Day: October 25, 2021

Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech: Nika Kabiri of YourNextDecision On The 5 Leadership Lessons She Learned From Her Experience

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Don’t put up with anything you don’t have to put up with. If you see that something isn’t working, fix it. If someone is underperforming, address it. If there’s toxicity in the workplace, tackle it. Don’t let people who bring the team down continue bringing the team down for a second longer than you’re aware of it.

As a part of my series about “Lessons From Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Nika Kabiri of YourNextDecision.

Nika has spent 20+ years studying how people make decisions in a variety of contexts. She has spent 10+ years working with businesses of all sizes, across all industry categories, helping them drive strategic growth. Her clients have included Amazon, Microsoft, Sony, Oakley, PepsiCo, General Mills, Anheuser-Busch InBev, the Seattle Seahawks, VMware, Zillow, Expedia, Smartsheet, and the Sierra Club, just to name a few. She has also served as an Advisor at Madrona Venture Labs, where she’s helped startups get their footing.

Nika is currently a faculty member at the University of Washington, where she teaches graduate and undergraduate courses on Decision Science. She has a PhD in Sociology from the University of Washington, where her academic focus was on choice theory and decision-making within constraints. She also has a JD from the University of Texas.

​Nika is a contributor to The Hill, Inside Sources, Huffington Post and Seattle Business Magazine. She has been featured in Yahoo News and as a top 10 coach in LA Weekly. She’s been interviewed by Voice of America, Forbes, and MarketWatch, and she’s a regular podcast, radio, and TV guest. Her bestselling book Money Off the Table: Decision Science and the Secret to Smarter Investing is available on Amazon.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

My career path was far from planned! My interest and background have been in sociology, in the study of human and social behavior. I always wanted to know why the world was the way it was, why people did the things they did — what made it all tick. I was never interested in technology. I was the last person I knew to get a smartphone, the last person to get rid of their CD player.

But after graduating with a Ph.D. in Sociology with a concentration in Choice Theory, I needed to sort out a career. Though I never planned to go into business, studying consumer behavior was a natural fit, so that’s what I did and, living in Seattle, it didn’t take long before I was immersed in the tech space and started working with clients like Microsoft, Amazon, Zillow, Expedia, Madrona Venture Labs, and other smaller tech startups.

After working on both the agency-side as well as the client-side for a decade, I reached a point where I realized that my work environment wasn’t allowing me to flourish the way I wanted to. So, I started my own consulting company, and I took things to the next level. Now, in addition to doing research projects that explore consumer behavior, I leverage academic research on decision-making to help my clients more effectively influence consumer behavior and make better decisions within their organization.

I’ve even expanded my services into the B2C space, launching a website called yournextdecision.com to help people make better decisions in their everyday lives. I have an advice column on the website, and I also write letters to my subscribers and offer personal consulting services. My clients come to me for career advice, relationship advice, and everything in between and beyond that you can think of. Plus, my second book on decision-making will be out in the next few months.

These days, my work is all about decision science, and I love it. I’m fortunate!

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began at your company?

A sports radio host who saw one of my posts on Twitter asked me to come on his show to talk about why star athletes who have everything going for them risk it all by engaging in sexual improprieties that could end their careers. The issue specifically was centered around a football player. He wanted to hear what a decision scientist thought, and he wanted to listen to it on live radio.

I don’t follow sports. I know little about football and am the last person who should be on sports radio, but the interview was a blast, and it went so well that the host now calls me a “friend of the show” and has had me on two more times, once to talk about Naomi Osaka and once more to talk about Simone Biles.

I’ve done other radio interviews, TV, etc. but sports? That’s one for the books!

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

In all honesty, I’m not sure any of my mistakes are funny, but one decision I could have made better involved hiring my first accountant. First of all, I waited too long to do it. I thought I could manage my accounting and my taxes. Maybe other people can, but I should have known myself better! By the time I got to looking for an accountant, I was rushed due to a tax filing deadline, so, rather than do the research I needed to do, interview a few people, and think it through, I asked a friend for a referral and just hired that person on the spot.

Months later, I was more confused about my tax situation than before. I didn’t get clear answers from my accountant and couldn’t quite understand her explanations for things she was doing. She used fancy accounting words that I didn’t understand, and quite frankly, I never wanted to learn, talked about this tax code and that tax code, and I was lost! So I took the time to look around for someone else. I interviewed some people and finally settled on the accountant I’m working with now.

You’d think a decision scientist would have done a better job at deciding who to hire. Go figure. It was a great lesson in paying attention not just to what the right decision is but when that decision needs to be made. It also taught me that it’s not enough that someone is good at what they do. They need to be good at communicating with you and assuring you that things are under control.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

My company is unique in two ways. First, it focuses on decision-making, so it homes in on how people choose to buy, choose to lead, decide to make the many decisions that are involved in growing a business. In my opinion, everything that happens comes down to some decision or set of decisions, somewhere, at some point in time. If a person can understand decision-making, they can then understand a lot of things in life.

Second, my company is unique because I use my knowledge from academic research to advise my clients. I’ll read research studies in academic journals and apply those insights to my clients’ situations, whether they are business clients or personal clients.

For example, one of my first clients was a B2B startup that was just getting off the ground but was struggling because, while potential customers seemed interested in their service, no one was actually buying it. I combed through the academic literature on choice deferral, status quo bias, inaction inertia, etc., basically, why people decide not to choose, or why they put off choosing. I wrote a report with recommendations straight from the study of behavioral science, designed to increase their chances of making the sale.

I could have scoped out a project where I did research talking to their prospective clients and trying to get them to open up about why they weren’t buying, but I knew that would have been too costly for my client. It would have also been too time-consuming, and thirdly, I probably wasn’t going to get a straight answer anyway.

Sometimes the “usual” way of getting answers isn’t the best!

Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?

My big project right now is my second book, which I am incredibly excited about. It is a guide for making good decisions in everyday life. I believe the advice in my book will help people because it helped me. In my 20s, I suffered from depression, panic attacks and, suicidal ideations. It was through the study of social science and decision making and applying what I learned in school to my everyday life that I was able to pull out of that dark place and become the pretty happy person I am today, successful in her career, content in her relationships, and comfortable in her skin.

Better decisions can make a better life and a better world. I genuinely believe that. By sharing what I know about how to make better decisions in my book, I hope that others will benefit from the knowledge that helped me, whether their decision involves which car to buy or if they need help out of depression. And the knowledge I share comes from scientific research, so it’s much more useful than just my personal opinion.

Ok super. Thank you for all that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. Are you currently satisfied with the status quo regarding women in STEM? What specific changes do you think are needed to change the status quo?

I am not satisfied with the status of women anywhere. I admit that we’ve come a long way. I remember interning for the Texas Council on Family Violence back in the early 1990s when Texas law had just changed to make it a crime to rape your wife. I appreciate that things are a lot different now, but equality is the goal, and we aren’t there yet.

I think what holds us back is lazy thinking on the part of those who hold most of the power. By lazy thinking, I mean the tendency to take mental shortcuts when drawing conclusions about women, such as a woman’s capabilities in STEM. Rather than seeing each woman as an independent person and evaluating her on her objective merits, it’s “more efficient” to jump to conclusions based on limited information. It is, in fact what the human brain does well: work efficiently and jump to conclusions quickly. I think more people need to slow down and think about the people that they interact with, and ask questions like , “What is this person about? How does this person think, work, and engage? What can I learn from this person?” The shortcut is to think, “She’s a woman, and women [fill in the blanks with the first thing that comes to mind].” That’s lazy. We deserve better than lazy.

In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by women in STEM or Tech that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts? What would you suggest to address this?

These days, people are aware that bias is socially frowned upon. They get that bias is terrible and holds the entire human population back. So those who carry biases against women try really hard not to showcase those biases, and by doing so, they carry an expectation of immunity from being called out for bias.

They do the right thing, but they don’t internalize the right thing. There’s a superficiality to it.

As a woman, I recognize this, and I suspect I’m not alone. There have been situations in which I’ve had to walk an interesting tightrope: context cues tell me I’m being perceived differently by men in the workplace, but then those same men go out of their way to “talk the talk” of equality. This makes it hard to prove unequal treatment, and that’s a challenge.

