Month: October 2021

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

…They will commit to being, and doing, better: The Tribe is growing more concerned with the impact their travels are having on local communities and the environment. As they return to travel post-pandemic, they’re taking a more considered approach, wanting to leave people, places, and things better than they found them. They feel that their ability to make an impact is limited as individuals, so they’re looking for brands to step up and facilitate positive change.

As part of my series about “developments in the travel industry over the next five years”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Nicole Cestaro, a Strategy Director at Team One, Publicis Groupe’s fully integrated media, digital and communications agency for premium brands. In her nearly six years with the agency, she has overseen brand positioning and global advertising campaigns for The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, and W Hotels, among others.

A native east coaster, her career has spanned two coasts, serving in senior strategy roles at Arnold Worldwide and Publicis Sapient, both in Boston, before moving to Los Angeles to join Team One. Her resume includes brands in the automotive, consumer packaged goods, beverage/alcohol, financial services, and technology categories. She’s also known around Team One for being a diehard Tar Heel basketball fan, proud corgi mom, and wannabe chef.

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

I come from a family of teachers. Most everyone in my life — both parents, my sister, two grandparents, four aunts — have spent their careers in education. I knew pretty early on that teaching wouldn’t be my path, but besides knowing what I didn’t want to do, I wasn’t exactly sure what I did want to do.

For the longest time, I thought I was going to pursue medicine. I was very good at math and science, so my parents and teachers were encouraging me to be a doctor. However, after taking the prerequisite courses, I realized that although I may have been good at those subjects, I didn’t enjoy them. What I did enjoy was being creative. I did a lot of creative writing and loved a good school project where I got to break out the poster board and markers, so I decided to pursue journalism. The University of North Carolina, where I attended college, offered an advertising track within the journalism major, so that’s when my career started to take shape.

I might not have gone into the “family business,” but I found just what I was looking for: the perfect combination of left brain and right brain.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

I design and conduct a lot of research as part of my job — everything from focus groups to surveys to ethnographic studies. In 2013, I was working with a financial brand to better understand how financial professionals make investment decisions for their high-net-worth clients, so I went to New York City for one-on-one interviews with financial advisors. We hired a third-party moderator to lead the interviews, and my boss and I sat in the “back room” of the research facility (a slightly musky dark room behind one-way glass) to observe. We must’ve been on our ninth or tenth interview of the day and the moderator was going through his standard spiel about how there are a few people listening behind the glass when the participant abruptly stopped him. “There are people back there?” he said as he unknowingly pointed directly at us. “Well, yes,” the moderator said. “Bring them in here,” the participant said. “I won’t do this interview unless I can see them.” That was the first (and hopefully last) time that I ever sat silently in a room with a research participant while they tore apart my client and my work. A very awkward and humbling experience.

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?

How much time do you have? I’ve made a lot of mistakes, but I chose to learn from them instead of dwelling on them.

I was a very proud twenty-something who thought that asking questions meant that I was incompetent, so I was afraid to inquire about things I didn’t know for fear of revealing myself as a fraud. But let me tell you: it’s hard to navigate a new career when you refuse to ask for help!

One of the first brands I worked on in my career was a car brand, and the automotive industry is full of acronyms: MPG, AWD, OEM, HEV, ABS, and so on. I was too scared to ask what any of those things meant, so when I had to brief a creative team on a new vehicle launch, I spent the entire meeting mispronouncing them, using them incorrectly, and just generally embarrassing myself. My best advice: ask questions, folks!

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”? Can you share a story about that?

I’m a very type-A, perfectionistic person, so I logged a lot of hours as a junior strategist trying to ensure that my work was “up to snuff.” Now, a decade plus into my career, I give myself more grace.

It took me a long time to learn this lesson, but I think I’ve avoided burnout by knowing when good enough is good enough. Expediency is more important than perfection on some projects, but on others, rigor outweighs speed. If you approach every project like it has to be your best, like you have to work harder than you ever have before, you’re bound to overwork yourself. I’ve gotten very good at sussing out what success looks like for each project, determining what is required to achieve it, and allowing myself to stop when I get there. It’s all about knowing when to put pencils down.

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?

I am incredibly grateful for my first boss in advertising, Ezra Englebardt. After undergrad, I went to Miami Ad School to pursue a certificate in Account Planning, and when I completed the program, I was shopping around my portfolio trying to secure a junior strategist position. Ezra was the first person to give me a shot. In fact, he hired me after one Skype meeting.

A professor once gave me the most incredible advice: pick your first boss, not your first job. What he meant was that it was far more important to go to an agency where I would have a strong mentor than it was to join one with fancy perks and lots of trophies. He told me to find a boss that would care for me as a human, not just as an employee, and who was willing to invest their time in my development. That’s what I found in Ezra.

Because of him, I moved to Boston sight-unseen. I had never been there and didn’t know one soul in the city, but I took a risk and made the move because he made me feel cared for, worthy, and capable. I owe a lot of my success to him.

Let’s jump to the core of our discussion. Can you share with our readers about the innovations that you are bringing to the travel and hospitality industries?

There are so many hot takes on the future of travel right now in light of COVID-19. I’m not one to speculate, so in times of uncertainty and massive change, I like to dig into the data. At Team One, we’re able to study the attitudes, behaviors, and aspirations of the world’s wealthy through a proprietary research initiative that we call The Global Affluent Tribe™. We founded this study more than 10 years ago, so we’ve been able to observe the Tribe, as we call them, throughout other times of revolution, such as the financial crisis, globalization, and global elections. Having this longitudinal study at our disposal is critical as it allows us to see how the Tribe’s values have changed over the past decade.

A big chunk of the study focuses on the travel industry, so we’ve been using our unique insights to expertly guide our travel clients, such as The Ritz-Carlton, Expedia, and Cathay Pacific, during this unprecedented time. Unsurprisingly, we’re seeing some big shifts in the data during this most recent wave, yet we’ve been encouraging our clients to avoid being reactionary and to make decisions that will help their brands thrive in the long-term.

Which “pain point” are you trying to address by introducing this innovation?

The Global Affluent Tribe™ study has helped us dispel inaccuracies about the world’s wealthy. For too long, marketers have assumed that because the global affluent are separated by distance, culture, and creed, their values must be vastly different too. How they live, move through the world, and forge bonds with others must be unique. But in fact, what we found is that they are united by their shared beliefs about the world they share.

They’re uncommon people with a lot in common, connected more by what they love than where they live. The Tribe has coalesced around five core values — mobility, success, status, consumption, and belonging — which we have been able to track over time.

The other pain point that the Global Affluent Tribe™ alleviates is access to people of means. Affluents are historically hard to reach from a research perspective, yet we have an engaged group that we are able to readily access through our proprietary platform.

How do you envision that this might disrupt the status quo?

We’re turning conventional thinking about wealth, prestige, and luxury on its head. Our work has not only enlightened us to the intricacies of the Tribe but also changed the narrative we tell around affluence.

This is especially true when it comes to travel. Travel continues to top the list of the Tribe’s aspirations and spending priorities; however, our latest wave of research revealed that the Tribe values traveling well rather than being well traveled. After not traveling for more than a year, they don’t want to simply check destinations off their bucket lists anymore. They’ve reassessed what’s important to them and are being more purposeful with their choices. We’ve had to change the way we speak to them to reflect these changing attitudes.

As you know, COVID19 changed the world as we know it. Can you share 5 examples of how travel and hospitality companies will be adjusting over the next five years to the new ways that consumers will prefer to travel?

1. They will commit to being, and doing, better: The Tribe is growing more concerned with the impact their travels are having on local communities and the environment. As they return to travel post-pandemic, they’re taking a more considered approach, wanting to leave people, places, and things better than they found them. They feel that their ability to make an impact is limited as individuals, so they’re looking for brands to step up and facilitate positive change.
2. They will create rootedness in a rootless world: The pandemic stole our sense of shared humanity, but the toll was even higher for the Tribe, who consider themselves citizens of the world. Inherently multicultural, their notion of home means finding deep connections wherever they go. As they look to strengthen their bonds post-pandemic, brands will have a role to play in helping the Tribe find belonging with others as they travel the world.
3. They will be inviting and intimate: The pandemic reset the Tribe’s values and altered their view of luxury. Namely, they have become more selective, choosing luxury travel experiences that feel understated and less formal. To cater to the intimacy that the Tribe is craving, brands need to deliver experiences of warmth and openness, not just personalized but personal.
4. They will help signal idealistic values: The Tribe doesn’t seek to achieve traditional status markers. Especially post-pandemic, they want to be recognized for contributions they are making towards a better society, at home and around the world. They are proud to be attached to brands that deliver on their idealistic virtues, so the onus is on brands to help them to signal that they are living well and responsible lives.
5. They will support local: The Tribe has developed a locavore taste for luxury. The pandemic enhanced their sense of community and increased both their interest in and willingness to pay more for local. Brands are now expected to support the Tribe’s desire to support local communities by celebrating and championing the people, culture, and environment that surround the destination.

You are a “travel insider”. How would you describe your “perfect vacation experience”?

I’m very active on vacations. I can’t just lay on a beach for a week, so I seek out trips with a lot of things to do and see. I’m a big fan of an itinerary, so I obviously do a lot of research before I go anywhere, but I love getting the local perspective once I arrive. My favorite is when you stay at an Airbnb or a hotel and they let you in on well-kept secrets of where to go and eat. I will of course go to some of the classic, can’t-miss destinations, but I lean on the “experts” to help me find the niche, insider spots. I’ll take a recommendation over a google search any day.

I think that’s something that the hospitality industry isn’t totally capitalizing on. They focus so much on selling the amenities of their properties that they forget that what most travelers are seeking isn’t designer sheets or infinity pools but access — to information, to exclusive places, to secret spots.

Can you share with our readers how have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

It’s funny because I told you earlier that I didn’t want to be a teacher, but my favorite part of my job today is actually mentoring. My alma mater has an incredible network of alumni, and many of them have offered me their time and connections over the years. Now that I have some years under my belt, I try to use my success to help others who may want to follow in my footsteps.

I get a lot of “Can I pick your brain?” emails, and no matter how busy I am, I try to always say “yes.” If I can encourage someone, share the mistakes I’ve made, or help them gain clarity on their goals, that 30 minutes is worth it to me. It’s how I give back.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start 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. 🙂

Oh, this is a fun question! I may be biased as someone who works in the category, but I truly believe in the regenerative power of travel. Travel is so important not only in terms of opening your mind to new places, people, and cultures, but also from a mental health perspective. The pandemic exasperated our burnout culture, and despite desperately needing mental breaks, Americans took fewer vacation days in 2020 than the years prior. That’s all to say that I love the idea of government- or employer-sponsored sabbaticals. Sabbaticals have been trendy amongst the Tribe for a while now, but I would love to start a movement where they were democratized — made available to all and not only to the fortunate few — and also normalized. I want everyone to have the opportunity to take the appropriate time off and to see the world through a fresh set of eyes.

Team One actually has something called the Slash Award, our version of an employee of the year award, and the winners receive paid time off and money towards a trip. I haven’t won one yet, but I dream about it!

How can our readers follow you on social media?

I have a LinkedIn and an Instagram. My Instagram is just pictures of my adorable corgi Willow, so I suggest that if you want to connect that you add me on LinkedIn! https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolecestaro/

Thank you for these fantastic insights!

Nicole Cestaro of Team One On The Future of Travel in The Post Covid World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Female Founders: Jane Mosbacher Morris of TO THE MARKET On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Getting Comfortable with “Failing Forward” — Failure is inevitable — it’s how you handle it that makes all the difference. Take shame or regret out of the equation, and instead focus on what you can learn from your stumbles. What can you do better next time? What did this failure teach you about yourself or your company’s capabilities? I share this with my team as well. When mistakes happen, we focus on learning together what lessons we can take from the experience.

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

Jane Mosbacher Morris is the founder and CEO of TO THE MARKET, a company powering the ethical supply chain. Jane previously worked in the US Department of State and as the Director of Humanitarian Action at the McCain Institute for International Leadership. She is a member of VF Corporation’s Advisory Council on Responsible Sourcing, a term member at the Council on Foreign Relations, and the author of Buy the Change You Want to See: Use Your Purchasing Power to Make the World a Better Place.

