Women Leaders Of Real Estate: Vernique Hutchinson On The 5 Things You Need To Succeed In The Real Estate Industry
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Know what you can handle. When you first start in the industry, you are so excited to implement all the knowledge you have just learned. But if you take on too many clients or just too much, too fast, you will not be able to give every client your best service. Understand what is already on your plate and decide who to take on as a client, understanding how you will best serve them. I am a mom and wife and still have a law practice. I had to evaluate what I could handle at any given time before committing to taking on more work.
Vernique Hutchinson is a licensed attorney and real estate advisor. As Principal at The Hutchinson Firm, LLC, Vernique helps clients resolve their conflicts by brainstorming and guiding the parties to the best resolution. Vernique is available to consult on commercial real estate, property taxes and residential real estate.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us the “backstory” about what brought you to the Real Estate industry?
My mother has been in the industry since before I can remember. As a child, I remember real estate being a prominent talking point in our household. So it made sense that property and contract law would be my favorite subjects once I went to law school. Fast forward to graduating during the heart of the recession in 2009, and I had to pivot. I became a felony prosecutor, but I still kept my love of real estate alive by flipping houses, purchasing homes from county auctions, and rehabbing homes. In 2020, I reevaluated a lot and decided to get my real estate license and vehicle, also growing my real estate law practice.
Can you share with our readers the most interesting or amusing story that occurred to you in your career so far? Can you share the lesson or take away you took out of that story?
I carry a taser with me on all showings! I listen to many true crime podcasts, so I find it essential to stay prepared. My clients and I all feel protected!
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
I am always so excited about the commercial real estate industry because my clients are working to fill a gap and provide a service to the community. I am working with a business now that is providing a ceramics studio unlike one seen in Houston. I couldn’t be happier about having helped them find the location and negotiate the deal.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
I can see all sides of the real estate industry, which allows me to stand out from the crowd. My background as a real estate attorney colors how I view and guide my real estate clients looking to buy and purchase properties. On the other hand, my experience as a Realtor colors how I advise my clients in negotiating real estate deals.
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 number one cheerleader and mentor would have to be my mother, Fay Gordon. Growing up, I was told I could do anything, and that attitude fueled me to complete everything I set my mind to. As I entered the real estate field, she guided me on the does and don’ts and allowed me to avoid recreating the wheel. She is also a loan officer and can help me advise my clients on certain aspects of being approved and what is happening in the industry.
Ok. Thank you for all that. Let’s now jump to the main core of our interview. The Real Estate industry, like the Veterinarian, Nursing and Public Relations fields, is a women-dominated industry. Yet despite this, less than 20 percent of senior positions in Real Estate companies are held by women. In your opinion or experience, what do you think is the cause of this imbalance?
I believe the cause of the imbalance is that we have lived in a patriarchal society, and there was a time when women could not even own property without a man’s approval. Because of this, many women got a later start in the industry than their male counterparts. However, the tides have turned, and many women own and run very successful real estate companies, and that number will only continue to grow, and they empower younger women in the industry with the tools to succeed.
What 3 things can be done by a)individuals b)companies and/or c) society to support greater gender balance going forward?
Empower the younger generation of women with the tools to succeed in the industry. This can be done in schools by giving the students knowledge about different areas in the real estate industry, such as becoming an appraiser, inspector, or land man (or land woman). Change the narrative that the only jobs worth having are becoming a lawyer, doctor, teacher, or engineer. There are so many areas of the industry that are not known to the public. As a society, we can provide that information to young people and guide them in the right direction to achieving their goals in the areas that interest them.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by women executives that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
Everyone thinks that if we disagree, we are being too aggressive, or we are always disagreeable. When a man disagrees, it is taken as just that — a disagreement. There is an attempt to work through it. Sometimes women are told to calm down or not to “take it so seriously.” In reality, I am calm and didn’t take it that seriously. Another thing that women face is sometimes not being taken seriously if they do not present in a certain way, i.e., style of dress or background.
Can you share 3 things that most excite you about the Real Estate industry?
1. The ability to build wealth in ways that some people have not had an opportunity to do in the past.
2. The ability to provide new generations with knowledge because we have the ability to share so much more than we could before via online platforms.
3. And the ability to have fun while diversifying your portfolio.
Can you share 3 things that most concern you about the industry? If you had the ability to implement 3 ways to reform or improve the industry, what would you suggest?
1. Entering into transactions without knowledge of the current market.
2. Online sale platforms for residential properties. Sometimes the fine print is not clear to the individuals selling their homes.
3. Everyone enters the industry because it’s the cool thing to do. This allows people who don’t take the industry seriously to guide their clients down wrong paths.
4. Ideas to reform or improve the industry would be more checks and balances for the online platforms that buy and sell properties and to have more access to reviews for real estate professionals so that clients can perform adequate research before committing to working with a Realtor or real estate professional.
What advice would you give to other leaders to help their team to thrive?
Listen to your team and share with your team when you make a mistake. I have found that if you can let others know when you have made a mistake, own up to it, correct it, and move forward, they will be more willing to do the same with you.
Ok, here is the main question of our interview. You are a “Real Estate Insider.” If you had to advise someone about 5 non intuitive things one should know to succeed in the Real Estate industry, what would you say? Can you please give a story or an example for each?