I don’t think men have to worry about this dissonance in how they experience the workplace — on the one hand, being “treated” as an equal through somewhat superficial mechanisms, while on the other hand, being treated unequally. It can be a confusing experience, a difficult thing to navigate. I’ve often felt like I never really know how I’m being perceived. There’s an uncertainty in where I stand relative to the men I’ve worked with, and that uncertainty sometimes feels more degrading than being told I’m less than. Tell me you don’t respect me because I’m a woman, and at least I’ll know what to do about it. I can leave and find a place where I belong. But pretend you respect me, and I feel more lost about what to do.

What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a woman in STEM or Tech? Can you explain what you mean?

One myth is that women aren’t interested in STEM. There’s no psychological or biological reason why members of the female gender would, because of their gender, not find STEM appealing. The way you think through problems, tackle challenges, and get to build and develop, these intellectual exercises and achievements are universally human. Statements like “Women don’t want to do math” are dumb, to put it simply. Women love solving problems just as much as their male counterparts. They like to stretch their brains and use critical thinking. STEM scratches an itch for many, many women.

What are your “5 Leadership Lessons I Learned From My Experience as a Woman in STEM or Tech” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)

1. The most valuable gift you can give is time. We often feel rushed, and we underestimate how much time others may need from us. Prioritize your team by making time for them.
2. Embrace imposter syndrome; it’s your friend. If you feel like an imposter, it’s because you’re stretching outside of your comfort zone and not being overconfident about your capabilities. Both are good things, so feel the discomfort, but see it for what it is: a part of the learning curve.
3. Take your time with big decisions. We often have more time to make significant career moves than we think we do, so don’t feel rushed if you don’t have to be.
4. Don’t let inertia sweep you in its current. We tend to do things we’ve already been doing by default. Stop occasionally and ask: What if I did this differently? Exercise those muscles that open you up to possibilities.
5. Don’t put up with anything you don’t have to put up with. If you see that something isn’t working, fix it. If someone is underperforming, address it. If there’s toxicity in the workplace, tackle it. Don’t let people who bring the team down continue bringing the team down for a second longer than you’re aware of it.

What advice would you give to other women leaders to help their team to thrive?

Back each other up. My generation (Gen X) grew professionally during periods where other women in the workplace were perceived as threats, when there wasn’t room for all of us to succeed because there were only a few spots women were allowed to hold. I once had a boss who criticized me for trying to “steal her thunder” when all I was trying to do was a good job for her. That crushed me, and taught me to be timid when I should have been encouraged to be brave.

We have to support each other. Push one another to grow. Call out one another’s accomplishments. Be comfortable when other women excel. Not at the expense of anyone else, not to deny opportunities to others who aren’t women or aren’t like you, but to support everyone, including women, no matter who they are. And especially those who don’t have a lot of support already.

What advice would you give to other women leaders about the best way to manage a large team?

Organization is everything. You think you can manage more effectively by focusing on culture or morale, which is more obvious and even fun. But the larger the team, the more it needs a hierarchical structure to function effectively. This is basic sociology. Smaller groups can share resources and share the output of the work pretty easily. There’s only a few of you, so it’s not that hard to chip in when it’s needed, to do what it takes. But when a group gets larger, communication across that group about what to do, or who’s responsible for which task, becomes more challenging. The larger the team, the harder it gets. Clear roles and a clear hierarchy that lays out responsibilities and accountability are super important. I’ve seen too many managers of larger teams believe that hierarchy is oppressive and that it crushes creativity and innovation. But the opposite actually happens: the more egalitarian the structure of large teams, the more uncertainty there is, which breeds anxiety, making it hard for anyone to be productive or to thrive professionally.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

My first job out of graduate school was challenging because I worked at a company that offered no training, no onboarding, and no guidance. I was thrown right in and expected to succeed as a junior analyst while being on conference calls with a C-level executives at companies like PepsiCo. It was stressful and frightening. I was told I was failing at every turn, yet no one stopped to show me what success looked like or how to achieve it.

Except for one woman at the company, a Senior VP, who I was lucky enough to be assigned to a project with. Despite her seniority and her hefty responsibilities, she took time with me. She slowed down her day, carved out some hours, and trained me on how to do good work on our project. I’d complete some work for her, and she’d spend more time with me, slowing things down to explain what I did well, what I needed to do better, and why. I ended up excelling on that project, and what I learned allowed me to go from an employee who was clueless to one who, months later, was single-handedly managing entire projects for General Mills. If it weren’t for her, I seriously wouldn’t be where I am today in my career.

She taught me that no matter who you are or what you’re doing, it’s always essential to make time for your team. If you’ve hired someone to work for you, take the time to train them. If someone on your team needs to talk it out, make the time to talk it out.

Time is the most precious gift. It’s the gift that gives back tenfold.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

I make it a point to find time to talk to people who reach out to me for career advice, even if I don’t know them. It’s tough out there, and it’s hard to build a business or a career. Many people are doing it without much experience or guidance. Not everyone has parents who can help or mentors to turn to. If someone out there feels lost and alone, I like to help them.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

I know I’ve beat this drum already, but I’ll keep beating it: better decisions will lead to better lives, better societies, better futures for all of us. We simply need to be making better choices, and that will only happen if we understand how our choices go wrong, specifically, how our mental biases and social environments cause them to go wrong.

If I could inspire a movement, it would start small, and it would begin in grade school, as children grow to make their own choices. The objective would be to incorporate courses on decision science in every classroom, throughout grade school, to high school, and even in college, so that the study of decision making becomes part of our educational system.

Beyond that, any way in which the study of decision-making can become an everyday thing is better, given how our decisions are such a crucial part of the way our lives unfold.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Never do anything you’ll regret, and never regret anything you do.” My college advisor told me that once, and I’ll never forget it. To me, it means that you should make your choices thoughtfully, carefully, and seriously, so you don’t regret your choices later. But, with that being said, you can’t predict how things will turn out, and sometimes, no matter how badly you want to make great decisions, you just don’t. When that happens, you have to cut yourself some slack. Learn from it. Grow. Turn it into a life lesson. But see it as a regretful mistake? Never!

We are very blessed that very prominent leaders read this column. Is there a person in the world or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂

I doubt Joe Biden would ever find time to sit down with me, but I would love to learn from him what it’s like to make decisions during this unprecedented time in our history. The stakes are incredibly high. So much is going on, and has been going wrong. And he’s been criticized for making some hefty mistakes. How is he managing? What’s his process? How does he push forward, and how does he make sure that he minimizes his mistakes? I don’t envy his job right now, but how he thinks about what choices to make, that would be fascinating to learn!

I suppose talking with Barack Obama wouldn’t be so bad either!

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.

Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech: Nika Kabiri of YourNextDecision On The 5 Leadership Lessons… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Female Founders: Caroline Petersen of Gallery Design Studio On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Follow the path of least resistance. This one might seem counterintuitive for charge-ahead leaders, but here’s an example: for a long time I was chasing “hard to get” clients. However, I found that when the other side wants to work with you, you will actually have a better working relationship. I learned that I prefer to spend my time with folks that actually want to work with us.

As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Caroline Petersen.

After a decade of experience in marketing and communication design, Caroline’s passion is helping B2B businesses impart their offers to customers and employees. Originally from the UK, Caroline spent the early part of her career working in Europe. Once she crossed the pond, she built a design firm, Gallery Design Studio, from the ground up by walking through (and sometimes nudging open) as many doors as she could. Her strong problem-solving skills and eye for design, help clients transmit complex information clearly, concisely, and in a visually engaging way. Relentlessly curious, she’s inspired by experimentation and always looking for better ways to serve her clients. Caroline knows from experience that pursuing your passion is the best ticket to a career you love — although it’s not the fastest and certainly not the easiest.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?

While originally from the UK, I started my career in Madrid, Spain as a marketing intern in real estate development. I later joined the insurance industry, working in Madrid, Zurich and New York.

After a few years, I decided to pursue my passion for creative work so I started an online catering shop in Basel, Switzerland and launched a digital magazine on all things dessert. A few years later I accepted an offer to work at Time Inc. UK London for one of their food publications.

At that point, I decided to dive deeper into graphic design since I love editorial design, so I attended the Shillington School of Graphic Design in New York. After my training, I was offered a position at a large editorial company here in New York. But as life is full of surprises, the offer fell through. The truth is I failed to get my dream job with that company, and then I failed a few more times. That’s when I decided to go solo.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?