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 started my career at the US Department of State, where I worked in the Bureau of Counterterrorism and the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues. Then, I became Director of Humanitarian Action at the McCain Institute for International Leadership before going on to launch TO THE MARKET. I grew up in a household where kindness and service were majorly emphasized, and I always knew I wanted to use my skill set to improve the world around me. When I honed in on the idea for TTM, all the pieces just fit together and built on what I’d learned in my previous roles. I love that the work we do helps change lives around the world.

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

Every day brings a new adventure, so it’s hard to choose just one experience, but something that sticks out in my mind is TTM’s shift to producing PPE at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. When the virus hit, we shifted from our usual focus on retail and home goods to begin supplying PPE (personal protective equipment) for frontline workers.

Because TTM has a syndicated supply chain, we were in a unique position to help. We had the ideal production expertise for this situation, but had never worked with healthcare before, so we learned as we went. Our amazing suppliers hit the ground running, transforming their factories around the world into PPE production facilities to create masks, gowns, and other vital equipment. Over the course of 2020, we delivered over 11 million units of PPE in the US alone.

What’s so interesting to me about that experience is that we’d spent TO THE MARKET’s entire lifespan sharpening our skills and building our supply chain into a position where we could be helpful in just such a crisis — but we didn’t realize it until the moment arrived. You never know when unexpected opportunities to make a difference will cross your path.

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 first launched the company, I had no idea how to price products! Normally, you’d want to make sure you multiply the cost of a product’s goods by 2.7, but at first, I just added $1 per product. People would ask me what the MSRP was for a product — a super basic question in the world of retail — and I didn’t know what they were talking about! Obviously, things got clearer over time as I gained experience and learned more tools of the trade. The lesson I took from this is that it’s okay to not know everything! This is especially true in the beginning of a new endeavor — don’t let fear of what you don’t know hold you back from pursuing a dream project. You’ll figure things out as you go, and that’s perfectly okay.

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 husband is also an entrepreneur. He founded his own company, Rubicon, so he’s given me lots of insight on running a startup. He’s my biggest cheerleader when I’m discouraged, and my go-to sounding board. He offers a great perspective on how to grow a company sustainably.

I’m also incredibly grateful for the work ethic my parents instilled in my siblings and I while I was growing up. Their rule when it came to school was that no matter what the end result was, we had to give our fullest effort. Getting a perfect grade wasn’t as important as the idea that we did the best we could do. In school and in life, it’s all about showing up for the task and giving it your all. That lesson has served me so much in entrepreneurship.

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?

When I started TO THE MARKET, it became clear pretty quickly that in the garment industry, most of the people in charge of the industry — the ones who stand to profit the most and the ones who have the power to make decisions that could change lives — are men. Meanwhile, a large percentage of the makers and factory workers actually putting those garments together are women. And that stat you just shared is just one more reminder of how widespread gender imbalances are across industries.

There are many systemic barriers for women in business. In 2018, American women on average earned 82% of what men earned, and the gap was especially wide for women of color, with Black women earning just 62% of what men took home. The same types of systemic issues that might prevent women from building personal wealth or gaining financial independence can carry over into entrepreneurship. For example, in many parts of the world, women do not have the right to inherit their family’s or spouse’s capital if they pass away, or in some cases to even open a bank account. Creating societal structures where women are treated as financial equals can pave the way for more women to build businesses — and gain independence along the way.

Another factor is that, quite simply, there isn’t a lot of representation. “You can’t be what you can’t see” holds a lot of truth. Many female entrepreneurs feel they need to work harder than men to establish credibility and may worry that they won’t be welcome in fields that are typically male dominated. The more women in business we all have to look up to, the less intimidating it will seem.

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?

On a personal level, share other women’s voices and experiences. Give platforms to your fellow female entrepreneurs. Share the stage with women from marginalized communities who deserve to be heard in their own words. Swap resources and join forces with women in your industry to work on projects together. The more we look out for one another, the faster and higher we all rise.

When it comes to making a difference in industry at large, I always suggest that people vote with their dollar. (And of course, when elections roll around, vote with your ballot too!) Show the world your values by opting to purchase products from women-owned companies and from brands that operate safe, fairly paid factories. As everyday consumers, we all have more power than we think.

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?

The phrase “be the change you want to see in the world” is used so often for a reason: if we want a world with more female founders, we can create that world by becoming those founders ourselves. This fuels a ripple effect for future generations of young women who then see themselves represented in industry and realize those dreams can come true for them too.

Research has shown that companies with more female leadership perform better. When as many walks of life as possible are represented in leadership positions, industries get closer to reflecting the wider range of needs, ideas, and insights in our greater world. And that makes life better for everyone.

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

A huge myth is the notion that people always should know what they’re doing right away when they launch a business. You can learn as you go! No matter what your imposter syndrome may try to tell you, nobody steps into a new role with one hundred percent expert knowledge and confidence. Don’t rob yourself of your dreams by spending years convincing yourself that you’re not qualified. You know more than you think, and in a career like this, you never stop learning, so there’s no better time to just start.

Another myth I often see is the idea of overnight success. Ninety-nine percent of the time, that superstar entrepreneur who seemingly appeared out of nowhere has been working behind the scenes for years. Even the most successful companies and leaders have moments of failure, doubt, and hurdles. That part of the process is totally normal. All your hard work is getting you closer to your goals, even in moments when it doesn’t feel that 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?

Life as a founder means you’ll experience a lot of roller coaster moments. One of the biggest factors is being comfortable with failure and knowing how to learn and improve from your mistakes. You will fail along the way, and that’s okay. But you need to be able to channel that failure into something bigger and better that doesn’t involve quitting or beating yourself up over it.

Another key is unwavering belief in your vision. At first, you’ll probably be the only person who believes in your idea. You need to be comfortable telling others why your idea is great and why it will make the world a better place. Lots of women are hesitant to feel openly proud of their work because they worry they’ll seem like they’re bragging. I’m here to tell you: it’s okay to brag! You are your company’s biggest cheerleader. Let the world know about it!

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.)

Emotional Resilience

Entrepreneurship doesn’t just come with logistical challenges. It can also be a very emotionally tough experience. You can feel like you’re on top of the world and like you’re in front of an epic hurdle within the same day. It’s important to build emotional resilience, both for your own wellbeing and because when you’re brainstorming from a positive place, you come up with solutions you wouldn’t have thought up otherwise. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit and lockdowns rolled out around the world, many of our operations were put on hold overnight. But because the team and I had learned from experience not to panic in hard times, we were able to think on our feet and quickly pivot to sourcing PPE.

Time Management in a World of 24/7 Demands

As a CEO, there are a lot of demands for your time. Your team understandably has questions in the day to day, and as the face of the company, there are also time demands from outside forces. So, figuring out a version of time management that works for you makes a world of difference. For me, that means carving out uninterrupted time for deep focused work, grouping meetings into batches whenever possible, entrusting my amazing assistant to take the reins on lots of scheduling decisions. This also means trusting my team to thrive at the things they do best while I focus on my tasks, providing them guidance and feedback but knowing they’re able to shine on their own.

Laser Focus on the Tasks That Mean the Most

On any given day in a start-up, the to-do list is never ending. This can make it tempting to chip away at a less important task that feels productive but doesn’t actually move the company forward, while game-changing tasks linger at the bottom of the list. To help avoid this, I try to start my day thinking about what I’d like to have accomplished by the evening, or how I’d like the company to move forward by the end of the week. This helps me work backwards to decide which tasks are actually worth focusing on. I try to think about the ROI of the time, money, and energy that goes into each task. As a team, we practice this together by sharing our weekly priorities each Monday. This helps us focus more sharply on what really matters.

Asking for Help

Spend your career (especially your early career) building strong relationships and growing your network. And down the line, if things get tough or you need help, don’t be afraid to reach out to that network for what you need. In the early days of TO THE MARKET, so many of our first breaks came from reaching out far and wide within my network, seeking out anyone I could who might be able to benefit from TTM’s expertise. Years later, when we pivoted from apparel to PPE in 2020, TTM’s network stepped up in a whole new way, providing funding that enabled us to get new orders for healthcare workers underway as quickly as possible.

Getting Comfortable with “Failing Forward”

Failure is inevitable — it’s how you handle it that makes all the difference. Take shame or regret out of the equation, and instead focus on what you can learn from your stumbles. What can you do better next time? What did this failure teach you about yourself or your company’s capabilities? I share this with my team as well. When mistakes happen, we focus on learning together what lessons we can take from the experience.

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

One of the most tangible ways TO THE MARKET has been able to make a difference is through our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, when we switched from supplying apparel, accessories, and home goods to supplying PPE to frontline healthcare workers, nuns, farmers, and other essential workers. We supplied millions of units of PPE in the United States, and we were also able to commission some of our makers to supply and distribute masks within their local communities in Kenya and Ghana.

In a larger sense, my hope for TO THE MARKET is that everything we do makes the world a better place. I founded the company with the goal of creating a world with more safe, sustainable, fairly paid jobs, and we’ve been fortunate to work with makers all over the world doing exactly that. Along the way, I hope to continue showing consumers just how simple it is to make a difference with our everyday purchases. Each one of us has more power than we think — it’s all about where we direct our dollars!

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.

Helping people, especially women in marginalized communities, find meaningful employment. Everyone, no matter their walk of life, deserves safe, fairly paid work that enables them to make decisions about the direction of their lives. I’m passionate about enabling the dignity of work.

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.

There have been so many people that have influenced my life and my career in different ways, it’s hard to choose any one person! Family immediately comes to mind because they’re so important to keep close. I’d love to share a meal with my mother and grandmother, as they’ve been the most influential women in my life.

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

Female Founders: Jane Mosbacher Morris of TO THE MARKET On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Female Founders: Leslie Goldman of The Artemis Fund On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

By putting my money, time and energy where my mouth is. By giving up a steady paycheck and using my savings to invest in purpose-driven female founders. These founders are building companies that democratize access to wealth, encourage sustainability, and reduce friction in the care economy. What could be better?

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

Leslie Goldman is a General Partner and Co-Founder of The Artemis Fund, a seed stage VC fund that invests in mission-driven female founders across the US. After more than 25 years as a corporate attorney, Leslie turned to angel investing in companies (60+) and funds (11) and reacted to the alarming funding disparity for women by launching a fund with partners Diana Murakhovskaya and Stephanie Campbell to tackle the disparity. The team is launching The Artemis Fund II in Q4 of 2021 to invest in another 20 exceptional female founders.

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?

My passions for gender equity, amplifying female voices, continuous learning, and investing led me to this career path.

Prior to co-founding The Artemis Fund with my partners, Diana Murakhovskaya and Stephanie Campbell, I was an opera singer in training, turned corporate attorney for 25 years, turned executive recruiter for three years. I believe the winding path has given me an enriched and unique perspective as an investor. Along the way, I invested in 60 companies and 11 funds before my “aha” moment after one-too-many experiences as the only woman in a room full of male investors; watching pitch after pitch from all white male teams with advisors and board members who mirrored them. When I met Stephanie and Diana, they were reeling from the same “aha” moment.

The three of us had been researching the paltry amount of funding women founders receive (only 2–3% over the past 10 years of the trillions invested) and reviewing the evidence that shows female founders outperform their males counterparts when they do get funded. We all wanted to create a path to getting larger dollars to these overlooked founders to further prove out this data. I view it as low hanging fruit — money left on the table and innovation missed. How are we leaving out 50% of the population? To boot, women-led companies are solving problems that are completely undetected, or even obscured, by men. Thus begat The Artemis Fund.

The mandate of The Artemis Fund is to invest in female-founded, female-led companies that democratize access to wealth (e.g. CNote, Goodfynd, UNest, Upgrade), encourage sustainability (e.g. DressX and Goodmylk), and reduce friction in the care economy (e.g. HopSkipDrive, Naborforce and Work & Mother). With that mandate, The Artemis Fund has invested in 11 companies, and we are on the way to a 15-company portfolio. We are embarking on The Artemis Fund II to find and fund many more. But, we need billions to close the gender funding gap as a $50M fund can’t move the needle. We simply need more funders, more limited partners (LPs), to demand more from their fund managers.

