Women in Entrepreneurship

I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD BE AN ENTREPRENEUR.

ACTORS ARE THE ULTIMATE ENTREPRENEURS

CONTENTS

EDITOR'S

I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD BE AN ENTREPRENEUR EMPRENDIMIENTO

WHY FASHION HAS FAILED WOMEN AND HOW TO CHANGE IT

WHAT DOES A CORPORATE WOMAN KNOW ABOUT ENTREPRENEURSHIP?

FINDING PURPOSE THROUGH SELFLEADERSHIP

IN CHAOS FIND CALM EQUINE ASSISTED LEARNING AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

ACTORS ARE THE ULTIMATE ENTREPRENEURS

AN INTERVIEW WITH TONTHOZA UGANJA

AM I AN ENTREPRENEUR?

DIVERSE, FEMPRENEURIAL LEADERSHIP

59 66

A CONVERSATION WITH ENACTUS PRESIDENT AND CEO ROBYN S FEHRMAN ABOUT DEVELOPING SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS

ENTREPRENEURSHIP IS CHANGING

Editor’s Letter

BY DR KINGA MNICH

When you started your early career, it may have seemed like the natural, obvious path was to work for someone else. And, before you know it, you may have found yourself part of a system that has been largely designed for the success of men.

That doesn’t mean that women don’t succeed, of course. On the contrary, we adapt to the environment because we want to succeed. Some might say that we should have demanded change years ago, but how can you demand change if you don’t know what a system for you could even look like?

The truth is that in cultures all over the world, women have been excluded from the areas outside of the family structure for centuries. And yet, with each small step toward more freedom for women, we are told that times are changing and how "incredible" it is that we have come that far.

If we want real change, we must support women as entrepreneurs. It's not the only means, but it's an incredibly powerful one, and one that can be defined on our own terms.

Entrepreneurship has become a significant part of what it means to be a woman of impact. Women are taking control over their own lives, building wealth, and building financial means so they can support their extended families, their children, and give back to their communities. Some have created companies that are environmentally sustainable while supporting women in developing countries and ensuring that their products are good for the environment.

I hope you will be encouraged by the stories you read in this issue, and even inspired to support continued change. The drastic increase in women-owned businesses and other positive statistics are encouraging, but it's clear that women entrepreneurs have many challenges still to overcome.

Did you know that women-owned start-ups are more sustainable and tend to outperform the national average? (Market Insider 2020, Farrer 2019, Certified Sustainable 2019, Wang 2019)

And that women-owned businesses:

Generate $1.8 TRILLION in revenue each year?

Have grown at five times the national average?

And yet:

“Angel investors“ still prefer to finance male entrepreneurs. Despite the severe funding gap, startups founded/co-founded by women actually performed better over time, generating 10% more in cumulative revenue over a five-year period, according to Boston Consulting Group.

Investors traditionally have demanded higher equity participation from female entrepreneurs than they do from males.

Venture capitalists who invest in female businesses are more likely to be male than female (!)

In this edition, we are giving women entrepreneurs a stage to tell their story of how they have built their business and overcome a variety of obstacles. It is my pleasure to open the stage for these 15 incredible women.

I hope that this edition will give you as much perspective and motivation as it did for me.

JUST 25% OF WOMEN JUST 25% OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS SEEK ENTREPRENEURS SEEK FINANCING FOR THEIR FINANCING FOR THEIR BUSINESSES, AND 31% BUSINESSES, AND 31% OF THE WOMEN WHO OF THE WOMEN WHO DO SEEK FUNDING ARE DO SEEK FUNDING ARE SUCCESFFUL SUCCESFFUL

SEE BEYOND YOURSELF.

I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD BE AN ENTREPRENEUR

by Susan Gates

I never thought I would be an entrepreneur. And I especially didn’t think I would be an entrepreneur who launched her first business at the age of 53! Isn’t entrepreneurship for people in their 20s and 30s?

People with endless energy, boundless enthusiasm and fewer responsibilities than someone with a mortgage, two teenage kids, looming college tuition payments and aging parents?

But when the pandemic hit in the spring of 2020, I was laid off from my job of almost seven years along with millions of other women. My friend of almost 20 years, Kate and I watched in despair as decades of progress in women’s employment was undermined in a few short months. And we noticed with increasing discomfort that as our shopping habits shifted online, a few large shopping sites were raking in the cash while women were losing ground.

Kate, a veteran of two startups, asked if I wanted to join her in creating a solution to this inequity, and the WMarketplace was born: an ecommerce shopping site for women-owned businesses.

We opened the site to shoppers in September of 2020, with around 50 brands and around 600 products and services. Today we are so proud to have attracted over 500 brands and have 7500+ products and services for sale. We also have created and launched our trademarked HER-Commerce™ instructor-led ecommerce workshops to help women-owned businesses grow their online sales more efficiently and effectively. Over 125 businesses have successfully completed this training and joined WMarketplace as sellers. It has been a wild ride, to say the least.

As a child in America in the 1970s, I was deeply aware of the inequality that women faced (I was seven years old when women were first allowed to open credit cards in their own name!). Through a variety of jobs over 20 years that spanned the public, private and non-profit sectors, I always knew there was something else I was supposed to do, something that would match my passion with the deep skill sets I was developing. WMarketplace has been the culmination of this passion, plus opportunity plus experience. Maybe starting a business at 53 makes a lot of sense after all?

I’m a big believer that business can be a force for good, and we see this every single day on WMarketplace. We have sellers that range in age from teenagers to women in their 70s. Each of these sellers are passionate about her business, and some of them sold online through WMarketplace for the very first time. They may have had a stand at a farmer’s market or sold their products through their networks of friends, but because of the WMarketplace, they now have customers in every part of the country.

They have a new income source. They have a place where they can connect with other women entrepreneurs in our private Slack channel, and Instagram page, and on our quarterly seller community Zoom calls. They have community and resources that they would not have had by going it alone.

These women also purchase from each other. One of the unique aspects of WMarketplace is that we combine products and services together. When a business owner needs a new bookkeeper, a new graphic designer, a new copywriter or product photographer, they know they can look first at WMarketplace and likely find another woman-owned businesses that they can hire. We have seen these connections happen in real time when women are introducing their businesses to each other on our community calls. It’s like watching magic happen and it’s the most wonderful part of owning this business.

I have always said that when opportunity meets passion, you should say “yes!” There is nothing like waking up every day knowing that you are working in support of a core belief. For me that is gender equity.

Owning a business is unlike any other kind of work I have done. Like parenting, it’s something you can never not think about. I wake up in the middle of the night with half-composed emails, to-do lists, and moments of inspiration and panic running in circles in my brain. Weekends are not really a “thing” any more, except that there are fewer meetings and more quiet time to do my own work. I feel like I’ve gone back to graduate school at least three separate times to gain degrees in digital marketing, corporate investing and all things ecommerce. I now listen to podcasts focused on entrepreneurship and ecommerce, and research current retail trends. And my friends all know that having a glass of wine with me after work will often result in some “spontaneous” WMarketplace shopping. Entrepreneurship is a full-time, full-body, full-life experience. Especially when you are growing a business with a mission like WMarketplace and with the vision to be a BIG business.

Everything we do is with the faces of the women entrepreneurs who have joined WMarketplace in the forefront.

How can we grow so that they can grow?

How can we put more money directly into their bank accounts by attracting more customers to the site and making the customer experience frictionless so they can hit that “add to bag” button and then click “purchase?” Every time I hear a sale go through our website, I get a little dopamine hit as I picture the order landing with our sellers. That was a sale they wouldn’t have made if we hadn’t built this business.

One of my favorite activities is compiling our weekly Her Story, where we amplify the experiences of the women behind the brands. Because it is their hard work we are promoting; it is their experience and creativity and passion that we are amplifying. And if they sell more, we grow as well, and can offer more products, more services and more training. And we can start to shift some of those trillions of dollars (yes, trillions) that women spend each year toward other women-owned businesses.

Why is this important? Why do we need more women entrepreneurs?

So much of our online shopping habits have been shaped by a few large businesses. But what is so remarkable, and what so few people know, is that every single one of these platforms are owned by men. Isn’t that wild? Women make 83% of purchasing decisions but Amazon, Etsy, Pinterest (yes, Pinterest!), eBay, Poshmark, etc, all are owned by men. These are amazing businesses, with incredible reach and success, but we believe there is room for another marketplace that is owned by women, for women-owned businesses. Many of these large businesses have steep fees and commissions, are incredibly complicated to manage and wildly expensive to be successful on. Some of them require their sellers to always offer the very lowest price so that all sales are driven to them, further impacting margins. While competition can be great, we believe that collaboration and mutual support can take us even further. And that is the kind of business we are buildingone where women entrepreneurs can grow and thrive.

We learned some very real and very hard lessons during the pandemic: women need options and opportunity and flexibility. Let’s face it, the working world does not “work” for many, many women. The old 95 schedule that was championed by Henry Ford in 1926 does not take into account the lived experience of half of our population. Family responsibilities remain unequal, requiring us to leave work more often for child and parent care; women still are paid less than men for equal work; schedules are rigid and many work places remain fraught with overt and covert sexual discrimination and harassment. Owning your own business can remove many of these barriers and obstacles and enable women to grow their net worthwhich currently rests at about ½ of net worth of their male counterparts.

While entrepreneurship is not for everyone, given the increasing rates of women creating businesses over the last three years, it’s clearly a desirable choice for many. And I am so proud to have cofounded a business that can be part of this movement for change and empowerment. I know that women doing business with women can change the world.

Susan Gates is the CoFounder of The WMarketplace Inc. With almost 20 years of public, private and nonprofit business experience, Susan brings depth of experience and creativity to The WMarketplace. As Sales Director with the nonprofit Specialty Coffee Association, Susan grew digital and print advertising sales and delivered high-touch sponsorship for events and programming.

https://www linkedin com/in/susan-gates-twmp/ https://thewmarketplace com/

Prior to her work in the nonprofit sector, Susan managed an international sales team for DaVinci Gourmet and managed national accounts for Kerry’s Foods branded beverage sector. In her earlier work for the US Department of Commerce as a Senior International Trade Specialist, Susan guided companies toward expanded international presence, advised senior government officials on trade policy issues and created private/public partnerships.

EMPRENDIMIENTO

By Lina Echeverri

We are writing a new history, and motivating women to assume leadership over their own welfare as well as in societal roles.

In today’s age, being a woman in Colombia has great significance. Our gender, so stigmatized in the past, has managed to de-mystify cultural labels amongst all other existing subcultures. Women who seemed equality throughout the 20th century can no longer be compared with women who seek equity in the 21st century.

As Colombian women, we find ourselves in an accelerated awakening - dynamic and transformative - with great interest to create entrepreneurship.

This awakening of the feminine spirit has found in entrepreneurship both freedom and expression, and it carries an essence of empowerment.

In this search for gender equity, feminine entrepreneurship in Colombia is responding to substantial cultural changes, in which women are breaking glass ceilings and paradigms of what used to be a patriarchal society. Through entrepreneurship, women are able to show their talent, reinforce their self esteem, and contribute to their own well being.

According to the Colombian Confederation of Chambers of Commerce, 61.3% of newly constituted businesses during 2021 were led by women. This is an indicator about the relevance of Colombian women entrepreneurship, and we are in the dawn of a new context in which women will lead future economic growth.

However, growth does not come easily in a country where class ceilings crumble slowly. There are still remnants of the patriarchy, of course. In my view, today’s women share three core values when they begin their journey: Tolerance, Persistence, and Resilience.

Becoming an entrepreneur in Colombia is a great challenge due to the economic and political conditions derived from a leftist government and the lagging effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Personally I have been an entrepreneur of initiatives that failed, and others that have grown, especially intrapreneurship projects.

Many experiences have taught me many lessons, one of which is to “Blindly trust in what you believe.” In my experience, if you doubt in what you are doing, you will fracture your entrepreneurship initiative. Trust is a key factor in the beginning of any start-up. There will be voices that will make us doubt, but if we are convinced of what we are trying to accomplish, we will overcome the doubts.