1. Know what you can handle. When you first start in the industry, you are so excited to implement all the knowledge you have just learned. But if you take on too many clients or just too much, too fast, you will not be able to give every client your best service. Understand what is already on your plate and decide who to take on as a client, understanding how you will best serve them. I am a mom and wife and still have a law practice. I had to evaluate what I could handle at any given time before committing to taking on more work.
2. Know your brand and think outside the box. When I first entered the industry, I kept hearing that I should speak with my circle of influence. At first, I thought, “They all own homes.” But then I thought, “I am really good at maintaining my relationships,” so regardless of if my friend owned a home or was looking to invest, I ramped up spending one on one time with my friends, and I was able to gain most of my clients from friends of friends.
3. Know your area. I live in Houston, and our city is huge. I had to decide early on where I would be willing to assist in real estate transactions because it was not feasible to reasonably work in every corner of our city.
4. Work with a knowledgeable brokerage. Although you may have gained lots of knowledge in gaining your real estate license, it is important to work with people who can navigate the ins-and-outs of a real estate transaction.
5. Set client expectations. When working with new clients, a lot of them are green in that this is their first real estate transaction, or they haven’t been involved in a real estate transaction in a long time. Letting your clients know what to expect throughout the transaction and how often you will be in touch is helpful as they are going through a process they are not used to.
Because of your position, you are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the greatest amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Knowledge is power. Create environments that allow people to learn about the real estate industry in many ways, regardless of if they can put money in their pocket. I spent much of my legal career as a property tax attorney, and I’m always surprised how many people pay taxes related to the property they own and do not know how to navigate the system or even why they are paying the taxes! Since knowing about the industry, I have spent many hours advising others about their property taxes and creating events and speaking opportunities for individuals to learn more about property taxes.
Female Disruptors: LaTonya Baker of Generation of Excellence Trendsetters On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Not seeking validation from others to dictate my decisions. This was something I needed to realize internally after self-reflecting. When I make a decision, if it’s not approved, it can still bother me. When I learned to put myself and value my own opinion firstly, everything shifted. If someone loves me, they’re going to love me for me — and it was something I taught myself through painful life experiences, tired of proving my loyalty to other people. I proved my loyalty to me.
As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing LaTonya Baker.
LaTonya Baker is the founder and CEO of Generation of Excellence Trendsetters, Generation of Excellence Non Profit, GOE House of Purpose Transitional Living Home, I’m Still My Sister’s Keeper-the Movement and Fashion Show, and Tyresia’s Boutique Too. She started this journey in 2012 after losing her mother unexpectedly. Her mother was the glue of their family and mourning the loss of her played a huge impact on their family. It was at that time that she chose to break cycles. After researching her family’s history, she discovered that not only did her mother pass in her sleep due to hypertension and obesity, so did her grandmother and great grandmother. This not only worried her but pushed her to make some healthy changes in her life. Throughout the years she has served as a community health worker, personal stylist, production coordinator, mentor and case manager. Throughout her journey she has been transparent with hopes of encouraging and impacting the lives of others.
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?
What led me to being LaTonya Baker was loosing my Mother unexpectedly and enduring pain I wasn’t prepared for. Through the struggle, I chose not to let her death go in vain and destroy generational curses which held our family back and played a large role in her death.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
The disruptive and different thing about me is that I’m deeply relatable and transparent. Although I don’t look like anything I’ve been through, I use it to shape who I am. Recently, I made the decision to put my journey into a document entitled “To Whom It May Concern” which gave me the opportunity to be a voice for others looking to find their own.
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?
Something ironic is that I literally stumbled upon my building when I got tired walking home one day. One afternoon, I went for a walk with some friends and decided to take a shortcut, unexpectedly came across my building, which I consider to be the best stumble of my life. On the first day, I was able to envision people sitting in the reception area, staff walking through smiling, and the community utilizing the building as a safe space and hub.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
Sarah Roberts — the empowerment speaker — her story resonates deeply for me. She became pregnant at a young age and suffered with shame; yet, she uses her story to pour into other people. My flaws. My mistakes. My pain. I use it to steer people in the right direction, in the same way Roberts does. In addition, My Mother taught me the values of humility, patience, and to treat others with respect and kindness.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
Right now, there is a stigma that black women can’t work together and get along. There are parts which are true. I believe in disrupting and changing the narrative in that situation, because I feel that as long as we can respect one another on a personal and professional level, we can still support one another. But respect is the essential ingredient.
Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
Not seeking validation from others to dictate my decisions. This was something I needed to realize internally after self-reflecting. When I make a decision, if it’s not approved, it can still bother me. When I learned to put myself and value my own opinion firstly, everything shifted. If someone loves me, they’re going to love me for me — and it was something I taught myself through painful life experiences, tired of proving my loyalty to other people. I proved my loyalty to me.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
I’m going to be consistent about standing firm on who I am and what I represent; others opinions won’t discourage or harm what I am creating. In addition, I’ll be wearing and practicing self-care so that others are encouraged by seeing it in front of them.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
Women are unique in the sense that women are expected to know their place and not share their knowledge in a man’s “role” or “job”. The women today are so powerful and independent that men are intimidated by the opinions and presence of powerful women.
Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?
