@insightssuccess.com June, 2020

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Vol 06 | Issue 03 | 2020

20 THE

WOMEN IMPOWER Dynamics of Women Participation in the Everchanging Modern Workforce

Amanda Managing Director Lead Consultant and Trainer

Haddaway

A Positive, Hard-working, and Result-oriented Businesswomen

“

Choose E xc e l l e n t, Choose Insights

Amy C. Cross Industry Leader for the Greater Good

person who comprehends the needs of their clients and employees, and makes efforts to bring the best for them, defines a true leader. Even though industries are filled with impeccable leaders, only a few have attained the stature of being self-made. One such passionate self-made leader is Amy C. Cross, Founder & Chief Executive Officer at StillPoint Capital, LLC. Her unique approach to business and her ability to create opportunities has always been unconventional. She has tremendous perseverance and operates with strength, sincerity, and candor in her business matters. She takes pride in her outstanding team and the firm’s corporate culture of transparency, honesty and integrity. The company’s accolades speak for themselves as they have also facilitated over $8 Billion in transaction value in just the past 5 years. A Glimpse into Amy’s Journey Amy started her career on Wall Street at just 19-years old. Even then she was acutely aware of the posturing and the lack of genuine sentiment around which some of the worlds’ strongest people and companies operate. “It was early on that I learned how little sincerity there was in business, and let alone on Wall Street. You can say that I began to grow up. I decided that I would be different; that I would make strong decisions but would always also listen to my heart. It wasn’t always easy.” reflected Amy. She continued to persevere, and at just 20-years old, she became an Index Option Market Maker on the floor of the American Stock Exchange [AMEX]. By 21-years old, she was the fastest promoted female to the ranks of Index Option and Equity Option Specialist on the AMEX and later became an ETF Specialist.

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When asked how I did it, I reply, “By not giving up.”

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The 20 Most Successful Businesswoman to Watch 2020

Amy had been trading for herself as an ETF Market Maker in October 2001, the month after 9-11. She was across the street from the World Trade Towers on 9-11, and the AMEX was closed for that month in the aftermath. It was a horrific day for her as she also lost eleven friends. The memories clearly still bring back difficult memories for her. Amy was among the first to do live broadcasts from the trading floor for major networks such as CNN, CNNfn, BBC, ABC, and live Wall Street-related streaming Internet broadcasts. “During my trading years, I also opened businesses in NYC in my personal time. I lived modestly and invested everything in the businesses that I built. That said, I ultimately, ended up losing everything. On the heels of that loss, followed by 9/11, my husband and I at the time decided to move to the Tampa Bay area. I was excited to begin the next chapter of my life at a slower pace and to start a family.” Amy and her first business partner in StillPoint began conducting M&A and private placements in the middle market. They learned that there was a gaping hole in the M&A industry for independent investment bankers, such as themselves, and decided that they would become the industry solution. “StillPoint was founded in 2004 and I immediately began to work on a business model that our regulators ultimately approved in 2005. So, I literally built the business model that created the industry niche in which I work to this day,” stated Amy. Some Life-changing Incidents told by Amy Ÿ My most significant business failure in NYC caused me to doubt my beliefs Ÿ Being “there” on 9/11 and the PTSD that ensued was life changing Ÿ Marriage and divorce, becoming a mom, a single mom, both naturally and through adoption, has changed my outlook on life and family Ÿ Professional and legal battles that I have both won and lost, continue to educate and shape me on all levels

could be easily rattled or someone whom she could not trust. Nor could she believe in a leader that did not live by example in both their worth ethic and in giving back. She believes that a leader provides stability and strength, especially when in doubt. Amy believes in being that leader. “There are many leaders who are far more successful than I am that do not possess these attributes, and I cannot speak to that. But I am clear that these are the attributes that I need in order to lead and/or believe in a leader.” Amy adds.

Embracing Technology “When I began trading on the AMEX, I was hand-writing my BUY/SELL tickets for each trade. Then one day, I was given my first hand-held computer and everything changed. I see technology as an inevitable component of business, I just don't see it as optional anymore.” Dealing with Volatile Markets Amy remarked that before COVID-19, the world operated as expected with regard to everyday activities such as travel, shopping, education, dining, medical attention and even communication. As we all know, COVID-19 has since changed the world. She feels that entrepreneurs and business owners must be nimble, open-minded and well informed. “For many, the marketplace has become a tsunami that has threatened even some of the strongest businesses' solvency.” In times of crises, teams, staff, support people all look to their leaders for guidance. This has been a time where a team's leader is also learning the information at the same time as the rest of the world, yet they are still expected to have for answers. “Continual reevaluation of your business model as dynamically as things change is absolutely critical, but still does not guarantee success.” Advice to Rely On Amy advises that before venturing out as an entrepreneur, that you must make sure that your passion is so great that you don't feel as though you have another option. “It is hard enough for a start-up company to find success, that if you're not 100% behind it, you may as well not be behind it at all.”

What Does it Take to be a Good Leader? Amy was clear that she could not believe in a leader who www.insightssuccess.com

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Carey Adolfsson 22 | JUNE 2020

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The 20 Most Successful Businesswoman to Watch 2020

nder her guidance, DTA's has gained numerous clients including academia, R&D institutions, and private companies. Arabella has a B.S. in Business Administration and Management from the University of Redlands, a Global Bio-Executive Certiﬁcate from the Haas School of Business at the University of California Berkeley. Arabella Arabella started DTA after leaving SDSU as the administrator of a federally funded program for identifying technologies for defense, and homeland security. Ever since Arabella always had the sense of being an entrepreneur in her guts; she states that she had the backing of her mentors that gave her support and were generous with their time as well as connections. She ﬁrmly believes that one of the things which really helped her was a large

and diverse network of people with whom she has been in contact, over the years. “It is always about relationships.” quotes Arabella. Solutions to Rely on She believes that if you want to scale your business you should always be prepared to offer different products and services that appear along the customer journey. So, customer feedback is critical and having the flexibility to pivot when customer demands change. “Our focus is our customer and their needs; we always want to be necessary to their success.” Women and men should have a genuine desire to help clients without the thought of just making money. Honesty, integrity and also flexibility are important attributes for all

Meet Arabella Carey Adolfsson, the Chief Executive Ofﬁcer of Diagnostic and Defense Technology Analysts, Inc., whose journey has set an example for many budding businesswomen out there. As an avid leader of DTA and in charge of business development and contracts, Arabella has a global reach that she brings to her clients and paved a successful pathway for her and her organization. Insights Success admire such leaders and appreciates her contribution in the consistent evolution of businesswomen.

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We businesspeople alike. Time management is also key, especially since most of us have the habit of multi-tasking and often times taking on more than we can handle. Life work balance is important for our health. Experiences and Challenges Past experiences that shaped Arabella are the accomplishments that she has had and the feeling it gave her. She assures that it is such a wonderful feeling to achieve a goal, win an award, have a vision, and understand the steps necessary to get there and then execute on that vision. “I am not an athlete, but I think that is what it must feel like to get to the ﬁnish line. And it can be addicting in a good way,” she says. The biggest challenge that she ever faced was lack of conﬁdence. Being a woman and a Hispanic woman in space and defense was a challenge. Oftentimes she felt she did not belong. “What I did have were mentors who gave me support, advice, and work! I give that gift back by mentoring and coaching young women every chance I get,” she adds. A Glimpse into Arabella's Future Arabella believes that the times are really challenging now. She states that she is watching, and trying to understand the

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collaborate, help, all win. company's new normal, and what that means to her business and her clients. She hopes that once this crisis is over, everyone will be in a better place. She put forth a rhetorical question by saying, “How do we strike a balance between the reality we are facing and our own personal visions of the future?” Her vision and approach to business is be real, be conﬁdent, be amazing. However, this approach to business is an evolution and was designed with decades of missteps, wins and wonderful people in her business life. She grew up professionally just as we all grow up emotionally. She states that as we start out trying to make a diﬀerence, we end up doing so by staying true to ourselves and our principles; but we all make mistakes along the way. “Best thing is to learn from them, and carry on,” says Arabella. Advice to Rely On Arabella advises budding businesswomen to learn how to pivot, make wise investment choices in yourself. And in your business make good solid choices in software and other services. Further she adds, one must take in a mentor who understands you and ask them for help. She says, “Women are wired to help”.