Honestly, so many stories happen every day it’s hard to keep track! I’d say the story of the journey is incredible. Every client, team member, partner, brings a unique perspective and their own skill sets which creates are really cool work. I’m very lucky to experience this.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Early when I started my business I was working on getting our first “enterprise” clients. After endless hours of reaching out and hearing “no”, and drowning in prospects’ names and emails, I finally had someone interested in our services. So we hopped on an intro call. I was so excited to speak with Jim! And I was sure to thank Jim for his time, and let Jim know how great I thought his company was. At the end of the call, the prospect thanked me then told me his name was David. Despite that, he decided to work with us and is still a client till this day!

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

My family, friends, business mentors and, of course, the Gallery Design Studio team. I wouldn’t be here without them. I’d say my mum, however, played a critical role in helping me get off the ground and believed in me when the path was not so clear.

My mum was the one who suggested I go back to school to specialize in graphic design. She later encouraged me to go solo saying I had “what it takes”. Sometimes having someone else believe in you is the best kind of inspiration.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this EY report, only about 20 percent of funded companies have women founders. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women to create companies. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from founding companies?

I think it’s a domino effect. Especially in the industries that our studio serves, predominantly B2B tech companies, we work with a lot of “STEM” folks, who trend predominantly male, so I think it takes time and incredible effort for women to get their foot in the door.

Can you help articulate a few things that can be done as individuals, as a society, or by the government, to help overcome those obstacles?

Self worth. Nobody will value you if you don’t value yourself first.

Personally I find a lot of changes come from within. We cannot change the past, but now we live in a time where we can pursue our dreams and embrace a bigger purpose. I wouldn’t wait for “someone” to fix the disparities, but rather act and be the change.

This might be intuitive to you as a woman founder but I think it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you share a few reasons why more women should become founders?

Since many women are socialized to be emotionally intelligent and attuned to others, we make great founders and leaders because a lot of us truly empathize and care about our teams, our clients and our communities. It’s harder to train compassion into an adult, and many of us have a strength there that society often tries to tell us is a weakness.

It’s beyond time to diversify the playing field. When you have a lived experience that differs from the industry mainstream, whether that’s impacted by gender, race, class or another intersection, you have different ideas. When you combine lots of people with lots of different lived experiences, you get a wealth of ideas, a powerful force for innovation and creativity. Simply put, more diversity often makes for better output.

We have a responsibility to be an inspiration not only for the next generation of women, but also for women in other parts of the world who are not so fortunate and don’t have as many possibilities. I am honored and humbled that businesses like mine create more space for more women in the workforce, today and in the future.

What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a founder? Can you explain what you mean?

I think we’ve all heard: “You can’t have it all.” Someone once said this to my face, actually. But typically it’s only said to women. They mean to say that women can’t run a successful business, cultivate a strong sense of self and nurture a family. I’d say this is a myth. I believe you can achieve anything you set your mind to. It’s important to recognize you will need to find help to manage work and family demands, but a scarcity mindset also makes me feel backed into a corner. I’d rather believe I can have it all, as long as I’m not afraid to ask for help and adjust my expectations when life gets in the way.

Is everyone cut out to be a founder? In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful founder and what type of person should perhaps seek a “regular job” as an employee? Can you explain what you mean?

No, I don’t think so — but being a founder isn’t about gender, it’s about personality type. You need to have a mission that is larger than the day-to-day troubles, so you stay motivated and driven. You need to feel comfortable being uncomfortable. Get ready for tough conversations and discomfort to be a part of your everyday life, whether it’s negotiating with clients, corralling team members or struggling with financial unpredictability. And for a lot of us, you need to feel comfortable with “not being able to switch off”. When you’re a founder, you’re almost always working, even when you’re not. It’s part of that personality type I mentioned — it’s how our brains are wired. But as long as you feel fulfilled and sustained by your work and commitment, even when you’re overwhelmed and exhausted, then you’ll know being a founder is for you.

Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. Based on your opinion and experience, what are the “Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder?” (Please share a story or example for each.)

1. Don’t assume: Make sure you communicate what it is you want. Otherwise, you will find yourself frustrated. For example, when working on a client project he kept saying “make it pop” without providing any context. But once he shared other visuals of the style he liked, we were able to move in the right direction. Communication is always a two-way street, sometimes you have to ask for what you need.
2. Follow the path of least resistance. This one might seem counterintuitive for charge-ahead leaders, but here’s an example: for a long time I was chasing “hard to get” clients. However, I found that when the other side wants to work with you, you will actually have a better working relationship. I learned that I prefer to spend my time with folks that actually want to work with us.
3. Speak up: If you feel something is not right, say so. One example from my team: Our business is mainly about communication expectations, but we often have clients request intricate projects in unrealistic timelines. When that happens we have to speak up and not stay silent (and miserable). Good chances are the other side is not even aware they are being unreasonable.
4. Be authentic: Don’t try to pretend to be someone else, be comfortable in your own skin. For example: When I first started the business I was very focused on what other studios and agencies were doing, which just gave me anxiety about “all the things I don’t know” or “all the things we are not offering”. In time I realized it’s okay if you are not great at everything, as long as you specialize in what you are really good at.
5. Provide clear direction: Put yourself in other people’s shoes, a client, employee or peer — understand where they are coming from. Once when I was frustrated that the team wasn’t following a specific workflow for our client onboarding processes, it turned out I didn’t provide clear direction and training on how to do this. Clear direction saves time and frustration on all sides.

How have you used your success to make the world a better place?

Proud to be helping innovative tech businesses in the B2B space succeed and grow. Our clients are making a difference in the world leveraging technology for the greater good. Some sectors in which our clients are moving the needle:

Health tech companies making insurance more accessible

Industrial automation companies that help manufactures produce more efficiently with reduced waste

Fintech companies that help democratize access to financing

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

I would love to improve the American Dream with immigration reform for foreign-born entrepreneurs in the US.

The impact of these foreign-lead business direct, indirect and diffused investment, innovation and employment is huge and contributes greatly to the US Economy.

NVCA President and CEO Bobby Franklin noted immigrant-founded businesses have always been impactful, including recent innovators like Moderna and Pfizer. However, he warned that one result of convoluted immigration policies has been that the “U.S. share of global venture capital investment has shrunk from 84% to 51% in just 17 years.”

Instead of being 100% focused on building great companies, immigrant founders who are on visas spend more time worrying about a long laundry list of immigration requirements. Since there isn’t a clear path for permanent residency, our immigration status jeopardizes the longer-term success of the livelihood of these founders, their families and the companies they run. COVID-19 has amplified this problem, with harder renewals and travel restrictions.

I admire the work of e2visareform.org and VC firms like Unshackled Ventures, who support immigrant-run businesses.

We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.

I’d love to meet Sara Blakely, Founder of Spanx. I admire her personality and energy. I also love the fact that she is extremely successful but still keeps her sense of humor. I definitely think that would be a fun breakfast 🙂

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.

Female Founders: Caroline Petersen of Gallery Design Studio On The Five Things You Need To Thrive… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Female Disruptors: Tonya McKenzie of Sand & Shores On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

“Don’t judge people. You never know their story. You have no ideas what they are dealing with.” ~Patricia Watts. Advice that my mother gave me growing up has resonated with me throughout my career, which truly is a reason why I am so good at this profession. I had asked my mother why she was friends with some of the people that she hung out with. To me, they were not good people. As I got older, I realized that they all had things going on that I did not know about as a child. Some of their stories gave so much context to some of the behaviors that I saw as devious or even criminal. These women were dealing with issues from sickness to domestic violence and substance abuse. The greatest takeaway has been actualizing my superpower when it comes to public relations. It’s the story behind the story that holds the most valuable gems.

As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Tonya McKenzie, Founder of Sand & Shores PR and Leadership Firm.

Tonya McKenzie, born and raised in San Jose, California and Alumni of California State University, Northridge has spent the bulk of her career in the marketing and public relations industry. Over her career, she has been elected or appointed to important leadership positions such as the Contra Costa County Youth Commission to her current positions as a Los Angeles County Commissioner, Vice President of Black Public Relations Society — L.A., and Board of Directors for the Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce. She is the founder of Sand and Shores Public Relations & Leadership Firm, helping civic organizations and nonprofits tell their story, build brand awareness, and manage their reputation.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?