A second lesson is the critical need for possessing negotiation skills. If we do not have negotiation skills, the path to entrepreneurship will not be easy.

Lacking this skill means perhaps that we need to integrate into our team someone with negotiating skills and commercial abilities.

Negotiation with suppliers, allies and customers is essential to achieve sustainability in business. I discovered that I was complacent with vendors and customers, and lacked the strength or boldness to follow up on payments. Shyness or hesitancy must be set asidethey will ruin a business.

A third lesson is to “welcome the excess in competition.” I was seeking to create a business that faced no competition - the so-called blue ocea - but that is not feasible. We must learn to coexist in healthy competition, even learn from others’ good practices and mistakes - that will help us to act timely and become more competitive.

The final lesson that I want to share is to “Be Resilient.” The road to entrepreneurship has ups and downs, to be certain. In 2008, I started a project to create the first Observatory of Country Brand and Country Image in Latin America.

At the outset, I encountered my very first challenge: I had no capital. But, I was able to connect with people who joined the project as volunteers. Little by little, yearby-year, we created results. We built a website and strived to give it visibility by sharing experiences, knowledge and perspectives. Over time, we accumulated credibility and experience. We have ultimately accomplished what we set out to do.

We have received multiple awards in Colombia and Latin America. Various government organizations now support our strategies, our theoretical basis and investigation results. Today, I look back with optimism and lessons learned, and see how a startup initiative became an academic observatory that today is the bedrock for future projects. I am now building on that success as I begin “Brand Expedition,” my most recent startup.

Every day, we have to combat society’s paradigms, not only the ones associated with women’s roles, but also the ones that limit perspectives. I face every obstacle with dignity and love for what I do, and with great care and extra attention. I support women like myself, because that’s how we mobilize against social prejudices.

I remember close-minded comments when I began my entrepreneurial journey, such as, “I don’t see you in that role….It’s better for you to stay where you are,” and “You don’t know about management, you won’t make it.”

https://www linkedin com/in/lina-echeverri/ https://linaecheverri.com/

Today, I reply “look at the results, they tell a different story.”

Lina Echeverri is a writer, lecturer, professor and director, with a professional career of 25 years in universities and business schools, during which she has received 22 national and international recognition thanks to her contributions in the field of marketing and branding.

do more of what you love.

WHY FASHION HAS FAILED WOMEN AND HOW TO CHANGE IT

By: Jo-Anne Godden

As the fourth largest industry globally, the fashion and textiles sector is predominantly a women’s industry, and its impacts both good and bad are felt by us most – yet I believe it’s completely failed women.

From sourcing and spinning the raw materials into cloth, to garment manufacturing, and all the way through the retail sector to the end buyer, fashion and textiles is an industry predominantly staffed and consumed by women. Four out of five of all workers in the industry are women, and women also make up 80% of all consumer choices and purchases.

As women, we are most impacted by the industry and should be the first to benefit from any positive outcomes, but unfortunately this is an unregulated industry that has spun out of controllacking ethical conduct, health and safety and pollution standards.

I started out in a very corporate fashion world in the United States, but over time I saw firsthand that the industry was changing for the worse and that I could no longer be part of it.

Women are the recipients of the resources that go into the production of clothes – both human and environmental – and are the first to gain, and/or the first to be degraded. This is why I believe it’s so important that women fashion entrepreneurs build and develop an infrastructure that benefits everyone caught up in this enormous whirlwind, and ultimately try to stop the overconsumption of the wrong kind of clothing.

Since the 1980s, when clothing production went ‘out of sight and out of mind’ to developing countries –where labour costs and environmental restrictions were lower or nonexistent – there has been a fundamental shift in the way we view clothing.

Clothing used to be something to treasure and cherish – an expression of our identity. But clothing has been turned into a commodity, sold in large markets at volume: incentivised by offers such as ‘3 pieces for the price of 2,’ as if we should buy clothing in bulk.

During the 1990s, it accelerated into ‘Fast Fashion,’ and clothing lost its value, became short-lived, and many of us disposed of it far too quickly.

These changes in the way we access and dispose of our clothing have been detrimental to the entire garment industry – not least to those women caught up in the supply chain.

The majority of the industry still consists of ‘disposable clothing,’ made under exploitative conditions in countries such as Bangladesh or China with catastrophic consequences for our collective future.

The textile industry causes a high amount of pollution, contributing up to 10% of global greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions. Fashion’s toxic effects are threatening the biosphere upon which we depend, decreasing biodiversity, causing drought and water pollution and building horrendous landfill dumps. (Ghana alone receives over 15 million articles of used clothing every week!)

Bringing back the Joy

So how do we get the joy back into our clothing? The excitement and the thrill of putting on a garment that pleases us? A garment that brings benefit to the planet and people, and one that has not been made by modern slavery?

I believe there are three key steps:

1. Reintroduce value

We have to reintroduce the value into our purchases. We need to be prepared to pay more for well-made and beautiful garments, made to last –not just in our own wardrobe, but in others’ after we pass them on. Extending the life of clothing can reduce its carbon impact by up to 16 times!

2. Design excellence

Make sure all parts of the process are the best quality. Ensure durability in the seams, the trims and cloth, and preferably from recycled materials. Focus on beautiful design, classic styles, real style – individuality and craft, not fashion.

3. Reduce quantity

120 billion new garments per year are choking our planet: the challenge is now to turn off that tap for “degrowth.” Decreasing the quantity while increasing the quality is key. Let’s do more with less clothing –that’s the philosophy behind RubyMoon’s Gym to Swim capsule collection

As entrepreneurs and women, we can reimagine and build a vibrant, satisfying clothing industry – clothing that we have an emotional tie to, appreciate more and then care for. The value of each garment has to cost more, to rekindle the love we have for every item in our wardrobe.

For example, the more we spend on fabric the less likely it will be that the dyes and chemicals won't be flushed into local water supplies. People bathe and drink this water and it’s filled with chemicals. In China alone, 5 out of 7 people drink water every day that is partly polluted.

When we pay more, there will be no cutting corners on fabric quality and construction, meaning the resources we invest in clothing last longer.

When we pay more, a larger percentage of that garment cost can become a living wage, not an economic slave wage. And we have to include safe and proper working conditions and constant monitoring of factories.

Workers must enjoy the same rights and expectations that we in the west take for granted – to feel safe at work and free from intimidating and bullying, including sexual harassment, and to be forced into constant, unpaid overtime.

In Bangladesh up to 80% of women workers have experienced some kind of sexual harassment in their workplace.

How can we expect to feel great in a new outfit, knowing it was made by other women who have been degraded in their employment?

We must be willing to pay more for our clothes in order to preserve our planet and the biodiversity that our children inherit from us.

1.

2.

So, as female citizens and entrepreneurs, not just consumers, I urge us to focus on two key things: Make better choices, and purchase from sustainable or circular brands. We need to insist that our clothing is beautiful on the inside as well as the outside, therefore ethically made. We must be prepared to buy things and return them to the retailer for recycling or to resell them ourselves. No more disposable fashion! Take the time to understand what will happen to your clothing at the end of its first life and make sure it’s done properly as it’s your responsibility.

These fundamental steps reuse the waste we make and conserve planetary resources for future generations. New ‘mindful’ fashion businesses are embracing the circular model, creating wonderful clothes that they then ‘take back’ for re-use. This is a great new area of entrepreneurship that’s innovative and not business as usual. And women are taking the lead in this new ethical fashion ecosystem.

Women are using the power of ethically-sourced, well-produced, beautiful clothing as a way to bring prosperity and lift women out of poverty. It’s with our insistence here, too, as citizens – not consumers – that we can action fashion and textiles for the greater good of women, all over the world.

Jo-Anne Godden is a Lingerie and swimwear specialist, mother and activist. She founded RubyMoon to combine the fashion industry’s substantial potential to positively impact, with the knowledge that women and innovation are key to a better

https://www linkedin.com/in/jo-anne-godden-2b758a7

https://rubymoon.org uk/

It’s our choice as women, so let’s take it.

future.

WHAT DOES A CORPORATE WOMAN KNOW ABOUT ENTREPRENEURSHIP?

by Grisell Sordo

I’ve been a corporate woman for more than 25 years. I had the opportunity to travel across the world, to be an expat, to lead hundreds of professionals with different levels of seniority - but like many other people, my successful corporate life ended with the COVID19 pandemic.

At the beginning of 2020, I experienced the perfect storm: I was unemployed, “expensive” for the market, almost 50 years old, and a woman. I was planted at the intersectionality of gender and age.

For those who haven’t heard that word before, the Oxford Dictionary defines intersectionality as “the network of connections between social categories such as race, class and gender, especially when this may result in additional disadvantage or discrimination”.

You cannot imagine how many first-hand stereotypes I experienced. Nevertheless, I tried hard to find a new job, but it seemed like my future was written, and I needed to change my career path. The answer seemed easy: it was time to start my own business.

But, what did this corporate woman know about entrepreneurship? Not much, in truth.

I had nothing more than an idea running across my mind for a while: to share my corporate life experience with more women. I knew the challenges and opportunities women were - and still are - facing in the workplace. I knew this was making it far more difficult and slower to climb to executive positions than men, and I was ready to share my experience with younger, talented women.

I researched my idea with promising results, and I decided to open my own consultancy firm. I named myself as a Gender & Diversity Consultant / Executive Women’s Counselor.

That's where the jump from being a boss to be a business owner started, and very soon I realized that I was facing femaleentrepreneurship challenges on my journey. Specifically:

I was a solopreneur, building my business on my own and responsible for its success or failure; men tend more to “associate” with partners.

I experienced “Impostor Syndrome,” lacking confidence in my qualifications.

I had limited access to funding. I was battling perfectionism - waiting to have the perfect service, the perfect pricing, the perfect everything.

I was struggling to be taken seriously, particularly in a “macho” country environment in Mexico, and trying to sell “female executive empowerment.”

I had difficulty balancing my business and family life - the “freedom of entrepreneurship” felt like a myth I had hardship in expanding my network.

I questioned everything. What does a corporate woman know about entrepreneurship?

Am I ready to start from scratch at almost 50 years of age? I am going to be able to do pretty much everything by myself (at least at the beginning)? Can I survive with a limited budget? Can I catch up and reskill? Did I have the inner strength of an entrepreneur? Can I live without a six figure salary?

And the answers were Yes for all of them. And please note - nobody goes into business with a guarantee of success!

Transitioning from corporate to entrepreneurship can be a scary prospect as a working woman. Here’s how I approached it:

Walk the talk. I worked on my mindset and self-confidence, I fought the negative voices in my head telling me that I needed to acquire an overwhelming number of competencies before being secure in my entrepreneurial abilities.

Built a plan. I was specific and used my planning skills previously used on other brands and companies as an employee.

I trusted my path, my pace, and my process. I threw out the “rule book,” and I started to be more flexible, open-minded and creative.

I’ve been operating for almost two years with promising results, I surpassed my financial targets and my branding/positioning objectives, significantly expanded my network, and started to build a reputation; but most of all I am happy, proud of myself, motivated, and highly energized, something that I lost many years ago in my corporate life. What else could I ask for?

While it’s true that women are faced with specific gender-based hurdles, and that can be frustrating enough to want to quit, none of these are/were strong enough to abandon my dream.

Indeed, as a corporate woman, I may have little or no entrepreneurs hip experience, but it is also true that I know about striving for results. If you are in a similar situation, I say go for it, and stay true to yourself and your passion!

Grisell Sordo is a seniorlevel executive with a corporate career of over 25 years.

She knows the challenges, and, opportunities women are facing in the workplace making it far more difficult to climb to executive positions.

She works with female leaders to enable them to get their seats at the table by boosting confidence, competence, and connections, and a variety of companies to develop strategies to increase female engagement, and retention.

https://grisellsordo.com/

https://www.instagram.com/grisellsordo

SUCCESS IS NOT FINAL, FAILURE IS NOT FATAL, IT'S THE COURAGE TO CONTINUE THAT COUNTS.

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Indian entrepreneur and founder of Biocon.

