Beth Ford – CEO of Land O’ Lakes Shares Career Advice

Beth Ford was appointed CEO of Land O’ Lakes in 2018. Her appointment marked the first time a woman had led Land O’Lakes in its 101-year history, and Ford also became the first openly gay woman to become a Fortune 500 CEO. She credits her mother with some of the best career advice she ever received – that being “If you want something, you should ask for it.” Ford carried that lesson into her personal and professional life as she has made a priority of speaking up for herself. To read more about her experiences, read this article from CNBC.

Expert Money Advice For Women From Women

Studies have found that women tend to have less financial literacy than men. Given the number of resources available, this statistic can truly become a thing of the past. This article in GO Banking Rates highlights advice from female money experts and is worth scrolling through even if you think your finances are in great shape.

One expert shared that all women need to have control of “the big three” – being consumer debt free (no credit cards or auto loans); having an emergency reserve fund; and be contributing to a retirement plan. Other experts share advice including the importance of paying yourself first, having a handle on your cash flow and max-ing out any savings plans with tax advantages. The best piece of advice though is that there are no more excuses. Use the resources you can find and take the time and make sure your financial literacy is strong!

New Work Rules For Marginalized People

This article featured in Fast Company highlights the five lessons from Alan Henry’s new book, Seen, Heard, and Paid: The New Work Rules for the Marginalized. His book is intended as a guide for employees who find themselves often marginalized – including people of color, women, and those in the LGBTQ+ community. It is also a great read for leaders who want to make sure that their companies and teams are serving all employees well. Some suggestions from the book include: learning to collaborate, leveraging remote work options to work best for you, acknowledging when it is time to leave toxic work environments that aren’t likely to change, and making sure to have a solid work-life balance as well as time for reflection.

Graduate Shares Her Experiences In the Women’s Entrepreneurship Certificate Program

Tina Fears completed the Women’s Entrepreneurship Certificate program in February 2021. In the interview, Fears shares that after completing the program, “I immediately implemented new business practices that reflect who I am as a leader, a woman, and an entrepreneur. The program also addresses the importance of negotiation, contracts, and critical legal issues women in business face.” Read more about Tina’s experience in this article in the Gwinnett Forum.

26-Year Old Woman Bets on Green Ridesharing

In October 2020, Raven Hernandez decided to launch an eco-friendly rideshare service in Nashville that uses only electric vehicles (EVs). Earth Rides has grown quickly. In 2021, the company moved more than 180,000 passengers, offsetting 230 million grams of carbon. Hernandez’s company has since expanded from Nashville to Austin, Texas, too, and now has some 100 employees.  Read more about her story in this article in Marie Claire.

When Women Step Into Executive Roles, Attitudes Towards Risk Change

Studies over time have found that when women step into executive roles at a company (CEO, CFO, director, etc), the company will experience an increase in profitability – in one study that increase was 15%. On NPR’s Planet Money podcast The Indicator, this reality is explored with Professor Corinne Post, a professor of management at the Villanova School of Business. One of the interesting findings in Professor Post’s research was that “after women were appointed to top executive positions, two things happened. A management team’s tendency to take risks dropped by between 13 to 14%, and then their willingness to become more innovative – their openness to new ideas – that increased by about 10%.” To hear more about the research and a discussion on the topic, listen to “The Indicator” podcast.

Vera Wang Tapped as Barbie’s Latest Female Visionary

In recognition of her contributions to the fashion industry, Mattel has announced its latest Barbie honoree as Vera Wang. The daughter of Chinese immigrants, Wang first became one of the youngest editors at Vogue and then became the design director for accessories at Ralph Lauren before finally becoming an entrepreneur when she opened her own boutique in 1990. How wonderful that Barbie can reflect trailblazing entrepreneurs in women’s fashion! Read more about the story in WWD.

Repost: Spreadsheet With Funding Sources

We made a post about this back in January 2022, but here is an update – we find a lot of regional and local grant opportunities being offered to small business owners as funding from the American Rescue Plan Act continues to trickle down to state and local levels.

We keep this spreadsheet updated daily with new opportunities that we find.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zU5SUCYBopz64FM4q_nqp2wvILmcdItq_PRWQRXFUB4/edit?usp=sharingMore