I have spent over 20 years in sales, marketing, and public relations. I took an advertising executive position at Southland Publishing when I first moved to Southern California. They were not utilizing as much technology as we had available. So, I launched my own company, Sand and Shores and published Real Estate Agent Magazine. I handled the advertising sales, PR, and marketing while also growing my business network. I realized that I love public relations but not real estate. Since it was my company, I decided to pivot the industry that I served to organizations that I am comfortable with, familiar with, and understand their communication needs. Because of my upbringing, I have a lot of experience with law enforcement, different civic agencies, and nonprofit organizations. Specifically, we help them understand how to identify and communicate with their target audience, which is usually the communities that they serve. Showing them why and how storytelling can be pivotal in the connectivity between the agencies and communities has become essential in my practice.

During the Covid shutdown and social unrest due to the George Floyd murder, it became more apparent to businesses and these civic organizations that a need for strategic PR, communications, and reputation management is apparent. Sand & Shores was positioned to deliver the results that these businesses and organizations needed.

In addition to operating the consultancy, I hold multiple leadership positions in Los Angeles County, and I am a national fellow for Everytown, speaking on Gun Violence and Gun Safety laws and regulations, and a 26-year member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. I chartered a graduate chapter in Northern California. Most importantly, I am a child advocate understanding that our job is to leave this world better than we got it.

Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?

In a time where people are calling to defund the police, I am working to get people to understand local department structures, their responsibilities as a resident and how to properly enact changes they wish to see made. Most people don’t understand city funding vs department and services funding. I am using my platform to exhibit transparency in police departments showing how they function and operate. Most importantly, it’s pivotal to show the uniqueness of different law enforcement departments.

As a public relations and communications professional, my primary job is to tell stories and elevate important messages and voices. My podcast, My Morning Coffee, may be one of the first to have an official partnership with a Police Department. This ensures that, no matter what events take place or brings about a media craze, they will always have a platform to elevate their message. For officers to tell their individual stories, share their experiences, and talk about who they are in and outside of the badge, take an elevated level of vulnerability and trust that we will handle it with respect and dignity. During the peak of the social chaos of 2020, during the “defund the police” movement, “Blue Lives Matter” movement, and “Black Lives Matter” marches, nobody was giving voice to Black police officers. My own podcast cohost of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s department was absorbing hateful messages from those around her. We provided a platform for the first Chief of Police that denounced former Officer Derek Chauvin’s actions, to talk about why he felt compelled to do that. We also held a three-part series of black officers in Blue. With no subject off limits, African American officers, a panel of no less than six, answered questions and spoke on what it was like to be Black law enforcement officers from various different departments across this country. As a public relations and leadership consultant, I know that content matters and I will always work to provide a platform for under-exposed stories to be told and content to be shared even if that content isn’t popular or very controversial.

I also launched the Empowered Podcast Network with a small number of podcasts that put out quality content that empowers the listeners personally, professionally, and emotionally. We partner with brands that embody the lifestyle, quality, and superior service that we stand by.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

One of the most hilarious moments in my career thus far has been a special issue of The Argonaut that I produced a few years back. I was responsible for the cover story for the Special Health and Wellness issue. My client, Krav Maga expert, was the cover story. I was in charge of the photo shoot and the editorial content. I had absolutely no clue what Krav McGraw was. During this shoot, my client pulled out a gun. I immediately took off running. I had no idea that it was fake, and that he also taught self-defense classes, teaching people how to disarm someone if they are held up. By the time he looked up, I was already gone. He eventually called my phone to ask me where I had run off to and we cleared it all up. When I got back, we all had a good laugh. But it definitely let me know that I need to do my research and have a full understanding of what my clients do and how they do it. You cannot tell a robust story without all of the details.

We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?

My husband, Ray McKenzie is my most impactful business mentor. He was the first of us to leave corporate America and launch his own tech firm, Red Beach Advisors. Ray learned and taught me things about owning a business, scaling, and essential operations to ensure a positive client experience.

Michele Brown is an amazing real estate professional that I can get excellent leadership advice from. She is a fitting example of being a diligent business owner while also being a leader in the community, serving on various boards and other positions. Her advice is priceless. She leads by example and knows how to create raving fans.

LaTashia DeVeaux also serves as a mentor and advisor. Being a Black Woman business owner while balancing clients and serving in leadership positions can be stressful. It helps to have somebody in my industry to talk through strategy, client issues, priorities, and balance. Her guidance is priceless and is often used to correct course if I am unsure if I have gone in a wrong direction.

In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?

Social media has been a great disruption for the marketing, PR, and communications industry. Obviously, it allows for us to connect more frequently, in real time, and with larger audiences. The news now gets reported faster on Twitter than it does waiting for a breaking news report to show up on a TV station that we might watch. For those that depend on that news, it’s a great thing. There is a high level of immediate gratification. Social media has disrupted the news industry in a way that allows for us to get information faster. Unfortunately, this same tool, social media has broken some norms and devalued high quality customer service. Social media has allowed for business owners and professionals to believe that conversation via a social media channel is all that they have to do to check the box of customer service. It’s important to recognize that high touch, high quality customer service still takes a personal touch. It takes a phone call, sometimes. It takes in-person communication. Networking, as much as you can do it on a social media platform, it still does not compare to networking in person. The dynamic is different. The need for situational awareness is higher. Human interaction and connectivity have definitely been disrupted by social media. It is the perfect example of disruption, positively and negatively, in business today.

Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.

• “Control your schedule. Don’t let your schedule control you.” ~Ray McKenzie

As an entrepreneur trying to launch and grow a successful startup, you are determined to make it work. You give all of yourself and are always ready to try something new, sacrifice your personal time and be as accessible to clients and potential clients as possible to make ensure that you don’t miss or lose any business opportunities. You want to give your venture the best shot at being successful. The problem with that is the fact that we often don’t take breaks, cause chaos in our personal lives, deplete out mental and physical health, along with developing tunnel vision. Because my husband was the first to launch his startup, he learned first-hand how easy it is for your time management to spiral out of hand and cause unnecessary chaos in your life. There is a better way. Carving out time for the grind and time for personal affairs was the key. It was great advice and a lifesaver once put into practice.

• “You are done when the job is done.” ~J.C. Watts

My grandfather was a business owner, a great employee for Ball Construction, a club owner, and a community leader. I always tried to understand how he did it all. He was a master construction worker. His work product ranged from projects like the New Orleans Superdome, churches in the south and houses in the Bay Area. His wife was a beautician. At one point, I would watch my grandfather leave to work while it was still dark outside, get off work, and proceed to build a beauty salon onto his home (for his wife). I watched that project day after day, week after week until it was complete. My grandfather lived his words, always completing whatever he started. That resonates with me as an entrepreneur, a parent, and a civil servant.

• “Don’t judge people. You never know their story. You have no ideas what they are dealing with.” ~Patricia Watts

Advice that my mother gave me growing up has resonated with me throughout my career, which truly is a reason why I am so good at this profession. I had asked my mother why she was friends with some of the people that she hung out with. To me, they were not good people. As I got older, I realized that they all had things going on that I did not know about as a child. Some of their stories gave so much context to some of the behaviors that I saw as devious or even criminal. These women were dealing with issues from sickness to domestic violence and substance abuse. The greatest takeaway has been actualizing my superpower when it comes to public relations. It’s the story behind the story that holds the most valuable gems.

We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?

My next move will involve publishing another book and empowering the next generation of leaders. Being able to work with Lieutenant Gia Neal from LA County Sherriff on our podcast, My Morning Coffee has been eye-opening and validating at the same time. We are quite different in age, parental status, and lifestyle. However, there are many things that I have believed when it comes to people of color and law enforcement. Gia has been able to validate many of those things and open my eyes to statistics and facts that I never knew prior. Working with Captain Jon Naylor from Redondo Beach Police Department has been a journey through perspective. Seeing situations from the eyes of another and having the capacity to empathize allows for you to grow mentally and emotionally. None of this could be possible without honesty and openness in all conversations. When we look at some of the most complex issues in our society, law enforcement, and the communities that they serve, the fix can be as simple as getting to and extracting the leadership in each young person and empowering them with the knowledge that they can be the difference.

In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?