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umerous people travel around the globe, and most of them accommodate themselves in hotels or lodges, but there is also a reliable and reasonable option in corporate housing. Not many people are aware of corporate housing which offers clients better services that are looking for staying for a more extended period. To help with this Nika Corporate Housing, a Florida based company that provides worldwide service apartment accommodations through their network of best-in-class providers. Meet Dominique “Nika” Cagle, the President & CEO of Nika Corporate Housing promises that her friendly and professional staff will do everything in their power to make you feel truly welcome to your home away from home. She is dynamic and always intends to deliver the best to her clients. Besides, leading her company, Dominique is also the co-owner of Casa Genesis, which is a cloudbased SAAS management suite for corporate housing companies to manage all aspects of their operations. Several fitness magazines’ articles, covers, and calendars have featured Dominique as an inspirational role model for a fit and balanced life. She enjoys volunteering with the local “Ronald MacDonald House”. Dominique also supports the international children’s charity “Children International” where she sponsored seven disadvantaged children from 6 different impoverished countries for almost a decade. She also helps Make A Wish Foundation, Wounded Warrior’s Association, the Blinded Veteran’s Association, The Spring. The Lead-Up Dominique began her career as an entrepreneur in her early twenties. She started her corporate housing company Nika Corporate Housing in 2003 as a start-up with just one furnished suite. Since then, she has successfully grown her temporary lodging company to a regional leader in the corporate housing industry and has an inventory of over 300 units. Also, through her leadership, the company has experienced sustained growth and has been profitable each year. Dominique has been selected for the Enterprising Women’s Awards in 2020 from Enterprising Women’s Magazine. Nika Corporate Housing is a leading premier corporate housing company in Florida and a leader in the Southeast regional market. They provide “turnkey” short term, fully furnished units that are ready to move in, with all furniture, appliances, utilities, linens, and housewares included. They offer one bedroom, two bedrooms, and three-bedroom options to fit the guests according to their

Dominiqu “Nika” Cagle

Providing Home Away From Home 26 | JUNE 2020

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ue Dominique 'Nika' Cagle CEO & President Nika Corporate Housing

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“

Exceed every guests’ expectations, every day.

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The 20 Most Successful Businesswoman to Watch 2020

needs. They also, utilize condo’s, town-homes, and apartments, which are spacious with full-size kitchens – and all units also are equipped with washers and dryers en-suite with parking, and Wi-Fi. To make their guests feel like they are ‘living like a local’ Nika Corporate Housing have their units located in premier locations. Determining Seeking Audience Nika Corporate Housing continuously evaluates new communities to add to their matrix of options for the guests to choose from their roster. Their guests enjoy choosing several different options in different parts of town to have a selection. The organization develops a relationship with the relocation companies, and they target individual seekers by Google ad words campaign. People love to shop from pictures, so they make sure that all of our portals have a variety of images of the units, the community, and the amenities available at each property. Key Imputes & Ushering Entrepreneurs Dominique believes that all business women should possess a confident attitude, and glass is a half-full mentality in any negotiation. The business world is changing rapidly with many consolidations, when entering into a consultation, you should ask for what you want. Every businesswoman should not be afraid to delve into the details of any contract. Dominique personally starts with the payment terms and negotiate from there with the pricing, lease term, etc. Dominique advises to start slow and keep another job on the side for as long as you are financially able. Your credit is essential in the business world, and it is imperative to keep your credit reasonable. Overextending yourself early on can be very dangerous and put you out of business. She has seen other companies expand too soon and overextend themselves, and they end up out of business. A Distinct Experience Dominique started Nika Corporate Housing after flying as a flight attendant On Board Leader in Salt Lake City on 9-11 and getting laid off shortly after that. She launched the company as something proactive way to help military www.insightssuccess.com

service members temporarily at MacDill those who needed a place to stay. Her husband is a retired B-2 Stealth Bomber – retired Major in the U.S. Air Force. She deeply respects the service that members in the military have served the Country. It is an honor to take care of them in government contracts where they are temporarily assigned. Dominique comes from a family of 3rd generation entrepreneurs. Owning a company can be like a roller coaster at times. There are great months and years, and not as great months and years. Planning for the highs and having the foresight to survive the lows, takes tremendous discipline. Dominique’s grandfather is a Pearl Harbor Survivor and created a thriving food wholesale company from scratch while being a father to 6 children. Rolling with the Punches During Dominique’s ﬁrst year in business, a force in the MacDill Air Force Base that actively tried to put her company out of business. They were improperly applying the JFTR – Joint Federal Travel Regulation. They would tell all guests that were staying with my company to move out and to move in with one of the larger corporate housing companies instead. It was a huge roadblock that almost put her company out of business. She had to petition Washington D.C. JFTR representatives and informed them about the situation at MacDill. Later, Washington contacted MacDill that they should cease and desist this practice. Right Around the Corner Dominique sees herself as a global presence in the Corporate Housing Space shortly. The reason for this is that in Europe, Corporate Housing is called Serviced Apartments. This industry in Europe has been around for a long time. There are many technology platforms like ReloQuest, Silver Door, Vision Apartments, that are placing our inventory on their European platforms, which opens us up to a higher client base. It also gives the ability to take care of our global accounts while leveraging our partner’s inventory in other countries. Nika Corporate Housing has the ISAP – International Serviced Apartments certiﬁcation – and all of their partners should have this international accreditation as well. JUNE 2020 | 29

The 20 Most Successful Businesswoman to Watch 2020

Emma He Providing a Comfortable and Supportive Sleeping Experience

mma He, founder and global director of Sleepm Global Inc, a Toronto-based company that oﬃcially launched in June 2018, whose mission has been an obsession since childhood. According to Emma “My mother didn’t sleep well, she was upset all the time.” As an adult, Emma tried everything to help her mother until she purchased some crystal products; and her mother slept through the night. Emma asserts “That mission, from then on, was ‘sleep health’ through the research and development of products that improve our ability to sleep.” Unique Product Line Emma launched a furniture company in Canada 12 years ago with eight researching products that promote sleep health. In 2017, the company found the solution and in 2018, the products were on the market. Sleepm provides four consumer products unique to the “sleep” industry. The mattress contains a special composite of 16 crystals called Biocrystal – including gold (to boost energy); silver (known for centuries as calming); and jade (calms the nervous system). The mattress’ coils are independently fabric-wrapped – “single coil” – which prevents the noise and movement that keep many people up at night. And hear this: only via Sleepm can an individual weigh 400 pounds, ﬁnd a mattress and also sleep well. Sleepm mattresses alone are customized based on height, weight, sleep habits, whether one has “a partner” sleeping with them - and more. “Sleep is personal,” emphasizes Emma. 30 | JUNE 2020

Sleepm believes in one size does not ﬁt all. The bedtime breakthroughs continue; the Sleepm topper (and mattress) contains activated charcoal, already a popular ingredient in other products that reduces up to 60% to 70% of the radiation that comes from the computers, cell phones and TVs ;we use while we’re in bed. The Sleepm pillow uniquely balances the legs as well as the head and neck; and contains a magnet to reduce radiation around the head as well. Sleepm’s research, under Emma He, showed something else important “when we’re hot we have a hard time sleeping, thus, the natural latex covering that is known to keep us “cold” and, therefore, better able to sleep.” Success from Challenges Sleepm is an MLM so that the many don’t speak English well. Emma moved to Canada from China and having trouble ﬁnding work and the opportunity to be entrepreneur too. Yet, as of March 2019, Sleepm had over 3500 independent “distributors”; and, yes, this “super-charged” growth has been entirely word-of-mouth. Till now, Sleepm has advised thousands of the sleep-deprived worldwide. Accomplishments through the Journey Below are the chief accomplishments of Sleepm since the beginning of 2018: Sleepm Global Inc. launched in June 2018; had 2018 revenues of $10 million Ÿ Products made available and sold in 50 countries Ÿ