My book — When She Speaks/Fearless StoryTeller by LaTonya Baker. This stemmed from sexual abuse by my babysitters at a young age, where I learned to validation seek and choose the wrong influences. The book takes readers on a journey of forgiveness, self-reflection, and healing. The book hands you permission to heal.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
My movement — To Whom It May Concern. This movement allows for people to write their stories, address situations that caused tremendous harm and trauma in their lives, and move beyond the situation to gain back their personal power. To Whom It May Concern also gives space for people to thank those who’ve stood beside them and loved them through it all.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
My favorite Life Lesson Quote is… I cannot help you breathe if I cannot breathe.
How can our readers follow you online?
Readers can connect with me at www.latonyabaker.com along with LaTonya Baker “The Trendsetter” Facebook Page. Copies of my book When She Speaks/Fearless StoryTeller by LaTonya Baker are also available on Amazon.
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
The last words of advice are the ones I hold dearest to my heart, from my late grandfather, Bill Randall. He received an award in school that he kept with him throughout his life:
“It’s not what you get, but what you give; it’s not what you say, but how you live’ giving the world the love it needs, living a life of noble deeds; strong for the right, the good, the true, these are the things worthwhile to you.”
As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Lauren Randall.
Lauren Randall is an experienced Benefits Strategist consulting with CFOs and CHROs on their people and risk strategy. People are a company’s most valuable asset and providing best-in-class health benefits is a trademark of the investment management and tech industries. However, it can also open up the opportunity for increased waste and abuse that does not correlate to increased productivity and an elevated employee experience. Abnormal market forces and an opaque business model have contributed to this. Still, through technology, data, and analytics available today, consultants can better ensure that every dollar invested into human capital provides clients with a strong return. https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenrandall1/
Lauren works CFOs and CHROs in the hedge fund and tech spaces. When she started, she was having trouble getting her foot in the door in a predominantly man’s world. She reached out to C-suite women in the hedge fund and financial services space and invited them to coffee just to learn about the industry. As she met with more C-suite women and heard their stories, she started asking if they would like to meet other women in C-suite positions. This became a tri-state and online networking community for women. Currently free to join. Both emerging leaders and C-suite women come together to mentor, nurture one another, and create business growth. https://www.womentowomenexchange.com/.
“Ms. Randall’s opinions expressed in this article are based on her personal views and do not represent those of her employer.”
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 stumbled into insurance! I was completing my thesis for undergrad working as a barista, when someone approached me about a market research position at an InsurTech firm in Milwaukee. I had taken some time off due to an illness and was anxious to graduate and move forward with my life. I took the interview and immediately fell in love with the company, the leadership and the vision. Within three months, I was offered a full-time position in any department that I wanted, and I chose sales.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
I joined the insurance industry because of the hardships and challenges that I faced at nineteen being a patient in the health care industry. I saw first-hand how many bills my parents were overwhelmed with when I got sick. I knew that the only way that I could change the industry for the better, was to understand it. This is the mission that drives me every single day. While I work within the budgets, parameters, goals, and objectives of the clients that I serve, ultimately when they hire me, they are typically severing a long-term relationship with their prior advisor. While this doesn’t cause disruption at the employee level, breaking that relationship is a change and it is hard to do. Companies will only make this change if they themselves are ready for something better or more promising. Employees today are also demanding more of their leaders, and they want to feel taken care of. Benefits and compensation are major contributors to this. The insurance industry, I believe, is inherently disruptive due to the change happening in the world of people, health and work. The worst disruption, however, comes from the advisors and employers who are not willing to change with it.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
As an intern, I was told there was only one open position in sales, despite the fact there were four interns. I knew one of my fellow colleagues was interviewing for the same role as me and one of us would not get it. This made us extremely competitive and despite exchanging pleasantries, we were constantly one-upping each other and trying to push ourselves, optimize workflows, gain visibility with leadership and help solve complex problems. It became exhausting and we both felt the tension and stress build up. When it came time to announce who had gotten the position, our leaders told us that we both did. They said that having two great candidates and only one open position would not preclude them from hiring great talent. We immediately became friends and are still great friends to this day. While we laugh and still joke about our rivalry, I realize that I likely would have gained more by being a team player and expanding my mindset beyond the situation at hand. I try to have an abundance mindset over scarcity and always want to be supportive and inclusive of my colleagues and teams, because we are in this together. At the same time, it also taught me to recognize that sometimes our competitors can push us to perform even better than our own expectations.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
It takes a village and I have had so many incredible mentors on my journey. I will never forget meeting my current leader, Chantal Raineri. She was the top producer in my region, and I was meeting her for the first time just as our busiest season
The last words of advice are the ones I hold dearest to my heart, from my late grandfather, Bill Randall. He received an award in school that he kept with him throughout his life:
“It’s not what you get, but what you give; it’s not what you say, but how you live’ giving the world the love it needs, living a life of noble deeds; strong for the right, the good, the true, these are the things worthwhile to you.”
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
For me, I’m focusing a lot of my effort on helping hypergrowth companies more effectively scale and update their insurance and benefit plans. As companies start out, they tend to enter more “out of the box” insurance solutions, as well as payroll and technology vendors and relationships. As they eclipse a certain number, they tend to outgrow these systems and policies and it can cause a great deal of friction and potential liability. The best advisors have a deep bench of experts in technology, as well as the human capital management (HCM)/payroll space, so we can advise our clients on systems beyond just traditional benefits administration.