Women as disruptors usually do their most impactful work in male dominated industries. It requires a level of though-leadership that not only displays a unique way to solve a problem but requires that they do it better than anybody else in the space. Women have to find a way to soften a stale way of thinking or harden her own stance. Many times, it’s both. Women have to not only show that they belong in the space but that their capabilities are superior to the men in the room to get the respect needed to change status quo. Women must show an important level of leadership to command the respect needed to disrupt any industry. Female disruptors face many different challenges but consistently overcome to make the changes needed for progress.

Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?

Patti Labelle, Don’t Block The Blessings was an impactful book for me. As a gun violence survivor with over 21 addresses by the time I graduated from high school. I recognize that I lived a tumultuous childhood. I could have let that destroy me. It certainly equipped me with plenty of excuses in the case that I could not get life right. Reading Patti’s book showed me that even the people that we look up to have been through some horrible things. Ms. LaBelle weathered through multiple death in her family while carving out a life that she loved with such audacity and determination. She was unique, fun, funny, and adventurous in her pursuit. This was great confirmation that we can have a fun time and enjoy life while accomplishing hard things.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

L.L.E.A.D. the Way! That’s the movement. Leadership has become a part of my personal brand. It has gotten me through trauma, drama, social upheaval, and uncertainties to a place where my opinions matter and my voice is heard. I would like to see more women and young people LLEAD. Step into the space that empowers them to be a change maker while they embrace their opportunity to fully live, love, and leave a legacy.

Look the part.

Leverage your experience.

Elevate your voice.

Acknowledge the problem.

Deliver results.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“You can never be too kind.” ~Karen Mathis

No matter what the situation, kindness always wins. People can be nasty, inconsiderate, consumed in their own problems, and just lack empathy. In my personal life, it has helped me to be a better wife and mother. In business, it has helped me to deliver great customer service to my clients. It feels good to give more than expected. Most importantly, I am kind to myself. Selfcare can be lifesaving.

How can our readers follow you online?

Website: http://www.sandandshores.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonyamckenziepr

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tonyamckenziepr/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tonyamckenziespeaks/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyamckenzie/

YouTube: https://bit.ly/1920Girl

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!

Female Disruptors: Tonya McKenzie of Sand & Shores On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Unwavering Confidence. We tend to back down from the power that unwavering confidence can evoke in fear of what others think. For females, confidence has been cast as ‘bitchy’ in the business world. In truth, when we exhibit unwavering confidence it can be scary for others to see. In my experience, my unwavering confidence is both inspiring and daunting for those who meet me. I’ve given talks to hundreds about embracing the mess and it’s through my confidence in my own embrace, that people are drawn to me. Confidence is the armour that shields us from all the obstacles we face as founders. It’s also the grace we grant ourselves throughout the aspects of surviving before we can thrive.

As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Liz Kametz, MS.

Liz Kametz is an author, coach, business owner, a mom of four children (two special needs, two step-children) and one anxious rescue dog, and a wife to a loving hubby, who together share in their journey of learning and growth. She most importantly knows the power of self-care and a focus on wellness, especially on how positive an impact it has with her and her children (one on the spectrum, one with anxiety disorder).

Liz created Just Be to address her own chronic stress and lack of self-care. She’s used her healing journey over the last 7 years to author her debut book and design transformation workshops. Liz holds an MS in Systems Engineering, BS in Chemical Engineering and has made a career in successfully coaching leaders and large organizations through transformation.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?

It’s such a pleasure to be here, thank you so much for having me! My story is both unique and common among many aspiring female entrepreneurs. I built a career on being an achiever and always focused on helping others solve problems. It took about 20 years in Corporate America for my body to finally draw a line in the sand and wave the flag to surrender to chronic burnout. See what happens with women like myself is we focus so much on all the ones around us, especially the ones we love and care for, and we tend to put ourselves at the bottom of the list. When it comes to a career, this can be very mysteriously hidden in societies ‘norm’ of climbing the corporate ladder, or doing what’s ‘best for the team’. In this veil of achievement, our logic tells us we are building a successful career, but our soul has other plans. If we don’t listen to our soul’s purpose, especially if you are intended to be a woman in leadership, what ends up happening is we approach burnout and our bodies start to fail. For me, I hit the wall with chronic stress that manifested into multiple physical ailments from back and shoulder pain to over debilitating anxiety. Flash forward five years and I can confidently say I’ve focused my energy on building a business around self-care and my soul’s purpose which promotes ultimate alignment for success.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?

Picture the energy created by pursuing your dreams and taking action towards your goals. I was deep in the details of launching my brick & mortar wellness center at the turn of 2020. Just saying that date should give you indication about what I’m about to tell you! My business partner and I were shopping like thieves in IKEA for all the last minute needs to fill our almost 3,000 square foot space we had been designing. Construction was almost complete, we were about to host a Female in Business networking event of over 70 local leading women in business, and we were sailing on the high energy of all the possibilities in front of us. We had so many carts of towels, sheets, decor, etc, that it was hard for the two of us to move through the checkout line without help. With the blink of an eye, COVID hit and all of those best laid plans for opening our doors in April were thwarted. Honestly, I never let it get to me. I let every obstacle and twist and turn that I faced be a lesson to keep going, perhaps just in a slightly different direction. I call upon this story as the most interesting because it’s not often that you can feel failure before you even begin. With any perceived failure the real growth happens when you shift perspectives and allow the experience to be some of your best guidance.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Well first of all, I love how you say ‘funniest mistake’ because each hiccup should be viewed this way. If we can introduce some humor into our experiences the lighter we become and the easier it is to move through the disappointment. Honestly, in reflection, there are probably a bunch of mistakes because being a business owner with staff and a facility and services was all new to me. One specific example that comes to mind is the idea of trying to do everything myself. This was a ‘mistake’ that took me almost 2 years to rectify. I’m a woman who has succeeded at most everything I put my mind to and leaned on my education and experiences to guide me. I have engineering degrees which taught me how to understand large complex problems, how to leverage technology, and use analytical thinking. So when you consider the entire business eco-system of a small business owner, all the facets I could handle from strategy, finance to customer experience. What I didn’t enjoy was the sales and marketing parts, but that didn’t stop me from learning! No no, I charged forward pulling up my big girl pants and diving into webinar after webinar on social media strategies, marketing 101’s etc. looking back, I could have saved my time and energy and hired an expert while focusing on my genius work, but I was too set in need to control, save money, and do it all myself. Not sure if that is laugh worthy, but hindsight is always 20/20, and I can chuckle to myself about the time I probably wasted and use it as a guidepost for picking and choosing where I should be spending my energy as a business owner on a daily basis.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

Oh, I love this question, because, AMEN! So many aspiring female entrepreneurs I coach are trying to do it all on their own. I had the lucky circumstance that as my vision was forming of what type of business I wanted to create, my path crossed with my now business partner, Adrienne Gervais. As you recall in my origin story of business ownership, I had hit the wall of chronic stress and burnout and I was seeking as many different healing modalities as I could to help with my physical and emotional baggage. I was referred by a neighbor to Adrienne to try Integrated Energy Therapy which was nothing I had tried before, but was open to anything. After one or two sessions with Adrienne as she cleared many of my physical and emotional blocks, she mentioned how she could sense lots aswirl with my visions coming to clarity. It was no coincidence our paths crossed at the right time. Over the next few months Adrienne flowed alongside me as a champion of my mission, providing a constant feeling of encouragement and reinforcement. Since, we’ve more formally established our working relationship, but honestly it’s always been in the spirit of helping each other align to our life’s purpose to heal, grow, and share our learnings with others.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this EY report, only about 20 percent of funded companies have women founders. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women to create companies. In your opinion and experience, what is currently holding back women from founding companies?

I’m probably the first generation who grew up being told I could be or do anything I worked towards. My mother was given a handful of careers to choose from and that was that. For her, It was definitely rowing up- river to consider anything that wasn’t the ‘norm’. Today we have more opportunities for young women to explore their passions at an earlier age. It’s still not enough. Although we’ve moved the needle to help these young women open up more possibilities, to me, it still feels contained. It’s not enough to tell young women they can ‘do’ anything in terms of a career, we need to keep reinforcing they can ‘be’ anything they want to be as well. We need to focus on encouraging the spirit of a young child who dances in her tutu and creates inspiring idea after inspiring idea, to continue to dream. We need opportunities for these young women to build an armour of confidence that cannot be penetrated as they go through life.