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Emma He Founder & global director

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Ÿ Ÿ

Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ

World’s only MLM sleep products company, Sleepm Global already had 6200 distributors as of March 202 First sleep products’ company to focus entirely on “sleep health” with products carefully researched and designed to promote sleep Global Director Emma He has helped over 100 distributors have an annual income of over $100,000/each Sleepm, under Emma, provided over 100 “Sleep Knowledge” lectures for communities worldwide In 2019, opened a Los Angeles office Under Emma, company stands out for management team with natural and medical doctors Staff grows to over 200 in awards year through now including workers in factories, distribution, office staff First mattress company to have product covered by health/medical insurance, in the awards year in Canada

Advice for Future Woman Leaders To have a big dream, one cannot ignore the details in the business and believe that the goal is to give and help others

succeed and grow before they can succeed and grow by themselves. Emma considers conﬁdence, humility and a willingness to learn, self-belief and bravery are the vital attributes that every businesswoman should possess. She described these attributes in the following points: · · · ·

Confidence: “Confidence is essential if you want to win clients and build a profitable business.” Humility and a willingness to learn: “You cannot rest on your laurels when you run your own business.” Self-belief: “Look at any successful businesswoman and you will discover how much they truly believe in themselves.” Bravery: “Being brave is something that doesn’t come easily to many of us. That’s because bravery is not a trait we’re born with, it’s a learned attribute and one that comes from experience and fear.”

“Sleep better; life is better, the world is better. “

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The Glass Ceiling Effect: Another Perspective on Women and Leadership 34 | JUNE 2020

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Expert’s Advice

he glass ceiling is a barrier so subtle that it is transparent; yet so strong that it prevents women from moving up the corporate hierarchy” ---Ann Morrison, American Author The term “Glass ceiling” can be deﬁned as an unacknowledged upper limit in corporations and other organizations, above which it is diﬃcult or even impossible for women to reach out to the highest ranks.“Glass ceiling” is a popular metaphor widely used for the hard-to-see informal barriers that prevents women from getting promoted or achieving further opportunities in leadership positions. The metaphor of “glass ceiling” has also been used to describe the limits and obstacles faced by racial minority groups.

“The glass ceiling is not simply a barrier for an individual, based on the person’s inability to handle a higher-level job. Rather, the glass ceiling applies to women as a group who are kept from advancing higher because they are women.”

The U.S. Department of Labor’s 1991 definition of glass ceiling is “those artificial barriers based on attitudinal or organizational bias that prevents qualified individuals from advancing upward in their organization into management-level positions.” (Report on the Glass Ceiling Initiative.)

Job isolation: Women are offered the same kinds of job roles like staff, public relations or occasionally finance specialties that rarely lead to the more powerful management positions. Over time, women are eventually excluded from jobs in the mainstream of business, the route taken by CEOs and presidents.

The Elements behind the Glass Ceiling: It is pretty obvious that women are facing a lot of hurdles to break through the glass ceiling and reach to the highest leadership position throughout the ages. Preventing both women and organizations from reaching their full potential, the invisible “Glass Ceiling” denies us all of the maximal beneﬁts of gender diversity in leadership. Some of the most common barriers are highlighted below:

Famous American actress cum author Ann Morrison deﬁnes the concept of the Glass Ceiling as:

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Old-boy Network: There are many instances when men gets the managerial powers in an organization who manages greater numbers of people, enjoys more freedom of hiring and firing, and controls the company’s assets directly while women are deprived of such authorities and powers. It is the “Oldboys” of the organization that makes all the policy; where the women are kept virtually absent. Sex Discrimination: In a recent survey, working women were asked about the greatest obstacle they had to overcome to achieve success; “simply being a woman” was the most frequent response. In another survey by the Wall Street Journal, women leaders quoted their most serious obstacle in their business careers to be “male chauvinism, attitudes toward a female boss, slow advancement for women, and the simple fact of being a woman.” These instances are enough to prove the prevalence of sex discrimination in the workplace. Sexual Harassment: Sexual harassment remains one of the biggest barriers for women in managerial roles. A corporate environment that tolerates sexual harassment intimidates and demoralizes women executives. Even after the adoption and enforcement of numerous laws against sexual harassment, women do not feel sufficiently encouraged and empowered to speak out for fear of compromising their work. Benefits of Women in Leadership: Studies found that inclusion of women in business leadership has significantly improved such factors as firm value, financial performance, economic growth, innovation and social responsiveness and philanthropy. The additional benefits of women in corporate leadership include stricter monitoring and supervision and fewer legal infractions such as fraud and embezzlement. A better balance among women in leadership positions can create a more diverse team of leaders with different perspectives and a greater ability to contribute new ideas

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and thus enhancing the profitability. The transformational leadership style often used by women tends to be a good option for contemporary organizations, as it encourages employee morale, motivation and performance. Overcoming the Barriers: Strategies Women’s progress up the corporate ladder is still limited by the “glass ceiling” despite the myriad of Government policies and programs which have been introduced to ensure that their talents and skills are recognized and accepted. Women can help themselves to overcome this career hurdle by: Acquiring appropriate business skills and know how; Taking up line‐management positions rather than management service roles; Gaining the necessary experience through “apprenticeship” and “acting positions”; Seeking career counseling; Volunteering for leadership and executive positions; And lastly, acquiring the ability to measure their operating effectiveness in the workplace. An awareness of the emergence of new barriers to their progress is also worth considering. The current socio‐economic situation is creating different “glass ceilings” in the form of the downsizing of organizations, new differentiated and self‐directed career paths, the advent of the contractual worker, and the care of aged parents. Conclusion: Since the latter half of the 20th century, women have made great paces in increasing their representation in the work force. However, a considerable gap remains in achievement of leadership positions across different fields. Renowned feminist Gloria Steinem stated it best: “Clearly no one knows what leadership has gone undiscovered in women.” It is far past time we strive to find out and finally shatter the glass ceiling.

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Gail

Adinamis

Successfully Paving her Path in Clinical Trial Industry rug development is a costly and time consuming process taking 10-15 years and over $2 billion to get a new product to market. With the increase in the number of products in development and increased complexity of trials, the ability to recruit and retain patients in clinical trials to demonstrate the safety and eﬃcacy of the product has become more challenging. Most studies are delayed due to inability to recruit and enroll patients into the trial. Of the patients that do participate, 30% typically dropout before the end of the trial. This is primarily due to traditional studies requiring patients to travel to speciﬁc clinical sites for all of the tests and assessments. Fortunately, in recent years, the clinical trials industry has seen a phenomenal increase in the awareness and execution of decentralized clinical studies – i.e., taking the study visits to the patient’s home. This patient-centric approach allows patients to conveniently participate regarding of the distance the reside for a clinical site, whether they have a debilitating disease or lack transportation, or have school, work or family obligations during the day.

A Synoptic Framework

Meet Gail Adinamis, Founder, President, and CEO of GlobalCare Clinical Trials, who has dedicated years of her life to bring disruptive changes in this speciﬁc industry and has paved her way in more than 65 countries with/through her organization and continues to do so. A truly compassionate leader, who understands the necessities of the people and wanting to maintain their quality of life and provide them with hope.

Manifold Places, Manifold Solutions

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Having over four decades of experience in the clinical trials industry, Gail established a process for coordinating home visits specifically for clinical trial patients in an attempt to create efficiencies in drug development logistics. She founded GlobalCare with a mission to provide services on a global basis and conduct selected study visits at the patient's home or alternate location rather than requiring patients to travel to physician offices, thus making it more convenient and comfortable for the patients to participate and while increasing data integrity and allowing for more ethnic & geographical diversities in a real-world setting. By increasing patient enrollment rates and enhancing compliance, this service helps in reducing the drug development timeline and gets life-enhancing products to the market at a more rapid pace. GlobalCare promptly delivers its services in over 65 countries and continues to expand around the world as per client request and logistics permit.