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

While I can’t share the details of specific companies, founders and investors, I can say that The Artemis Fund’s record will prove that pregnancy makes a determined female founder even more determined.

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?

I made many mistakes as an angel investor before starting The Artemis Fund. I am not sure they are “haha” funny, but I have certainly learned from them. My personal experience involves investing early in two different, but equally amazing storytellers. Both of these gents raised millions of dollars for their companies and then disappeared. One of them resurfaced in Southern California with no remorse and is surfing and living in a beautiful estate. The other may be behind bars, but I’m not sure.

Our fund’s extensive diligence on our portfolio companies would have uncovered the red flags. As an angel with a small check, my ability to conduct due diligence was limited. I learned the importance not only of extensive background and reference checks but also the need to build a rapport with founders. Developing a relationship with founders allows me to explore their true motivation, authenticity, passion, drive, and grit. Sometimes there is no “there there.” Sigh.

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?

Yes! My fiance and sons (yes, all boys) have been vocal about their support for the work I am doing. Their encouragement and overt show of respect fuels my confidence, especially since my time and energy is often diverted from them.

I am also grateful for discovering the book Angel by Jason Calacanis. It led me to realize that anyone can learn to invest in startups, at any time and any gender, and even with small amounts of money. Jason has educated thousands of people. Granted, most of them are men, because women have not yet discovered (en masse) that they can have a seat at the investor table. So — I (and my partners) in turn, make it my (our) business to educate women.

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?

That 20% includes co-ed teams. Of those co-ed teams, less than half have female CEOs or women who are equal owners of the company. The real “telling” statistic is, according to Harvard Business Review and Crunchbase, only 2.3% of funding in 2020 went to female founded companies.

The second question is a false construct. I do not believe there is anything holding women back from founding companies. In fact, statistics show that more women than men start their own businesses. The real question is: why are traditional venture capitalists (VCs) unable to find the female founders? The Artemis Fund has upwards of 3,000 seed stage female-founded companies seeking funding each year. Where are the traditional VCs looking? It is clear that (a) they are looking within their networks for deal flow, or from traditional sources, and (b) they are looking for a certain type of pedigree. In fact, research shows that female founders who went on to secure more than $1 million in funding for their startups attended the same 10 universities and colleges.

To break that cycle, VCs have to be intentional and must source differently. They must make a move from their comfort zone, both geographically and demographically. That move requires looking outside their networks and considering a different type of founder, one who may not be a white male from Stanford or Harvard, a former Google exec, a serial entrepreneur, or a startup accelerator alumnus, such as YCombinator, or another name brand program.

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?

Yes.

Institutional investors could require that fund managers allocate more deliberately to female-led, female-founded companies.

Male and female thought leaders and investors (angel, venture capital and private equity) could intentionally seek out and educate more women about this asset class and provide them the opportunity to invest.

Fund managers could diversify their investment decision makers, since women are three times more likely to invest in female founders.

And traditional VCs should ask themselves:

How much do we plan to allocate to female founded companies?

How do we screen companies? Can we somehow make the pitch gender blind?

Where do we look for companies? Do we invest in founders in cities throughout the US? Do we look outside the cities with the greatest number of startups? Do we ask for deal flow from VCs that exclusively invest in female founders? Are we broadening our network to non-traditional VCs?

How many female-founded/female-led companies do we see per year? And what percentage of deals do we screen?

Are we training our team on unconscious bias and are we aware of current statistics?

Realistically, however, only the larger institutional investors — the limited partners (LPs) — can sway their General Partners to actively and intentionally act on the questions above. There seems to be a lot of lip service calling for investment in women and minority fund managers. The rub is that most female fund managers are “emerging managers” — i.e., with small funds and no track record. Established LPs — the foundations, pension funds, endowments, government-run agencies, universities — are unable to invest in amounts small enough to allow them to participate in a small Fund (<$100M). They also want to see a track record which, by definition, an emerging manager cannot produce. Since this creates a catch-22, fund of funds — like Sapphire Ventures and Ahoy Capital — as well as family offices and even banks are trying to fill in the gaps for small funds.

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 we know that female founders receive approximately 2% of the overall venture capital funding dollars, we are losing out on an estimated $2.5T to $5T in GDP and immeasurable innovation. Entrepreneurship is considered a central path to job creation, economic growth and prosperity; small businesses contribute 64% of new job creation annually in the United States. So imagine what we are leaving on the table by not allocating even 5%, 10%, or 20% to the other half of the population?

Research also shows that women are better at high-growth entrepreneurship than men. In fact, companies with a female founder deliver a higher rate of return (112% vs 48%) than all-male founded teams and a lower risk of failure. I attribute this to (a) doing more with less money and (b) having (almost universally) a gender diverse management team and advisory board. Also, by the time a female founder is ready for institutional funding, she will have gone through many tests of her grit and determination, and have achieved product market fit and revenue. She cannot expect funding on an idea, or due to pedigree, or from a funding mafia.

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

I think one myth to dispel is that you need to raise VC money. If you can avoid it, you should. If you can bootstrap, raise money from angels, grants, or otherwise, do that first. Once you raise from VCs, you are wedded and accountable to that VC, who in turn is accountable to a whole slew of investors. Putting a VC on the cap table changes the dynamic around the decision making table.

Another myth may be in thinking you can control your own destiny. As a founder and CEO, you will work harder than ever and time will not be yours. To be a successful founder, you have to be truly passionate, incredibly gritty, and determined. Which means you are probably ‘Type A’ and easily addicted to work. The hours in the day and night run together, especially if you don’t have someone who forces you to break away.

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 way. You must be comfortable taking risks. When your company gets to a certain point, you must be comfortable taking money from others. And then be prepared to roll up your sleeves, receive their input, and communicate with them.

As for traits, the most successful founders are passionate, gritty, and determined, and gifted at communicating and developing relationships with all stakeholders. Plus, they deeply understand their market, their customers, and how to serve them. They must focus on the customer experience and closely monitor the changes in behavior and needs of the customer over time.

Without these traits, you are better off collecting a paycheck and enjoying the family.

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.)

I want to premise my comments by saying that these traits apply to both male and female founders. Being female just adds an additional layer of challenges and scrutiny.

A thick skin. Most founders (both male and female) will hear “no” more often than “yes.” Out of 100 pitch meetings, you’ll be lucky to get one “yes” from a potential investor. And if you are a woman, you may have to double or triple that number, as research shows unconscious bias. Power through and know your value.

Passion. Passion for your product will drive your persistence, a necessary ingredient in overcoming the naysayers, the difficult times, and of course, the grind of fundraising. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a true test of persistence and passion. We saw it test the founders in our Artemis portfolio. They passed. Passionate about their product and service, they came out stronger. The founder/CEO must motivate, steer, collaborate, and communicate her vision to the entire (at first small) team. The CEO must fuel the team and create the culture. A great leader can authentically convey optimism at the most challenging times.

Female leaders are under greater scrutiny since there are fewer. Every female founder and CEO knows she is a role model. Given her visibility, the pressure to lead and give voice to the vision of the company while demonstrating resilience, creates a greater responsibility.

Vision and the ability to communicate that vision.To raise money, you have to tell a story that resonates with investors. We know that unconscious bias plays into the outcomes, but a clear articulation of the problem and the (differentiated) solution is critical. And, of course, any founder needs to be able to convince investors that (i) there is a huge market for the product, (ii) the scalability is “venture-sized” from a return standpoint, and © she has a strong and well thought- out go-to-market strategy. Ladies — know your numbers!

Ability to attract and retain talent (employees, advisors, board members). Surrounding yourself with talented people will enhance your ability to raise. The blunt reality is that the pedigree of your team — track record as founders and operators, where they worked, went to school, their connections — unfortunately, make a difference to some investors.

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

By putting my money, time and energy where my mouth is. By giving up a steady paycheck and using my savings to invest in purpose-driven female founders. These founders are building companies that democratize access to wealth, encourage sustainability, and reduce friction in the care economy. What could be better?

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.

Limited partners (LPs) need to step in and require their general partners (GPs) to invest in women. They need to mandate that a certain percentage of their investments be directed into women-led companies. We have managed to get legislation passed requiring female representation on boards, yet we can’t seem to fix the gender disparity at the very beginning of the funnel — having women in the C-suite from the very nascent stage of a company.

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.

There are so many amazing people that are making a difference and doing amazing things for gender equity. Here are just a few of the people I would love to meet:

Melinda Gates. She is doing all she can for gender equity.

Serena Williams. She is investing in female founders and using her purse as well as her brand to help female founders.

Arc Equity’s Cathy Wood, who is using her financial strength and celebrity to put a focus on environmental, social, and governance (ESG). She’s an incredibly successful female investor.

Marla Blow, who is one of the few black female founders in fintech. She led ESG efforts at Mastercard and is now the CEO of the Skoll Foundation, working on some incredibly important initiatives around financial inclusion and climate change.

Jeff Skoll is a philanthropist with a focus on social impact and driving positive change by focusing on things that matter.

Betsy Cohen, a female pioneer in fintech,

Jacki Zehner is giving a voice to women, calling on them to invest and move millions to women’s causes.

All the incredible gender-lens investors, promoters and thought leaders. And of course, the bold and determined female founders who are working to create the change we need to see.

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

Female Founders: Leslie Goldman of The Artemis Fund On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and… 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

Thanks to the rising popularity of smart working, travellers are looking for greater flexibility in their villa bookings and with cancellation policies. With flexible work becoming the new norm for so many, people are now turning an airport lounge or villa dining room into their office. We anticipate the rise of “workcations” will likely lead to increased off-season travel, as clients seek to avoid crowds of tourists.

As part of my series about “developments in the travel industry over the next five years”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Roberto Sortino.

Roberto Sortino, Managing Director & Founder of Villatravellers, founded the Sicilian villa company over 15 years ago. Villatravellers provides exclusive, personalised holidays all across Sicily and includes over 70 meticulously selected properties that span every part of the island. At the start of this year, and during the height of Covid-19, Sortino led a company rebrand to reflect the brand’s optimistic view on tourism on the island.

Sortino was brought up during the digital age, which led him to pursue a degree in computer science and languages and he studied at home in Sicily throughout university. This was when the idea behind soloSicily (now Villatravellers) was born — Roberto was looking to bring together his love of Sicily with his passion for the internet, giving life to one of the top villa rental companies.

Villatravellers offers a high-end concierge service and offers unique experiences for every area that showcase the island’s culture, natural beauty, and gourmet scene. Guests can enjoy sandy beaches along the south coast, rocky shores on the east, immerse themselves in the Arab-Norman culture of the north region or explore the Baroque towns of the south.

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

From an early age my father shared his passion for computers with me, in turn growing my own. So when it came time to pick a degree at university I naturally chose computer science. After graduation many of my friends were keen to move away from Sicily, but not me. I loved the area, and wanted to live and work in it. Though online travel companies were rare at the time, I saw an opportunity to combine my love for technology with my love for Sicily to create soloSicily. Since then my business has evolved and become Villatravellers, with a mission to share Sicily’s beauty and culture with the modern world.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

At the start of my career, when I didn’t have much money or resources, I had to use my parents’ house as an office. When clients would used to have meetings with me, I’d have to run around, turning the house upside down until it looked like an office. My mother wasn’t pleased about it at the time, but we laugh about it now!

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 out, I was responsible for most aspects of the business, including setting up the website. As is often the case with new projects, I began by taking inspiration from other websites. With so much on my plate, I was a little overworked. One time, when looking at another company’s website I mistakenly copied their phone number and added it to ours.

After weeks of not receiving any phone calls I started feeling really disappointed, and wondered what I was doing wrong. Finally the phone rang, only for the owner of the other company to inform me that all my clients were calling them. At the time it was an absolutely humiliating moment, but reminiscing about it now it’s a funny story to look back on.

To this day I still think it’s vital to be aware of your market and familiar with competitors’ websites, so that you can see improve on what is already available. That being said, be careful to make sure the contact details on your website are really yours!

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”? Can you share a story about that?

Some of the managers and business owners I know often criticise their employees, saying they are not up to the job and telling me they prefer to do it themselves to “save time.” I’ve found this mindset is what most often leads to serious burn out. I was a bit like this starting out as well, but I have since then learned that trusting my team is much better that being an individualist.