So if you think of the women today who might be holding back, that’s my answer, confidence. Bravery to go against the grain and follow their dreams. Courage to pursue their souls’ purpose even if it’s not what is expected..

But let me be clear — I do see this shifting. I see SO MANY more women holding up their metaphoric swords of pursuit and charging towards their dreams. So many more women are standing in their power and aren’t holding back. For those women (like it was for me), it’s not a matter of us holding back, it’s a matter of those around us opening doors for us to move through, instead of feeling like we need to shatter the status quo. It’s not a matter of us holding back, it’s a matter of the systems in place shifting to support female leaders. I’m encouraged about the time we live in and seeing these numbers increase as both women find their power and society shifts to allow it.

Can you help articulate a few things that can be done as individuals, as a society, or by the government, to help overcome those obstacles?

Three key foundational approaches come to mind, especially as I think of what I hope my step-daughters gain as they move into adulthood.

1. Focusing education on confidence, self-esteem, and failure-learning. The younger we are able to encourage females to be confident in who they are, learn from mistakes, and have a growth mindset, the better chance we have in creating future leaders.
2. Increased financial opportunities to support women-owned businesses. The best business plan and mission to help through business ownership can be shelved if it’s not properly funded. There is still an imbalance in our opportunities for female founders to secure proper funding for sustainable success.
3. Continued focus on mentorship. This is happening quite a lot in the forms of women authors sharing their lessons, female networking groups and the like. We need to make sure this continues to grow as community connections are a great way to not feel alone and encourage each other by lifting each other up as we move through our journeys of entrepreneurship.

This might be intuitive to you as a woman founder but I think it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you share a few reasons why more women should become founders?

As has been stated in many publications, women make up about 85 percent of all consumer purchasing decisions and account for about $7 Trillion in consumer and business spending. So if we are so imperative in our economic success it’s pretty straight forward we should be in positions to design the business landscape. Besides that simple logic, women have proven themselves as powerful complex system problem solvers. Take a stay at home mom for example ( which I was for many years) on any given day she juggles the children’s meal plans, school communication and requirements, household management, conflict resolution, doctors visits, extracurricular activities, all while considering the emotional and physical well being of those she loves. She does this usually without even writing anything down, as her brain is wired to work through all the moving pieces at the same time. Now apply that to operating a business and the invisible writing is on the wall.

Women are made to lead, it’s as simple as that.

What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a founder? Can you explain what you mean?

Oh yes! Love this. Here are 3 ‘myths’ I try to shatter everyday!

1. Work Hard, Play Hard. — Not for me! Play hard, yes. Work hard, no. If you’ve found your true soul’s purpose, first of all, it won’t feel like work. Secondly, you don’t have to overdo it. You can flow with your energy towards your goals with ease. Amazing, you can work less and gain more. It’s an earth shattering concept, but some of the best leaders live it.
2. More Time, More Money — Okay, I guess you could say this is a spin off of the first one. Here’s the deal, our society has grown through the industrial revolution where time literally was money in manufacturing facilities pushing out widgets. We have transcended this people! We can now disconnect the fusion of time with money. We need to recognize that our value (ahem, money is in our wisdom, our insights, and are not associated with how much time we provide AT ALL.
3. Perfection breeds Success — Not sure if anyone is actually saying this, but we see people living by this motto all the time. Not trying new things in fear of not being perfect. Not pursuing their dreams if they don’t feel like it’s going to be perfect. I do know someone said this: “Perfection is the enemy of good.’ so let’s do good, be good. I like to tell my staff, customers and mentees to “Embrace the mess!”. The messiness is where all the good growth comes. It’s okay to fail. It’s okay to do ‘just enough’ and it’s okay to be messy. The more we can show other leaders that perfection is not what we are striving for, the more likely we are to have more female founders raising their hand to try!

Is everyone cut out to be a founder? In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful founder and what type of person should perhaps seek a “regular job” as an employee? Can you explain what you mean?

To be a founder you need to be comfortable in the discomfort. There isn’t a day that goes by that doesn’t cause concern if your mindset is wired to need safety and comfort. To be a successful founder I believe you must be passionate, ambitious, risk taking, mission driven leaders ready to take on a messy existence. If your emotional well being is linked to stability and security perhaps the ‘regular job’ will be most appropriate. Those who have a thirst to learn and grow on a continual basis are best poised to launch into the world as female founders.

Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. Based on your opinion and experience, What are the “Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder?” (Please share a story or example for each.)

1. Unwavering Confidence. We tend to back down from the power that unwavering confidence can evoke in fear of what others think. For females, confidence has been cast as ‘bitchy’ in the business world. In truth, when we exhibit unwavering confidence it can be scary for others to see. In my experience, my unwavering confidence is both inspiring and daunting for those who meet me. I’ve given talks to hundreds about embracing the mess and it’s through my confidence in my own embrace, that people are drawn to me. Confidence is the armour that shields us from all the obstacles we face as founders. It’s also the grace we grant ourselves throughout the aspects of surviving before we can thrive.
2. Growth Mindset. Whatever term you want to use, this is the aspect of being okay with failure. Being okay with something not turning out the way you expected. Honestly, removing all expectations all together, so no matter what comes your way you roll with it. In order to be a thriving woman founder, this type of mindset is foundational. I’ve had clients receiving services in our wellness center and the water stopped working, or staff giving last minute cancellations, or not being funded from a bank where it’s a table of all white males deciding. Any of these experiences could have made me throw in my hat and call it quits, but it’s through my positive mindset and recognizing that every experience is an opportunity to learn and grow, that has kept me thriving.
3. Support System. As much as we can be standing in our power as an amazing Queen Bee Business Owner, it ‘takes a village’, as they say, to run a business. Find your support system, either through the amazing staff you hire, or the loved ones cheering you on, or the boundaries you put in place; as these are your building blocks to thriving successfully. You can’t and shouldn’t do it alone.
4. Self Care. To have a business that is thriving, you need to be thriving. This means taking care of yourself completely. FIRST. You cannot give to others until you have given to yourself. This is a lesson that took years of unlearning and relearning for me to truly understand. I put everything first before myself and almost died because of it. You don’t need to wait until your body fails, or your mental health is on alert to take care of yourself. Instill repeatable, consistent self-care routines that feed your soul and don’t ever stop.
5. Dream. The best businesses were created out of solving a problem by creative souls who followed their dreams. Building time into your life to keep dreaming is a recipe to thrive. If you follow your dreams, each day as a woman founder will be filled with joy. For me, I had lost the idea of dreaming because I got stuck in my analytical, problem solving mind. When creativity of thought flows, the most inspired results transpire. Space, quiet, rest, nature, are just a few ways I allow for dreaming. To move from surviving to thriving we need to heal our souls and dreaming is a great vehicle to get there. What you’ll find is the more time you spend dreaming, the more ideas, and the more impact you can make to the world.

How have you used your success to make the world a better place?

My business mission is directly linked to my life’s mission. It encompasses 4 key C’s: Compassion, Connection, Community and Caring. Locally we support as many causes that reflect these tenants as we can. Globally, I mentor aspiring female entrepreneurs to follow their life’s purpose. Each positive impact creates a ripple as our universe is all energetically connected. Change takes time, but incremental action won’t go unnoticed. Our world can be a better place today than it was yesterday if we continue to focus on what actions we are rippling out, so i focus on my 4 C’s to continue to ensure the impact is one of positivity and purpose.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

Leadership-Based Education. It always starts with our children and instilling qualities and skills that will lead to a happy, healthy life. If our educational system was more focused on the child’s holistic well-being and supported the pursuit of their dreams, no matter what that entails, the better the world would be. This means balancing the curriculum with both academic and well-being focused courses. Emotional and mental health would be the nucleus of the education system. How to be a positive contributing human in our global human system. That would be an amazing movement to see unfold.

We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.

I could think of a myriad of women whom I could address as mentors in my pursuit, some already passed, some still thriving. Specifically, I can really relate to the story of Arianna Huffington’s journey with business ownership, leadership and self-care. I applaud her business model transformation to lean into the mess and take lessons from her struggles to share those perspectives with so many globally.

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.