FINDING PURPOSE THROUGH SELF-LEADERSHIP

Heather Wolfson

Defining Success On Your Terms

In 2022, there were plenty of challenges facing the next generation of female leadership. The pandemic (and its continued repercussions), social unrest, cultural divisions, and new remote work and school possibilities guarantee that leading teams and businesses in the coming year will be anything but “business as usual.”

The hard reality is that women in leadership are asked to take on a tremendous amount of work in far-from-ideal socioeconomic conditions.

The U.S. ranks worst out of 40 countries for paid maternity leave, and the prevailing narrative is that successful women have and do it all.

Feel like you’re wearing a million and one different hats trying to balance career and family? It can certainly feel that way, but — here’s the big thing no one talks about: it’s all one hat.

We all know that a bad day at work can lead to a draining night at home. You don't stop being a teammate when you power down your laptop. And you don't shut off being a mom when you fire up your computer. There is no question you have a lot of different roles in life.

Career woman, mom, friend, neighbor, volunteer, and daughter — to name a few! It's challenging to wear all these hats especially when one conflicts with another. But you don't have to wear all the hats; you can just style them to your current circumstance.

The most defeating part about this "wears many hats" phrase is that it doesn't consider YOU are always you, no matter what is happening in your life or "what hat" you're wearing. Being deeply rooted in your purpose at home, work, and in your community gives you your signature style that carries across all the facets of your life.

How? Self-leadership.

I’ll outline here how women in leadership positions define and integrate professional and personal success through the ability to lead from a solid internal foundation.

The Importance of Self-Leadership: Defining Success on Your Terms

What is self-leadership? Self-leadership boils down to how you set your course in life, follow it as best you can, and correct your course along the way. Your self-leadership will be reflected in how you interact with colleagues, clients, sales prospects, and the leadership in your organization.

My company, Maven Leadership Consulting, is the culmination of a twodecades-long career learning leadership lessons both as an employee and a senior management executive. But I wouldn’t have gotten this far without an eyeopening moment that solidified the importance of self-leadership at the beginning of my career.

A leadership opportunity early in my career woke me up to the power of getting clear on our priorities so we can focus on what matters most without feeling exhausted and overwhelmed.

The truth is that women who have a successful professional and personal life in harmony have one important thing in common: The ability to lead from a solid internal foundation. That is self-leadership at its finest.

Self-Leadership Practice: Write Your Purpose Statement

Knowing what to say yes to and what to pass on is one of the essential elements of effective self-leadership. But where to begin?

For my corporate clients (and me!), it starts with a purpose statement.

For example, mine is to leave a legacy of empowerment and empathic leadership through my work and instill those values in my children. My purpose doesn’t change if I’m at a soccer tournament or in a boardroom with my colleagues— and that keeps everything in check.

This isn’t balanced. But it’s aligned with my purpose. Do you know what your purpose statement is? Here are examples to give you a starting point:

"To support the health and well-being of our planet and everyone who lives here."

“To help level the playing field, so everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.”

"To use my gifts to improve the selfworth and wealth of people worldwide."

The Myth of Work-Life Balance

I recently had the chance to spend quality one-on-one time with my oldest son. We had so much fun at this soccer game that my phone came out only to capture a selfie. Taking time to be present rather than always looking out at the world through a screen is something we can only do if we're intentional.

Sometimes life can get so busy we forget to mark the moments that make everything we do worthwhile. It got me thinking, how do we acknowledge those moments?

For me, giving pause allows those moments to become motivation and nourishment on rough days.

It often feels like we are always behind. Our dream is to strike the perfect balance between work and family. We’re misdefining life balance. Doing everything for an equal period isn't the goal. Nor is doing everything well at the same time.

This season, being a mom and working are the “right things” for me. Even when I am busy and hectic, I can feel confident because I know I am putting my time into the things that matter to me. What is your purpose statement?

Having a personal purpose statement can give you direction to accomplish your goals.

Heather Wolfson

is the

CEO and Lead Strategist of Maven Leadership Consulting.

She believes that organizations have the power to build a healthier, more resilient ecosystem through intentional intervention at all levels. With a passion for supporting emerging leaders and a background in making a sustained impact, Heather brings nearly 20 years of senior-level leadership, strategy development, and coaching experience to her work.

https://www mavenleadershipconsulting com

https://www linkedin com/in/heathergwolfson/

IN CHAOS, FIND CALM.

EQUINE-ASSISTED LEARNING AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

By Barb A. Bloomer

Why I Decided to Work with “Equine Professors”

My passion for horses began at the age of 10, spending my summer at a local barn and taking riding lessons. The following Christmas, I received my first horse, who I named Calico. I discovered that whenever I experienced chaos, whether it was dealing with peer pressure, typical teenage drama or difficult family situations, I could always find peace in the barn with my horse. Talking to him, crying into his warm neck or just grooming him, I always left the barn feeling rejuvenated and ready to face whatever life was throwing my way. Throughout the following chapters of my life, including marriage, raising three children, divorce, single life in my forties, and breast cancer in my fifties, time with a horse was always a way for me to find calm in chaotic situations. For this reason, I want to share what I have experienced with others.

Horses have a way of helping us to discover ways to cope with what is troubling us in a judgment-free zone. Partnering with horses can give you tools to cope with whatever stresses you are dealing with. My coaching sessions with my Equine Professors result in giving people positive outcomes. These can include developing stronger leadership skills for the workplace, and life skills to succeed within your personal relationships.

"There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man."

-Winston Churchill

“...and woman.” - Barb A. Bloomer

What is Equine Experiential Education?

SOME OF THE QUESTIONS I AM ASKED WHEN I DISCUSS EQUINE ASSISTED LEARNING/PERSONAL COACH SESSIONS ARE "DO I HAVE TO KNOW HOW TO RIDE" OR "I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT HORSES, HOW CAN THIS HELP ME?"

In fact, what you learn from this partnership is completely “out of the saddle,” and no previous experience with horses is required. It is quite simple, and yet so amazing. Sessions are conducted on the ground, either in a group or in private one-on-one sessions, doing various activities.

My equine professors can’t talk, but they have a lot to say!

Horses are magnificent beings that have so much to teach you about yourself. They possess a quiet mind, and have no concept of evil or deceit. They do not know how to lie and they spend their lives devoted to friendship, cooperation, and keeping a healthy well-being. Within their herd relationships, there is no quarreling, no jealousy, no discontent. They can be your masters of life and teach you how to cooperate with others successfully.

You can't hide your emotions from a horse. They will pick up on what is going on within you, and find a way for you to uncover your true and best self without any words necessary.

They can help you speak to yourself in a kinder way and deal with your inner selfcritic and what it may be saying to you. In my experience, partnering with an Equine Professor will help you find tools to discover positive conversations you can have with yourself.

Horses live in the present. They are always aware of what is going on around them as a means of survival. They don't have time to worry about what others think about them, obsess about how they look, or about what happened yesterday or could happen tomorrow. They also are a reflection of what we are going through emotionally, and show us ways to deal with ourselves and practice self-care.

https://inchaosfindcalm.info/ https://www facebook com/EquineProfessors

Barb A. Bloomer is a Level 1 Equine Assisted Learning, Leadership, and Personal Development Coach. Through various activities with horses, people can gain valuable selfempowerment skills to positively enhance both their personal and work relationships. There is no riding involved or horsemanship skills needed for this amazing experiential experience.

Trust yourself. You've got this.

ACTORS ARE THE ULTIMATE ENTREPRENEURS

By Sarah Pribis

I’ve been pursuing a career as an actor (yes, "actor" – the term is gender neutral) since I was 18 years old. At age 16 I had a performance on Broadway, but I hadn’t yet decided that performing was an actual JOB I was going to pursue.

When my parents dropped me off at my dorm room in New York City to study at Tisch School of the Arts, I soon discovered that I was one of many aspiring thespians. It became apparent that one of the things that was going to help me survive (and thrive!) in this cutthroat industry was an entrepreneurial work ethic and drive. After 18 years, dozens of side hustles, countless mistakes, and several “I think I should quit” declarations, I can finally say that I have a “working actor” business at age 36.

While there is not one recipe for success in this industry, I can tell you some ingredients that I’ve personally found to be quite crucial:

Self motivation

Perseverance and patience

Humility

The willingness to take risks and fail

Time management

Competitive spirit

Networking abilities

Self awareness and branding

Sales and marketing skills

Oh! And a dash of talent and creativity, too.

According to The Guardian, only 2% of actors make a living from the acting profession, and 90% of them are out of work at any given time. The key to becoming part of the 2% is to treat yourself and your art like a business.

On the surface, being an actor sounds straightforward enough, right? Take classes, build your portfolio, get an agent, learn your lines, go to auditions, impress the casting director, and book the role. This is a huge oversimplification of the process, so let’s break it down step by step, as a business:

Startup and investment costs

These aren’t cheap! Perhaps you begin by getting a drama degree like I did. Or perhaps you opt for improv or scene study classes.

Then you might decide to build out the special skills portion of your resume by hiring a dialect coach, learning martial arts, or taking horseback riding classes! None of these is a requirement, but the goal here is to make yourself as marketable as possible in order to stand out from a sea of talent. Headshots, however, are a requirement, and can easily set you back a couple hundred dollars. Then it’s time for an agent, but alas, the agent doesn’t want to represent you without a body of work - but you can’t get the body of work without the agent!

Enter casting-focused websites, and yet another set of fees. You will pay to upload your headshot, see the job listings, and submit for roles. These are likely not the roles you’ve dreamt of since you were a child. They’re student and short films for little to no pay, background roles, or $200 infomercials. Apply for them anyway! They will give you footage, experience on set, and a network of people on the same path as you. However, these opportunities aren’t going to pay the bills, so while you’re pursuing a career in the arts, you work another job in a field that gives you enough flexibility to audition and book out at a moment’s notice.

Let’s fast forward to “sales and marketing.”

You’ve now accumulated enough material to stitch together a performance reel.

Sure, you could pay someone else to do this for you, but quite frankly, every actor in 2023 must also possess some level of basic editing skills in order to self tape and send in auditions (more on this in a minute). Along with your reel, you’re going to email your headshot and resume to prospective agents. Here is where additional entrepreneurial skills come back into play: research, development, strategy, and outreach are essential.

1. 2.

3.

You must compile a list of companies and individuals who have the kind of roster you aspire to be among. You must investigate and obtain the contact information so that you can reach out to them. You must properly pitch yourself so that your email is opened and considered.

I’ve experienced sending 50 “cold” emails and not receiving evenone response (and that’s with movie credits, roles on the CW and USA networks, national commercials, and 100k+ social media followers to my name). So while you pound the pavement– I mean keyboard–you start asking your network for referrals. Remember when you were on set making little to no money, but you were gathering footage and friends?

Relationships in this business are critically important: you can’t be afraid to call in favors, and you also must be willing to pay them forward. Kindness is queen. Let go of that limiting belief that there’s not enough to go around, and share your knowledge and your resources. It'll be returned tenfold, I promise.

“Deal closed?”

BOOM. You got an agent. Congrats! You likely have access to bigger and better auditions now, but the hustle continues. It’s time to level up and invest again… in self-tape equipment! These days, the majority of auditions are recorded by actors in their own homes. To stay competitive, it’s imperative to research lights, microphones, tripods, backdrops, and cameras or smartphones to set up your own little home studio. Although this sounds daunting, you can find videos on the internet that will guide you on how to get a professional setup at an affordable price. In addition to becoming your own set designer, lighting and sound technician, and camera operator, you also take on the responsibility of:

Casting (a friend to read the other lines)

Hair and makeup artist

Wardrobe designer Director/DP Editor

Writer (if you’re asked to “improvise” a script)

It once was enough to “just” be an actor, but it certainly isn’t anymore, and even if you have the equipment and the agent, it’s still not enough. Based on my numbers from the past five years, if I relied solely on these two things, I would be making $20,000 per year. So how have I created a six-figure working actor business? The same way that many entrepreneurs do: multiple streams of income.

Not only do I continue to submit myself for jobs on casting websites every day instead of relying on my agent(s), but I also utilize social media marketing to sell my services as an actor, creator, writer, editor, producer… all the jobs I learned along the way! Remember the self-tape equipment? I use it to make content: TikToks, films, branded videos, etc. I shoot instructional videos for corporate websites and Youtube channels, and I continue to grow.