The best tip I could offer would be to learn to delegate and to trust your co-workers and employees by listening to and supporting them. Since you are all working towards the same goal, incentivising them to provide feedback on how to improve the company is also necessary. It’s impossible to do everything yourself, however talented and keen you might be. By delegating what you can, you’ll be able to devote more energy to the tasks that really require your focus.

Ask yourself whether you are a boss or a leader of your team. As Russell H. Ewing once said, “A boss creates fear, a leader confidence.” Being a leader in your business means sharing your vision, bringing the team together, and not being afraid to ask for help.

It is always better to ask for help reaching your goal than to fail by being arrogant. Whether you’re too proud, afraid people will doubt your intelligence, or haven’t been brought up that way, if you don’t ask for help you won’t receive it. Even working for yourself, you need a team you can rely on — success stories about those who “did it by themselves” aren’t true. Today, Villatravellers is the product of many people’s hard work, including our team today, and all those who have worked alongside us over the years.

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?

There are actually two: the women in my life.

At the beginning, my mother was the only person who believed in my business. She trusted my vision and helped me financially. Part of living well is loving your work, and I’ll never stop being thankful to my mother for giving me the chance to do what I love.

The second person is Valentina, Villatravellers’ Administrative Manager, and also my wife. While some might think this is the classic cliché of a boss falling for his colleague, but we actually met and fell in love outside of work. In the first few years of my career, there was a time when I needed help but I couldn’t afford to hire employees. Valentina so kindly offered to help out. We’d spend evenings in the office, during many of which we’d eat pizza. Our favourite was a margherita with buffalo mozzarella and prosciutto.

For those first two years she worked selflessly without pay, helping grow the business into what it has become. Today she is not just one of the most important members of the Villatravellers team, but also my partner in life and a wonderful mother to our son.

Thank you for that. Let’s jump to the core of our discussion. Can you share with our readers about the innovations that you are bringing to the travel and hospitality industries?

Today, tourism has become an incredibly competitive industry. While we are always trying to improve and innovate, it can sometimes be difficult to keep up.

Right now our goal at Villatravellers is to give our guests more than just a holiday at a beautiful villa. Our clients all have different approaches when it comes to how they like to travel, but we believe everyone should be able to enjoy an authentic experience. Our wish is that anyone who books a holiday with Villatravellers leaves with a suitcase full of unique memories.

Currently, we’re working on improving the experiences we offer, as well as adding greater personalisation to our clients trips. Additionally, we are currently developing an app, so that guests can manage their holidays with a sense of autonomy. The app will include updated information about both their villa and experience bookings, as well as a complete guide to the region and an interactive map. There’s lots more to explore, but we want to keep some surprises for the launch!

As you know, COVID19 changed the world as we know it. Can you share 5 examples of how travel and hospitality companies will be adjusting over the next five years to the new ways that consumers will prefer to travel?

There is no doubt about the impact that the pandemic has had on tourism, especially in the way that people travel. In 2021 these changes are already being seen.

1. FLEXIBILITY

Thanks to the rising popularity of smart working, travellers are looking for greater flexibility in their villa bookings and with cancellation policies. With flexible work becoming the new norm for so many, people are now turning an airport lounge or villa dining room into their office. We anticipate the rise of “workcations” will likely lead to increased off-season travel, as clients seek to avoid crowds of tourists.

2. LONGER HOLIDAYS

Another emerging trend is longer holidays.

Usually our clients go on holiday for one or two weeks, but thanks to smart working many guests are now booking longer trips. To make the most of this trend, we have decided to offer discounts to guests who want to stay for longer than one week.

3. PRIVACY AND SECURITY

Thankfully the vaccination programmes around the world are slowly bringing about a return to normality. However, already this year we are seeing more guests seeking a guarantee of privacy in their accommodation. Without a doubt, villas are a great choice for this. Guests can enjoy an incredible holiday with their family or friends without having to worry about the risk of infection present in more public places.

Another important concern for guests is hygiene and sanctification. Whilst this has always been important to us, COVID-19 has made this an absolute priority for guests and staff. For this reason we have drawn up a list of steps for our hosts to respect. We also regularly inspect our villas to make sure that these standards are being upheld.

4. AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCES

Today’s travellers are no longer content just to stay in a place and observe its beauty, be it natural or man-made, as an outsider. The modern traveller is searching for authenticity and wants to connect to the place that they are visiting, to truly feel like a local. Because of this, there is a growing desire for authentic and unique experiences that can bring about these sensations during a holiday.

5. SUSTAINABILITY

The European parliament has stated that the pandemic has changed consumers’ priorities towards greener options. Because of this, a roadmap will be created to develop more sustainable forms of tourism which will reduce the environmental impact that comes from this sector. Sustainable tourism is the present and the future of travel, with an aim to promote understanding and appreciation of local cultures and traditions, to preserve the environment, and to respect the ways of life of the land and its people. By applying the principals of sustainable tourism, it is possible to keep the balance between the beauty of sharing “local treasures” with the world, and the necessity to preserve them for the next generation. There are solutions which will improve the local quality of life while creating unforgettable experiences and memories for tourists.

Tourism doesn’t and shouldn’t mean pollution, increasing cost of living, environmental damage, nightlife, or searching for luxury at the cost of traditional identities. On the contrary, real tourism contributes to, preserves, and sustains the local culture and natural beauty of the places tourists choose to visit, allowing them to enjoy the area with care and respect.

You are a “travel insider”. How would you describe your “perfect vacation experience”?

I’m not sure that a perfect holiday exists. When I travel — and this is the piece of advice I give to everyone — I try to remember that I am a guest. The rhythms, routines, languages and traditions are often different to those we know at home, and a tourist has to understand and accept that they can’t always expect it to be like home.

Let yourself go, don’t judge, live, and take part. A traveller loves, but does not judge. That’s the best experience.

Can you share with our readers how have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

We want to make our hosts and our guests aware of the importance of sustainability. We want our actions to contribute towards making the world a better place, part of a better culture.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start 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’d like to bring about a sustainable movement that the whole industry can follow. We have a great responsibility bringing together so many people for such an important cause.

The tourism industry has a great impact on the environment and it is our responsibility to take action to ensure change. The world is sadly suffering, but travel is a way to discover the beauty in the world. We have a duty to look after it, for ourselves and future generations.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Facebook — Instagram — Twitter — LinkedIn

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

Roberto Sortino of Villatravellers On The Future of Travel in The Post Covid World 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

I have always believed that we need to practice what we preach. If you are committed to your own well being, you will bring that commitment forward in the work environment and others will be inspired to follow suit.

As a part of my series about the “5 Things Anyone Can Do To Optimize Their Mental Wellness”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Nora Plesent, founder of Be Still and Soar.

Nora Plesent has been supporting women personally and professionally for over 40 years. She is a lawyer, entrepreneur, mom, writer and advocate for women’s wellness. After practicing law for 20 years and being a founder of a multi-million dollar legal staffing company for another 20 years, Nora is now a Stress Management Consultant and Wellness Coach helping women who live in a state of overwhelm and exhaustion become calmer, clearer and more connected so that they can experience more joy, comfort, peace and presence in their lives.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?

Yes! I practiced law for 20 years in NYC and then founded a legal staffing company which I ran for the next 20 years. During that time I was overwhelmed and exhausted on a regular basis. I was working full time, raising four kids on my own and never felt like I was particularly successful at either. Around 2007 I hit a wall; while I was in China adopting my youngest daughter my brother died at 39. I knew I needed to make some changes in my life. I went through a difficult divorce and moved across the country to LA to start life anew. The move was hard on my children and it was a struggle for all of us to make friends and create a sense of belonging. I felt like I was on empty. I came across a meditation studio and began learning how to meditate. I read everything I could on the mind-body connection, the nervous system and the power of slowing down. All these concepts were new to me and I was blown away by how much they helped me through my own crisis. I then decided to become certified as a meditation coach and help women learn how to do the same for themselves.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

I think one of the most surprising and interesting things that happened to me these last five years was when I had to go to the DMV to renew my license and walked in to the madness and chaos and seemingly unending lines and was able to sit for hours without the massive amount of angst, annoyance and frustration that had always overwhelmed me in moments such as these.

Can you share a story with us about the most humorous mistake you made when you were first starting? What lesson or take-away did you learn from that?

When I started out I was still under the impression that to “meditate” properly you needed a meditation cushion, incense and beads! I was initially so impressed with myself that I had the “right” paraphernalia to meditate but soon thereafter when I was sitting on the cushion, cross legged with the incense wafting and beads in my hands I burst out laughing realizing that the inner work I was committed to doing and bringing to others had nothing to do with these of any props. It was going inside, wherever you are and getting quiet and listening to your own still small voice.

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 meditation coach, Heather Hayward! The first day I walked into one of her classes and she was playing Stevie Wonder I knew I had found someone I could work with, relate to and learn from.

What advice would you suggest to your colleagues in your industry to thrive and avoid burnout?

For anyone stepping into a career in wellness, make sure to stay connected to your own reason for being in the industry and stay true to your own practices of meditation or breath work, healthy eating, sleep routines and whatever you do to personally stay “well”. When you do, you will naturally avoid burnout!

What advice would you give to other leaders about how to create a fantastic work culture?

I have always believed that we need to practice what we preach. If you are committed to your own well being, you will bring that commitment forward in the work environment and others will be inspired to follow suit.

Ok thank you for all that. Now let’s move to the main focus of our interview. Mental health is often looked at in binary terms; those who are healthy and those who have mental illness. The truth, however, is that mental wellness is a huge spectrum. Even those who are “mentally healthy” can still improve their mental wellness. From your experience or research, what are five steps that each of us can take to improve or optimize our mental wellness. Can you please share a story or example for each.

I am a strong believer that in order to stay healthy, we need to live as balanced a life as we can, and not become obsessive about any one arena of our life/personality. I advise clients to take a good look at all parts of themselves and to spend some time every day devoted to nurturing all their different parts!

The Five Steps I suggest for optimizing mental wellness can be found in the neumonic SPICE!

I work with my clients to bring a little SPICE to their lives but each and every day, doing something

Spiritual (S), something Physical (P), something Intellectual (I), something Creative © and something Emotional (E). It doesn’t have to be a huge amount of work to do this, it’s about becoming conscious of how we spend our time and focus and making an effort to be well rounded. Today I meditated, walked, read a book, wrote a little and talked with a friend. Checked everything off the list!

Much of my expertise focuses on helping people to plan for after retirement. Retirement is a dramatic ‘life course transition’ that can impact one’s health. In addition to the ideas you mentioned earlier, are there things that one should do to optimize mental wellness after retirement? Please share a story or an example for each.

Even more important in retirement to make sure you are nurturing all the various sides of yourself!

How about teens and pre teens. Are there any specific new ideas you would suggest for teens and pre teens to optimize their mental wellness?

Teens also are advised to explore the various areas of themselves and break out of their habitual routines on the phone and take a walk or bike ride, read something not online, write a note the old fashioned way and even have a talk on the phone rather than on chat!

Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story?

I read constantly and have many many books that have impacted me but one of the ones I come back to regularly is Pema Chodron’s When Things Fall Apart. Real, Relatable, Meaningful.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start 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 would like to start a movement to get people to meditate en masse together, write in journals, share and then walk around hugging one another!

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?

I love this one- It’s not what you get in life, it’s what you do with it!

To me that sums it all up- whatever happens to us, we can always espond how we want to!

What is the best way our readers can follow you on social media?

@thenoraplesent.

www.noraplesent.com

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!

Nora Plesent of Be Still and Soar: 5 Things Anyone Can Do To Optimize Their Mental Wellness was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Female Founders: Daniella Green of Slaypedia+Transfer Green On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Diversity and inclusion has to go past “just awareness and hashtags”. Organizations have to implement action. Begin to open the forum and communicate what’s required and what they are seeking to diversify leadership. Government grants need to target more startups and offer programs that help with the “launch phase”. Honestly as a society, I’d call to task platforms like Netflix with more entertainment that normalize women in leadership running their own companies like Scandal. As crazy as that sounds, so many women were inspired by that show and her ability to out maneuver the men she worked so closely with.