Female Founders: Liz Kametz On The Five Things You Need To Thrive & Succeed As A Woman Founder was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Female Founders: Tissa Richards On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Leave the Work for Tomorrow. If you burn out raising money or running your company, you won’t be able to grow it to its full potential. If you never unplug, you’ll never succeed. As a founder, you could work 24/7/365 and never run out of important ways to fill that time. Here’s a secret: most deadlines and timelines are arbitrary. If you occasionally push them off until tomorrow to give yourself a chance to rest, the world won’t end. The work will still be there tomorrow, and so will your customers and partners. I worked nonstop for years, burning out and running on fumes. My best friend finally stole me away, treating me to a spa day and a weekend away with no laptops so we could catch up and rest. The work was still there when I got home. The company was still there. Customers hadn’t left. My team hadn’t quit in disgust. But I was refreshed and refocused. You will be too, and you’ll be ready to tackle the world.

As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Tissa Richards.

Tissa Richards is a repeat Silicon Valley founder and CEO who has founded, funded and led software companies. Today she helps women unlock their leadership potential, eliminate imposter syndrome, and fearlessly communicate their value and leadership values to the world. Tissa keynotes frequently and her company holds corporate workshops and courses to optimize leadership teams and diversify c-suites and corporate boardrooms. Learn more at https://www.tissarichards.com

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?

I’ve founded, funded and run software companies in Silicon Valley and beyond, secured multiple patents for complex cyber security products, and won awards for innovation from major Silicon Valley tech giants. That journey made me realize the importance of developing a generation of strong, fearless leaders free of imposter syndrome or self-doubt, and who communicate with confidence. After I wound down my last software company, I started a new company to help leaders and founders — especially women — become fearless and resilient by unlocking their leadership potential and their leadership values.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?

Running a startup company can be grueling, exhausting, and stressful. If you don’t take the time to refill your cup and rejuvenate, it will take a serious toll. (That’s one of the reasons I was so thrilled to participate in this interview!) There was a point during my last software company that I was struggling to make major financial and legal decisions that impacted the company, the team, the board, and myself. I was working around the clock, traveling domestically and internationally, and I was beyond burned out.

I started experiencing an unexpected phenomenon: my physical and emotional exhaustion was leaking out of my body in the form of involuntary tears. I began crying at random times and places without a precipitating event, many times without realizing it. Tears slid down my face in airports, airline lounges, planes, hotel lobbies, in green rooms before conference speeches, or in customer meeting rooms. I was usually unaware of it until people pointed it out! (Sidenote: This is a major signal that you are not thriving as a founder/CEO.)

An interesting upside of this phenomenon was how much human connection it sparked. Strangers rushed up to ask if I was ok, brought me tissues or chocolates, offered unsolicited but much appreciated hugs, and shared earnest suggestions on how to rest and rejuvenate. The most enduring connection was a woman I sat next to on a flight back home after a very stressful business trip. She passed me tissues as we bonded for the entire flight. We’ve stayed in close touch ever since and I was recently a guest at her daughter’s wedding! Leadership burnout shouldn’t happen, but I couldn’t have predicted the enduring friendships that would grow out of the deeply empathetic, human responses to it.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

When I started my last software company, I joined four prospective investors for dinner at a fancy steakhouse. They were all older gentlemen with impeccable Southern manners. About an hour into the meal, I stood up and excused myself to go to the restroom. I was pleased when they all stood up as well. I blurted out how glad I was that we’d all be going to the restroom simultaneously and could hit “pause” on our investment meeting. All four of them laughed good naturedly and explained that their Southern manners compelled them to stand up when a woman stood up. I had never encountered that degree of chivalry before. (I knew it was a real “Southern rule” when they all stood back up in unison when I returned — solo — from the restroom.) We had a good laugh at my confusion and continued the meeting.

My mistake was disarming and it broke the ice for the rest of the dinner. I didn’t try to be sophisticated or pretend it didn’t happen. I said what I was thinking and everyone appreciated it. It didn’t diminish me in anyone’s eyes. Several of them are cherished advisors and mentors to this day, and my gaffe has become lore with them. The lesson is clear: show up prepared, smart, and focused. Be yourself. If you’re genuine and authentic, you don’t need to be embarrassed when embarrassing things (inevitably) happen. Find the humor in the situation and move on. It won’t damage your credibility and you might get an enduring story out of it.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

I’m sure we all remember how difficult and formative the middle school and high school years are. Everyone is trying to figure out how to fit in or else face the social consequences like teasing, bullying, or ostracism. I definitely didn’t fit in. I was smart, not socially “cool,” participated in multiple school bands and academic clubs, and I attended a gifted program one day a week at the local high school. That program changed my life.

The program founder and teacher, Mr. James Albery, showed his students that it’s not just ok to be different, it’s vital. He taught us that reaching your true potential requires accepting your uniqueness. In Mr. Albery’s program, my peers embraced my intelligence and sense of humor. I stood out, and not for the wrong reasons. I thrived. Those Thursdays in the high school had a lasting impact. They helped me realize the importance of being myself. The right people will recognize, nurture, and appreciate you for who you are. That message is a big part of my platform today.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this EY report, only about 20 percent of funded companies have women founders. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women to create companies. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from founding companies?

I believe there are two primary factors behind it: fear of failure, and a lack of sponsorship.

Many women experience fear. They fear they aren’t enough. They fear what people will think. They fear they don’t have the right skills or experience. That all rolls up to a fear of failure. What’s important to realize is that you’ll never have the exact right set of tools in your toolbox. We all learn as we go. And, it’s important to realize that failure is not fatal. Of course, failure is a possibility. In fact, most startup companies fail. But there’s always a next chapter and things to learn. It’s important to reframe failure. It’s not qualitative, it’s quantitative: it’s not that your foot is ugly, it’s that the shoe simply doesn’t fit your foot. That perspective help removes the emotion from failure. You are enough and you bring enough to the table. If you fail, it’s not the end of the world. It’s time to pivot and figure out what to do with the lessons you’ve learned.

The second thing is sponsorship. I want to draw a very clear distinction between mentorship and sponsorship. Mentorship is about providing advice and guidance, and it’s important. But sponsorship goes far beyond mentorship in very specific ways. Women who have been there before need to take responsibility and shepherd younger women towards success. Younger founders and leaders need to be able to call on sponsors for real questions. A friend recently told me about a young woman who bid on a contract with her company. This young woman underbid herself so significantly compared to other vendors that my friend was compelled to take her aside and show her how to price her services. We need to provide that kind of specific help to founders. For example, sponsors can point out holes or weaknesses in business plans, pressure test pricing models, or introduce attorneys they trust to review term sheets. Whatever the topic, founders need both general support and hands-on sponsorship.

Can you help articulate a few things that can be done as individuals, as a society, or by the government, to help overcome those obstacles?

Schools and companies should invest in leadership programming to teach women from a young age how to identify, internalize and communicate the value they bring. That significantly reduces insecurity and fear. We should teach all young people how to handle failure and rejection so they approach opportunities with excitement instead of trepidation. And, mentorship programs should be formalized — and then honestly assessed — to make sure they aren’t in place just to check a box. I know firsthand that many large organizations have formalized mentorship initiatives that don’t provide much — if any — value to rising leaders. It’s a broken system, but it can be fixed.

This might be intuitive to you as a woman founder but I think it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you share a few reasons why more women should become founders?

It’s challenging to be a founder. You are required to make high-impact decisions rapidly, in high-pressure, resource-constrained conditions. Hard conversations and sacrifices are part of your daily life. You must be persuasive and articulate. You have to be simultaneously realistic, optimistic, and a big-picture thinker. You need to have a detailed grasp on all the moving pieces of the business plan and P&L, and understand the big trends of technology, innovations, and the market.

That all demands consistent leadership and a thoughtful response to challenges. It requires integrity and an intentional set of leadership values. As a founder, you need to do the right thing, even when it’s difficult or costly to do so. Even more critically, you must model that kind of leadership to your company. Your leadership DNA becomes the company’s DNA, setting the tone for everyone else. We need more founders with clear values and integrity who make consistently principled decisions, whether male or female.

What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a founder? Can you explain what you mean?

I’ve love to dispel five myths.

Myth 1: This an Easy Way To Make Tons of Money

Reality: Being a founder can be grueling. Raising money is hard. It can be lonely. There’s a high failure rate. Very few companies turn out to be unicorns and very few founders turn out to be the next Mark Zuckerberg. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go for it, but you need to be realistic. There’s a good chance you won’t make hundreds of millions of dollars. There’s also a 100% chance you will learn a ton, and there will be many enjoyable (if not glamorous) parts of the journey.