Gail keenly pays attention to GlobalCare’s services and makes certain that they remain patient-centricand tailored according to the needs of the clients and each patient rather than a cookie-cutter approach of one size ﬁts all. The services that the company oﬀers are notably suitable for the patient’s daily schedule. For example, if a patient works, then the health care professional visits them at home before www.insightssuccess.com

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“

Never compromise quality – that is your reputation. Communication, communication, communication!

or after working hours. The company also matches the nurse qualiﬁcations with the patient population and services needed. For example, a pediatric cancer patients will be serviced by a pediatric oncology nurse. Gail has an extremely distinctive approach, “local touch, global reach” ensuring that while GlobalCare’s services are far reaching, they never forget how important the patient engagement is by a visiting nurse.

patient-centric services. She believes in the not so distant future, mobile nursing services will become an integrated part of the clinical trial ecosystem. There will be integration with mobile devices and technology to provide more complete and timely reporting of clinical information. And that clinical trials will become more of a routine care option for patients with serious or life-threatening diseases with limited treatment options. Apprising Imminent Entrepreneurs

A Voyage Molding Escapade Gail’s early career encountereduphill struggles as she worked in a male-dominated workforce. She had to outperform her counterparts to gain similar recognition. She regularly sought innovative ways to complete her tasks efficiently and also never accepted the excuse that “that’s the way we have always done it” which allowed her to successfully implement procedural efficiencies within companies. She understands that process improvement is a continuum. With her current clients, she institutes and educative process rather than a sales pitch. She views relationships with clients as a partnership and collaboration rather than transactional. She is proud of her success in growing her business and attains great satisfaction creating win-win scenarios for all stakeholders. She believes the key to her success is her focus on quality and customer service knowing that the financial rewards will follow. What the Future Holds? Gail envisions herself being an ambassador for this disruptive change in the clinical trials industry. She listens to and continues to educate companies on the benefits of 40 | JUNE 2020

As a leader herself, Gail coaches upcoming entrepreneurs to understanding the balance of the three-legged stool – quality, time, and cost. To have an efficient and effective project, you need to have all legs of the stool be equal so there’s no wobbling. Recognize the value of your product or service and communicate effectively with your customers. They can’t have the highest quality in the shortest time frame for the lowest cost. Negotiate the best solution for your customers without sacrificing your business or personal values. She also advises passing on no-win situations as it can consume your time and, energy diverting your focus from new and more productive relationships. As words of experience, Gail also coached entrepeurs to carry themselves with confidence. Be fearless and believe in what you do with a passion. Listen carefully to what your customers say – try to see things from their perspective, acknowledge their specific needs and find familiar ground to work together. Lastly, love what you do and the people around you. Don’t forget to thank the people who help you along the way.

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essica Spina, who graduated with honours in Economics and Business Studies from the Bocconi University in Milan, is the Head of Group Investor Relations and Strategic Corporate Development of Mediobanca. As the Head of the Group Strategic Corporate Development, she is responsible for supporting the CEO and senior management in identifying directions for the Mediobanca Group to grow. As IRO she is responsible to create effective, two-way dialogue between the company itself and the financial community. She is also qualified as an auditor and accountant. Back in 1992, Jessica started her career as a financial analyst covering Italian listed banks. Later in 1998, she joined Mediobanca, working first in Corporate Finance, in the Financial Institutions Group. In 2004 she founded the Investor Relations unit, initiating a dialogue with the financial community. As IRO she has received several awards: in the Institutional Investors survey (AllExecutive Team – Mid-Cap European Banks) she was ranked in the Top 3 in the Best IR professional category in 2017, 2018 and 2019. An Ever-Evolving Role Jessica has been in her role since 2004. In these past fifteen years she has seen the role change and develop significantly, both in terms of scope and complexity. As IRO, she says that the core of her job was equity: analysts and portfolio managers. However, in the years following the Lehman crisis and the sovereign debt crisis that hit Italy (and the spread on Italian bonds), credit, in the shape of agencies, analysts and portfolio managers, gained traction, asking for separate road-shows, presentations, meetings, and sections in institutional websites. Recently ESG has become increasingly relevant. So in other words, Jessica’s job has basically trebled. She also believes that an indepth understanding of different audiences’ needs and tailoring communications accordingly is crucial to the effectiveness of her role. In term of corporate development the strategic goal has been how to evolve Mediobanca’s business model turning the challenging scenario and 42 | JUNE 2020

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J Jessica Spina

The Experienced Leader

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“Self-awareness and lightness: vital qualities for succeeding in business as a woman.” 44 | JUNE 2020

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The 20 Most Successful Businesswoman to Watch 2020

regulatory framework into opportunities. In the last fifteen years Mediobanca has trebled in size (in terms of revenues, volumes and shareholders’ funds), moving from a holding company to a diversified financial player, with effective diversification in investment banking, wealth management and consumer banking. Mediobanca Group enjoys a distinctive profile in European financial sector, due to the effectiveness and sustainability of its integrated business model, having shown it is able to grow and deliver while outperforming the sector by financial results and market performance due to distinctive its DNA, culture and positioning. Creating a Two-Way Synergic Dialogue Jessica sees Investor Relations as a responsibility for the company in both ethical and strategic terms, the purpose of which is to create effective, two-way dialogue between the company itself and the financial community. Mediobanca’s mission follows three main guidelines: to create an investor base, institutional and retail, for our shares and bonds in the medium/long term; to facilitate stock liquidity and price stabilization; to promote ongoing dialogue between investors and senior management regarding results, options, and strategic choices, This two-way synergic dialogue between investors and senior management and between investor relations and corporate development is vital to the effectiveness of her job, Jessica says. According to Jessica, working in finance, looking at banks first as sell-side then buy-side analyst for M&A, and then from the corporate side, for strategic planning and investor relations, has helped her understand better each different audience needs and points of view Challenges For Jessica, the first challenge was to find a successful balance between a highly demanding job and family life as the mother of three children. This has meant having and needing to adapt the whole time, being ready to challenge, push, and drive herself consistently, which requires a huge effort in terms of self-awareness. Another major factor has been simply accepting the hard work involved in trying to hold everything together, as www.insightssuccess.com

has the next step of accepting that if she is happy and fulfilled, everyone else is more likely to be so too. She firmly believes it’s no good to anyone making a martyr out of yourself, either at work or at home. Jessica added, “One last lesson, or achievement, has been learning to be assertive in the workplace, which, as a woman – there’s no point in denying it – is simply harder”. Advice for Emerging Women Entrepreneurs When asked for some advice for young emerging entrepreneurs, Jessica said; Be aware: know your value, be assertive, and understand that imperfection is part of life: you don’t have to be perfect, but “good enough”, as Winnicot would say Ÿ Play by the same rules the men play by: present yourself and your results without waiting for someone to discover you; ask for money and role based on your results; networking. Why shouldn’t you? Ÿ Share your work-family project. Your partner has to be proud of you and of your successes, sharing in the pleasures and duties as part of the same household and family. Your company has to be focused on your performance, not just on where you are and when you’re there. You are a human being, not WonderWoman. Ÿ Stop trying to control everything – Be brave and “light”. Work, commitment, organization, all these things are indispensable ingredients for success and a happy work-family balance. But luck is also vital, and fortune favours the brave as they say. A touch of “lightness” is needed if you want to transform a problem into an opportunity, loneliness into time for yourself, absence into a different way of sharing. Ÿ

She also added, “Strong hard and soft skills, along with resilience, self-control, passion are vital attributes that every leader, male or female, has to have. Women must also have full awareness of their own skills, play the same rules that men have always played by in business, avoid to pretend to be perfect and control everything; share, be brave and light, get fun.” JUNE 2020 | 45

The 20 Most Successful Businesswoman to Watch 2020

he primary responsibility of any human resource department is to deliver its commitment towards the organization, such as motivating employees, deriving higher performance from them through proper training, maintain a healthful environment within the organization. The committed workers in the organization are assigned the responsibility of to self-monitor or handle a group of employees. The aim is to explore the relation between the human resource management, industrial relations and trade unions. To help you achieve this aim, Human Capital Resources and Concepts Inc., is an organization which is dedicated and comprised of highly qualiﬁed professionals who are keen to advise and support your organization’s mission and goals.