The other area of change I am seeing quite a bit is diversity, equity and inclusion, and the concept of “inclusive benefits.”
Mental health is another area of innovation, where we are helping clients to engage with vendors that can provide a better care experience with mental health providers. The most recent Supreme Court ruling is also another area that our compliance teams are advising our clients on, as this is a sensitive topic impacting many employers differently across the country.
Lastly, long-term care and leave management are two areas employers are struggling with. States are starting to mandate state-specific long-term care plans and employers will have to comply with these mandates. We are helping our clients take leave management and long-term care coordination off their plate to make their lives easier, more efficient and compliant.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
There is an additional level of scrutiny that we are all subject to when we succeed, and sometimes, when you are already in the minority from a gender perspective, this spotlight can be heightened. I think many women have experienced this. Especially when we somewhat “break the mold” of what traditional success looks like, it tends to naturally garner curiosity from others. I try to remind myself that success comes and goes in waves and that when I am down and no one is looking, I am doing the exact same things that lead to my success. I try to stay humble in that regard and not pay attention to the ego component, although we are all susceptible to it.
Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?
Medical Medium was the book that changed my health journey and my life. It allowed me to look deeper into my health and my condition and change my lifestyle in order to heal. I’ll be forever grateful to that book for the hope it gave me in a somewhat hopeless situation.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
My inner “why.” is to build a bridge of understanding amongst people. I’ve always been curious about people, fascinated by what makes each person ‘tick’ and why each of us makes the decisions that we make. I’ve always felt that an openness and curiosity towards others can serve as a bridge to our differences and I try to exercise this passion in my writing and my work. I used to feel so passionate early in my life and I felt so strongly about my opinions. When I got sick, I began to question the world around me and look at life, and even death, through a different lens. As I started to peel back the layers of life and the world around me, I started to see that treating others with respect and keeping an open mind towards differing opinions was far more important than any one belief that I held. I believe that we are all made better by working with multiple perspectives and viewpoints, by embracing the discomfort of respectful debate. My goal in life is not to influence people, it is to live the best life that I possibly can, live the legacy of my grandfather and that somehow by living my most authentic life, this may empower others to do the same.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
When I was undergoing treatment and taking a break from school, I spent a lot of time sleeping. The fatigue and exhaustion took away a lot of my personality, but I still had the ability to dream. I had a quote above my bed, “I have a dream and even if it remains a dream, I will visit it every time I lay down my head.” It was a picture of me sleeping and smiling, dreaming of getting better. There are so many ventures we enter with the prospect of promise and the uncertainty of outcome. I was let down countless times in my journey, but I knew that no matter what, nothing could take away my dreams. I continued to visualize my healing and visit that world to stay connected to it. Now, since recovering, I try to stay true and connected to that feeling, to maintain that sheer gratitude for the version of myself who never gave up, who put the time in, day-in and day-out, without any guarantees, for the mere chance of the life that I have now. I try to thank her every day and remind myself to keep dreaming.
How can our readers follow you online?
I am very active on LinkedIn, so connect with me! I share benefits tips and tricks and other insights and posts. I also am active on www.womentowomenexchange.com.
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
Female Founders: Mila Alishaev of Manhattan Laser Spa On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
The workday never stops — As an entrepreneur, you are always working and thinking about the next step for your business. You don’t stay steady just because you are “off the clock.” You never are.
As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Mila Alishaev.
Mila Alishaev is the owner and founder of Manhattan Laser Spa, a renowned medical spa that boasts years of experience serving New York City in Manhattan, the Upper East Side and Brooklyn and recently expanded to Sunny Isles Beach, Florida. It started with only laser services, and now Mila and her mom have grown the brand exponentially into a medical spa that offers a variety of services to clients including CoolSculpting, IV Therapy, Injectables and much more. Her team is made up of board-certified nurse practitioners and aestheticians who are trained and certified to administer medical cosmetic procedures and laser services.
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 back story is no different than many immigrants coming to this country at a young age. I came to the United States from Israel in the year 2000. I grew up with a single mom and I’m the oldest of 4 children. At a young age, we all learned that having only our mother going to work every would not suffice financially. One source of income was not enough to provide for all of us children. We all decided to start figuring out a source of income for ourselves. I went to college and graduated with my bachelor’s degree in business administration.
When I started Manhattan Laser Spa in 2005, I was only seeking job security for myself. I felt that by starting a business, I would be employed, and employed by myself, and that’s all I wanted. If I’m being honest, there was no vision for what this company could be in the future, there was only hope that I would be able to provide for myself and my family by starting a business as a first-generation entrepreneur. Overall, my idea was to establish a brand that would be successful and my passion grew from there. Today, I visualize my company to be the premier medical spa serving New York and Florida, which is a huge jump from when I first started Manhattan Laser Spa.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?
One of the most interesting, and quite funny, stories that happened to me when I first started my career was when I was interviewing various candidates for an open role at Manhattan Laser Spa.
Throughout the entire interview, I could not help but feel constant déjà vu, and I couldn’t figure out why. Something just felt so familiar about this person.
As we were on the way out of the door and we were saying our goodbyes, she told me she also had a feeling like she knew me and after chatting for a while, we realized we were 1st grade classmates! It truly showed me how small the world is.
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?