So if this pursuit is of interest to you, I recommend that you capitalize on your unique skills, talents, and expertise, and that you share your wealth of knowledge along the way. Before you know it, you’ll see that you have the characteristics of a successful entrepreneur– but you aren’t just a businesswoman at this point; you’re a business, woman!

http://sarahpribis com/

https://www linkedin com/in/sarah-pribis-843a61126/

Sarah Pribis is an actress, producer, writer, and host who trained at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, and made her Broadway debut in Les Miserables. She is the host of the viral mobile app, HQ Trivia.

AN INTERVIEW WITH TONTHOZA UGANJA

What shaped your choices and directed you into your career?

I grew up in a society of strong womenfrom my single mother who raised us, to my family and my village community. What stood out for me was the nurturing ecosystem that the women surrounded themselves with. After completing my BSc and MSc in Forestry, it became clear to me that my path was driving me to work with women to restore catchment areas and heal ecosystems. I chose to target rural women because they are the custodians of the community and the village environment. They search for food in forests, they gather wood for fuel, and they often manage home gardens. I decided that if I could help them manage their small farms and help empower them to sustainably manage their woodlands, it would be one step toward restoring the nature that they rely on. Women raise children, and they will in turn transfer some of what they learn about woodlands to them, passing on their knowledge and ensuring its sustainability. I want to create profitable farming systems for them so that their livelihoods are uplifted, but also so they can balance and give back to nature.

What are your greatest achievements?

Launching a grassroots land restoration startup sustainable farming solutions which currently works with women farming groups in the Northern region of Malawi. We aim to reach over 15 women groups (10,000 farmers) by the end of 2026. We have installed beehives in their woodlands, and are currently preparing their small farms for garlic production, for which we have already found a market. So far, we are working with over 1,400 women farmers across 5 communities.

What are some of the challenges you have experienced on your journey?

The biggest challenge has been breaking through in a male-dominated industry and now thriving. For 9 years, I worked in an agricultural corporate industry that favored men over women from its colonial heritage, and I tried to break through as a leader in my profession. What I learned from the challenge was that I can succeed even in circumstances where people are trying to undermine my contribution, and that fighting a system is not the only solution that allows women to be heard.

We must create our own space, and people will follow. As women, we must understand how powerful our roles in society are and how much a lot of things depend on us to change or to be implemented. When we do this, change follows. Another challenge I have experienced is a lack of skills. If you are not properly equipped you will not be a confident leader and people cannot trust you to lead. I am continuously learning and building my knowledge base. I believe the more knowledge you have, the more capable you are of seeing things from multifaceted viewpoints and arriving at creative solutions for challenging situations, which is necessary for leadership in this changing climate.

Who is a woman you admire and why?

Wangari Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement, an environmental nongovernmental organization focused on the planting of trees, environmental conservation, and women's rights, and her work activated the Kenyan ecological debate into mass action for reforestation.

Having founded a social enterprise that tries to restore land in Malawi by using the small farms' approach with women farmers I am constantly motivated by her work and how she did not stop fighting for reforestation and the rights of women. She inspires me because she embodies my beliefs, and she is proof that ecosystem restoration is possible if we are driven and focused.

What leadership ambitions do you intend to pursue within the next 5 years?

In five years’ time, I want to be a leading authority on land restoration programs and initiatives that provide proven methods of restoration and integrated landscape management to government entities, departments, ministries and communities at large. My publicly measurable goal is to be a leading authority on gender responsive climate related interventions and policy. I want research and project implementation to contribute to the forest landscape restoration movement.

For me, doing the right thing at the right time in the right manner, is.

I want to influence the forestry and agriculture sector in Africa by implementing and initiating practices that can restore biodiversity and heal the ecosystem through community-led initiatives at regional and national levels.

In what way/s have you been involved in serving or advocating for women and girls? Working in an agricultural industry that houses female farmers and their daughters, I came to the realization that even though they work the ground as hard as their male counterparts, when it comes to sharing the results of their labor, women are usually left out of the equation. In my day-to-day operations, I talk to female farmers, workers, and girls of school-going age. I educate them about their basic and economic rights, I encourage girls to stay in schools, and female farmers to diversify their income streams while protecting their environment. I have helped all of the women I am currently working with to open their own bank accounts, which goes a long way in establishing their economic independence. Since the men of the households at the community level are usually the owners of bank accounts, when payment for produce came through, some women would find that their hard-earned income has all but disappeared, which affected their economic activity for the next season. It is hoped that with the newfound economic freedom, their negotiating power will improve, and they will learn principles of good financial management and economic growth that will positively impact their communities.

My mission is to inspire and prepare women farmers to unapologetically take up roles and excel in farming and restoring their land, and to bring other women along.

I have learnt that women have the capacity to enhance community development purposefully.

How do you think you can use your influence to bring along more women into leadership roles or improve women’s participation in public life?

With SFS, the dream is not just land restoration and women empowerment or financial independence, but that through all the resources provided in our training, the women will go on to establish groups of their own and further grow into independent cooperatives and grow to establish other cooperatives across the nation. By doing so, these women, being financially independent and conversant with leadership principles, will go on to be leaders who not only transform their communities but other communities that they branch off into.

If you had unfettered influence as a leader, what changes would you deliver for your community?

I believe what we lack is not capacity and expertise, but rather infrastructures and financial platforms that would enable us as Africans and women.

I believe no one understands women better than other women. With more than 50% of the population in Africa being female, I believe that by providing the right platforms and access to economic activities in a sustainable manner, the continent can be changed by small grassroots implemented and consistent change.

This belief is why I founded SFS, to start impacting one community at a time towards this change. Small consistent incremental changes are leading us to grow from communities that had dilapidated forests, infertile land, and no income streams to ones that are restoring their environment and maintaining it, restoring the land and making money off of it responsibly. If I had unfettered influence as a leader, I would replicate SFS across Africa for the betterment of our land and communities.

Tontho is a Forester, Agrosystems leader, climate innovator and a land restoration startup founder of Sustainable Farming Solutions (SFS). She's dedicated to bringing small-scale farmers and forest owners in Malawi access to low-cost technologies and access to finance.

https://www.sfsmw.org/

https://www linkedin com/in/tonthouga/

A Sustainable Farming Solutions we intend to champion resilient restorative, productive and conservative extension services and access to sustainable markets.

-Tonthoza Uganja Founder of Sustainable Farming Solutions

AM I AN ENTREPRENEUR?

by Patricia Gestoso

I’ve struggled to self-identify as an entrepreneur for a long time. Why? Because, I don’t look the part.

That is, I don’t fit the image of the entrepreneur portrayed in the media in recent history - an insouciant, risk-seeking, wealthy, workaholic young man dreaming of becoming a tech billionaire by founding a startup “unicorn.”

Instead, I’m a woman over 50 who, in addition to my business, also has a corporate role as Director of Support and Customer Operations for an engineering and scientific software company.

Investopedia tells us that “ an entrepreneur is an individual who creates a new business, bearing most of the risks and enjoying most of the rewards.” So, yes, that’s me.

So, why has it been so difficult to embrace my entrepreneurial identity?

When entrepreneurship runs in the family

As far as I can remember, my father always identified himself as an entrepreneur. And all his adult life he dreamed of “having his own company.” His father - my grandfather – did, too.

My business doesn’t have an app or platform, it’s service-based. I help companies and leaders to leverage diversity in their business strategy to boost innovation, increase profits, and attract and retain talent.

They saw themselves as business owners, and they called their business efforts “enterprises.” Their businesses were about physical goods, and, importantly, they were about an ambitious vision. These invariably translated to needing loans and banks. They were high stakes because when you have a vision, “risk should not stop you.”

My journey to self-identification as a successful business owner.

What about the women around me? Looking back, I realize that I’ve been surrounded by women entrepreneurs all my life. Since I was a kid, I heard my mother, my aunts, and other women around me talking about “doing something to have their own money.” From baking cakes, running Tupperware reunions, becoming an Avon associate, knitting sweaters, teaching patchwork, selling jewelry, they were pursuing what we would today call a “side hustle.”

Those women didn’t spend time selling their vision. Instead, they minimized their ambitions so that their husbands wouldn’t feel threatened. Countless times I heard them say variations of “this money is for my things” or “this is my pocket money.” Moreover, their pitch to their partners invariably involved reassuring them that there wouldn’t be any home disruption - food would be on the table, the kids would get to school on time, and the house would continue to be spotless.

Most women around me never assumed the entrepreneurship identity. No matter if they performed it full-time or not, any moneygenerating activity was defined by the action. Either “I sell kitchen appliances,” or “I teach sewing,” or “I prepare meals,” to “I’m a cleaner / cook /salesperson”. Never, “I am an entrepreneur.”

My own mother, who for years now has had her own registered sportswear company in Venezuela and is an Instagram expert, has never identified this way. When I recently asked her about the reason why she doesn’t consider herself an entrepreneur, she told me that it’s because she doesn’t have employees. She does have suppliers and she sells their merchandise, but in her experience, you need to have employees to be an entrepreneur.

It’s not only the women in my family. I find that “entrepreneur” is an uncomfortable identity for a lot of women over 50 that I’ve spoken to. Some find it pompous and foreign in their mouths. Others, like my mother, have an idea of entrepreneurship that carries with it a checklist of requirements.

It has taken me years to call myself an entrepreneur.

I first got the idea of creating a business in late 2018. By then, I already had a solid career in STEM and Tech, rooted in external academic validation – namely, a B.Sc.and M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering, as well as a Ph.D. in Computational Chemistry; coupled with professional experience of more than 15 years leading training services and customer support teams.

Given my DEI advocacy since 2015, a friend suggested I create a startup around a diversity and inclusion app. So I designed a set of wireframes for an app to mitigate unconscious bias and shared it with my close network of DEI champions. The feedback was positive, but it was clear that the app was perceived more as a “nice-to-have” than a necessity.

I moved the idea of creating a business to the back of my mind and continued to create free resources. For example, online tools like the Ethics and Inclusion Framework and the Fair Caregiving Tracker, workshops such as reimagining the UK Gender Pay Gap in tech, and even produced research on the effect of Covid-19 on the unpaid work of professional women.

Men called “visionaries” because they don’t adhere to the rules we’ve agreed to as a society, that boast about being workaholics, and whose employees decry their abusive practices. Males that dream of world domination – even beyond planet Earth in some cases.

That experience made me realize that “moving fast and breaking things” was not remotely appealing to me. Instead, I was interested in going carefully and repairing things.

And then, in the summer of 2020, a friend convinced me to apply for a Startup accelerator based in London. I live in Manchester – 200 miles from the capitalbut, due to the pandemic, the 6-month program was run online, so I seized the opportunity and joined that year’s cohort.

It was worthwhile. I learned loads about tech platforms, investors, rounds, and pitches. But the more I learned, the more I felt like an outsider in an environment that idolizes “tech bros” exuding alpha male manners such as Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, or Travis Kalanick.

I was lucky enough to also get to see the flip side. Through that journey, I met fantastic women that have built companies with their legacy in mind. Businesses rooted in providing solutions to systemic problems like food security (Genevieve Leveille with Agriledger), support the professional advancement of women (Kristy Duncan with Women in Payments), or foster employment for people over 50 (Suzanne Noble, co-founder of Startup School for Seniors). Each of them are leaders interested in bringing others along with them, and are extremely generous with their connections. THis is the kind of entrepreneur I aspired to be.

It was in Spring 2021 that I finally found my way into “ my kind” of entrepreneurship. I enrolled in the Startup School for Seniors, and it was transformational.

Suddenly, I was one of the youngest in the room. There was little talk about investors and hypergrowth, and much more interest in sustainability and creating businesses aligned with their founders’ values.

It was then that the penny dropped for me. I had 20 years of experience delivering services with outstanding customer feedback that I had totally disregarded because I was focused on creating an app. I spent three months refining the purpose of my business – helping to build inclusive products and workplaces - and I officially launched it in September of that year.