Find your target and don't let the obstacles stand in your way of reaching it.

Human Capital Resources and Concepts Inc., is led by Marnice D. Miller, President & CEO, where she conducts the full spectrum of day-to-day business operations. She is a 22 year veteran of federal service and noted Subject Matter Expert (SME) in the administrative and human resources discipline. She possesses a wealth of knowledge advising, interpreting, and applying federal policies and regulations. Marnice has prided herself upon her skills and experience providing consulting and business support services to companies and organizations within the private sector, state, local, and federal government. Marnice’s knowledge of innovative approaches coupled with her company’s professional, seasoned staff will ensure your organization a substantial Return On Investment (ROI). The Beginning Prior to launching HCRC she served more than 22 year as a Federal Civil Servant with a career that spanned across various sectors of Federal Government i.e. The Office for the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Directorate of Human Intelligence (HUMINT), Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA), Department of Army, Department of Defense, The National Intelligence Council (NIC), and The Presidential Daily Briefers (PDB). Her experience includes but is not limited to leading, managing, and supporting Administrative, Human Capital and Human Resources functions for agencies that operate worldwide. Marnice has played integral roles in organizational transformations and agency wide process implementations; this experience has given her the tenacity needed to grow HCRC into a multi-million dollar firm that provides high level services to federal clients. Marnice possesses a degree in Business Administration and is a 2017 Graduate of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program. Her many years as a federal employee afforded her the opportunity to receive a myriad of internal government and private sector education and training. Her resume includes numerous awards and accolades over the course of her federal and business career. She is recognized and respected as an expert on Federal Human Capital and Human Resources business practices. She spent more than 18 years as a military spouse whereas she worked along-side of service members, and resided in military communities. This experience has provided her a vast understanding and passion for DOD mission support, as well as programs and services that support service members and their dependents. In addition this experience has given her the passion to ensure that HCRC makes every effort to fill positions with qualified military veterans.

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arnice iller

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business through developing strong partnerships and by emphasizing on providing high levels of customer satisfaction. It is their primary goal to provide the right resources at the right time to maximize their clients’ business operations. The focus is not being the biggest. However, they do want to be the best.

Marnice is grateful to have gained a wealth of knowledge, experience, and skills during my federal career as it significantly contributed to the success of establishing and maintaining HCRC. Providing Valiant Solutions HCRC has built a of a team of professionals that possess both technical and business professionals, who are committed to the bottom line of ensuring client success by bringing quality and best practices to every project. Our mission is to provide a unique combination of professional support, business and financial analyst experience, executive administrative/administrative and technological expertise by leveraging qualified people with proven technologies to deliver exceptional results. HCRC stands by their core values which are Integrity, Knowledge, and Service. They pride themselves on always dealing with their clients and colleagues fairly and ethically; gaining trust through their actions. Moreover, they value their ability to develop leaders and the need to continually grow the collective technical expertise to meet the needs of ever more sophisticated clients. HCRC encompasses the concept of quality in everything that they offer, having a service-mind-set when dealing with clients. HCRC tailors the problems and troubleshoot them with a solution by being creative and fully understanding the problem. Great partnerships are crucial to carving out solutions that provide the client with the highest return on their investment. Challenges Marnice envisions that HCRC will be nationally recognized as the professional service organization that accomplished the ultimate balance between outstanding client service, that supports the mission and achieves success. This vision will be accomplished by creating a culture of pride and passion that will enable us to continue attracting and retaining the best and brightest professionals, who will be rewarded, recognized and respected for their contributions to a firm that is founded on shared core values. But the challenges they face are funding and finding an active mentor. It is essential for HCRC as they are committed to growing their 48 | JUNE 2020

Future Aspirations HCRC will continue to grow, and would likely to double the size and revenue within the next 3-5 years. They intend to accomplish this goal by fostering their current partnerships as well as building new ones with larger firms. The larger firms will allow them to have more exposer to federal clients on a broader spectrum. Words for Emerging Women Leaders Marnice says, “You decided to pursue entrepreneurship, remember that you made this decision for a reason! Don’t give up, stay the course and see it through, there will be both easy and hard days but the freedom of ownership is rewarding. Do your homework and research, interview companies in the same industry. There is mentorship in conversation. Establish a solid infrastructure of personnel that share your vision, and set clear expectations. I started reaching out to people about a year before I left my federal job, to get advice on how they made the transition. Some of these people made 180 degree career changes. I asked them about what impact the change had on them, how they prepared for it, how it worked out, etc. You’d be surprised; people really enjoy sharing their stories. Take advantage of this. Whatever you do, as a small business owner, you’re going to work very hard and will likely face a steep learning curve, but it’s worth it. When you go out on your own, it’s so wide open and you have so much freedom to engage in various things. Know what makes sense for you and don’t get distracted.. Joining professional organizations is a great source of exposure for your firm and a great way to be seen and engage with people in your industry. They will come to know you as an expert in your field. Lastly, “always trust your gut!” What advice would you like to give to the emerging business leaders? You can’t do it all, focus on your strengths and hire qualified people to do the rest.

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Dynamics of

Participation in the Ever-changing Modern Workforce

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Women Impower

one are the days when women were stereotyped to a certain set of skills and professions, restricting them from exploring the world of endless opportunities. Today, women have announced their arrival in many fields of the business world. Therefore, it seems more important than ever before to recognize female contributions in every profession. Fighting through biased work culture in favour of male dominance, women have conquered the unconquered on the account of their distinct calibre and predilections. In the times when the world female participation rate is to the dispiriting levels of around 67% and pay-off rate of about 63%, achievements by women go-getters are praiseworthy. Listening capabilities is one of the distinguishing aspects of feminine species as compared to their male counterparts. Instilling and pursuing ones thoughts is undoubtedly important for effective working. But being a better listener is something that can make a difference as studies show that the customer values and trusts the firms if they perceive that they are being listened to by the firms. With inherent caring and affectionate traits, women outclass men when it comes to understanding critical demands of the customers. Emotional Intelligence (EI) - the ability to identify and manage one’s own emotions as well as the emotions of others - is an essential skill when it comes to dealing with a diverse class of consumers. Women are naturally gifted with higher EI making them better suited for pressure situations and avoiding counter-productive decisions while keeping emotions in check. Emotional Intelligence encompasses two major dimensions – awareness of one’s self and awareness of others. Both the attributes are very much significant for the survival and success of any organisation. Self-awareness involves being familiar with trigger points and behavioural traits when put to the test. This, in turn, helps to modulate impulses avoiding conclusions which are harmful for the welfare of business. In addition to self-awareness, an awareness of others is equally critical in business. Analysing and decoding non-verbal communication – that amounts to 93% of the message – eventually benefits in convincing and converting a lead into a client. Collaboration, and not the cutthroat competition, is the modern era’s principle virtue to achieve success. Many endeavours which seem to be beyond the bounds of

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possibility can be attained by combining efforts from different resources, channels and departments. Further, collaborating products with consumer experience are enormously important. It leads to crafting the best solutions for customer’s pain points and compelling value propositions that reflect their overall business objectives. Multiple studies have found that women prefer to work in teams, while men prefer to work alone. An unfaltering affinity towards collaboration primes women to garner success in different fields of business which gives them an edge over others. Increased profitability can be a motivating factor for many firms to hire more pool of female talents as many studies support the fact. Statistical research shows that Fortune 500 companies with the highest representation of women on boards financially outperform companies with the lowest representation of women on boards. Moreover, genderdiverse teams have higher sales and profits compared to male-dominated teams, and a recent Gallup study found that gender-diverse business units have higher average revenue than less diverse business units. Trust over female leaders is an attribute which needs to be reciprocated while making the choice. More American workers perceive female executives as honest and ethical than male executives. Pew’s “Women and Leadership” surveyed Americans in 2015 and found that 34% say women are better at this, while only 3% say men are better at it (64% say there’s no difference). While it’s unclear whether this means women are actually more honest, it’s a subtle reminder of how tangled some business decisions can be. Leaders are often tasked with choosing between options that aren’t black and white, ethically speaking, and the capacity to lead honestly is important to the entire company’s success and job satisfaction. Not to mention, increased job satisfaction and organizational dedication to cite positive and meaningful business culture are the added advantages feminine employees carry to the organisation. However, the journey is not all merry go round every time. Hindrances – seen, unseen – are there to check the unrelenting zeal of women aspirants to thrive in the industry. These obstructions need to be pointed out and rectified to create an environment that fuels women empowerment.