A funny and silly mistake I made when I first started my business was when I was on a phone consolation with a potential client.
I began the call by asking what area they want to get rid of, rather than what area the client would like to treat. It’s still funny to me to this day because we all slip up sometimes! Though, the lesson I learned isto always think before you speak and be careful with your word choice. If we can avoid mistakes like these, of course, try!
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, I’m extremely grateful for my mother. Without her, I wouldn’t be where I am today. She brought us to the United States from Israel over 20 years ago and gave all of us, as her children, the opportunity to change our lives for the better. She wanted us to pursue our dreams in America.
When it came to Manhattan Laser Spa, she always helped me and supported me along the way, starting my business as a first-generation entrepreneur. We both became interested in the beauty industry in 2005, and from there we were able to launch this medical spa together. She helped me conduct research for the brand and bring the company to where it is today.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this EY report, only about 20 percent of funded companies have women founders. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women to create companies. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from founding companies?
I believe that the stigma around women comes from birthing and nurturing children from ages ago is what holds women back. Many women still feel the need to compromise and figure out how to split their focus between starting and growing a business and also raising children. That is not an easy task. Both growing a business and being a mom require 24/7 engagement. Trying to balance it all is difficult; I’ve done it myself, but that doesn’t mean it’s not doable.
I think there’s a small difference in risk-taking abilities between the genders. Having some sort of safety net would definitely help, but at the end of the day, I believe it is a matter of individual choice.
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?
A few things that we could do as a society and through the government are encourage more women to be entrepreneurs, quality daycare and affordable medicine throughout pregnancy and early childhood. These are simple things that could be fixed to empower more women to feel like they are capable of more and start their own businesses.
Personally, I feel lucky enough to say I haven’t faced many difficulties growing my business as a female entrepreneur in America. When it came to my vendors, landlords, suppliers or financiers, I never felt discriminated against because of my gender. America, particularly New York, is a very pragmatic place that’s built on the idea of “you can do anything that you set your mind to.” One’s worth is usually defined by their ability to generate a bottom line for their partner. Maybe I was just fortunate enough to not experience that, but for any women that do, don’t let them knock you down. Know your worth.
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?
One main reason why more women should become founders is because EVERYONE CAN. Regardless of race, gender, status or anything, you can do it if you set your mind to it. We live in a world where more and more women are climbing up the ranks and gender norms are diminishing. Let’s continue to keep it that way.
My other reasons would be women have great attention to detail and know certain angles men sometimes have never even ventured into. Women have a presence in the world of business, and it’s only a matter of continuing to move forward and take on leadership positions.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a founder? Can you explain what you mean?
You need to have money to start a company. This is not true, I didn’t have anything when I started. You figure out loans, finances and funding where possible and make it happen.
You must make a big investment in your company to start it. You can start small and grow as demand grows, and as your client base expands, but not right from the jump.
You need to hire a lot of people. You can hire and grow as your company grows. Also, don’t underestimate yourself and everything you are capable of when starting your business out small.
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?
If you put your mind to it and want it bad enough, you can be a founder. The number one trait that I see in a potential founder is as follows:
1. A person that is constantly growing emotionally and professionally, and adapting to their environment. This will be a trait of a person who could be a founder one day.
Though, the type of person who should not be a founder, and should be an employee has the following characteristics:
1. A person who does not have a well-thought-out plan of action is not likely to be a founder. You must look ahead when planning on starting your own company.
2. A person who is not comfortable with change or making moves within their career is unlikely to be a founder because they are typically happy with a standard salary that ensures a certain lifestyle that is sufficient for them.
3. A person that achieved a certain level once, but fell off and spent the rest of their energy chasing the return instead of applying their energy and skills pursuing other opportunities; also, unlikely to become a founder.
Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)
1. The workday never stops — As an entrepreneur, you are always working and thinking about the next step for your business. You don’t stay steady just because you are “off the clock.” You never are.
2. Clients always know better — As a founder, you might think to yourself, “I’ve worked my butt off to get to this point; I know what I’m talking about!” You cannot let your ego get to you. You have to listen to your clients and hear what’s best for them.
3. Most energy will be spent running mundane “boring tasks”, reading contracts and managing expenses — Yes, this doesn’t sound fun, but it’s a big part of the job and it’s worth it.
4. Things that can be bought are not worth obsessing over — Money comes and goes. If something breaks, replace it. It’s not the end of the world.
5. Best reward is your own ability to manage your time — This is truly remarkable! As I said, you’re working 24/7 as a founder, so once you learn to manage your own time, you’ll be impressed with yourself.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
I’d like to think I’ve used my success to make the world a better place. I provide a workplace to many people and help them succeed. I love supporting others on their journeys and hearing what they have planned next as they’re working at my company that I started trying to make a living for myself. I want to continue to do that.
With my services at Manhattan Laser Spa, we’ve left many people thrilled with their results, whether it was necessary treatments or treatments to help them get rid of some of their biggest insecurities. When people are happy with their results and how they look, I’m happy.
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.
It’s weird, I feel like I am not a person of any meaningful influence. I am running a small business and all I can do is make sure that my corner of the world is not worse, or may be slightly better than its neighboring parts. If that’s my impact on this world, then I am content.
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.
