The issues Women Leaders Face There is no shortage of issues that face female leaders on a daily basis in the workplace. Whether we are struggling with the elusive ‘work/life’ balance, fearing if our assertive nature will be misconstrued as ‘bitchy’, or fearing the backlash of delegating responsibilities, the number of gender specific challenges facing women every day in the corporate world are seemingly endless. There is one topic, however, that is so hard to talk about that

Anxiety and Stress by Executive Women The science finally and definitively confirms what many women leaders have known for decades: High achieving women in leadership positions experience consistently higher levels of anxiety and stress, as well as elevated levels of psychological distress than their male counterparts. The reasons for the stress are many and varied, such as greater societal expectations for domestic responsibilities, a larger social stigma surrounding being a

The Threat Facing Companies Today The internet era has brought much efficiency in the business world, but it has had its fair share of problems; cyber-crime being among the major ones. The affects of cyber-attacks are expected to be worth $6 trillion by the year 2021. Unfortunately, there isn’t any company that’s immune to cyber-attacks, even those that have stringent measures in place. Yahoo, Sony, Imgur, Target and Facebook are among the most prominent global companies that

The Entrepreneurial Life It seems so easy when you first imagine it: You have a great business idea. You write up a phenomenal business plan and quickly find investors. You contract with quality suppliers. You get your own office space or store front. You have clients and customers breaking down your doors for your product, and before you know it, you’re a huge success. Unfortunately, anyone who has taken the massive leap of faith that is creating your own business knows that

I. Hated. That. Logo. I had spent over $500 on a graphic designer to create a logo for my business. To be fair, I had given him a fairly vague idea of what I did, and when he started cutting me off in the middle of my sentences and told me that he knew what I was looking for, I just assumed he was the professional and I was the clueless newbie. I walked out of the office feeling a little confused, but oddly hopeful. When I got the first proof from him, I was sickened. It was

Networking and Selling Made Easy The reality is simple: You got into business to make money. Yes, you might have also gotten into business to help others or provide a fabulous product, but at the end of the day, your business needs to be profitable. In order to make money, you need to make sales and meet others. Networking can be a panic-attack causing activity and sales calls can feel dirty and forced, so what is a businesswoman such as yourself to do? Actually, networking a

Are you thinking Business? It’s been on your mind for a while now. While you’re in your car. Making lunch for the kids. Sipping coffee. Talking with girlfriends. All of the thoughts about owning your own business constantly intrude on your day to day activities. It keeps you up at night. You can’t stop thinking about it. You’re not alone. Most businesswomen have started exactly where you are right now. There is a thought that burns your every waking (and sometimes sleeping) m

The Battle Cry You’ve probably seen it. A new battle cry has found its way into our modern day lexicon. It has taken over television spots, found its way onto t-shirts, and plastered all over cars by way of bumper stickers. “A woman’s place is in the revolution.” Political leanings and missions aside, this phrase has struck many top female execs and entrepreneurs in a deeply personal way. After all, one could easily argue that simply being female in the male dominated big bus

Business Is Like Rome I often like to dream of the ancient ruins in Rome. Personally, I derive great inspiration from them. Sure, they might not look like much now, but in their day they were feats of engineering that people would travel for weeks to see. And despite centuries passing and these great buildings toppling over, we are still drawn to visit them today. Why? Because of their beauty. Their resilience. Their strength. They’ve seen the rise and fall of empires, and y

It’s odd how a color can come to represent an entire person, place, thing, or concept. When we think of the color green, we often think of freshness, newness, and yes, money. When we think of the color red we envision passion, frustrations, and stop signs. When we think of blue we contemplate the ocean, the sky, and men. ...and then there is pink. Dare To Be ‘Pink’ Pink has long been associated with women, to the pleasure of many and the chagrin of many others. Pink has long

“You can either be your greatest advocate or your own worst enemy.” Self-help books have been trying to guide women into finding their own power, discovering their own passion, and unlocking their hidden potential for decades. We are told that with just the right set of worksheets, or just enough conferences, or with a dash more open mindedness, every woman can unleash the fury that has been buried deep within her. The notion that within every woman lies an untapped reservoir

Cultural Diversity Today In as much as it can create a great competitive advantage, cultural diversity has been one of the major challenges facing many big companies. A 2017 survey by Data Force shows that about 50% of the 100 fortune 500 companies involved in the study have a workforce with over 38.7% ethnic minorities drawn from different countries worldwide. Dealing with employees and customers from different races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, gender, nationalities c

Vulnerability gets a nasty reputation We often view vulnerability as a weakness, a flaw, or a hindrance to leadership and corporate success. We have been trained, especially as women, that vulnerability is something that we need to mask. Something we need to be ashamed of. We have been programed to believe that vulnerability and leadership cannot coincide. We need to shift our thinking During a hugely popular TEDTalk by Brene Brown, the importance of vulnerability was highli

It's All Too Common It is an all too common tale: Woman graduates college. Woman lands a decent job with upward potential. Woman works hard and advances in the ranks....woman then stalls. In recent interviews and studies of female leaders and executives in the workplace, we begin to uncover the reality behind the Female Advancement Stall. While factors such as misogyny, favoritism, and social barriers do come into play, it seems that there is one smoking gun that burns bright

Life can be messy. And as much as we’d like to have control over the unknowns in this world, there will sometimes be sudden and swift challenges. You could lose a loved one, have a medical crisis, face unemployment, or experience a natural disaster without any warning. A successful life isn’t about predicting the messes. It’s about having the courage and the ability to bounce back after these potentially traumatic events. Resilience is a fancy word for how well you can adapt

I Won It Let me tell you a quick story: After spending years at my company, slowly working my way up from an executive assistant position to a team lead, I had won a promotion into a new department. It is important to me that I reiterate that this promotion was not given to me – I won it. I had been up against several other internal and external candidates, and had put in the time and work to win this position. What To Do With It Of course, after winning this promotion, I wan

Living With Shame Many women leaders might not readily admit it, but they live with a lot of shame. True, the shame is by large unfounded, but nonetheless it is there. Living With Guilt High ranking female executives are often barraged with a sense that they are doing something ‘wrong’ in their lives, either by prolonging children, forgoing marriage, or placing their career before other aspects of their lives that society says they should be focusing on. On the other hand, th

Eliminate Balance? A former executive from ExxonMobil and Phillip Morris made headlines by announcing that women need to “eliminate the word balance” from the work/life balance equation. “It sets everyone up for frustration and disappointment.” The former executive? Dede Bartlett. That seems like a rather bleak and cynical outlook, but Bartlett is not alone in her sentiments. For decades, women executives have decried the face that men do not seem to have the same difficultie

It’s Simple To Sustain Your Business No one goes into business with the hopes of lasting for a few months and then failing. If you’ve started your own business, it is without a doubt a venture that you want to last for decades. Many women start businesses as a way to provide not only for themselves and their family, but to create a legacy for all those who come after her. Once you’ve created your business, how do you make it last? It’s more simple than you might think. Nothin

Discover Your Passion There used to be a test administered to students in high school. The test was so iconic that it has made its way...