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Lack of confidence, according to many experts, is one prime reason women tend to question themselves and doubt their worthiness. In order to advance, they must coach their inner critics. Out-speak and define what women want professionally if they want to get succeeded. Too often they don’t know or rely upon others to define it for them. “Building relationships with those in positions of leadership is critical,” Susan Brady, executive vice president of Linkage Inc. says. “Put down the to-do list long enough to connect with decision makers across the organization, and help them understand who you are and what you bring to the table.”

Women are generally uneasy about asking for what they want. They must stop thinking about what they need as a self-serving request. They must develop the courage and fortitude to stand up and ask for what they want.

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While proving value, women tend to overcompensate in order to demonstrate that they are adding value. Instead of doing it all alone, change the paradigm and track to encourage others to take on more responsibility, thus enabling them to scale and multiply their own impact. Not to forget, biased work culture and regional barriers are the crucial obstacles in the road of women work participation. But, today women are breaking these shackles and coming out boldly to be a part of economic processes shouldering their male counterparts. There has been obvious progress in achieving gender equality around the world over the past two decades: more girls are attending school, more women are working and are being elected to public oﬃces, more women hold management positions, and the situation involving women’s legal as well as social rights have also improved. However, a great deal still remains to be done to achieve equal outcomes for women and men. Recognizing women’s abilities, the values they bring to the organisation, the transformation they achieve as far as work environment is concerned, and considering monetary beneﬁts associated with the female work participation, corporate sector need to welcome their emergence with open arms. No future is far where maledominated workplaces will be a tale of extinct, we believe.

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The 20 Most Successful Businesswoman to Watch 2020

eet Sahar Andrade, MB.BCh—Founder of Sahar Consulting, an avid leader and success coach whose immense contribution helped many business personalities in various business sectors. Her unique ideologies and methods helped her achieve many milestones in her pathway, paving a successful stature for her company. With the support and help of her husband, Sahar founded Sahar Consulting, LLC in the year 2011 and Reinvent Yourself to Greatness in 2018. She states that the connection between the two companies is “Leadership” while the first company is set to help develop Executive leadership skills especially the soft skills, the second helps develop “Personal Leadership” and coaching to become a better version of you either in your professional or personal life. Her main focus in leadership is “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion”, which entails emotional intelligence, unconscious bias, positive thinking, higher productivity, effective communication and building diverse teams. She was named as “One of the Nation’s Authorities” on the subject of Diversity in the workplace by the “LA Business Journal”. She offers “entrepreneurship full academy training” for one of the cities in Los Angeles, the program received “Congressional Recognition”. Into the shoes of Sahar Sahar grew up as the daughter of a diplomat, and got used to the idea of change. It was not until later did she 58 | JUNE 2020

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realize that she grew up reinventing herself with every move. When she saw the joy that reinventing herself could bring, she ﬁnally found her purpose to bring those same exact tools to others. Being in born in a male-dominated society, she always wanted to prove herself as a professional and successful woman. She went to college and graduated with degrees in Internal Medicine and Surgery, minor in Psychiatry (never practiced Medicine). Since she was a little girl, she wanted to become a Medical Doctor to make her parents proud and earn the respect of a society which did not always hold women in high regard. But that desire to make her parents proud came at the cost of her own happiness. She states that she hated her intern shifts at the hospital. She felt stuck and could not bear the idea that this was what the rest of her life would look like. After some intense soul-searching, she decided to change her path and pursue marketing for international airlines with the blessing of her father. At the age of 21 years old, she moved to Los Angeles to immerse herself once again in a new place, a new life, and a new culture. And, the change did not end there. Throughout that process

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“Give yourself the permission to be SUCCESSFUL you and love your perfect imperfections.”

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of reinventing her self, she changed industries three times in the next fourteen years.

LGBTQ+ community, Gender Diversity, taking care and embracing our trans and gender diverse communities.

As she excelled in her international marketing career, she opened new oﬃces for major corporations around the world. She studied local cultures, laws, and human relations, she also trained hundreds of employees and consulted on huge international projects as “Project Manager”. She states that they call her “Fear whisperer” and many say that she has the heart to bring out your inner gift of genius and purpose where to become your better version of yourself.

The biggest event that shaped her was the passing of her Baby Sister a mother of two at the age of 39 from Cancer. She fought every single day to stay with her boys so they will remember her, when she died she said “I didn’t give up my body gave up on me.” The concern for Sahar is that she was ﬁghting with her when she passed away and she hadn’t seen her for more than a year.

Solutions to Rely on She states that her solutions vary from training workshops, to virtual webinars, to seminars, to Public speaking, individual coaching, executive coaching and group coaching. She is very active on social media, and also offers written content, visual content and auditory content based on the preference of her audience. For example, for her corporate clients she is on LinkenIn, for her free lancers and individual professionals she is on Instagram and Twitter. She always make sure that her content offer value to her target audience hence the importance of niching the audience properly so the message will not fall on deaf ears. “Understanding that it is not about me or my services, but it is about how to serve my audience the way they want to be served. My education and experience in multi-cultural environment help me navigate the field of branding and marketing as 80% is based on psychology and how to create genuine emotional engagement,” Sahar. Lessons worth Learning Being bullied when I was a child as always being the new kid on the blog, moving from one country to the other and being overweight did not help. Being bullied when Sahar was a child never actually break her but in the contrary it made her stronger to believe in herself and accept herself with all her imperfections throughout the years. Through quoting, “mostly how to be the voice of those that do not have one and stand up for the weak till they get their strength back and empower them to achieve their dreams,” Sahar states that seeing how women are treated all over the world made her become a fierce advocate of women, impacting them and raising their profile, adjusting their crowns and propel them forward. “We can all RISE together,” she adds. She is also a huge advocate of the www.insightssuccess.com

The guilt stayed with her for over a year and taught her that we all have to learn not only to forgive others but to forgive ourselves as well and not only forgive but forget as well they go hand in hand – forgetting is not ignoring or cancelling the event but learning from it and moving on. She also made her realize that every day we live is a gift that we need to appreciate and not take for granted. Attributes worth Possessing Sahar implies that the main attribute that a businesswoman should have is to be an “Authentic Servant Leader” without being genuine, you will not go far. As a servant leader you need to have empathy, and genuinely care about people not just for proﬁt, but also you must help those that might not be able to reciprocate your help. It’s all about the principles. You cannot lead others unless you are able to lead, inspire, motivate yourself; be vulnerable and hold yourself accountable for everything you do. A leader in Sahar’s book is someone that in touch with who they are, self-aware and accept themselves inside out, smart enough to have teams around them that balance the weaknesses, truthful, human, emotional intelligent, positive thinking and accepting of others no matter how diﬀerent they are. It is about elevating people to where they are supposed to be even when they do not believe in themselves. “Resilience and positive minds are crucial to success as well as believing that things will happen at the right time, that everything we go through the good, bad and ugly happens for a good reason even if we fail to see it at the time,” says Sahar. Website: www.saharconsulting.com Email: sahar@saharconsulting.com