Since then, I’ve audited businesses’ operations in terms of diversity and inclusion, run inclusive leadership programs for women and nonbinary people in tech, delivered keynotes on the challenges of emerging technologies, and coached women and people from underrepresented groups to get the career progression they deserve.

And whilst I continued with my corporate job, and have no plans to create an app anytime soon, I finally identify as an entrepreneur.

https://patriciagestoso.com/

https://www linkedin com/in/patriciagestoso/

Dr. Patricia Gestoso helps leaders to leverage diversity and inclusion in their strategy so they can reach untapped markets, boost innovation, increase revenue and reputation, and attract and retain talent.

Diverse, Fempreneurial Leadership

by Patrycja Pielaszek, MA

What is the most important driver of innovation? Mixed teams.

What happens when you forget about diversity, inclusion and belonging in the innovation process? You give away enormous revenue potential.

This is where WeCoCo.io comes in: Small changes = big impact.

Large corporations have been focusing on diversity management for decades. We know how important DEIB (Diversity-EqualityInclusion-Belonging) is. Various studies have proven the added value for companies. The conclusion? Companies that emphasize DEIB are more successful, more profitable, and more innovative.

Of course, not not all aspects of diversity have the same importance when it comes to positively influencing the innovative strength of a company. The four dimensions of diversity that have innovation-enhancing effects in a company are industry, country of origin, career path, and gender. Diversity in age and education, interestingly, have no demonstrable impact.

The second key aspect is inclusion. This is because diversity alone does not mean that all members of a company or team have the same opportunities. Inclusion means creating an environment in which all types of people can be successful. And this requires the appropriate awareness.

The third key aspect is belonging. It has become increasingly complex – yet it’s critical to company success. The numbers show why: Organizations with strong cultures of belonging boast higher performance and lower employee turnover. According to Forbes, companies with strong cultures have seen a 4x increase in revenue growth.

In the words of Liz Fosslien, "Diversity is having a seat at the table, inclusion is having a voice, and belonging is having that voice be heard."

Diversity and inclusion not only create a better society they also create better business results and fair opportunities for employees, families, communities and businesses. That's why I am committed to create inclusive cultures of respect and equal opportunity for people with different backgrounds, beliefs and experiences, and why I developed 10 Diversity Hacks.

Change is possible, but what are the necessary ingredients? From my experience, it’s about awareness, curiosity, joy of exploration, and a sense of belonging.

The possibilities are endless, but one thing is clear: Those who already consistently invest in diversity and inclusion will be among the most innovative, sustainable and successful ones.

By taking on this shared responsibility, we can seize a tremendous opportunity to create more open and DEIB-enabling environments in which everyone can reach their potential, especially by cultivating:

"Diversity is having a seat at the table, inclusion is having a voice, and belonging is having that voice be heard."—Liz Fosslien

strong communications transparency radical inclusion

feeling of belonging space for dialogues which are different to experience the energy and magic by cocreating something better, something unique together

…and ultimately create more passionate collaborators

To me, this is what “fempreneurial” leadership is all about!

And this is how I started a movement, a movement that is based on connection and collaboration. By connecting disruptors, action takers, and game-changers to empower more women in innovation and entrepreneurship, our community has been flourishing naturally – a community driven by women, and open for all.

This community is called WeCoCo – where we connect and where we collaborate. WeCoCo became a catalyst for change to co-create a more inclusive future for all, but specifically for women.

WeCoCo is a catalyst for change connecting disruptors, action takers and game changers for inclusion and innovation.

According to the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), women innovating, inventing, and creating face constant factors that impede their activities.

According to We-Data, women represent on average 1/4 of new business owners and directors, while men represent the remaining 3/4 of new business owners and directors. The rates of female participation as sole proprietors are slightly higher.

How do fempreneurial leaders differently? In my experience and research:

They are strong communicators and good communication skills lead to highperforming teams and projects. Communication is also essential for setting boundaries and expectations.

They are empathic, and empathy allows leaders to build and nurture relationships with their teams. It also helps women in leadership understand what their employees need to improve their productivity and feel appreciated.

The way they tackle crisis situations because organizational changes require flexibility and critical thinking.

The way they value work-life balance

Many fempreneurial leaders balance kids and families with their professional lives. Therefore, they know how to multitask and set priorities, and they encourage their employees to do the same.

Imagine bringing more fempreneurial leadership to more organizations. What kind of impact would that have – by connecting, collaborating and co-creating a more inclusive future?!

This can all happen by making conscious decisions to improve and to change.

Giving someone a sense of inclusion and belonging is not a doctrine, nor is it rocket science. It is something we can influence with our mindset.

—Patrycja

Pielaszek

https://www wecoco io

https://www instagram com/wecoco io/

https://www linkedin com/in/patrycjapielaszek/

Patrycja Pielaszek is a forward-thinking innovation leader, serial entrepreneur and founder of WeCoCo, a catalyst for change to cocreate a more inclusive future by connecting disruptors, action takers and game changers.

Developing Social Entrepreneurs

A conversation with Enactus President & CEO Robyn

S. Fehrman

By Sarah B. Smith

Robyn Fehrman is a global executive whose mission is to grow and scale impact enterprises to achieve positive systemic change. Known for her ability to lead organizations and teams with values at the center, her experience over nearly 25 years spans the social entrepreneurship, education, philanthropy, economic development, and global health sectors. Robyn is currently President and CEO of Enactus, a global network of leaders committed to using business as a catalyst for positive social and environmental impact. Across more than 33 countries, Enactus educates entrepreneurial young people and accelerates their innovations to solve the world’s biggest problems and achieve the United Nations’ Global Goals.

How has your career led to the development of social entrepreneurs?

For the last 25 years, I have worked at the intersection of social innovation, leadership development, and social and environmental impact. The roles that I have been in have all been at the nexus of building, developing, and catalyzing people to be levers for positive change in the world.

I started my career working for my local community in the area of reproductive health and rights.

That initiated my interest in working on the challenge of how to develop the leadership of adolescents to be educators in their communities to reduce and prevent adolescent pregnancy. From there, each of my roles has really been about that piece of leadership development: building the people that we need to make real change.

In 2021, I became President and CEO of Enactus. Prior to that, I was the Managing Director of the Center for Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, teaching and supporting MBA students and impact enterprise leaders around the world.

Before my time at Duke, I served as Executive Director of Teach for AmericaEastern North Carolina - the area of North Carolina where I grew up. I was responsible for scaling the impact of Teach for America in our state and radically growing our reach. Like the work I did early in my career, both of these more recent roles required creative solutions for identifying and supporting leaders to have both an immediate and long-term positive impact on the world.

What is exceptional about social entrepreneurship?

A social entrepreneur has both revenue and impact goals, and they are constantly working to balance those two priorities. Of course, social enterprises must be financially sustainable; however, their ultimate objective is not simply profit maximization, but truly high impact change across the social and environmental spectrum. A focus on and orientation toward positive social and environmental impact differentiates social entrepreneurship from traditional entrepreneurship.

Is a social entrepreneurial mindset innate or something that can be cultivated?

I think the answer is “both.” It can be grown in an individual over time. I would not be an educator if I did not believe that people can grow and change with added information and new experiences. I also think, however, that the people who are closest to social and environmental challenges often have a predisposition to success as social entrepreneurs because they have been more profoundly affected by them. Proximity can be a critical source of innovation.

What are necessary skills for social entrepreneurs?

You must be a strong business leader: able to set vision and invest in others in it; operate, plan and execute at a high level; understand financial nuance; and excel in managing through layers. These are critical and foundational skills.

Social entrepreneurship is a set of mindsets, skills, and habits that enable leaders to use business principles to create positive social and environmental impact in the world.

But, social entrepreneurs need to have an added skill set: diverse stakeholder engagement. A social entrepreneur also needs to define who their stakeholders are. Because they are focused on impact, social entrepreneurs will serve more diverse stakeholders than someone focused solely on profit maximization.

Social entrepreneurs also need to be dedicated to serving customers and beneficiaries – who may be the same or different sets of stakeholders. In a social enterprise context, the payer of a particular good or service may actually be different from the beneficiary. A social entrepreneur needs to have a clear sense of who is the beneficiary of the initiative, product, or service that they are putting into the world. Is the beneficiary the customer, or is the beneficiary different from the person paying for the good or service?

Additionally, a social entrepreneur certainly must have the skills to monitor and evaluate progress toward their chosen social or environmental impact indicators in addition to managing financial KPIs.

Measuring impact can be complex and nuanced, and they must be skilled in doing that in their particular impact sector.

You spoke earlier about proximity to a problem being an influential factor on a social entrepreneurial mindset. If a social entrepreneur has limited resources, what support can help them grow, develop skills, make their voice heard, and allow innovation to thrive?

First, it is important to understand that people who have lived experience with social and environmental challenges already have skills and assets that inform problem solving. It is our job as educators to help uncover and amplify those skills and, of course, to help build new ones. As people cultivating social entrepreneurs, we often need to reorient ourselves to identify our students’ lived experiences as assets.

At Enactus, we believe that experiential education is the key to building those skills.

By using an experiential education approach where students can really learn by doing, we can equalize the playing field among studentsthose who have resources in abundance and those who do not. Creating equitable access to the information needed for skills building is important, and it is something we are doing at Enactus.

We are working to digitize our global curriculum and make it accessible not just on a computer but as a mobile-enabled learning management system. We know that most of our students, regardless of where they are in the world, have access to mobile technology. We think a lot about how the experiential education approach puts everyone on the same playing field and how we increase access to the information we are trying to share.

Entrepreneurs come from all walks of life. What specific value do women entrepreneurs have, and why does the world need more women in these leadership roles?

As I said earlier, proximity is a critical source of innovation, and because of the realities of sexism around the world, women are often disproportionately impacted by social and environmental challenges. Because they are uniquely affected, their lived experience gives them distinct insight into how to solve the problems they face.

As educators, we are also innovators for social impact.

We need more women entrepreneurs because women are often positioned to innovate in a way that people who are not women would not.

Innovation requires creativity. How important is creativity for a social entrepreneur?

You know, creativity is a critical competency for any entrepreneur and particularly a social entrepreneur. Creativity, for me, is the ability to think and do differently and to see things through a new lens. A creative person can bring an idea from one sector and see if it applies to another sector; that is what is required of social entrepreneurs. Any entrepreneur is an innovator, but a social entrepreneur is working to solve wicked problems that have not been solved. Making progress on those wicked problems requires novel approaches. You must move out of traditional silos and take vastly different approaches. That is exactly what creative people do.

In the strictest sense, an entrepreneur is someone who develops a business, but based on our conversation, you view entrepreneurship in a broader context. Do you see yourself as an entrepreneur?

I do see myself in that role. The world needs more people to have an entrepreneurial mindset and skills that they can then deploy in whatever role, function, or sector they are working. So, we need people who can bring innovation and creativity to problem solving. They need to use “design thinking” to talk with potential beneficiaries and customers to figure out the best solutions.

All of that is entrepreneurial thinking, and it is important not just for founders of new entrepreneurial ventures, but also for people working in large established corporations. It is also important for people who are leading nonprofits and non-governmental organizations, for educators in a classroom, and for government leaders.

are

How have you used social entrepreneurship to transform Enactus?

What I think is so amazing about Enactus is that long before notions of business for good or corporate social responsibility were sexy and mainstream, Enactus was teaching young leaders how to use business to create a better world. In so many ways, the organization has been out front and leading on this issue long before we had the words to describe social entrepreneurship.

They need to be able to prototype solutions and test them to see if they can apply new business models to deploy solutions in sustainable ways.

Creative entrepreneurial thinking is how we, collectively,

going to get better faster.

As the leader of a 46-year-old organization, my orientation has very much been how do we honor the incredible legacy of this company, and how do we appreciate all that has gone into creating who we are today, while also knowing that as a leader in business, we must continue to evolve to meet the moment. The challenge for me is how do we honor the incredible history of our organization and not remain static? The questions always on my mind and that have really guided so much of my work are: Who does Enactus need to be given the moment in the world that we are facing now? What problem do we exist to solve right now?