Oprah! I would love to sit down with her and hear about her life directly from her. She is a truly remarkable person and entrepreneur. I look up to her in all of my ventures, so I would be thrilled to have a chance to speak with her.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Female Disruptors: Lynne Giacobbe of Kendal at Home On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Check in with your colleagues. We come together as a staff every week to check in with one another and, at the end of the week, to check out. These sessions are for both managing the work and supporting one another as individuals. Our work can be very difficult. Our care coordinators are working with our members every day, and many are very ill, some at end of life.
As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Lynne Giacobbe.
Lynne Giacobbe has served as chief executive officer of Kendal at Home, a nonprofit pioneer of aging in place, since its inception in 2003. Through the development of Kendal at Home, which has recently expanded its one-of-a-kind program to Massachusetts, Lynne has helped to enable aging in place for older adults who prefer to spend their retirement years in their own homes.
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 spent my early career in the victims’ services field expecting that would be the focus of my entire career. And when I joined Kendal at Home in 2003, I thought that might be just a detour. I would get the program up and running, rebalance my family life, and return to the field I knew and loved. Yet here I am 19 years later, and grateful for the chance to empower seniors to live the lives they want to.
The reason I’m still here is that the import of this work and the rewards are very similar to what I loved about victims’ services. Prior to coming to Kendal, I’d had the opportunity to develop innovative programs, to serve victims, and impact their lives in meaningful ways. That’s what my career at Kendal at Home has been as well, developing innovative programs and really changing the way we look at aging.
We’ve dismantled some stereotypes, including the notion that one’s later years are spent slowing down and disengaging from the community. For our members, it’s quite the opposite. One of our members is in Europe right now bicycling and kayaking, something that would challenge many people 50 years younger.
All of our members are actively engaged in life in meaningful ways and doing amazing things. Our program is about empowering them to be able to continue doing those things secure in the knowledge that they have a plan in place if challenges arise along the way.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
We’re disrupting on two fronts. First, we’re disrupting the way people think about aging. The stereotype of a senior citizen is a frail, lonely, wobbly elder parked in front of a TV — not exactly the picture of aging that I think we want to foster. Nor is it accurate. I’ve known so many older adults who could run circles around us. Our first member was still out on the golf course every day and still enjoying life well into his 90s.
Even more importantly, we’re also disrupting the idea that aging necessarily entails leaving your home and entering a retirement community, nursing home, assisted living, or memory care facility. For many, that prospect is a great fear. Our goal is really to help people age in place where they want to be. And more often than not, that’s in their home. Fortunately, we’ve been extremely successful: 98% of our members have remained at home and not in a nursing home.
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’m not sure if it was funny or just unsettling, but I made a memorable mistake 19 years ago when I was interviewing for this job. I had spent about 20 years in human services and had researched extensively for the interview. It was a lengthy one and throughout the process my interviewers kept mentioning the acronym CCRC. I had no idea what it was. So I made my way through that interview process and never asked. After the interview, I looked it up: CCRC=continuing care retirement community, a fundamental concept in our work. So it was like interviewing for a chef’s position, knowing a lot about the culinary arts, yet not knowing what EVOO is. The lesson was to do my best, and stay calm if I haven’t yet achieved perfection. Things will work out.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
Mentors have made a huge impact in my life and career. When I started this role I was really struggling because Kendal at Home was different from the thousands of other organizations represented at the conferences I attended. Overwhelmingly, the others were retirement communities or facilities, and we were just a tiny minority of operators working to help people age at home.
Feeling disconnected from our field, I was preparing to return to victims’ services when our trade organization launched a leadership program, and I was invited to join. The woman who facilitated that program and still does today has become one of my strongest mentors and greatest friends. Her name is Judy Sorum Brown. She’s so many things, a poet, was a White House fellow, and an extremely gifted coach and leader.
She has opened a world to me that I never knew existed. Through that leadership program, I found my place and I found my chosen family, and it made a tremendous difference in my life, both professionally and personally. Today I work closely with Judy, and together we facilitate a leadership development program for Kendal at Home and all of the communities that are part of Kendal. I continue to learn from her every day.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
Great question. I think disruption is critical. When there’s an opportunity to improve the human condition in some way, we should take it. And that’s especially critical in my line of work, but of course, we still are working within the confines of a healthcare system.
And that system, incidentally, is where I can find a personal example of disruption that’s not so positive. I had a routine checkup scheduled with my doctor’s office earlier this week, and when they were scheduling my routine lab work, I asked, “Could you order a throat culture? Because I think I may have strep.”
“Sorry,” came the reply. “We don’t see sick people in the doctor’s office anymore.”
Well. What do we do with that? If sick people can’t be seen in a doctor’s office, where do they go? I don’t have an answer for that right now. Although that kind of disruption that makes a certain kind of sense — in terms of pandemic containment — we also need to think critically about it.
Ultimately, we need to balance making progress through disruption with keeping a solid foundation beneath us. In my work, things that have stood the test of time include Quaker values, respect for elders, and support for their decision-making.
Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
Check in with your colleagues. We come together as a staff every week to check in with one another and, at the end of the week, to check out. These sessions are for both managing the work and supporting one another as individuals. Our work can be very difficult. Our care coordinators are working with our members every day, and many are very ill, some at end of life. We always start our check-ins with a moment of silence, a Quaker tradition. Some people think that’s prayer; I think it’s whatever you want that to be. But each of us comes into the session with a million things going on. It’s just taking a minute to clear our head and focus on the work at hand right now.