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

Daniella Green is the founder of a sustainability engineering firm where they engineer the “how to go green”, implement diversity & inclusion programs and dissect applicable changes to governance/regulatory laws to exploit the benefit to the corporate goals. She is strategist to leadership and has also work with individual clients (particularly women) who’ve outgrown their current role or have hit a glass ceiling, seeking to pivot into leadership opportunities.

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?

My background is engineering. From College I landed an interview with Shell Oil and was hired immediately! I thought this would be just like my internships. LOL. WRONG! While I appreciate the lessons and mentorship I gained there. I quickly realized I always the only woman and woman of color in so many settings as I worked my way up. Even when I left and went to another company I worked my from director to VP. That was ground breaking. As a woman of color, it wasn’t an easy path to executive leadership and then to branch off and start my own company, that overlaps tech, oil and gas, I was forced to find ways to thrive in a heavily white male industry. However, what made me realize I was strong enough to start my own firm. I started to realize my impact to the overall corporate portfolio. Then I thought why not do this on my own. I’m good enough and I’m for sure smart enough. That’s where my audacity begin.

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

I thought that it would be hard to establish trust being young, a woman and of African descent. But what I realized is my ability to communicate how much I trust my talent. That created a boom and a sense of ease in business. I remember when I first started. I did a live session in a Facebook group with some guys from MIT and Oxford. I was for sure no one wanted to hear what I had to say. But after just doing this “talk”. People kept asking to book with me. Companies and individual professionals. I made $30K just off that one session consulting! Mind you this was during the pandemic! God has shown me overflow and favor when businesses were being wiped off the map. 2020 was my year of validation. Any doubts I had about my talent died that day!

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?

Yes, I would be afraid to discuss my prices when I first started out loosing clients. I met a young lady who I consulted on negotiations for her VP role at a major tech company in California. She called me and told me that her bonus was in the high $200K range because she followed everything I said! Hell, I impressed myself….LOL. The company now changed their offering to leaders because she used everything I taught her. She told me I had to stop charging Taco Bell prices for Filet Mignon. She paid me what my consulting rate should’ve been. I haven’t looked back since.

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?

Yes, Wayne & Sakita. A while male executive and one of the top recruiters at the time, a black woman named Sakita. They both helped me realize what exactly I had to offer, how to communicate that and most important how to communicate the my expectations. Mentors are necessary because you avoid a lot of unnecessary failure.

Wayne was the most professional, effective and empowering leaders I’ve ever worked with. He never gossiped, never raised his voice, very in control of his emotions during the most stressful times and he communicated very clearly but trusted us to do our jobs.

Sakita really broke down “negotiations” for me. I needed that. She has also help me grow through some of the roughest moments of my life to ensure they didn’t interfere with my professional life.

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?

Let’s back up ….Women are still fighting the pay gap. Statistically speaking women feel asking for more or negotiating indicates “rocking the boat”, being ungrateful or being greedy. For this very reason I coach women with such passion. They tend to get stuck or hit glass ceilings more than men. Not because they lack talent or ability, it’s a lack of self confidence, audacity and understanding “how and why they should negotiate”. Most organizations today that rank as “top” in their industry, have a heavily dominated male leadership board. So there’s no representation. You can’t expect women to be something they can’t see. So to leave a company to start your own is a bit drastic to most. Lastly, men don’t evaluate the same risk as women. They don’t battle with the same concerns as a woman starting a family (pregnancy) a being a mother, wife and caretaker for family.

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?

Diversity and inclusion has to go past “just awareness and hashtags”. Organizations have to implement action. Begin to open the forum and communicate what’s required and what they are seeking to diversify leadership. Government grants need to target more startups and offer programs that help with the “launch phase”. Honestly as a society, I’d call to task platforms like Netflix with more entertainment that normalize women in leadership running their own companies like Scandal. As crazy as that sounds, so many women were inspired by that show and her ability to out maneuver the men she worked so closely with.

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 will reshape society, connect to audiences, and key stakeholders on a deeper level. I feel women offer a perspective that’s often overlooked and quite frankly it impacts profitability and the bottom line. It will also mean a shift in how women are viewed in the workplace and how they are respected by their peers

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

That you can’t have a life outside of this, that we’re lonely, don’t have family or no desire to. Female founders get a bad rep of being hard to deal with “divas”. I also think some women feel they are too old or may have to sell “sex appeal” or a commercial look to appeal to audiences

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! In the words of Jay-z “Everybody’s bosses ’til it’s time to pay for the office”. I love that bar because social media glamorizes entrepreneurship as if its fun all the time, easy and a way to get rich quick. It also promotes materialism over purpose. My company is not only my passion apart of my purpose, I’m responsible for my team’s careers. I must constantly be open for correction and be dedicated past 5pm, through the weekend etc. You need to have durability. If you want to go clock out and be done when it comes to a business this isn’t for you. A regular job is fine some people find pleasure working with teams, having security, and knowing how much is going to be on their check and if like the feeling of clocking out and then going home, then working for a company would be best.

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.)

I’ve Submitted The Video of This:

1. Boundaries With Clients
2. Write Out The Vision & Mission Clearly
3. Turn Over Tasks To Teams & Leave Them There
4. Get Clarity On Price Points
5. Know When To Unplug

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

My life’s passion is building up black professionals to thrive and connecting black businesses to Big Business. I esteem myself in the fact that every time I help someone in my community that I am not only making it harder to keep systemic racism in place but I am help that person of color to break generational poverty and begin building legacy. I am also working to close the pay gap between women and men. So to see my gift change the trajectory of an entire family for generations to come is truly something that I am extremely grateful for.

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.

Breaking the system in place that prevents and nearly blocks opportunities for people of color. Systemic racism, generational poverty and changing the narrative. I want to normalize wealth in my community.

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.

Robert F Smith. He’s a black billionaire from Texas. The level of work he has put into the community is truly what I aspire to be able to produce myself. I love seeing black and brown leaders in areas that we don’t typically see them in.

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

Female Founders: Daniella Green of Slaypedia+Transfer Green 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.

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Where your attention goes, energy flows, and money grows. Have you ever noticed that when you say you’re tired, you feel even more tired, and so you go have a nap or watch some Netflix. Successful women founders control their thoughts by putting attention only towards that which brings energy and money. For example, instead of saying, “I don’t know why I don’t have any clients”, I can change my thoughts to “there is at least 1 person on the planet of 8 billion who is ready to pay me and change their life.” Keep your attention on the things that lead to your success, and not those that try to keep you from success.

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

Chas is a business coach with over 20 years of business experience. She activates the power in women to create freedom and joy using business as a tool.

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 grew up where my dad’s side of the family were all entrepreneurs. My grandma and aunt owned the small town restaurant and gas station, and I spent most of my time there. I started working there when I was 12 and by 14, was doing the accounts payables and receivables. Entrepreneurship is in my blood. I knew as a child I was meant to lead.

I started my first business in 2002 with another lady. It was my first taste of all the things to do to legally start a business. I sold that to her 2 years later and moved to another city. This is when I had my babies and became a personal trainer, so I could work around my kids schedule. All the while, helping other people feel empowered with their bodies and self-confidence.

It was the spring of 2009 I posted on my Facebook that my body needed a break. I was tired from training and teaching many fitness classes each week. 3 days later, I broke my leg which resulted in sitting on my couch taking that break for a few months.

During this time, I kept thinking about what drove me crazy about working at the gym I was at. And it was people talking on their phones while “working out”. Is it really a workout when you put makeup on BEFORE the workout and can talk on the phone while on the treadmill? No. So I started writing the business plan for one of the first spin/hybrid studios in my city.

After 4 years, I burnt out with the gym. Even though I had 15 staff members, at no time did I ever “shut off” from the gym. I thought about it day and night. My family suffered, and I suffered. So I sold it.

From there I pursued a masters in International Development, because my passion has always been to help women create freedom and joy in their lives, no matter where they live, what circumstances they endure, and what their economic situation. Freedom and joy belong to everyone.

It was with this passion that I started working at a non-profit organization teaching low income women and new immigrants how to start a business, so they could create freedom and joy and independence in their lives. After being there for 3.5 years, I left to start my own business coaching others to start businesses.

And here I am.

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

I started my business with the intention of owning my schedule, doing what I want, when I want.. However, quite quickly I fell into the trap of doing all the things to get clients. I found I was sacrificing myself to please my clients, to please my family, to please people on the internet I didn’t even know, with the hopes of getting that next client. I caught myself burning out again.

I took back what I could control, let go of that I couldn’t control, and simplified my business down to working 2–3 hours a day on the essentials it takes to grow a business.

This simplification of the business model allowed me both time and money freedom, resulting in me being soulfully joyful.

And my clients love this 3 Hour Workday formula, as well. It helps them work less, and have more time for themselves, who wouldn’t love that?

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 first started my gym, I wanted to be the opposite of the big box gyms. I didn’t want clients to be obligated to sign 2 year contracts that were impossible to cancel. I wanted freedom for my members. So I offered annual memberships paid in advance. This was so great for cash flow in January, and so great for no cash flow in February.

I was crying to my husband about all my business problems, every night. And he was no help, since he’s not an entrepreneur. He is a great listener though.

That’s when I learned the power of coaching and always having a coach. I got my first coach in March of 2010, and have had one ever since. Someone to listen to me, guide me in business, and redirect me back to the essentials.

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 am most thankful for my husband who is my greatest cheerleader. He’s the one who sees my potential before I do. He’s the one who reminds me of my powers and gifts. He supports me to rise to my greatness. Coaches come and go, but he’s my constant rock.

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?

Our patriarchal society has been what has held more women back from founding companies. For centuries, masculine energy has dominated our world. Men have dominated business because of how business was created. And not all women are masculine dominant in their energies and have therefore not felt like they’ve fit into the traditional business mold. But the tides are changing. We are not women trying to make it in a man’s world anymore. Both men and women, masculine and feminine energies can co-exist in business. And this is why there’s been a huge increase in online business in the past couple of years, primarily women leading the path.

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?

There’s a lot of things that can be done to dismantle the patriarchal society, and many of which are just naturally happening as we speak. To overcome these limitations the masculine world has put on women, women need to stand up, be confident, be courageous, be lights in the darkness, and take bold actions based on their intuition and heart.

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?

More women should start their own businesses because it’s what they feel is best for them. If you are led or inspired to start a business, a movement, a mission, then let nothing stop you. If you feel the desire, it’s given to you for a reason, and it is your responsibility to act on those desires.

• Founding a business is a tool where the world can see your greatness. It’s an avenue to show your confidence, your gifts, your skills, your heart and soul and your power.
• Founding a business gives you the money freedom to do as you wish. You don’t need to ask permission from your partner if you can buy that bag or take that trip. You do it.
• Founding a business gives you time freedom so you have time to do what you want in all the aspects of your life. You are more than a business. You have other roles to play. But you are a physical being, a spiritual being, a relationship being, so much more that you can create space to grow in.
• Founding a business gives you joy. Not just fleeting feelings of happiness. But deep rooted emotions of joy from the pride of what you’ve accomplished and the change you are creating in the world.

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

3 myths about being a founder I’d like to dispel:

1. You have to work all the time. It’s your business. It’s your choice how much you want to work. You didn’t leave your day job to create another job. Don’t fall into the temptation of working all the time. You’ll only burn out.
2. More work = more money. This is the masculine energy toxic vibe that more work = more money. If that were true, all house cleaners would be billionaires, and they’re not. Focus on the essentials of building a business and let all the other drama fall aside.
3. It’s hard work. I always like to ask, “what does hard work mean to you? What does “easy” mean?” For many, hard work means long hours, or a constant struggle. And easy means not doing any work, or some might equate it with being lazy. I believe businesses don’t need to struggle or require long hours. The hard work is the emotional ebbs and flows you go on as an entrepreneur. That’s the work. Implementing the strategies is the easy part. The mindset work is the hard part.

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?

After teaching and coaching hundreds of women to start businesses, I don’t think everyone is cut out to be a founder. Some skills that are required to be a successful entrepreneur, one can’t teach. For example, you need to be a risk taker to be an entrepreneur. One can certainly grow in the ability to take risks, but some are just more risk tolerant than others. Ability to take financial risks is vital, and if one’s basic needs are not being met, it will be quite hard to be a founder, but not impossible. Those who make it possible are ones who are driven to succeed no matter what. If you are the type of person who is going to quit as soon as times get tough, it might be best to stay as an employee. If you are struggling to pay for your housing, food, and clothing, you should keep your regular job until your self-employment income replaces that day job income.