The other orienting principle that has really guided me throughout my first year and a half as CEO is the belief that creating positive social and environmental impact and achieving a big vision is about impacting people. My entire career has been about how to develop people. As CEO, it is important to ensure that our organization is also honoring our staff by recognizing and appreciating the incredible work that they do every day. Ensuring that they are respected, are compensated, and that we share information transparently with them. We must show up as humans and authentic leaders who have full lives both in and outside of work.

I have also worked to support our board, staff, and network of country leaders with a deep belief and understanding that we are an education organization that exists to serve students. Students must be at the center of everything we do; they are our direct beneficiaries. They are the reason we exist and the ones we serve. My leadership has really been continuing to focus on how we get up every day to serve them.

What do you want for yourself and for women leaders of the world?

All people crave purpose. Everyone wants their life to matter. And so I think a lot about all leaders, not just women. How do we clarify our purpose and keep that purpose at the center of the work we do? It is that purpose that keeps us going when the minutia takes over, when the days are hard, and when we feel like we are facing setbacks. So, it is critical for all leaders to be clear on their purpose and values. You keep purpose and values as touchstones when you must make tough decisions. We also have a responsibility to help cultivate the next generation's ability to define their own purpose and find ways to deploy their purpose personally and professionally.

In my own leadership, I recognize and appreciate that we are whole people. Just because I sit in the CEO seat does not mean that I do not come to business conversations without also thinking about what I am feeding my kids for dinner, or if I had an argument with my spouse, or when I must pay that bill, or how I am caring for aging parents. I have all of that in my own life, and I want to be able to bring my whole self to my leadership. I also want the people that I work with to know that they can show up as their whole selves in their work. As our company moves forward, we continue to model to the world how we show up as whole people to serve our broader mission with purpose and value.

Robyn Fehrman’s mission is to grow and scale enterprises to achieve effective systemic change. She is President & CEO of Enactus, a global network of leaders who educate, inspire, and support young people to use innovation and entrepreneurship for positive social and environmental impact.

http://www.enactus.org

https://www.linkedin.com/company/enactus/

ENTREPRENEURSHIP IS CHANGING

By Mané Bailey

Entrepreneurship is changing. Not long ago, the word “entrepreneur" brought to mind images of formal business suits, established white men, and stuffy board rooms, but thankfully, things are changing. In fact, 42% of U.S. businesses are now female-owned –and with that, we’re also changing the rules of the game

Entrepreneurship is different for women for many reasons. We bring different experiences to the table, we tend to face more obstacles than our male counterparts, and we don’t always have access to the rooms where decisions are made. But that hasn’t kept us away. What we’re seeing is a movement of business owners who are shifting and changing toward better work/ life balance… out of necessity. When women are pushed into a corner, we have this incredibly resilient response. If we don’t see the space we need, we create our own spaces! That’s where value-driven entrepreneurship started.

Value-Driven Entrepreneurship

I am a serial entrepreneur and CEO of four boutique agencies. I’ve worked in consulting since 2010, and the majority of the companies that I helped in my early years were menfounded, men-led, and men-operated.

My current agency, Station Rove, was created with the sole mission of balancing the scales. Station Rove is dedicated to my mom, who raised me as a single, working mother. She sacrificed everything to give me and my brother a great life, and it’s my dream to honor her by helping women who don’t have access to as much funding, support, and education as they need.

When I immigrated to the US, I realized that neither her international experience nor my degrees translated into the American job market, as I was being offered $14/hour entry-level jobs. This pushed me toward entrepreneurship as I taught myself how to turn my skills and experience into a business.

What I discovered along the way was an online space that operates differently from traditional professional environments. This space was being dominated by women who didn’t have to ask for permission to be there. Women lead this space because it’s equally available, and so we’re shaping it in a way that works for us. As women spearhead the new age of digital entrepreneurship, we are breaking the old rules in three big ways.

Women Entrepreneurs are Reinventing the Rules of Business:

1. Valuing outcomes over time commitments. The 40-hour work week is not created with primary care-givers, parenting, equality, new societal roles, or mental health in mind.

The old school of thought is that hours punched on a clock are the most important metric for employees, but women are fixing this misconception by offering flexible work schedules and compassionate scheduling.

2. Presenting your own personality. Old school business has a strong focus on conformity – gray suits, traditional values, and towing the company line were all held in high esteem. But women are leading us into a more relational and authentic commerce model. Digital business owners know that infusing your personality into your brand is a powerful strategy. Clients build trust with business owners who share their own life and struggles. What used to be seen as flaws are now helping women create large followings and generate lucrative revenue streams!

3. Bringing humanity into the workspace and treating people holistically. Historically, we were asked to check our personal lives at the door when we clocked in for work. It’s “best not to mix business and pleasure,” right? But today’s women know that people are complicated and need to be treated as the whole, messy humans that they are… not just “worker bees.” Flexible childcare options, unlimited sick days, and extended maternity leave are just a few of the perks being offered by female CEOs and founders. Who doesn’t want to be respected for the whole person they are instead of a working robot?

Lessons Learned:

Don’t be afraid to have unpopular opinions. Online spaces tend to turn into echo chambers, and the brands that stand out from the crowd are the ones that aren’t afraid to be different and brand out from the trends.

Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine. Beware of copy / paste templates. If your website looks like every other service provider out there how will anyone find YOU in the sea of look-alikes? Get creative with your style, flow, colors and fonts. Outsource more! You can’t build and scale a business alone. No one can be a content creator, social media manager, marketing expert, bookkeeper, and systems implementer all at the same time. Learn how to take a step back and prioritize being the CEO and build a team you can trust with the rest. Stop trying to keep up with how everyone else is doing things. Trust your instincts and build the business you want instead of spinning in circles trying to keep up with everyone else. Unfollow accounts that distract you, or limit your intake of content from other leaders in your industry if you need to for a season.

Even people who truly inspire you can make it hard to focus on creating my own content that’s true to your vision. Do whatever it takes to guard your creativity.

If you are a female entrepreneur and you’re new to this online marketplace, let me be the first to say: Welcome! There is room for everyone, and together we’re changing the world. Keep showing up and building the business of your dreams. I’m cheering for you!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/manebailey/

Mané Bailey is an immigrant entrepreneur currently owning and operating four agencies. She started her entrepreneurship journey in 2017 and grew her business operations to over seven figures in revenue within two years. She has a vast array of experience in business and marketing and quite the personal story but her true passion is elevating women in business and giving honest look at the highs and lows of entrepreneurship.

1.

10 HOLISTIC WEALTH TIPS FOR 2023

By Corene Phelps

The traditional concept of wealth, measured by net income and material possessions, is ready for a serious upgrade to "holistic wealth." in 2023. Holistic wealth offers a fresh way to cultivate prosperity, focusing on more than money and financial statements. A holistic wealth approach prioritizes physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Building these strengths and using them as a barometer for wealth creates a foundation of internal grit to navigate the peaks and valleys of life, plus all the inevitable storms and setbacks accompanying the journey. The pillars of holistic wealth comprise your net worth, physical health, emotional state, and life purpose. These ingredients fuse together to provide wholeness and resilience, all while cultivating relationships and prioritizing joy.

How to Cultivate Holistic Wealth: Create a Personal Mission statement

Create a concise statement that outlines how you want to live your life and what you desire your lifestyle to be. This statement infuses personal, professional, financial, and relationship goals and is a compass for aligned action and living.

2. Work to create alignment between mind, body, spirit, and bank account

Every decision you make is either an addition or a depletion to these metaphorical accounts. Get into the habit of asking - will this make me feel better, healthier, or happier?"

3. Connect to purpose

A growing body of evidence suggests that living with intention is vital in living a longer, healthier, and more joyful life. Connecting to purpose means you must first define your why. This is where your mission statement comes in. In general, purpose indicates that you have an aim in life and goals on a spiritual level. It is connected to something bigger than you. It might be comforting to know your purpose evolves and deepens over time. As busy humans, it can be easy to get off track from your purpose, so carving out time to reconnect is key.

4. Say “No” more than you say “Yes”

Outside of our health, time and attention are the most significant assets we possess. Protecting your energy, time, and focus is a skill that will generate rich dividends, and it begins with strengthening your “kNOw” muscle only saying Yes to things that you KNOW align with your mission statement and core values and NO to everything else. At first, that can be tough, so I suggest you start here - when you receive an invitation or request, you can respond with “Let me get back to you [insert responsible time, later today or tomorrow]” to allow yourself to do an authentic check-in to see if it aligns.

5. Double down on wHEALTH creation

Physical health is our greatest asset. Cultivating daily habits that support and amplify health is non-negotiable. This starts with getting sufficient, quality sleep as a non-negotiable, moving your body every day, nourishing your body with whole foods, and relieving stress with nervous system regulation practices like breathwork and meditation.

6. Arigato, your money

Arigato means “thank you” in Japanese. Gratitude for the outflow and inflow of cash is as simple as saying, “Arigato in, arigato out.” Cultivating a practice of gratitude is a powerful thing for mind and spirit. Applying this to money infuses depth and spirituality into our finances, bringing new meaning to being a good steward of money.

7. Invest in Relationships

Humans are hardwired to need connection and community in order to thrive. Prioritizing time for relationships and community will help you make daily deposits toward holistic wealth.

8. Become a good steward of your attention

Fractured and fragmented attention will deplete you and cost you time and money. Commit to becoming more aware and discerning where you spend this prized asset, and you will be on your way to becoming time rich.

9. Get intimate with your money

That might sound like an x-rated endeavor. Rather, it means knowing what is going on in your bank accounts, checking credit card charges, and understanding where your money is going, and where you might be overspending. A fun practice is setting time for money dates. Book a time on your calendar, light a candle, play music - whatever makes you feel empowered and happy. Spending time with your money this way will deepen connection, illuminate patterns, reveal money blocks and ultimately create intimacy and growth between you and your money.

10. Embrace all of yourself

ditch the people-pleasing and show up in full authenticity. Anything else is just plain exhausting and soul-sucking, and compromises your ability to pursue your personal mission statement successfully. The world needs the real you.

Corene is a Native Washingtonian who traded a successful career in luxury real estate traded for entrepreneurship, investing and personal development. She is obsessed with combining the power of peak performance, intuition & purpose to harness untapped potential. Her mission is to help others tap into the power of the subconscious and unlock new levels of wealth, success & freedom.

MY STORY TO BUILD A WEALTH MANAGMENT PRACTICE.

written by Afsha Butt

When I first dipped my toes in the world of Finance, I quickly realized that the industry was a bit like a men's club - and I wasn't exactly a member. As a young woman of color, I faced a unique set of challenges that my male counterparts didn't have to consider. In our industry you grow your client book by bringing in new clients yourself, but also by accumulating assets from other advisors, e.g. those who are retiring. From an early start, it was clear I didn't fit the mold. I found that other advisors wanted to retire and give their books to people that were like them. Despite my impressive track record and top performance, I was still perceived as an outsider in the industry because I did not fit the conventional look of a financial advisor - typically a white male in his 50s.

In the United States, more than 72% of financial advisors are white men

(source:https://www.zippia.com/financeadvisor-jobs/demographics/).

I've faced my fair share of challenges and biases. Women in finance are taught, explicitly or implicitly, to act like men in the industry. We learn that a corporate voice means: be more demanding, laugh less. Initially, I was afraid of showing stereotypically feminine traits. I always wore my hair up, never down. I wore suits, not dresses.

Following these unspoken rules resulted in more respect from my colleagues and clients, but it felt ridiculous. When I first started building my practice, I was often the only woman in the room, and had to navigate the complexities of ageism, sexism, and racism in addition to the traditional barriers faced by women in Finance. Starting out, I wanted advice from other women who had made it, but it was disappointing to hear from one of the few other women there. She was from an older generation, and she said to me, “The men will be interested in you. Let it play to your advantage.

Learn how to flirt with them professionally.” This was incredibly disheartening to hear. It’s also complicated to put into practice. When pitching new clients, I could not take clients to a bar and pick up the check - it would be viewed quite differently than when a man does it.

So how did I do it? I had to find a solution to these challenges in order to succeed, and I did. I am not a white male in his 50s. I bring different skills, and I find success with those skills.