Ask good questions. We go around the room at these check-in sessions. They work best when team members are asked not just the regular yes or no questions, but the kinds of questions that only the person being asked can answer. This invites their colleagues to really learn about that person or that individual. Examples: What’s weighing on you today? What’s holding you back? What can you do about it? Colleagues can answer any way they want and are not to be interrupted.It helps center all of us.
Be vulnerable. Admitting vulnerability allows other people to relate to you and to be open themselves. It starts a conversation that can build a foundation of trust.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
Although we’re primarily focused on our current program, which is extremely successful in enabling and empowering people to be able to remain at home, not everyone can afford this program. So we are exploring ways provide similar types of programs and services to both a middle- and low-income population. That would be a type of disruption that would create tremendous value for a lot of people.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
I’m grateful that at Kendal at Home and other nonprofits, many women are successfully leading organizations and disrupting them in very positive ways. We’ve done that for a long time and are respected leaders across this industry.
As I think about diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, I believe we all want to belong. We all want to build value regardless of the color of our skin, our gender, age, and ability.
Earlier in in my career, I faced some significant challenges building value. I was working in a male dominant field of law enforcement officers, district attorneys, prosecutors, and defense attorneys. Eventually, I learned how important was to be respectful as you demand respect in return.
And in the 10 years that I was there, I became a trusted partner. I had to demonstrate that I was worthy of trust and would not interfere with the work the others needed to do, but that we had a right to be present and support victims.
Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?
Like many people, I would say Brené Brown’s podcast on vulnerability made a significant impact in my life. And it opened my eyes to other powerful Ted Talks that I use quite often.
Another current favorite tool is a Springsteen video I found. At a live performance, someone in his audience requested the song “You Never Can Tell.” It’s an older song, and the E Street Band as currently configured probably had never played it together. “Well,” says Bruce. “Let’s see if we can do it.” In front of the waiting audience, he works with Stevie Van Zandt to figure out the chords and the chorus. Then they figure out the horn parts, and pretty soon they play the song and it is phenomenal. And it’s about teams, right? It’s about coming together and creating something that you’ve never done before — and being vulnerable in the face of uncertainty.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Right now my passion is around leadership development and inspiring others to accomplish whatever work they’re passionate about. So many people positively impacted my life and enabled me to become the person I am today, so I try to pay it forward by working with emerging leaders today. I try to help them grow and become stronger leaders to achieve what’s important to them.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“The past is a guidepost, not a hitching post.” It’s from Thomas Holcroft, a poet. And it is right in front of me here in my office.
I see mistakes as learning opportunities. We try not to repeat them. Rather, we try to learn from them and rebound to make a greater impact as a result.
Female Disruptors: Janet Casey of Marketing Doctor On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Working mothers “having it all” is a cliche. It’s tough to work and then head home to support your kids, make it to practices or parent teacher conferences, or, heaven forbid, they get sick. But the Holy Grail of “having it all” isn’t just silly, it’s sexist.
As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Janet Casey, Founder & President of Marketing Doctor, Inc.
Janet Casey launched Marketing Doctor, a media planning and media buying agency, in 2003 and has grown it into an award-winning, multi-million dollar business. Her dedication to her career and to advanced, strategic, results-driven advertising has led Marketing Doctor to be recognized as an Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Company in America for the fourth consecutive year.
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?
Marketing Doctor began as a one-person consultancy because I was determined to have the bandwidth to be an attentive mother and the flexibility that requires. The “Old Boys’ Club” workplace where I started my career was unfriendly and inflexible especially to primary caregivers. As my company grew, it was imperative to me that I extend the right support to all parents. I keep an inspirational quote in the office that says, “If you bungle raising your children, I don’t think whatever else you do matters very much.” This quote guides us in prioritizing work-life balance and flexibility every day.
There were a lot of reasons to start Marketing Doctor, Inc., but this one has always been near and dear to my heart. No two working moms have the same exact experience, but I personally knew how hard it could be to balance everything — and I wanted to be a boss who could support my employees the right way.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
Women wield the power to disrupt historically-male industries, simultaneously creating fulfilling experiences for their teams at work and at home.
It comes down to three M’s for me: Motherhood, Managing, and Multitasking. To thrive in each area is to be disruptive in the best way possible. To maintain optimism amidst the beautiful chaos of all these puzzle pieces is even more groundbreaking. I’m here to tell you that it’s possible to have your cake and eat it too in every aspect of your life, but you need an iron-clad support system.
We hire ambitious people who go above and beyond in their leadership, industry learning, and truly strategic collaboration with colleagues and clients alike. These individuals, many of whom are women and mothers, are the lifeforce of the agency, multitasking mavens, and the catalyst for success.
As a media planning and buying agency, Marketing Doctor breaks the mold because we know exactly who we are. We don’t pretend to be an agency that specializes in everything because when you specialize in “everything”, you specialize in nothing. You can’t be all things to all people, but you can form powerhouse partnerships with other elite agencies to produce profits for all parties.
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 Marketing Doctor, I was juggling a career and motherhood. I remember going to many meetings with baby vomit on me. Safe to say I was not in top form! Rather than ignoring the elephant in the room, I decided to lift the veil on working mom reality. It taught me to joke with men and women alike about parenthood during meetings. The common ground and often amusing stories opened up a whole new dialogue and bridge for deeper, more personal connections in the workplace.
