Category: Personal Skills

The Best Small Business Stories 2021

While small businesses definitely took a hit over the past 20 months of a pandemic-impacted world, being small did provide a few advantages. When it comes to determination and the ability to pivot quickly, small businesses often leave large corporations in the dust. This recent piece from Forbes is a compilation of the best small business stories of the year.  This piece includes a look at “How Andrea Jung, Lisa Mensah And Women Over 50 Are Safeguarding Small Businesses” as well as a look at how the pandemic actually spawned over 4 million new businesses in “Covid’s Entrepreneur Explosion”.

100 Most Powerful Women in the World from Forbes

Last week, Forbes released their list of the 100 Most Powerful Women in the World. Women on the list are from 30 countries and territories and work across finance, technology, politics, philanthropy and entertainment industries. The article accompanying the list states, “All of these women represent [that] it’s not just enough to have money, or a position of power. A person must be doing something with their fortune, voice or public platform.”

“The Giving Tree” Gets a Refresh

Shel Silverstein’s classic parenting allegory, The Giving Tree, is a story where the tree (referenced as she/her) gives up every piece of herself to help a young boy.

The story was always a bit disturbing – as if the badge of parenting – and more specifically, motherhood, was to give away all of oneself until one had nothing left. We recently came across this re-write that was imagined by playwright and screenwriter Topher Payne. Payne re-titled it “The Tree Who Set Healthy Boundaries” and you can read the newly edited version here.

Our favorite part is that the tree “took courses online and got her certification in small business management”….and went on to operate a profitable bakery (selling apple pies!) with the boy.

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving – with healthy boundaries and successful business operations!

Flexible Workplaces and Impact on Women

Woman working from home

This article from Politico entitled “You Are Mommy Tracked to the Billionth Degree” explores how the concept of the flexible workplace has been shifted due to the pandemic. Women, who were more likely than men to request flex/hybrid schedules in the past, used to face a penalty since they weren’t considered to be “real” members of the work team. But after 18+ months of many people working at least in part from home due to COVID restrictions, businesses are now re-evaluating how hybrid work my now be the future of a lot of white collar jobs. Whether or not there will still be a penalty for working remotely – or whether it will become a new norm – is yet to be seen.

Offering Free Childcare Slashes Turnover At Small Business

Headshot of Starr Edwards, founder of Bitchin' Sauce

In this article from Fast Company, Starr Edwards, founder of Bitchin’ Sauce, shares how offering free childcare augmented retention and hiring, especially during the worst of the pandemic. Edwards shares, ” Everyone touts work-life balance—and this is one of the most essential forms of that. Can you care for your family and work at the same time? If people can find ways of doing that, whether it’s subsidizing outside care or doing it internally like we have, I think ultimately it’s in the company’s best interest.”

We All Need Help – The Importance of Finding A Mentor

two businesswomen sitting in leather chairs at a conference table having a discussion

Michele Sileo, Managing Director at Eleven, has some important thoughts on the importance of mentorship. She states, “There is significant pressure on women to work smarter, harder, and more dutifully than men, and that pressure often leads to a hesitation to ask for help.” That said, she goes on to share that, “asking for help is part of growth…and it’s one of the most important lessons one can learn from mentorship.” Learn more about her take on asking for help and becoming a mentor in this Fast Company article.

Accelerating Your Success As A Female Founder

woman entrepreneur standing outside door holding "welcome - we are open" sign

This recent piece in Entrepreneur entitled “How to Accelerate Your Success as a Female Founder” shares that there are basically two steps to starting a business: doing something to get the ball rolling, and then saying, “I’m doing this.” The article states that many female entrepreneurs struggle with the second part and provides ideas on how to get unstuck and feel more comfortable with self promotion.

Link to webinar-Workshop Your Network: Cultivating Mentors, Peers, and Mentees in Business

Screenshot of Michelle Talbert from webinar

During this highly interactive workshop, Michelle Y. Talbert, ‘00 Human Ecology (and graduate of the Women’s Entrepreneurship Certificate Program) guides listeners in setting personal intention, identifying the pressing needs in one’s business, and creating a strategy to connect with the right people. To access a recording of this webinar, click here.

Leadership Lessons From Women Who Competed in Tokyo Olympics

Olympic ring statue

This Fast Company article shared eight leadership lessons from the first gender balanced Olympic games to ever take place. In addition to the highly publicized lesson that Simone Biles demonstrated regarding mental health and self-care, female competitors from around the world also had their own lessons to share.

Items shared in the piece include shattering the concept that athletes have a limited age range (this year the youngest female Olympian was 12 and the oldest was 66) as well as the importance in speaking up and advocating for equal sponsorship support for women (specifically how decorated track star Allyson Felix took on Nike over their sponsorship and pay policies for pregnant athletes). Also mentioned were the Norwegian beach handball and German gymnastics teams who pushed back against female athlete uniform guidelines which seemed to put sexualization of athlete bodies ahead of function.