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.)

The following are 5 things you need to thrive and succeed as a woman founder:

1. Where your attention goes, energy flows, and money grows. Have you ever noticed that when you say you’re tired, you feel even more tired, and so you go have a nap or watch some Netflix. Successful women founders control their thoughts by putting attention only towards that which brings energy and money. For example, instead of saying, “I don’t know why I don’t have any clients”, I can change my thoughts to “there is at least 1 person on the planet of 8 billion who is ready to pay me and change their life.” Keep your attention on the things that lead to your success, and not those that try to keep you from success.
2. A support system. I learned very early on in business, that my husband is a great sounding board, but not a great business or marketing coach. To keep my marriage strong and grow my business, I needed a business coach to be there for me in ways my husband couldn’t. I needed a network of other successful women who showed me that it is possible to make a lot of money doing what I love.
3. A clear vision of where you want to go. Visualize and feel into what it feels like to be at the top of the mountain. Every morning I spend time visualizing and meditating on what success looks like to me today, and then taking time to lean back and listen to my intuition for what the path is to get closer to the top of the mountain. The path may be a clear path today with no rocks or obstacles in the way, the next path might have some rocks you may have to maneuver through. Regardless of how bumpy the path is, you do whatever it takes to reach your mountain top, one step at a time.
4. Successful women founders know what they can control and what they can’t, and release all they can not control. We put so much pressure on ourselves to reach this goal, make this amount of money by the 30th of the month, or do all the things by this time. And yet, we have no control over who is going to buy from us and when. We can only control when we put out our offers. We try to tell ourselves we are good at multitasking and like working under pressure. But I believe this pressure and time frames we put on ourselves, makes us miserable. 2020 was a year that triggered me to my core and I was having a lot of anxiety. I did a lot of meditations and inner work to identify what I could control and couldn’t. And in letting go of that which I can’t control, I have learned to manage anxiety and pressure and am soulfully joyful as a result.
5. Emotional Intelligence. This is our ability to understand, use and manage emotions to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges, and defuse conflict. These are marks of the female leader, the woman founder. For example, when someone posts some harsh criticism online, the successful woman founder doesn’t react right aways with a comeback that might be hurtful, but takes a step back to evaluate the circumstance, the thoughts, and the emotion that’s being triggered, and then replies in a neutral state, or doesn’t respond at all. The emotionally intelligent success woman takes actions from her heart.

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

My purpose in life is to make the world a better place by starting with empowering one woman at a time to create time and money freedom for themselves. I started with empowering myself. I have role modeled to my daughter the leadership and strength by being a female founder. I have worked with clients who have created businesses that raised them out of poverty. I have worked with international organizations and local non-profits designed to make the world a better place. Making the world a better place has been what’s made me successful.

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.

Let’s create a movement of women who are activated and inspired down to their core, that no matter what, they can create freedom, joy and wealth in their lives. Where we don’t let circumstances that surround us, limit us. We are activated. We are powerful. We move mountains.

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 would love to have a sit down with Robin Arzon, Peloton. She is a heart-led hustler, who moves mountains and inspires millions. She is a reminder to always wear your crown straight, and take your place on the throne.

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

Female Founders: Chas Young On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and 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: Louise Vongerichten Ulukaya of Mon Coeur On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Be open minded yet set boundaries- as we started wholesale for the next collection, we got lots of opinions on looks, colors, patterns and more. I take feedback openly and embrace it because sometimes when you start a business there are so many areas to focus on that the feedback can give you more ideas. However, I learned to listen yet not apply all feedback, because at the end of the day everyone has an opinion!

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

Louise Vongerichten Ulukaya is the founder of Mon Coeur, a children’s clothing revolution, weaved by making truly earth-friendly clothes now, for a future with a healthier, happier planet. Founded after Louise gave birth to her first child, Mon Coeur is a childrenswear brand designed to care for the environment, respects the people making it, and that looks and feels good while being accessible for all. Louise is also founder & president of the Food Dreams Foundation, a non profit organization dedicated to bridging the gap between underprivileged students and the working culinary community.

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?

After my son was born, I sought to create Mon Coeur as a way to connect families with high-quality items and impactful solutions for sustaining the health of our planet.

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

Launching in the middle of the pandemic has been on its own the most interesting experience. Everyone I met along the way thought I was a little ‘out of my mind’ to do so, as no one had any idea about where this would lead but I was determined to launch Mon Coeur in January 2021 no matter what, and so we did! During this time, it was all about adjusting ourselves, being patient, but i also sensed a very strong feeling of solidarity and warmth, with the factory workers, the mill workers, in this period of uncertainty, which allowed for all of us to comfort each other and be more present and thankful to be able to talk to each other and work together each day.

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?

I am from a hospitality background so the fashion industry is a new world for me and I have learned a lot since I decided to start a sustainable clothing brand, 3 years ago. At first I didn’t know the basics on how to manufacture clothing, so making them in a sustainable way during the pandemic was a big learning curve for me, but I really stand behind the motto “you can do anything you want, if you work hard”. One mistake I made when we first launched was arriving at our first photo shoot for our Spring/Summer 2021 campaign in the middle of the pandemic and having the surprise that most of our styles did not fit the kids models on set, as we never had a chance to fit the collection on any kids, because we were all quarantining at home. We then had to take time to make the photoshoot happen and rework it so the looks fit perfectly on the kids so we obviously made the sizing changes before we launched, but it was funny now looking back!

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 husband is a great source of inspiration and is an amazing entrepreneur and leader himself, and I enjoy having daily candid conversations with him and sharing thoughts and opinions about his company and my company. I get a lot of inspiration on how sustainability and ethical practices are established within his organization as well as building a culture that is positive and elevating for people, especially women.

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 that one of the most challenging aspects as a female entrepreneur is balancing responsibilities, being a mother, a leader for my business and trying to run a home smoothly is a challenge that is a lot more visible and existing for women then it is for a men. As a mother of two young kids, I am always triggered by the guilt of working too much, of making sure I make the time for my kids, because ‘time flies’ and I also want to enjoy all the special times with them as they grow. It is not easy to balance everything, everyday. Another aspect is the fear of failure and fear of being ‘out there’ in a world which can be intimidating and somehow challenging depending on the industry.

Access to finance is another obstacle, as women tend to have less capital than men, or less access to capital than men as there are many myths and misconceptions about being a female founder, and men trust and prefer to partner with other men, for the most part.It has been culturally engraved for many many years and it is hard to undo cultural patterns, it takes time.

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?

• Provide better access to financing solutions — venture capital and angel investment are mostly male driven and the majority of investment is provided to male entrepreneurs. This needs to change and the government can incentivize banks to invest in women businesses.
• Improve family and tax policies to help improve women entrepreneurship.
• At the business level and also to change the perception of women being not as capable as men, equality in salary and access to financial resources should be made mandatory. There is absolutely no reason why in 2021 women should be paid less for the same competencies, and if not better competencies than men because we, as women, have to work harder to make our space and work legitimate and recognized.

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?

• Women have a different and fresh approach to problem solving and the diversity and the blend of men and women is the perfect combination for success
• Facing challenging situation, women are calmer and more resilient
• We bring on a very beautiful culture made of diversity, exchange, and seamless communication

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

A big one is that women run less profitable businesses, which has been shown to be completely false and studies actually show that women run more profitable businesses than men do.

As a founder, about to give birth to my second child, I sometime receive the look like I will be out of business for many months, and will just be focusing on the kids- this is a myth, of course, as mothers we take care four kids, but we also have the abilities to multitask better, and juggle with multiple roles- so no, we don’t slow down after having kids.

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?

In my opinion, founders should have passion, a clear vision and resilience to be successful. They must be genuinely invested in what they are creating and able to see where they want the company to be years down the line while being able to bounce back from obstacles since founding a company isn’t an easy road.

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. Be driven and determined- I think for me the pandemic made things somehow more challenging, from the sourcing, sampling and actual production and everyone around was telling me not to launch now, but I was determined no matter what to make it happen and launched as planned and we did, no matter what!
2. Work hard but say no sometimes ! I think it is important as a woman to work hard, if not harder to make space in any industry in general and to be ‘legitimate’, but it is also important to say no, pause, take a moment and breath and step back, which my children allow and force me to do.
3. Be open minded yet set boundaries- as we started wholesale for the next collection, we got lots of opinions on looks, colors, patterns and more. I take feedback openly and embrace it because sometimes when you start a business there are so many areas to focus on that the feedback can give you more ideas. However, I learned to listen yet not apply all feedback, because at the end of the day everyone has an opinion.
4. Follow your instinct — I am a strong believer that us women have very strong instincts, and in my experience whether it was to hire an executive or select a partner to work with, I always followed my instinct over following a resume.
5. Support other women leaders and entrepreneurs — I think there should be no competition between us, women, as we are already such a limited number of entrepreneurs out there. We have to promote each other’s businesses, exchange experiences and cultivate this beautiful community.

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

It was important to me to have a philanthropic impact through Mon Coeur as well as my personal foundation, Food Dreams Foundation which is a 501 c 3 (www.fooddreams.org)

In regards to Mon Coeur, I have partnered with 1% for the planet since the first day we launched, for every product sold, 1% is given to the restoration of the natural environment. I also partnered with 5Gyres to combat plastic pollution while organizing cleaning days movement on beaches, coasts..which also help build a very tight community as well as engage children to be as close to nature as possible. We also organize multiple a year community work, our next one being in December for Giving Tuesday, where with influencers and their family we will create a food bank.

We also just starting as of September 1st a new program called “New Again Program” that allows consumers to send us used babies/kids clothes in exchange of 40% in their next purchase as an incentive — the used clothes are then being upcycled or downcycled so we closing the loop and making sure we reduce waste and over usage of virgin fabrics.

I started the Food Dreams Foundations in 2016, with the aim to help underprivileged students access culinary school, by providing scholarships as well as mentorships programs along with my family — lucky enough to have both my father and brother successful chefs and restaurateurs which allowed us to help more than 80 students since we launched the non-profit organization.

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.

Sustainability is really at the core of my mission and focus and with Mon Coeur we are building a community of parents and children — educating them, through a community that we are investing lots of time and energy in. We create events such as beach clean ups, garden planting to really engage the kids and bring them close to nature, to help them understand the need to take care of mother nature and the role that we each have in keeping our planet safe. For parents, I’d inspire the movement to make the best decision for our planet when it comes to purchasing decisions, because this is what is going to dictate and shape the way businesses operate in the future.

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 would love to have breakfast with Stella McCartney to exchange about sustainability in fashion, as she has been such a pioneer in the sustainability movement in women’s wear especially. If I could pick two, I would love to meet with Allyson Felix, that amazing track and field sprinter and mother — I am a huge fan of the Olympics especially in that field and I admire her determination, and the fact that she is a mother and talks about it as a booster in her career shows is very inspiring.

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

Female Founders: Louise Vongerichten Ulukaya of Mon Coeur On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Female Founders: Jennifer Lee of Modern-Wealth On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Your Big 5. 5 reliable people whom you can discuss stressors, business concepts, financial opportunities, tough emails to send to clients, marketing, and strategy. Those same people you likely have regular lunch, drinks, or Zooms to share and enhance ideas. Being an entrepreneur can be lonely. It is exceptionally helpful to have 5 trusted friends and colleagues with whom you can commiserate and celebrate your challenges and accomplishments.

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

Jennifer Lee, AIF®, AWMA® is the founder of Modern-Wealth; a Sarasota-based financial firm with a focus on helping individuals experiencing transition.

Originally from Maryland, Jennifer brought her over 27 years (44 years if you count going into the office with her father as a child) of expertise in the financial services industry to Florida. Jennifer has found that a relationship with an advisor is most critical at the intersections in life where emotions collide with financial events. She enjoys facilitating her clients through challenges as they experience life’s upsets such as divorce, the loss of a spouse, or business to retirement transition. Whether you are experiencing divorce, a business client expanding or selling your operation, or a couple wanting to make sure they have provided for their family, Modern-Wealth may be a good fit. Jennifer provides a fresh perspective to the financial planning process by digging deep to understand what drives her clients. At Modern-Wealth, they build long-lasting relationships. As part of their process, they encourage clients to communicate their values to the most important people in their lives by writing a family love letter. This led her to write “Squeeze the Juice: Live With Purpose-Then Leave a Legacy.”