Early on, I decided to look for connection. I don’t do conventional pitches, and I’m not afraid of giving away free information about financial literacy. These are seen as stereotypically feminine acts, but these business decisions help companies perform better financially. I was often told not to “be a charity,” but I’ve found that providing credible educational content creates more economic value. The more your audience understands you and what you offer, the better you’ll connect with them. The more you connect, the more business you’ll land. Instead of 400 cold calls, you have 200 leads–and you’ll land far more business as a result.

Does this unconventional approach really work?

My team won the top award in each of our first four years. We built an online community of over 100,000 people. My team and referral partners worked our way up to managing up to $50 million. When we branched out to go independent, almost 200 clients moved with us. It works.

This is a testament to the trust my clients have placed in me, and I am grateful for their confidence.

The tipping point came when I stopped thinking, “I will make it despite these differences ” Instead, I started thinking, “I am making it because of my differences.”

My journey to becoming a millionaire has taught me that anything is possible with determination, and a willingness to stand outespecially when it means challenging the status quo. I hope my story serves as inspiration for others to take control of their financial futures and put their dreams on the forefront.

FINANCE

FOR WOMENMY FOUNDER’S STORY

The finance industry was built by men, for men. Where’s the advice for women investors? The advice I always received was by men, for men, and ignored the other 50% of the population.

After years of working within the system, I realized that something was missing. I've had the opportunity to work with clients from all walks of life, but one thing that always stands out to me is the unique financial challenges that women face.

Women live longer, women are the default parent, and women are most often the ones in caregiver roles:

it’s women who usually take time off work to care for kids and parents. This means that not only do we lose income from not working, but we also lose the time to invest and potential promotions and raises. This loss compounds dramatically over time. This is especially bad for caregivers and those they care for, because finance is 100% tied to quality of care. When you have more money, you can provide better care. While some of you may be thinking, it's not about the money, or that some women choose to do this...

I often see traditional wealth management firms claiming to be able to do it all, but the truth is that they are often limited by their traditional views, proprietary funds, and can only pitch what they sell. This means that if there is a better product out there with the same risk tolerance and profitability, they are unable to advise their clients on it. That's why I decided to strike out on my own and found Wealthverse with the goal of providing a more personalized, tailored experience to my high net worth clientele.

At my firm, we believe in providing the choice between active management or feeonly financial advice, and what sets us apart from other wealth management firms is our focus on women. I specifically target my message to women and have created financial planning strategies that take into account the unique circumstances that women face, such as longer life expectancies, caregiver responsibilities, career interruptions, lack of financial education, healthcare costs related to reproductive health and maternity care, missed promotions during childbearing years and domestic violence. From providing planning strategies for professional mothers, to offering classes specifically for women, we understand the different challenges that women face and strive to show up and do what we claim –enhance their wealth.

One of the most important things that I have learned is the importance of representation.

By providing representation and showing other women that it is possible to succeed in this industry, we can break down the barriers that have been holding us back.

I've also learned the importance of financial literacy. Women may have less access to financial education or may not be encouraged to learn about money management, which can leave them at a disadvantage when it comes to making informed financial decisions. Financial literacy creates financial freedom. Many women in finance are not given the same opportunities to learn and grow as men are. This is why we've created the WealthVerse Academy, which offers financial literacy classes, and there are classes specifically for women being created as we speak. Women are seen as risk-averse, which is translated as “not good at investing.” While statistics show that women are generally more risk-averse than men, they actually are better investors. “Women outperform men by 40 basis points, or 0.4%, on average, according to Fidelity’s 2021 Women and Investing Study.”

(source:https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/11 /op-ed-heres-why-women-are-betterinvestors-than men.html#:~:text=Women%20outperform% 20men%20by%2040,savvy%20savers%20a nd%20intuitive%20investors)

Consider this – the more money you have, the more good you can do.

After working with thousands of female clients, my team and I have discovered that women share certain characteristics that make them both savvy savers and intuitive investors. We’ve accomplished this with only a generation or two of being able to make these kinds of decisions! Not that long ago, women were property. Now we have the ability to own things. Watch what happens in a few more generations.

“Women will control half of all wealth in Canada by 2026” (source). Half! So what do we do with that? We should buy assets that create revenue. As a woman and a wealth advisor, I know that exploring risk can often be intimidating. But I also know that taking calculated risks can lead to greater growth and financial success. The next time you’re in a meeting if you feel like the advisor is overlooking your opinion, you’re probably right. Don't let the fear of the unknown hold you back from voicing the financial goals that matter most to you. We think we have to work a 9-to-5 job until we turn 65. Then, get a pension or hopefully have enough retirement savings, and “that’s it.” But if we start buying revenue-producing assets, we can build wealth more quickly.

You eventually won’t need employment income if you have enough assets that produce an income. Your unique skills and perspectives are your greatest asset, and by embracing them, you'll be able to build a successful financial future for yourself. When one of us wins, it's a win for all women.

If you're looking to take your financial future into your own hands, I encourage you to explore your options and speak up. You don't need to understand complex jargon, it's the advisor's job to be good at explaining it. If I could offer only one take away to women, it would be this: take calculated risk. Risk means more growth. And get comfortable with volatility. To win some you need to lose some. We owe it to ourselves, and we deserve it.

Notes: Wealth Gap for Women: The Barrier of Entry into the Finance Markets

Afsha Butt's fervor for wealth management and financial education has driven her to establish Wealthverse Inc., with a mission to support high-net-worth families and financial newcomers alike. With more than 12 years of experience, Afsha has expanded her team, services, and global community to inspire and shape the future of financial success for others.

https://wealthverse.ca/

https://www linkedin.com/in/afsha-butt/

ReflectionsfromaFounder

by Katelyn Glass

In December 2020, with the future of the pandemic still rather unknown, I started Fifty Six, an ecommerce and marketing agency for premier retail and lifestyle brands. Less than a year later, I found myself owning an SCorp and having a payroll, all while starting my MBA at Chicago Booth, canceling a wedding, and moving to the Upper East Side after nearly a decade and a half having been in Chinatown, New York. This time last year, I was struggling to keep my head above water, and certainly not taking the time to reflect on the business I put my blood (literally), sweat (also literally), and tears into (absolutely 1000% literally).

I always knew that I wanted to work for myself; I just never knew what my “thing” was. From 2009 – 2020 I climbed the corporate ladder, working my way up as a Buyer at a unicorn “digital darling,” to becoming the COO of a retail brand in New York City. I left this role in December 2020 with no idea what came next. Let’s face it, if I had a business model framework or even a remote idea of an elevator pitch, I think things would have gone a bit easier, but what came next sort of just happened. I sat downand without knowing it at the time - applied the “bird-inhand” principle, and thought about what I was good at. For me that was: 1) eCommerce and Marketing Strategy –check. And, 2) More broadly, I am great at scaling luxury retail brands from nothing to $10 million within two years. Boom - now we were on to something.

I always knew that I wanted to work for myself; I just never knew what my “thing” was.

I quickly put up a website positioning myself as an eCommerce/Marketing Consultant/ Advisor/Fractional C-Suitelots of slashes – and we were off to the races. Before I knew it, I had worked my network and had my first real client, an optical brand that hired me to lead its brand creation, site build and overall goto-market strategy based on my prior experience.

One client quickly grew into two, two quickly grew into four, and at one point four grew into nine. By then, not only did I start to lose track, but I knew I needed help. I hired my first employee in April of 2020. As good as I am as an operator, I needed someone who could keep me on track. In the agency world we call that a “Producer,” and I needed one, badly.

Flash forward to 2022 and here I am with now over-$1M-in-revenue-withmultiple-employees business!

I didn’t start Fifty Six with a mission, vision, elevator pitch, or even a clear idea of who my customer or what my business model was. I knew I had a value prop and there was a client base out there. Having worked in the industry for ages, I knew there was a gap in the market for a marketing-first agency specializing in early stage direct to consumer (DTC) brands, and since I had struggled to find one, why not just start one myself?

In hindsight, not having a clear business model from the jump absolutely caused some hiccups along the way. I spent the first six months of Fifty Six working on saying “yes” to everything. Before you judge, yes, I am aware that there is power in saying no, but I felt that I couldn't afford to. I had clients I didn’t enjoy, but that kept the lights on; equally, I had clients that I loved that cost me profitability. In those early days, I made quite a few decisions out of sheer desperation. I did not have a clear understanding of my value proposition and the market.

Things were moving so fast that I made reactive decisions on the fly in order to close a sale and build the business’ reputation.

I financed Fifty Six with my own money, depleted my savings, 401k, and anything else of value in an effort to remain 100% independently women-owned. The idea of seeking outside investment has never been a goal of mine, quite frankly I like not having to report back to anyone about the financials and the state of my business. Of course, I have made more mistakes than I can count (and continue to do so) along the way.

Looking back now, one of my biggest areas of opportunity in the beginning was to take the time to really think through the decisions I was making in how to position Fifty Six in the market.

A few years in, we have now evolved our pricing based on competitive research and talking to clients, expanded our product offering based on feasibility, and streamlined our processes to make Fifty Six not only a competitive player in the agency space, but a great place to work as well.

Looking back, and assessing my own journey as an entrepreneur, it’s clear that I am always evolving.

I think a big portion of what has defined my success as a founder was that I was never afraid to try, test and pivot. I didn’t start Fifty Six with the intention of becoming a massive public figure. I wanted to build a new venture because deep down it makes me happy, and I enjoy the life I have built for myself. Relying on my industry knowledge, networking, fortitude, and resiliency, I have been able to build a venture that I am proud of, and one I hope to never give up.

Katelyn Glass is a Founder and CEO at Fifty Six, women-owned nimble agency that cares about goals.

https://www.fiftysixny.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/katelyn-glass626ab710/

to understand, and growth is inevitable.

Katelyn has been there, and knows what brands want - a world where marketing is easy

YOURJOURNEYASAN ENTREPRENEUR

Interview with Rayann White

What does it mean to you to be an entrepreneur?

To be an innovator; a source of new ideas; goods; services; and business procedures. Having enough faith to not just believe in my dream(s) and take the necessary steps and risks, to make it a reality, but also allowing my God-given gifts to speak for me and through me by being a confident, creative, and innovative female entrepreneur. Seeking not to be famous, but instead to be effective. To desire economic independence in order to give back to the community in which I live, and to create employment - to give a hand up to someone who also desires to be an entrepreneur.

What does it mean to you having be able to start your own business? What did you have to do in order to be able to start it? How does it make you feel?

It means for one, that I've pushed past my fears; and took a leap of faith. That I've pushed out of my comfort zone and relinquished self-doubt.

I think a big portion of what has defined my success as a founder was that I was never afraid to try, test and pivot. I didn’t start Fifty Six with the intention of becoming a massive public figure. I wanted to build a new venture because deep down it makes me happy, and I enjoy the life I have built for myself. Relying on my industry knowledge, networking, fortitude, and resiliency, I have been able to build a venture that I am proud of, and one I hope to never give up.

How did you choose which business to start? And did you have to pivot? How are you adjusting your service or product to your clients needs?

It choose me. From encouragement, and support from family and friends, the decision was made to start Rayann's Popcorn, which initially was simply a way I could give tasty gifts to family friends and love-ones. From Corporate to Artisanal/Gourmet, yes! I'm adjusting both my service and products by listening to my customers.

I believe it's vital to the success of any businesss; word of mouth is the most effective form of advertisementcustomers talk.

Why should more women start their own business and how can women support one another's business?

The reality is, and I can identify with this, that women are still the primary caregivers whether it be children or aging parents. Women starting their own business, definitely allows more flexibility. And I believe for many women, flexibility could be more important than making money. Starting our own business also allows us the opportunity to find meaning and gives us the ability to leave behind a legacy that we can pass on to our children and be grateful and thankful of.

Why does the world need more in entrepreneurship?

The pandemic and layoff's I believe opened the door and dreams of many women, who saw this as their opportunity to no longer have to dedicate their lives to a 9-5 routine, but instead to control their own time and make an impact on the world in their own way.