Myth 2: You Succeed by Hustling

Reality: There’s an unfortunate cultural allure and badge of honor for founders to brag about how hard they work or how little they sleep. You’ll have cycles of chaos and intensity, but those are not sustainable for the long term. If you burn out, you won’t be there to nurture, grow and scale your team and company. When you thrive, your company thrives.

Myth 3: The Ends Justify the Means

Reality: Don’t make a deal with the devil in order to succeed, no matter what the deal is, or who the devil is. It will come back to bite you. Make a commitment to your integrity. Do everything the right way from Day 1. Treat all your stakeholders with respect. If you find yourself in a situation where someone at the table isn’t committed to their integrity, don’t be afraid to get up and walk away. You may lose that hand, but you will come out ahead in the long run.

Myth 4: All Money Is Created Equal

Reality: Many founders believe it’s more important to raise money than to raise the right money. Your investors bring far more to the table than “just” financial capital. Your relationship with your investors is also about the network they introduce you to, the way they conduct business, and the culture you’re establishing for your company. Ultimately, this relationship will impact your resilience and how you thrive as a founder. Be as selective about choosing your investors as they are in making their investments.

Myth 5: It’s More Difficult To Be a Female Founder

Reality: It’s hard to be a founder, period. The more you focus on what’s hard about being a woman, the more challenging you’ll make it for yourself and your company. Focus on identifying mentors, sponsors, a support network, your core value, and your key operating values and integrity. Strengthen your financial and business acumen and your leadership and communication skills. Learn, improve, and thrive.

Is everyone cut out to be a founder? In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful founder and what type of person should perhaps seek a “regular job” as an employee? Can you explain what you mean?

There are 7 key traits that impact success.

1. Successful founders navigate the emotional ups and downs. You experience the highest highs and the lowest lows in the same day. Some days you experience them in the same hour. You may even experience them in a single meeting. This is more like emotional whiplash than an emotional rollercoaster. You need to handle this with resilience and grace.
2. Successful founders handle the loneliness. This will be one of the most intensely lonely and private experiences of your life. You have to present an energetic, positive face to your team and to the world, even if you’re tired or worn out, and the road ahead of you seems long.
3. Successful founders delay gratification. The fruits of your labor may not be apparent or recognized for months — sometimes years — yet you have to stay focused on the end goal while working extremely hard for a long time.
4. Successful founders are persuasive. You need to bring a wide variety of people along on this journey with you. Your vision of the product, the value proposition and the market value have to be incredibly compelling to convince investors, customers, partners, and your team to take a risk.
5. Successful founders ask for help. You need to recognize and communicate your strengths and weaknesses to bring on board advisors and mentors who can help accelerate your path to success.
6. Successful founders take accountability. You have the privilege of sharing successes with your team, and the burden of taking personal responsibility for the actions of that team. It falls to you as the founder to take the accountability for failure even if it is not directly “yours.”
7. Successful founders are genuine, empathetic listeners. Being an effective founder is only possible when you listen deeply to your stakeholders, especially those who you ask to take risks with and on you.

Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. Based on your opinion and experience, what are the “Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder?” (Please share a story or example for each.)

1. Failure Is Not Defeat. This distinction is critical to thriving. Failure simply means the lack of immediate success. Defeat is feeling overwhelmed and demoralized by adversity. Remember, failure happens all the time. Sometimes it’s impacted by external factors out of your control, like long customer sales cycles, pandemics, or global supply chain crises. Other times it’s impacted by internal factors like decisions that felt right at the time, or intuitions you followed or ignored. As long as you can distinguish between failure and defeat, you’re on the right track. Refocus and make alterations to your strategy. Learn from your failures. You’ll make progress, grow, and develop resilience. You’ll thrive no matter what successes — or failures — come your way. I speak publicly and honestly about the failure of my last company in front of thousands of people each year, turning the lessons into a thought leadership platform for my new company. I’ve turned that failure into my biggest success.
2. Know What You Bring to the Table. If you don’t know the answer to “who are you” or “why you,” a dangerous vacuum forms. All sorts of things rush to fill vacuums, including self-doubt, worry, imposter syndrome, and power imbalances. No one is going to give you the answer to the questions, so take the time to figure out exactly who you are and what you bring to the table. This helps you develop an unshakeable sense of self. Women who have taken the time to do this work have increased their compensation by 2.5X, secured stretch roles, and found the confidence to leave amazing jobs to follow their passions and start their own companies. Knowing your value also helps when you’re in a difficult situation or feel thrown off balance, enabling you to remain calm and focused. You’ll bring the best of yourself at all times, maximize your potential, and thrive.
3. Know Your Non-Negotiables. As a founder and leader, you’ll encounter situations that require you to make difficult decisions and advocate for yourself and your team. Know ahead of time what your operating principles and values are, and what you won’t give up at any cost. Living every day with this north star gives you a solid footing to operate on. You’ll never be taken by surprise in a challenging situation. You won’t have to guess how you’ll react or what you’ll say. One of my non-negotiables is not accepting yelling or bullying behavior in my companies. When it happens, I calmly stand up and explain why I’m pausing the situation until everyone calms down or behaves differently. I’m not flustered, apologetic or defensive. Knowing your non-negotiables gives you courage, energy, and resiliency so you can grow your business and reputation, and leave a thriving leadership legacy.
4. You Don’t Need Permission. You’ll thrive and be successful if you’re authentic, and you don’t need anyone’s permission to be your authentic self. People invest in you as a founder, choose to work with you and for you, and trust your leadership every single day. When you are authentically, unapologetically yourself, people know how you are likely to respond and react in any situation. This provides the consistency and reliability necessary for effective leadership. As a software CEO, my engineers knew exactly how I’d react. When they approached me with an audacious suggestion to port our software to a new operating system — a lengthy, costly endeavor — they knew I’d listen respectfully and calmly and make a reasoned decision. It turned out to be the right choice for the company. When you lead authentically, you don’t use up energy being anyone else. You preserve your resilience to grow your company, so everyone succeeds and thrives.
5. Leave the Work for Tomorrow. If you burn out raising money or running your company, you won’t be able to grow it to its full potential. If you never unplug, you’ll never succeed. As a founder, you could work 24/7/365 and never run out of important ways to fill that time. Here’s a secret: most deadlines and timelines are arbitrary. If you occasionally push them off until tomorrow to give yourself a chance to rest, the world won’t end. The work will still be there tomorrow, and so will your customers and partners. I worked nonstop for years, burning out and running on fumes. My best friend finally stole me away, treating me to a spa day and a weekend away with no laptops so we could catch up and rest. The work was still there when I got home. The company was still there. Customers hadn’t left. My team hadn’t quit in disgust. But I was refreshed and refocused. You will be too, and you’ll be ready to tackle the world.

How have you used your success to make the world a better place?

I hope I’ve used my success to make the world a little bit better by modeling and living my core message. Unlock your leadership. Live your values every single day. Be unapologetic and fearless about them. Never compromise your integrity. It’s incredible to hear how this message has led to life changing moments for women. They deescalate conflict or have uncomfortable conversations by calmly describing how they operate in the world and why they operate that way. They find the confidence to negotiate large salary increases or secure “stretch” or dream roles by clearly explaining the value they bring. They find the courage to leave amazing jobs and companies to follow their passions and — finally — feel fulfilled. The rush of joy and amazement I experience every time I hear this is so fulfilling.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

I’m honored to be considered a person of great influence. A dream movement would be if more organizations — schools, civic organizations, sports leagues, companies — asked members, “who are you, who are you as a leader, and who are you in your life?” That helps people do some really important self-discovery work. Imagine what that could unlock in leadership, in society, and in the world.

If we made the time and space to answer these questions, we’d know a lot more about ourselves and about each other. We’d have more confidence, communication, and civility. We’d know how to interact in the most effective way to get things done. We’d know how to optimize potential, from the youngest child to the most senior leader of a global F50 organization. If everyone could instantly tell you how they operate in the world and why — and listen to and respect each other’s answers — we’d create a lot more space to empathize and be effective.

We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.

Brene Brown, Arianna Huffington

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.

Female Founders: Tissa Richards On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.