Jennifer R Lee, AWMA®, AIF®
Modern-Wealth, LLC
6710 Professional Parkway W
Suite 201B
Sarasota, FL 34240
O 941.251.0510 M 410.599.6885
[email protected]
www.modern-wealth.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?

Someone once said to me “oh, you grew up at the foot of the master.” As a young person that would most definitely have offended me. As a then 43-year-old, I thought it perceptive and telling. I did in fact grow up, like it or not, at the foot of the master. I learned my value system and work ethic from my father. While I did not always enjoy the lessons, they stuck. And I am a better person and a better advisor for those hard-to-swallow lessons.

I joined my father in his financial planning practice three years after college and I have never looked back. I knew only that my father was available in our lives, that he worked hard, loved his work, and his clients. I wanted that fulfillment for myself.

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

In life and in business you have those moments that when reflected upon can change your perspective. Mine was what I refer to as the “lean back”.

This experience forced me to reconsider my approach and helped me narrow my business focus. Defining a niche is recommended, narrowing your focus is difficult to do. In my industry, I can help anyone in a large room. In a room of 100, there are only 3–4 in a room that will be receptive, have a current need, and fit the profile of a perfect client advisor match. I’m not for everyone and that’s ok.

I am 27 years now in this industry and in year 18, we moved from Maryland to Florida. In Maryland, I had a network of friends, family, clients, and acquaintances with whom I interacted, marketed, and networked. When we relocated to Florida, I knew very few people. I was forced to get out there and introduce myself. I had not done this in years.

Here I am in this group of professional women, and I’m asked by enthusiastic networkers, “What do you do for a living?” Smiling, I reply, “I’m a financial advisor.” If you’re an advisor, never, ever say this. You would have thought I had the plague. Woman after woman leaned away from me, physically pulling their bodies back. This was so strange. What in the world was happening? Consistently I was met with two replies: (1) My husband handles that. (2) I have one of you.

This “lean back and shut down” was a no-go for me. I went to contemplate what was happening. I evaluated my practice, sought to define the clients whom I loved working with, those who appreciated my counsel and who effortlessly referred their friends because they knew, liked, and trusted me. These were my people. We had meaningful conversations and an authentic relationship. We worked well together, and in fact it was enjoyable. These clients came to me with their most significant worries, and we worked through them together, sometimes adjusting the plan, other times adjusting their budgets. We discussed issues and I brought options until they made sense and were a fit.

I looked at my practice to see how people perceived their relationship with me. What sort of advice or needs were most prevalent? If I were going to start fresh with my messaging and really my brand, who do I want to attract? There are many questions to answer. Who am I trying to reach? Who do I want to work with? Who appreciates my communication style and perspective and is receptive to advice? Whose values are in alignment with mine? Who genuinely cares about their family and business? Who can I help the most and who needs me the most?

After much contemplation and review, the result — my new mantra:

Our firm focuses on the complex and sometimes urgent needs of people in financial transition. Our valued clients leverage us as a resource during these difficult and challenging times. If they are considering a move, divorce, job change, retirement, adding to their family, selling a business, are suffering the loss of a loved one, or are leaving a legacy, they call us.

Why?

Because reliable counsel is most needed at the intersection in life where finance and emotions converge — sometimes in crisis. It is in this collision zone whereas advisors we triage the situation and help set the course through the chaos. A good financial advisor can cut through the noise and create a resolution that everyone feels good about.

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?

Oh my gosh. Starting a business or starting in sales was really no fun for me. I was educated as an accountant with a degree in business and economics. I had been working for 2 ½ years as an accountant when my father asked me to join his business. I had grown up with a father who always made things happen, was able to attend my school plays and games etc. He was around and yet he was always working too. I remember spending many Saturday mornings going to the office with my Dad so that he could “take care of a few things”. And I would attend appointments sometimes too. He looked like he was having fun, he loved what he did, and the harder he worked, the more successful he became. When he asked me to join him, I jumped at the chance. I gave my two weeks and off I went.

In all honesty, I hadn’t a clue what I had to do to become successful in the financial services field. I had not considered that I would need to promote myself and develop clients. My Dad’s idea for me was that I make cold calls to Chamber of Commerce members and educate them about why they needed to buy disability insurance. Here I am, a rookie adolescent, maybe 24 years old, calling small businesspeople about a product they know nothing about. It was no fun, and it was a real ego check given the rejection an inexperienced former accountant received.

This taught me that times had changed, cold calls were not the way to go. It taught me that maybe my skin was not so thick, but mostly it taught me that I was not a salesperson. At least not a good one. For me to be comfortable in my skin and my messaging, I needed to figure out how best to develop connections and I needed a network.

I have always been a relationship consultant. I’m not interested in being sold and I am certainly not interested in selling someone else. I ask questions, take in information, offer potential viable considerations, and the clients decide. This process while harder and longer, fits my value system, serves my clients, and generates referrals naturally. Today, I only do business by referral aka relationship marketing. I put myself out there, educate people about what I do, and they come when they are ready. People do business with me because they know like and trust me.

In relationship marketing, you can only reach as far as your arms or your network stretch. 27 years later, my arms are fully stretched. My network has a deep understanding of the role I can play in my clients lives. I love what I do, I love educating groups, and it’s sweet when I reach the right client.

During Covid, I finished writing a book, Squeeze the Juice: Live with Purpose, then Leave a Legacy. It is my hope that the book is a quick and meaningful read. I trust that everyone will get a nugget or two that they can apply to their life. I hope that the book will be passed along to those who need 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?

Certainly, my father was likely the largest contributor to my success. He was a mentor, an assertive and demanding father, and he also happened to be in the industry that I joined. My work ethic, integrity, and desire to help people came from observing him.

My second manager after graduating college, was Annette Heimlich. She was tough and expected a lot. She pushed me to grow. Under her leadership she encouraged expansion. She sent me to a workshop on how to supervise employees. At that workshop, I bought a book on tape. I know, dating myself. And I think I spent $100 on this program. This program changed my perspective and contributed immensely to my life. It was called “Life by Design.” The basic concept was that you must consider your values in order of priority and then reflect on how you are currently living your life. If they’re not in alignment, then you need to change them because your goals will not move fluidly forward.

Shortly after I was promoted to supervisor, I remember her asking me if I could do her job. Was this a trick? My answer, “give me a month to absorb this job and yes, I would be up for it.” To this day, I love that she was not threatened by my reply. She was my most exceptional boss.

Truly there were many people who have contributed over time to my business success. It’s not fair to narrow it down to one. I’m a data gatherer. I like to test the waters and survey the landscape.

One of the most telling things that I do when attending an industry event, is to survey the room. I scan the room for the person or persons who are the most financially or notoriously successful. This is obvious by their demeanor, dress, and by the programs listing of their accolades. When in proximity, during a networking period with people who have seriously crushed it, I seize the opportunity.

People want to share their story. If you genuinely approach a person sharing that you’re impressed with their accomplishments, you’d like to be them when you grow up, you’re midway in your career, and you ask “what would they do if they were in your shoes today? What do they see as the biggest opportunities? How would they do things differently and avoid mishaps and pivot?”

Surprisingly, they will tell you. It will be newsworthy to your practice. Soak it up! Don’t placate them. They know they’re successful. Ask them for the advice they would tell themselves 15 years ago or how they would operate in their business differently if they started in the business in the current environment. You will be astounded.

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 am very fortunate. I grew up as a first born with an Asian American father first generation, so I was taught that I could do anything. I was encouraged and pushed. In my life and professional experience, I cannot share specific discriminatory situations, although I am certain there were. In those instances, it must never have occurred to me that I was being discriminated because I was a woman.

It is remarkable what you can convey to children at a young age that impacts their character, demeanor, and in my case bossiness. Remember a baby, first born, encouraged to walk by grandparents, aunts, uncles, neighbors, parents. I had my own cheerleading squad. I say this about myself with love, ask anyone who knows me, and they will say I take control, lead, drive, and sometimes act like a boss. For some, that may feel off putting. For me, it is just who I am. I can’t really help it.

This is a little challenging for me to speak to my personal experience. I have many colleagues, friends, and clients who have shared their stories. From bank loan issues to job opportunities, to positions of influence. I think any discrimination for me may have come from my inability to present myself to the desired audience in a manner that they could receive me.

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?

I would consider the most important education, shaping, and encouragement to come from the family unit and from people of influence in the lives of kids and young adults. I’m 51 now and I enjoy people. I like to figure out what makes them tick and who they are deep in their character if they will reveal it. I have found that asking about a person’s childhood and their relationships with caregivers, teachers, and family, will reveal the most foundational pieces of their character. Mentors and persons of influence have an intense impact on business, leadership, and society.

I think mentorship programs, especially for kids who do not have the luxury of good role models is critical. Children are innocent and are shaped by their environment. Groups like the Big Brothers, Big Sisters are crucial to creating a connection to what can be. How can we expect people to be their best selves when they don’t really know what that can look like?

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?

Why not? I will say that as a woman founder, I find myself looking for others to pull up. Educating, empowering, and lifting others not only builds their character, but it builds mine as well. And it feels amazing to see a young woman, a middle-aged woman, any woman empowered grow, and love themselves. I think women revel in that feeling when they see others connect with their work, contribution to society, their clients, and ultimately their family. I know I do.

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

Perception vs reality. I think sometimes founders make it look like it happened over night, with ease. When it has been a lifetime of grit, sacrifice, work, and I mean work, education, and sucking it up that gets you to where you are today. Founders have stories and they’re not always the melted down version in the front of a menu or on their website. They are revealed in genuine conversations.

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?

Not everyone is cutout to be a business owner, let alone a founder. Most people simply are not. In my practice when consulting a client or prospective client desiring to move from job to business owner, it often scares me for the prospective business owner. In fact, I often say that I already have the title for my next book, “So you think you want to start a business”. There are a multitude of potholes, land mines, and sink holes for that matter when starting a business. People frequently enter doe-eyed and enthusiastic. Of course, there’s an appeal. Independence, financial freedom, status, etc. New business owners desire the freedom and the perceived ease in life they attribute to being your own boss. I agree. At this point in my life, I would make a terrible employee. I know too much. I’ve struggled, pushed, and I’ve been on the side of self-employment for too long.

Prospective business owners often do not recognize what it takes to achieve the desired effects of owning a business. Or they may not be willing to do and be what it takes. You must have stamina, grit, slightly thick skin, and cash to get you and your family through to the other side. It was probably 5 years before I felt like I could really crush things in my business and 7 years before I could wake up January 1st and know that my mortgage would be paid.

Business owner or employee. Question is….do you prefer to rely on yourself or one someone else to pay you every other Friday? Do you desire unlimited income? Are you willing to do what it takes? Get up with the birds, work on weekends, do payroll into the night? Will you work 60 hours in your business and then another 10 on it? Do you live in today or plan for tomorrow?

Many people recognize that they are not in fact willing to do what it takes, and they lose seed money and deplete personal assets rather quickly. Owning a business and leading it is not for the weary.

Now let’s address the founder part. This leads me to reflect on leadership and creativity. A founder is not only an entrepreneur, but has gumption, grit, creativity, and a fiery bug inside. They must move an idea from nothing to something. Creating and successfully running a business is no easy task. And it takes self-awareness and resilience. Mistakes happen almost daily in business. It is the resilience and creativity that makes or breaks a business.

Over time through demonstration of product, process, work ethic, creativity, and character you are referred to as the founder. To me it seems disingenuous to start with founder. Have you earned the title, have you achieved your dream? Are you in fact successful? Maybe you started something. Big deal. Did you make something sustainable? Did it provide something of lasting value? Does it employee many people? Did it revolutionize society or an industry?