The world needs more entrepreneurship for a number of reasons: One; entrepreneurship creates more jobs, and can definitely bring about a change in regards to bringing about a more diversified and inclusive future, in addition to addressing how problems within our society can be address, achieved and solved, given the number of obstacles entrepreneurs face and overcome on a daily basis.

YOURJOURNEYASAN ENTREPRENEUR

Interview with Catharine Montgomery

What does it mean to you to be an entrepreneur?

Many say it means being your own boss, and I do agree with that aspect, but it means so much more. I am proud of myself. I know how hard I have worked and will continue to work, but now I know I'm doing it according to my standards.

What does it mean to you having be able to start your own business? What did you have to do in order to be able to start it? How does it make you feel?

My career journey has been anything but predictable, but I believe that’s why it’s even more important to share my story, so as entrepreneurs, we not only celebrate the ups, but what seemed like the lows along the way.

One fall evening in 2022, I was on a Slack channel called Ladies Get Paid. Someone posted that a venture capital firm that only invests in public relations agencies was seeking to expand to the U.S.

Now, this could have been a sketchy situation, but you know me, I’m spontaneous and willing to take a chance, so I did.

I met with the fantastic recruiter, met with both of the investors, and created a business plan, which was truly based on my original LLC and my passion for social change. Presented it and the rest is history. I officially launched my VC-backed public relations agency Better Together on January 25, 2023. We are dedicated to walking our talk through authentic action that drives long-lasting, impactful change. We use communications to blend our differences in backgrounds, perspectives and experiences.

How did you choose which business to start? And did you have to pivot? How are you adjusting your service or product to your clients needs?

After thinking I wanted to take a break from the public relations agency world, I worked for the cruise line industry. But that experience didn’t end well.

Not many people know, but I was fired from that position. The woman who thrived on intense, unpredictable situations where I volunteered to work late because I valued the work I did, was fired.

I never, in my life, imagined that would happen to me, but it did.

It was a pivotal moment in my life. I could let that job and what I thought was a loss destroy my future or I could take the time I needed to feel all the feels and then figure out my next step.

Now, I didn’t have too much time to the feels because I had no job therefore no income, so I started an seemed like a logical next step bec knew what type of work I wanted t public relations and now I knew wanted to take those skills and that p and use them to help others. I wan support communities and figh opportunities that many people didn’

Why should more women start the business and how can women support one another's business?

Too often women have to fight to get to the top which means being treated less than we should. I say no more to that. No more following rules made by men. We, as women, have the means, ability and drive to make our own rules.

Why does the world need more in entrepreneurship?

“Take a long, hard look down the road you will have to travel once you have made a commitment to work for change. Know that this transformation will not happen right away. Change often takes time. It rarely happens all at once.”

To me, these words represent entrepreneurship and what my work as an entrepreneur means to me as well as the change I hope that work makes on the world.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cnmontgomery

Catharine is an experienced communications professional with an education, environment, and social justice background. She founded Better Together after a successful career in various communications agencies and in-house roles.

TEACHINGENTREPRENEURSHIP THROUGHCOMMUNITY

by Jeni Al Bahrani

Women-owned businesses strengthen our economy, create jobs, and bring unique perspectives to our communities. It's time to recognize and invest in the women entrepreneurs who help us grow and thrive.

Creating a community of women entrepreneurs is essential for the growth and success of women-owned businesses. When women come together to support and empower one another, they can overcome the unique challenges they face as entrepreneurs and achieve greater success in the business world.

One of the main benefits of a community of women entrepreneurs is the ability to share knowledge and resources. Women who are just starting out in the business world can learn from the experiences of those who have been successful. They can also gain access to resources and connections that would be difficult to find on their own.

This helps to level the playing field and gives women the same opportunities to succeed in the business world.

Another benefit of a community of women entrepreneurs is the ability to provide emotional support. Starting and growing a business can be a challenging and lonely experience. Having a community of likeminded women who understand the unique challenges of being a female entrepreneur can provide a sense of belonging and help alleviate feelings of isolation.

A community of women entrepreneurs can serve as a powerful force for change. By coming together, women entrepreneurs can advocate for policies and programs that support women-owned businesses and promote gender equality in the business world. They can also serve as role models and inspire other women to start their own businesses.

Creating a community of women entrepreneurs can take many forms, from mentorship programs and networking groups to online forums and social media groups. The key is to provide a space for women to come together, share their experiences, and support one another in their journey as entrepreneurs.

Jeni Al Bahrani is the inaugural Director of the Dr. Anthony ’65 & Geraldine ’66 Zembrodt

Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and Professor of Practice at Thomas More University. She provides strategic leadership in creating programs and experiences on campus and our community.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenialbahrani/

So, You Want to Do a TEDx?

by Alision Wonders Gars

If you are passionate about what you do, then you have most likely considered doing a TEDx. Who knows, you could be the next Brené Brown or Amy Cuddy, who stepped on the TEDx stage to deliver their respective messages to a local audience and found themselves reaching tens of millions of views, changing the trajectory of their careers almost instantaneously.

Doing a TEDx talk is an amazing opportunity to elevate yourself as a thought leader, to build new opportunities, credibility, and to become one of the few to proudly add “TEDx Speaker” to your biography. It is also a chance to make a lasting impact and share your story with the world.

But where do you start? How to do a TEDx.

I have been coaching TEDx speakers for the past 12 years, and have worked with over 100 TEDx Speakers. Many of these have been women who are nto professional speakers, but are women with innovative ideas who want to share their knowledge with the world. This is important to know - you don’t have to be a speaker, you don’t even have to write your talk in advance of submitting - all you need to do to get started is to be able to crystalize your idea in a way that makes an organizer say, “Yes!”

Before we go further, let me share with you the difference between TED and TEDx. TED is a non-profit organization devoted to “ideas worth spreading” where “Technology, Entertainment and Design” converge. There are a few of these conferences every year, and these are hand-selected, high-impact speakers, such as Jill Bolte Taylor, Sheryl Sandberg, and Shonda Rhimes.

TEDx

TEDxCincinnati or TEDxStGeorge.

In this case, organizers apply for a license and have to follow the same format as a TED Talk which includes a professionally produced video that gets uploaded to their dedicated Youtube channel (which has over 37 million subscribers!).

Are you in? Tips for getting on the TEDx stage.

#1- PARTICIPATE IN A TEDx

You can go to TED.com and look under ‘Attend Events’ to find one of the 3,000 TED-related events that is closest to you. Going to a TEDx is a fun, energizing experience filled with powerful ideas, engaging conversions, and the chance to meet some amazing people. If you really want to learn, then volunteer! TEDx is an all-volunteer operation, so you can lend your time and skills as I do as a Speaker Coach, or volunteer for the day of the event. This is a great way to be in the center of all the action.

# 2 WATCH TED AND TEDX TALKS

Get familiar with the platform and the talks. Sign up for TED Talks Daily and each weekday and you will get a top-ofthe-line talk. I love my daily TED(x) talks!

#3 CONTEMPLATE YOUR IDEA WORTH SPREADING

There have been over 13,000 TEDx events Worldwide. Each year there are 3,000 events with approximately 10 speakers each - that’s 30,000 speakers a year whose stories are shared and amplified. Why not YOURS?

When you apply to be a speaker, they will ask you for 1-2 sentences on your idea and a title. You do not have to have a new idea, you just have to have a unique twist on your idea. Organizers sometimes see 200-300 applicants. You want to stand out from the crowd. This is often where people end their TEDx dream, because they can’t get clear on their idea.

(x = independently organized) are events that are focused on a local geographic area like

For example, if you want to talk about ‘Women’s Heart Health,’ perhaps you have a proven unique solution or idea. Try searching ‘Women’s Heart Health’ in the TED.com search and you will find, “A Smart Bra for Heart Health” (clever and unique), “The single biggest health threat women face” (intriguing), and “Heart disease is not just a men’s disease” (informative). This may stimulate some ideas for you to craft your title and idea.

#4 APPLY

Once you have your idea, then you are ready to apply. Go to TED.com, look at “Attend Events,” and find events in an area you're interested in. Then go to the event website to apply. That’s it!

If your dream is to do a TEDx, I’m here to tell you it’s possible! What is YOUR IDEA WORTH SPREADING?

I recommend that you take an idea that you have and look on Youtube for TEDx talks with your subject.

"I have learned over the years that when one ' s mind is made up, this diminishes fear."

R O S A P A R K S

What is Wealth to YOU?

P A R T T H R E E

Thesecondpartofthebookazineisforyoutoexploreyour POTENTIALasaLEADERandthegoalsyouwanttoachieveon yourpath.

USINGYOURTALENTSTOBETHELEADERYOUWANTTOBE

THE 4 PILLARS OF ZIVA VOICES - HERSTORY IN THE MAKING

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Start by getting to know yourself better and understand your feelings. It gives you the ability to self-assess by understanding your strengths and weaknesses and their effects accurately. And it builds self-confidence, having trust in yourself and being willing to be yourself.

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Emotional Self-Control is an essential part of emotional maturity. Guiding your feelings and/or appropriately expressing them is a crucial skill.

Being goal-oriented and being able to work toward your goals.

Initiative, being self-motivated and having the ability to keep working despite setbacks.

ROUNDTABLES COMMUNITY

Empathy is one of the core pillars of emotional intelligence because it helps you to understand and acknowledge others’ emotions.

Organizational Awareness, meaning having the ability to explain yourself well and be aware of how you are being understood. Creating space for others to process information and listening to others.

Inspirational Leadership: being a good mentor, role model, and inspirational figure. Influence in a positive & effective matter Improve relationships, negotiate, and lead. Have the ability to settle disputes, differences of opinion, and misunderstandings.

Be Change Catalyst!

Ziva Voices – HerStory in the Making is committed to collecting women’s stories, amplifying their voices, and providing a network to connect women worldwide. We exist to show how women influence their communities and benefit their economies through their work, to demonstrate the power of women working together, and to create a protective space to allow for growth.

We foster self-empowerment through sharing resources, building confidence, and helping women develop a growth mindset.

OUR MISSION VISION

M I S S I O N V I S I O N

Creating a world in which women’s contributions, creativity and voices are recognized and any opportunity barriers against them lifted.

We exist to show how women influence their communities and benefit their economies through their work, to demonstrate the power of women working together, and to create a protective space to allow for growth.

We foster self-empowerment through sharing resources, building confidence, and helping women develop a growth mindset.

OUR GOALS

WHAT WE OFFER

Community Events

We organize regular in-person events for women to network, learn and get inspired.

Connection & Inspiration

Online magazine, Quarterly Bookazine, Online & In-person Events, Workshops, Corporate Trainings, and Podcast (coming soon!)

Ziva Voices - HerStory in the Making bookazine

Online quarterly publication with a focus on women’s stories, amplifying their voices, and providing a network to connect women worldwide.

Creating a world in which women’s contributions, creativity and voices receive equal opportunities & visibility.

CONTAINS THREE PAGES

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Our Staff.

Editor in Chief Dr Kinga Mnich & Elizabeth Lucas-Averett

Executive Art Director Amanda Harper

Contributors Heather Wolfson, Lina Echeverri, Barb A Bloomer, Jeni Al Bahrani, Sarah Pribis, Sarah Smith, Mané Bailey, Grisell Sordo, Jo-Anne Godden, Patricia Gestoso, Tonthoza Uganja, Patrycja Pielaszek, Corene Phelps, Afsha Butt, Katelyn Glass, Susan Gates, Rayann White, Catharine Montgomery

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Photographer Kinga Mnich, Jennifer Chang and Canva

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Photography Editor Amanda Harper

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Connie Milligan MSW

Kim Normand Dobrin

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Ziva Voices

HerStoryintheMaking.

More women are building successful communities and businesses everyday. They are shifting their mindset, using their leadership skills, mobilizing communities and turning a small business into an empire

In the Ziva Voices, we bring forth stories of experience and inspiration to highlight ways in which you can learn how to shift your mindset, change your habits, learn new skills, build your confidence, and learn to speak up.

When we hear the stories of other women - overcoming the pain, social obstacles and self-doubt - it can become easier to understand that you have all it takes to make the next move, be the person that creates change, and feel connected and empowered

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