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here are some foundational attributes that every business leader has to possess; Perseverance, passion, ambition, confidence are essential ones. But according to Subriana McFadden Pierce, there are some attributes for success that must be talked about first, one is ’Relationships’. She asserts “We are all so busy but typically put our heads down and get the job done. We miss the moments of networking and getting known in our respective industry. Developing those relationships are the key to success.” The second attribute is ’Have a purpose not just a product’. She says “My personal purpose is helping other women. My goal is not just to be the first; my goal is to NOT be the last. So if what I’ve done in corporate America or as a business owner helps someone else, then that’s the fulfillment. I think just realizing your purpose is what is going to fuel you. Because there will be good days and bad days, but that purpose is what will keep you grounded.” In an Interview with Insights Success, Subriana has shared insights about her leadership, organization and its success. Below are the highlights of the interview conducted between Insights Success and Subriana: Give a brief overview of your background and your role in Navigator Sales and Marketing. In 2014 my husband, Allen Pierce had a vision. He imagined a way the two of us could navigate for businesses on their quest for success in the grocery industry and “Navigator Sales and Marketing” his brainchild, was born. Navigator was perfectly positioned to play the “go-between” or the representation role for innovative brands in the grocery industry. I have worked for companies such as Jewel/Osco in Chicago, Campbell Soup, Frito Lay and Albertsons, with work experience on both sides of the desk. The best feeling in the world, is to help another business get onto the grocery shelves. Examples like a business owner seeing their grandmother’s recipe realized in a store or an immigrant father’s vision brought to fruition. Nothing compares to being the

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catalyst to help other entrepreneurs and small businesses. How do you diversify your solutions that appeal to your target audience? Our model is simple. It starts with partnering with wellfunded brands that are right for the industry and offer a distinct brand proposition, a niche, or a unique go-to market strategy. As brokers we stay on top of industry trends. We make sure to position ourselves with suitable brand partners. We aim to build a mutual confidence with our partner retailers that we can bring the appropriate brands to them. I think additionally what helps us consistently reach our target is that our team is made up of the audience we serve. We work with an extremely diverse team of varied ages, races, backgrounds and genders. This gives us a unique think tank for solutions and insights on identifying and placing the right brands. We are the consumers. Diversity of thought has been critical to our success. What were the past experiences, achievements or lessons that shaped your journey? I learned adversity can fuel success. You hear all the time about the rough patches that build you, and it’s true. You must learn from those, and not run from them. Also, surround yourself with others that have more experience, vision, strategic and tactical thinking than you. Whatever you need on your team, add it. It should be different than what you bring to the table. Look for mentors, connections, and team members that complete you. Find organizations that can help you build relationships in your industry. A fantastic resource of

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mine has been The Network of Executive Women. Through this organization I’ve met mentors, clients, retail customers, and it has provided learning and engagement opportunities in my industry. I have numerous other industry organizations that I’m a part of. Volunteer opportunities in my industry have been important as well. For instance, I’m on the Food Industries Board for City of Hope where it allows my partners, competitors, and customers to work together for a common goal. Networking will always be essential. Be sure to seek out the mentors and organizations that work best for you. Mentorship isn’t just for corporate America. It’s just as important for business owners. What were some of the primal challenges and roadblocks that you faced during the initial phase of your journey?

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One of my biggest challenges was learning to say no. It is impossible to do it all. I had to learn to step back and ask for help. When you start a small business, you play CEO, COO, CMO, and the list goes on. Finding the support you need in the right areas is the key to growth. Investing in your company is investing in yourself. Owning the business with my husband has had so many beneﬁts, because we knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses which helped us carve out our roles. We built our team that way. Secondarily, in all candor, there is not enough representation of Black women in the grocery business. In most of my business journey I’ve been the only black woman in the room. It really just means we’re in a culture that’s not used to seeing people that look like me every day in our setting. We’ve jumped in to prove ourselves, show our value and show our commitment to the grocery industry. I’ve tried to take a leadership role in the industry around diversity and www.insightssuccess.com

inclusion. I want to continue to lay a foundation for the future leaders of this industry and the future leaders will be diverse. If I can help train and introduce a mindset of diversity now, then that’s part of the legacy I’d love to leave. Where do you see yourself in the near future and how will you catalyze the change? The current COVID-19 pandemic has shaken up the food industry. For Navigator, the future is expanding our deﬁnition of innovation. It’s key. It’s not just about a product innovation, it is about business process innovation, culture innovation and business model innovation. For example, we are about to release an announcement about a partnership with a tech company which takes Navigator into the next century. The successful business owner will evaluate, re-evaluate and ﬁgure out new ways to grow during times like these. This is when true leaders step up and serve. Subriana and her husband will continue to challenge themselves on developing new ways to level up to Navigator 2.0 and continue to thrive. Provide one line that best describes your vision and approach to business. Navigator has earned the reputation for excellence by successfully taking distinctive brands from initial concept through execution on shelves at a national level. Our mantra is: INNOVATE. NAVIGATE. ACCELERATE. We take small businesses and innovative brands, help them navigate grocery retail, and then we accelerate their growth.

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nline communities are welcoming hubs where brands can freely engage with and forge real connections with their consumers. These highly experiential digital destinations build long-term loyalty in a way that being on an email list, following a brand on social media, or earning points in a loyalty program can’t compete with. Communities empower marketers to regain control of their consumer relationships, building lasting connections fueled by zero-party data and enhanced through personalized engagement and community connections. Social Media Link’s platform oﬀers marketers a unique technology solution to create their own highly engaging branded online community, linked directly from their brand website.

Social Media Link is led by Susan Frech, Co-founder & CEO, who strives to inspire authentic brand stories, promote advocacy, and build lasting consumer connections. She has spent more than 20 years in the advertising and marketing services space. Susan recognized the challenge that companies would face when building their audiences on a social network and built a company that allows brands to take back control of the relationship with their consumers. Social Media Link allows brands to not be held hostage by third-party channels or one-way consumer engagements when executing advocacy, focus groups, and overall general marketing campaigns. Harnessing the Power of Community Social Media Link is powering online communities to turn real consumers into brand evangelists, using zero-party data to deliver personalized experiences at scale. Hundreds of brands and agencies have partnered with Social Media Link to activate millions of consumers to drive customer acquisition, long-term loyalty, and 5-10x ROI. Social Media Link helps marketers who face three key challenges: 1) Marketers who struggle with loyalty and who are using too many tools but still losing consumers. 2) Marketers who strive for engagement but are stuck in one-way conversations that get ignored. 3) And marketers who want to deliver high-value personalization but are unable to build the infrastructure to deliver it in a meaningful way.

SUSAN FRE Connecting Brands to the Power of Communities

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ECH www.insightssuccess.com

O Susan Frech Co-founder & CEO

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O O ‘‘

Our vision is to make modern marketing more purposeful and compelling. We do that by empowering marketers to build relationships that are fueled by zero-party data and enhanced through personalized engagement and community connections.

‘‘

Shaping the Journey As an infant, Susan was abandoned on a doorstep in Vietnam towards the end of the Vietnam War. She was adopted at 18 months old and was raised in Northern New Jersey. She is thankful for her amazing parents, and all the people who she has been fortunate enough to work with and learn from over her 20 years in the marketing, Martech, and advertising industries.

Susan often hears that although her company can’t always compete on salaries, people want to work for Social Media Link because they know their work has a positive impact, and the leaders, including herself, are thankful to have them on the team. And clients tell her over and over that they like their product and service, but what sold them was the Social Media Link team.

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Susan credits all of the achievements that Social Media Link has accomplished to her team. Susan says, “I know that not only hiring smart, talented, and dedicated people is critical, but you also need to know what their interests are. What they pursue outside of work is just as important as the work they do for Social Media Link. Many people work so that they can enjoy their passions, whether it be family, travel, cooking, music, theatre, dance, sports, or photography.” Facing & Overcoming Challenges Early on, Susan made the decision to not raise outside capital. She recognizes that there were advantages and disadvantages to that choice.