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. Self Motivation. It’s on the inside. It must be. Otherwise, you would not rise out of bed so easily. And it is also on the outside because you must have encouragement, stimulation of new thoughts, and ideas. I love Audible.com for just this reason. So many authors and access to business, motivation, and self-help books. Grow yourself! I have had an account for 7 or more years. As such, I have probably 100 books that I can and have listened to more than once. If I am feeling stuck, lacking focus, or mojo, I consider whether I need a break from the hustle and noise of my business. Perhaps an afternoon at the beach, a walk with my dog, or just a quiet car ride. Or do I need a pick me up, a refocus, some stretching of my mindset? Resources, like books on Audible, prove valuable to the entrepreneur.
2. Chocolate and Coffee. Sometimes you just need coffee and chocolate to push through that last project, email, idea, or account. Well, at least I do. I love what I do for a living and I go hard every day. There are so many parts to running and owning a business and they all require your focus, time, and attention: the offering, the client, the team, the math (revenues in, expenses out).
3. Brain Space. There are projects and pieces of the puzzle that require carved out time. Brain space as a friend recently shared. Some activities and projects require a clear desk and a clear mind. You must be open to the learning curve of the project in front of you. This article, for example, a client survey consideration and evaluation, a business plan revision. These things require brain space — all your focus and uninterrupted attention. It is impossible to do this kind of work while you’re in the hustle of your business operation. Time must be carved out. I color code my schedule to reflect: Client service, Working on the business, Networking/prospecting, Personal. At a glance, I can see what areas require attention.
4. Your Big 5. 5 reliable people whom you can discuss stressors, business concepts, financial opportunities, tough emails to send to clients, marketing, and strategy. Those same people you likely have regular lunch, drinks, or Zooms to share and enhance ideas. Being an entrepreneur can be lonely. It is exceptionally helpful to have 5 trusted friends and colleagues with whom you can commiserate and celebrate your challenges and accomplishments.
5. People who will stretch you. Organizations, connections, business partners that help you push the envelope of your own personal development and help you explore your business efficiency, creative ideas, and your processes.

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

Being self-employed has provided me with immense flexibility in my life. It has created financial stability for my immediate family and allowed me to care for ailing family members. This has been a tremendous personal benefit.

There is much left to do and to give. I honestly have not found my best channel yet. It’s my desire to have significant and very personal impact on people. This requires a kind of intimacy over a world view.

I do my best to pay it forward wherever I can. I am especially focused on children. I like to make sure that they feel seen and heard. If even for a moment in one or two interactions. Whenever I can, I enjoy educating and empowering others. I almost can’t help myself. Don’t ask me unless you want to know.

I would love nothing more than to speak to groups of people to share basic financial concepts. Beyond debt, about accumulation, pulling yourself up, having your money work for you, creating opportunities to be your best self. No matter where you are in your journey, there are tweaks and improvements that can be made. It is enjoyable to meet with people and reflect what they are saying and help them consider slight adjustments that will align their values and their financial resources. This I think is my gift. I am actively working on connections to allow these ideas to permeate those desiring to grow.

I mentioned earlier that I wrote a book. It is my story. My book was written to provide an intimate connection with me as the author. It provides context for financial concepts and empowers people to get their ducks in a row. It is my belief that if there is at least one idea that you can implement, a book is a worthy read. My book’s aim and my hope is that financial intelligence will become more common place.

I believe that knowledge should be shared. Given the venue, I’ll happily talk about money and financial concepts to non-profits, teens, associations, employees, communities, fellowship groups. Anyone really who would like to know.

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.

The word empower comes screaming to the forefront. I know that it’s overused. What’s better than teaching and encouraging people to fish? There’s pride in doing things yourself. When you can take ownership of that accomplishment, it will grow, and I hope to feed into the teaching of others. We are a society that sometimes takes the short path and just does it for others. Why not educate, empower, and motivate them to do for themselves?

The movement I would be involved in would be financial education, level two. I believe there are programs to help with basic checking account balancing and debt. At the next level, people making money, living their lives, and not having any idea of how to save, manage their finances for today or for tomorrow. They know they should be doing things for their future, but they were never taught. I work with successful professionals daily who have not been educated about financial instruments. How would they? They’re entrenched in their profession and then in their families and community. It takes extra time or an insistent advisor to educate and get them on track.

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.

The ultimate financial success moves your focus from creation to distribution. You now spend your time evaluating and considering worthy causes. Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffet, they are masters of this shift from business owner to operator of Foundations. I intend to make this shift one day. I would love the opportunity to have a peek behind the curtain.

Personally, and spiritually speaking, I’d love to have a chat with Deepak Chopra about my favorite book, “The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success.”

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

Female Founders: Jennifer Lee of Modern-Wealth On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Female Founders: Monal Patel & Pinki Gosal of Vasanti Cosmetics On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Risk Tolerance — in the beauty industry newness is essential. There is a lot of time and money that goes into creating a new product and success is not always guaranteed. We have had many products that have not gone according to plan but this has not stopped us from moving forward with many of our top sellers.

As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Monal Patel & Pinki Gosal.

Monal Patel, Founder & CEO at Vasanti Cosmetics.

Monal has a knack for numbers and the technical know how to successfully manage all retail operations and company finances. Her journey began at Ryerson University where she attained her Business Management Degree with a major in Accounting/Finance. She then found herself growing businesses from the ground up in hi-level management positions for over 10 years before dedicating herself full time at Vasanti Cosmetics in 2005.

When she doesn’t have her CEO hat on, you will find her on a nature hike, listening to a podcast or planning her next adventure. Her motto in life: “you get out of life, what you are willing to put into it”.

Pinki Gosal is the Founder & President at Vasanti Cosmetics. She is creative at heart and has travelled the world, from Italy to Korea to draw inspiration and knowledge of beauty from various cultures. She studied Psychology at York University in Toronto and was able to apply her understanding of people while thinking with an open mind to push boundaries of innovation.

Her journey into the world of cosmetics began in Chicago and landed in Toronto where she spent over 15 years at a leading cosmetics laboratory and manufacturer. She worked closely with chemists and engineers as the Director of Product Development where she used her hi-level expertise to develop innovative formulas, packaging and manufacturing techniques in curating new ideas and growth hacking.

When she doesn’t have her product development hat on you will find her enjoying a glass of wine on a patio taking in life, hiking into the wilderness or dancing up a storm with her huge family! Her motto in life is: “live for today, embrace change and everything will fall into place”

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?

When we started in the late 90’s, we simply couldn’t find beauty products that worked on our skin tones. There was a lack of choice and makeup feeling too heavy. Our mission to give beauty a happier meaning began in 1998 and we have not looked back since.

After years of research, development and meticulous attention to detail, combined with the honest feedback you can only expect from your sisters, Vasanti (which means “of spring” in Sanskrit) was born.

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

Picture This

You make a big move to Chicago and land your first job there at a high-end beauty studio, owned by an affluent ex-model. It’s your second day on the job and you’re stoked to meet the beloved owner of this company. Your ambitious self is getting ready to greet her, but then the unexpected happens — she arrives and without any hesitation she points at your face and blurts out “Who’s this?! Get some concealer on her!” and continues to walk away. In a panic, makeup artists hurry over to use the darkest shade of concealer on your dark under eyes.

After all their efforts, you’re standing there — shocked — with layers of white ashy concealer on your brown skin and no clue what just happened. This is the first time anyone has pointed out your dark circles, and now you can’t stop obsessing over them. You’re desperate for a solution, but every concealer you try just doesn’t work!

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?

Funny story, we are trying to stay ahead of trends but realized after a few bombed products that we were too small and didn’t have the marketing power we have today to launch trendy shades/product. For example, we launched a white liquid liner which was trendy in Korea and before K-beauty was a thing but didn’t quite catch on here.

The lesson was to try so you know for sure, fail fast, learn and move on.

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?

There are so many people who have helped us along the way, but the one person who we will forever be grateful to is Sabu of Studio Sabu Photography. He was part of our family back then and he was high end product photographer and did work for major magazines like Wedding Bells. He shot all of product shots for us for free for many years and never asked for anything in return — all he wanted was for us to be successful — this is in the late 90’s and early 2000’s before smartphones had good cameras. We remember people thinking that we were much bigger than we actually were because we had amazing product shots on our website and all of our printed materials as well.

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?

We live in a gender biased society where women in general are expected to run the household, be caregivers and on top of that they do not have the luxury of time on their side. In anyone’s career there is an opportune time to start your own business. Typically, a woman (or man) straight out of school may not have the skillset, confidence or experience to start their own business. By the time a woman is ready to start her own business she will most likely face a fork in the road where she is going to have to decide between starting a family or starting a business. Commonly, we see that women will choose starting a family over the business.

We were able to overcome this as there were three of us and collectively, we had the skillset, experience and confidence necessary to get us going. We were lucky because there were three of us, we didn’t have the pressure of having to choose one over the other.

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?

Creating communities and sisterhood where women (and men) are accepting of other women’s choices and not passing judgement on them. Women showing up for other women and supporting them.

The government can help through grants, funding, education, tax breaks for women entrepreneurs.

Introducing entrepreneurship early on in young person’s education so, show what can be possible.

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?

Women are inherently responsible and have the ability to manage it all. Managing relationships, managing households, managing lives, managing finances.

We remember the first banker that gave us a line of credit told us that he loves dealing with women business owners as he has never had a woman default on a loan.

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

We have so many people who come to us and say, “oh you are so lucky you are your own boss or you get you make your own schedule”. What they don’t realize is that your shift never ends.

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?

Someone with a high-risk tolerance and self-motivated is more likely to be a successful along with the ability to recover fast when you fail.

A regular job would be more suitable for someone who needs stability, structure and direction.

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. Resilience — we have been in business for 23 years, the business has had its ups and downs
2. Thick Skin — we have gotten a lot of unsolicited advice through out the years in the form of why haven’t you done this or tried that and many times it has not been constructive but we have been able to take whatever value we could find from it and not let it phase us.
3. Resourceful — the world needed Hand Sanitizer and in a matter of 5 weeks we were able to certify and launch a superior formula. We also deployed our #WeSeeYou program within a matter of days — product donations to frontline workers.
4. Inventive — most entrepreneurs start because they see a problem that needs to be solved. The seed for Vasanti was planted over 23 years ago when one of the founders, Pinki, had a “Devil Wears Prada” moment (see story on top 2nd question). Pinki became obsessed with her dark under eye circles and that lead her to create one of our top selling products Liquid VO2 (an orange concealer) almost 20 years ago, long before orange concealers became a thing.
5. Risk Tolerance — in the beauty industry newness is essential. There is a lot of time and money that goes into creating a new product and success is not always guaranteed. We have had many products that have not gone according to plan but this has not stopped us from moving forward with many of our top sellers.

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

We are using our success to support women and sending a message to women that even while being minority women you can really accomplish anything you are passionate about and that when women empower and support each other anything is possible.

We have also used our success to spread the message of inclusivity. Everyone matters and we have done this from the start of our business over 20 years ago.

We have also used our success:

• By hiring females and supporting their continued learning.
• Helping build a woman’s confidence at an early age so they are able to build and do anything they want.
• Using our success to fund charities like Look Good Feel Better that supports women going through cancer and supporting countless number of everyday women that approach us to support their own charities. We are happy to support and help in any way we can.
• After all our brand was created on the power of sisterhood and supporting one another.
• You can trust each, you can work together, you can build each other up.
• We believe in sisterhood and creating that culture of support to create a better place.

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.

Creating a space and environment of Unconditional Support. A safety net made by women for women. Support ideas, new thinking, approach, healthy practice, inner peace and help minimize insecurities and build confidence so women don’t get into bad situations or feel alone and not included.

We had this experience growing up with our community activities and a strong sense of community care within our 50 closest family friends. Girls of similar ages from other immigrant families our parents knew came together as our parents made sure we had activities and community events that made us feel belonging and ability to form relationships where we felt like we can always count on each other. This type of unconditional relationships formed at an early age helped build the confidence we needed to take the chance to start a business. 40 years later, we are still just as close-knit group of 16 plus girls that feel blessed to have one another.

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.

We would love to have a private lunch with Bobbi Brown. She has always been a true innovator in the beauty space. Her journey is so inspiring and have the utmost respect for her business savvy.

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

Female Founders: Monal Patel & Pinki Gosal of Vasanti Cosmetics On The Five Things You Need To… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.