Category: Personal Skills

Tips For Building A Network Of Like-Minded Businesswomen

In this recent article in Forbes, members of the Young Entrepreneur Council shared advice on how to build a network of women for support. Some suggestions included seeking opportunities to collaborate and finding mentors and colleagues who you can be yourself around.

Whether or not their suggestions are ones that work for you, remember that while women are still an underrepresented group in the business world, leaning on other women for advice and support can be critical for our success and sanity. Check out the link to the article above to see all tips that were mentioned.

White House Announces New Resources to Support Women Small Businesses Owners

According to this press release from the White House, the Biden Administration is working through the Small Business Administration (SBA) to expand the Women Business Centers (WBC) network. The goal is to bring the total number of WBCs to 160 centers across the country. WBCs assist women entrepreneurs through training, mentoring, business development, and financing opportunities. Read more about the White House plans here.

Which Dialogue Are You Listening To?

There is a piece just posted today in Fast Company entitled “The mindset shift you need in order to stop your inner voice from sabotaging you”.

In the article, author Lydia Fenet reflects on how “Imposter Syndrome” can often sneak up on us in our professional lives. Specifically she makes the important point of pausing to consider whether you are listening to what colleagues are actually saying or if you are listening to what you *think* they are saying. Read the article for the example – great content to ponder on your entrepreneurial journey.

Five Women Business Owners to Watch!

According to a recent survey by human resources software company Gusto, in 2020 and 2021, startups led by women accounted for 49 percent of all new ventures, compared to just 28 percent in 2019. Despite this growth, only 2.1 percent of venture capital funding went to women-led businesses in 2022. This is despite the fact that women-led companies, according to a Boston Consulting Group study, return 150 percent more on average for every dollar invested in them than businesses led by men.

This article in Newsweek profiles five women founders who are making strides in varied industries such as footwear, healthcare, food and beverage, tabletop games and technology. Their stories inspire while also offering useful tips on how to navigate the initial hurdles of entrepreneurship.

Advantages of Nonlinear Workdays

According to this article in Fast Company, nonlinear workdays may better align with your best periods of productivity compared to the traditional 9-to-5 model. According to the 2022 Brain Health Report from Muse, a meditation tool provider, “people with the highest self-reported brain health scores—which include memory, focus, sleep, mood, productivity, and creativity—are those who make minor lifestyle changes, like adopting a nonlinear workday.” Nonlinear workdays are much easier to integrate for people who work remotely and whose work is measured on output versus hours – as well as entrepreneurs who are more in control of their own schedule. Check out the article to read more about integrating that approach into your workday!

Working at the World’s 15 Most Female-friendly Companies

Great Place to Work  is a global leader in analyzing and reporting on workplace culture. They partnered with Fortune magazine to publish a study that analyzed feedback from over a half a million women to determine the most female-friendly companies (organizations with > 1,000 employees). Number one on the list was Hilton and was surprisingly followed by many companies in the financial and tech sectors. Perhaps positive change is finally underfoot! This article in CEO magazine shares the list in greater detail.

Support Women’s Leadership Progression in the World of Work

As the world emerges from the COVID pandemic, most employers – especially those that manage knowledge workers – have had to contemplate what the future of the office looks like in terms of in-person versus at-home expectations. This new hybrid model is an interesting one when it comes to the impact on women in the workforce. This article in Talent Management shares four important ways that business leaders can build hybrid workplaces that support their organizations’ diversity goals and encourage the advancement of women into leadership roles.

Female Entrepreneur Turns $10K to $2MM in 2 Years

Tiffany James from Modern Blk Girl

Tiffany James , a 27-year-old African American woman from New York City, is the founder of Modern Blk Girl, which helps educate women on how they can build wealth through investing. James was inspired to launch this venture and share her knowledge after she turned a $10,000 starting investment in the stock market into $2 million in just 2 years. Read more about her investing journey and her commitment to educating women about building wealth in this article in Black Enterprise.

Success Is Never Guaranteed And Requires Perpetual Work

Monique Rodriguez, self-made millionaire and founder of Mielle Organics, founded her natural hair care brand in the wake of losing her son at eight months of pregnancy. She decided to leave her career as a nurse and pour her energy into her startup which would also enable her to cope with her post-partum depression. That creative outlet that helped her get through the trauma of losing her son has become a multimillion-dollar brand sold in over 100,000 stores across the U.S. 

Rodriquez mentions that the best career advice she’s ever received came from her husband who said, “Success, if not owned, is rented — and rent is due everyday. Don’t get complacent, don’t get comfortable, and never feel like you ‘made it.’ Because when you get to that place, there’s always someone trying to take your spot. You have to continue working and striving as if you know [your spot] is not guaranteed.” To read more about Rodriguez’s journey, check out this piece on CNBC.