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Author and Coach, Annette Fazio, offers solutions to what drags down the morale of your staff and ultimately your business. Her wisdom is derived from 20 years of successfully owning three popular, profitable, and distinct restaurants, which she grew into award-winning local icons. Annette shares how common sense and hard work helped her trump a lack of business experience, industry knowledge, culinary training, and a serious shortage of money. Of the 10 million plus women-owned businesses, Annette became one of the elite 4% that took their business over the million-dollar mark. Her bottom line belief is that leadership begins where you are standing and that means that anyone on your team can also step up and lead. Everyone starts at the ground level, and if you set your mind to it, you too can become a winner.

How did you get started in your field/industry?

When money market mutual funds were coming into existence, I was offered a job with the Wellington Management Company. When Jack Bogle decided to start his own mutual fund company, he asked me to join him at his Vanguard Group, and I did. What are some of the biggest challenges/obstacles you faced in your career?

Even a penny error in the price could be very expensive. I designed a control system where it was almost impossible to allow an error which Vanguard sold to other companies. What do you feel are some of the biggest challenges that women face today?

Most senior positions are held by men. Women are judged as too emotional. What does the word empowerment mean to you?

Power means giving people the power to make their own decisions until they prove they are not able to do that successfully, instead of deciding they are not capable with little or no evidence of that fact.

Joyce C. Selander is an author and the owner of Joy Financial. She is the first woman to physically trade financial futures in the pits as a member/trader at the Chicago Board of Trade and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Joyce specializes in government bonds, gold, silver, financial futures, and bonds. She is a member of the Chicago Board of Trade, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, and is on the board of Chicago Human Rhythms. Joyce wrote a book about her life entitled, “Joyce, Queen of the Mountain: Female Courage and Hand-To-Hand Combat in the World’s Largest Money Pit.” In her spare time she enjoys running. How did you get started in your field/industry?

I got started doing margins for marketable collateral at a bank and received a call from a recruitment office that asked if I could do margins on commodities. I told them “Yes.” A commodity house hired me the next day and two days later I started there. I was sent to work on the floor, where I remained for almost 40 years.

Annette has been lauded in numerous columns and has been featured by TV news and major national trade magazines. As an author, keynote presenter, seminar trainer, and former newspaper columnist, she inspires audiences worldwide to reach new heights of success.

Initially, Annette’s passion was cooking, feeding people the comfort food of Italy, and nourishing their stomachs and souls.

She believes her books and topics feed people’s spirits and give them hope and a more fulfilling direction. She has written “Ordinary People Extra-Ordinary Acts: Lifting Spirits Through the Power of Love and Food,” “Finding the Leader Within: A Journey of Commitment and Courage,” “Leadership on Fire: A Journey of Commitment and Courage,” and is a co-author of “Mission Critical Messages: How to Create a Global Impact.” Currently, Annette shares her time between Fort Myers, Florida, Queens, New York and York, Maine. She has presented her programs throughout the United States and internationally. annettefazio.com

How did you manage to become one of the leading names in the fitness industry while you were struggling so much in your personal life?

I can say with full confidence, I am good at what I do. The reason I became the leading name in the industry is due to the results I delivered. I could do what other trainers couldn’t do, and my results speak for themselves.

Why do you think eating disorders are on the rise?

Fad diets (keto, shake only, cleanses, plant-based, reverse dieting, etc.) are terrible. All of them provide restrictions and too much focus on food all day. Besides their not being sustainable, they cause disordered eating. Our society doesn’t put health on a pedestal anymore and we run for coping solutions like drugs, alcohol, and food. Activity has slowed down and people do everything from their couch with a phone in their hand. The stuff the FDA allows in our food should be criminal. Many harmful substances allowed in Americas food are banned across Europe because they are not safe for human consumption. Our foods are filled with addictive ingredients.