The disadvantage of not raising outside capital was that product development moved at a slower pace, she

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OO The 20 Most Successful Businesswoman to Watch 2020

sometimes lost out on hiring talented people that she wasn’t able to afford, and she had to pass on working with several clients when she wasn’t able to build out the features they required. However, she is thankful for the many benefits of her decision, including not having to answer to an outside board of directors who may not know the business and market the way Social Media Link does. Susan has been able to make decisions that she feels are in the best interest of the company, product, or clients, not solely the bottom line. And while she sometimes faces tight budgets, she focuses on the things that matter most to growing a successful company. As a result, when Social Media Link competes against companies who have raised hundreds of millions of dollars, Susan is consistently told by clients that Social Media Link delivers a superior product. In the coming decade, the company’s focus will include not just product innovation, but also leading the market and driving mass awareness for Social Media Link and its offerings.

Staying One Step Ahead Susan believes the 2010s will be remembered as the wild, wild west of data collection. In that new frontier of data, consumers were relatively unaware and free with their information, and companies were all too happy to take it. While this led to great advances in adtech, it also created privacy and security concerns, and ultimately led to legislation like the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the EU.

Today, consumers support data privacy regulation, yet they also demand that companies deliver hyper-personalized experiences; online communities are not immune from following these regulations. The team at Social Media Link has taken signiﬁcant steps to ensure that their platform is compliant with the latest industry requirements and oﬀers as much transparency as possible, while still being able to deliver the personalization consumers are looking for.

Susan knows online communities present a unique opportunity for brands to really show, not just tell, how they use data in a meaningful way. Consumers want to know not only the who, what, where, and how of data collection, but

they increasingly want to understand the “why.” Why does your brand believe data is helpful? How does it rhyme with your brand story and your unique value proposition?

Building an online community is a way to take a stand on how your brand believes data plays a role. It gives marketers a consistent and continual feedback loop from their consumers. And as Social Media Link’s technology continues to evolve with the marketplace, it oﬀers an environment for marketers to be agile and stay ahead of those changes as well.

Lead Your Own Way Susan believes that conﬁdence, curiosity, and altruism are vital attributes for building a successful company.

Susan feels it is vital that you have confidence in your choices. You have to trust your instincts, be willing to take risks, and never shy away from fighting for what you believe in. Staying curious and remaining interested in what you can learn from others is also important. Susan believes great leaders are willing to admit that they don’t have all of the answers. She knows you need to be ready to ask for help and seek it out in mentors, peer and professional networks, and in the staff you hire. And staying altruistic and giving back to your community helps keep you grounded and connected to your purpose. Susan believes it is essential to hire, partner, and work with people who are smarter than you and who possess talents that complement your skills. Surround yourself with people who support you, not those who only say “Yes” to your ideas. Learn from your mistakes and do not let them slow your progress, but rather fuel your growth. Have your mantra and purpose keep you focused and motivated during the toughest times, because there will be tough times. Enjoy what you do and be your best you!

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Syama Meagher Chief Executive Ofcer and Founder / Owner & Chief Retail Strategist

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Syama Meagher A Gem in the Jewel of Scaling Retail

arketing is one of the essential aspects that every business must focus on. Every leader must comprehend the significance of various such aspects and the importance of proper implementations for a busimess to run effectively. One such and decisive leader is Syama Meagher, the Founder and Chief Retail Strategist of Scaling Retail. Her unique ideologies and methodologies helped her in achieving many milestones in her path. Her company offers an exceptional blend of sales, marketing and merchandising expertise to customers. These custom solutions include market entry strategy, cash flow management, digital marketing and branding. “Intelligence without humility is arrogance. Business is about service, best to keep that in mind to build partnerships and customers,” says Syama. In the Shoes of the Syama Syama is a proven professional in the field after years of working for brands such as Macy’s and Barneys New York as a buyer, planner and merchandiser. A longtime expert in retail and fashion, she has had many successes prior to Scaling Retail, including the doubling of Gucci's outlet division sales from $50 million to $100 million. www.insightssuccess.com

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team saw an opportunity to offer the company’s retail customers a 360 degree, integrated experience. Rather than a client need to source, hire and oversee 10 different jobs, they can instead have one solution. “Our agency incubates emerging talent and serves as the marketing arm for innovative fashion companies,” says Syama. Some Traits Defining Leader’s Success “I used to think that adopting more heternormative male qualities were needed to be successful in business,” says Syama. Early on in her career, she focused on being assertive, removing emotional intelligence from the work environment and favoring those who she saw her image as ‘strong.’ The moment she embraced diversity and prioritized emotional intelligence in the workplace, she found more harmony and profitability than ever. As it turns out, strong communication and feelings of equity in the workplace are key to nurturing employees as stakeholders. She has received peer and industry acknowledgement for the work she has done. In 2017, she was acknowledged as a Top Women in Business by WWD, and in 2019, she won a Top Female Entrepreneur Award presented by Stevie.

She currently leads Scaling Retail’s global team of talented professionals, cultivating winning results and alleviating uncertainty for fashion and lifestyle brands. The agency garners successes for startup, growth stage and enterprise businesses – from Sugarhigh Lovestoned to the United Nations. Being a seasoned thought leader, she has been featured at speaking engagements and in the press. As the company’s founder, she has had the privilege to work with brands globally both in facilitating launches and scaling up operations. One of Syama’s differentiators is a rare and diverse background in retail, having started in the big brick and mortar sphere early on (Macy’s) then transitioning into entrepreneurial divisions at companies like Barneys New York and Gucci. She currently manages a team of brand strategists and marketing executives, while overseeing all new business. Scaling Retail was first launched as a consulting firm, only to later expand by offering marketing and creative solutions. Similar to how larger consulting firms such as Accenture have integrated creative agencies, Syama and her 74 | JUNE 2020

Syama has said that she is risk-seeking, always looking for new opportunities and channels to explore. Thinking of life as the pursuit of play allows her to move quickly, test new ideas and pivot fast. When she ﬁrst established Scaling Retail, she knew that content and education would be a driving force in what the company needs to be in the market. “Our content platform now delivers business strategy to over 30k subscribers monthly and spans a variety of topics. Some of my favorite videos are the brand interviews we do at tradeshows. Brands open up about their struggles and best practices which is always nicer than the audience only hearing it from me,” adds Syama. Theory WORTH Admiring Syama says that she is a big fan of the “Upper Limit Theory” that Gay Hendricks writes about in The Big Leap. The Upper Limit is the idea that one has blocks that preventing them from getting to the next steps or stages in their personal and professional life. There have been key moments where Syama has had to move through such blocks. The ﬁrst being advancing quickly through her corporate career, the second being the launch of Scaling Retail, and now the third is seeing what’s next for the business and for her. Challenges are an ongoing occurrence and she is grateful for them, otherwise how would she know that she is making progress?

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The 20 Most Successful Businesswoman to Watch 2020

“You don't need to walk into the situation with all the answers. Learn to ask the right

As she move into the roles of investor, advisor and mentor, she also seeks to surround herself with those that are actively in pursuit of personal growth and self-awareness. There is no better trait for a business person to have than the ability to reﬂect and be self-aware. She anticipates the next steps of her path will be further collaboration and stepping into leadership roles across diﬀerent verticals. A Brief about Scaling Retail Scaling Retail is an innovative, international retail consultancy led by a team of experienced retail store owners, showroom representatives, retail strategists and award-winning brand strategists. Approaching merchandising and product from a consumer-centric lens, it creates sustainable business models and ROI-maximizing results on the industry’s leading edge. Current brands are ushered towards success, leaving the traditional rules about retail behind. Scaling Retail Media delivers topics on marketing, sales, brand launches and more – via original, creative videos, articles and talks. Its platform educates and inspires through a variety of themes, including actionable insights in response to the latest news.

questions.”

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