Fast forward several years, and we have a beautifully-decorated nursing room in our office. Motherhood is a superpower, and providing proper accommodations to do what heroes do is a no-brainer.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
In the many years I’ve been a member of the Women Presidents Organization, I’ve met so many women growing successful businesses while sandwiched between raising young children and caring for aging parents. Women are the primary caregivers for both groups and the stress of running a business is surreal. I’ve met gobs of women who handle an ungodly amount of stress and even trauma while keeping their head above water and growing their businesses. I’ve been inspired by their endurance and their never-say-die approach to very overwhelming circumstances for prolonged periods of time. I have so many examples of this, it’s very common and certainly very inspiring.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
It all comes down to the heart of the matter. What are your intentions when inspiring change? Whose interest does the disruption serve? More importantly, how are those intentions manifesting in the real world, and how are people responding?
I believe in doing well by doing good. Putting my employees’ well-being above all else shouldn’t be a fresh take on management, but it is. So many companies have their blinders up when it comes to their bottom lines. If you don’t take care of your team, everyone, including your business, will suffer.
Introducing our internal “Hopes and Dreams” workshops disrupted Marketing Doctor’s culture in a magical way. In the spirit of work-life balance and personal development, our employees rate the topics they’d like to learn more about. For example: personal investing, first-time home buying, physical health and mental wellness, retirement planning, and pursuing passions. We invite friends and families to join the workshops as well. Positive disruptions like this within the workplace spark engagement, community, and smiles all around.
Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
I’m infinitely lucky to have had many mentors along the way! Here are a few that have had a major impact on my journey, and the words of advice they instilled in me.
Regis Crocker, Founder of Crocker Communications, Inc.
Lesson: “Women can dominate in a male industry.”
My parents, Tex and Patricia Douglas:
My parents have always been my role models. They both grew up in humble times with relative poverty, and were able to become industry leaders by out-working everyone around them in their fields.
Lesson: “Lead by example–don’t give advice or preach, and work hard!”
Dr. Shawn Garber, President and Founder of New York Bariatric Group
Lesson: “Pay attention to the financial side of your business, not just to your mission or passion.”
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
Pivoting to the media world specifically, Marketing Doctor is full steam ahead on the evolution of traditional media buying and the trackability of results for old school ad types such as TV, Radio and Outdoor. A lot of agencies profess themselves as “full service”, but are they really? It’s common knowledge that digital media is immediately measurable, but traditional media has new accountability, and we are digging in. Our roots in the traditional media space run deep, and success requires nuanced understanding of how it started and where it’s going. In the Wild West of advertising, measurement is running rampant with various companies claiming to have the most accurate form of currency. Which will reign supreme? Maybe one, maybe many. Either way, our media buyers are keeping track and filling their cups with as much continuing education as possible. We’ll keep shaking things up with omnichannel paid media campaigns that transform organizations.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
Working mothers “having it all” is a cliche. It’s tough to work and then head home to support your kids, make it to practices or parent teacher conferences, or, heaven forbid, they get sick. But the Holy Grail of “having it all” isn’t just silly, it’s sexist.
As a successful woman business owner, advocating for yourself can come with the fear of being seen as pushy or bossy or aggressive or emotional. Men doing the same are often seen as ambitious or take-charge. A real go-getter or someone who “has it all”.
Feeling unseen in the Old Boys’ Club is one of the many reasons I started my own business, and put so much heart and soul into seeing it thrive.
Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?
The Hard Thing about Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
This book really hit home. Ben Horowitz shares his own story, in raw detail, of scaling and selling his wildly successful business. It’s not for the faint of heart. He speaks to the struggles that most founders of businesses go through. The skills that make us good at a service are very different from the skills necessary to manage a business. And then another set of skills are necessary to scale a business. He shares his mistakes, many of which I made as well. I have reread this book because there is so much helpful advice packed in it. It’s a wild ride!
Radical Candor by Kim Scott
We believe that feedback is a gift. Delivering clear feedback is hard. This book is the ultimate guide in communicating with your team and becoming the type of leader I’m proud to be. It’s about building trust, actually caring about someone’s dreams, challenging others in a constructive way, and offering/taking both praise and feedback.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I have a headline from Forbes Magazine that sits behind my desk that really inspires me. It says, “Only 2% of Women-Owned Businesses Break the $1 Million Mark’’. I’ve always believed that if you want to get something done, hand it to the busiest women you know. Multitasking is a survival skill women, particularly moms, have had to develop. I believe that women can thrive and contribute during child bearing years. We should support and champion working mothers. It’s the right thing to do for business and it’s the right thing to do for our office culture.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
There’s a Michelle Obama quote that really resonated with me. She stated, “I have been at probably every powerful table that you can think of, I have worked at nonprofits, I have been at foundations, I have worked in corporations, served on corporate boards, I have been at G-summits, I have sat in at the U.N.: They are not that smart.”This lit a fire in me, and really rings true in the advertising industry! Many women unnecessarily suffer from imposter syndrome.
With this profound message echoing in my mind, I learned to believe in myself, and acknowledge that I’m qualified and courageous enough to have a seat at the table.
How can our readers follow you online?
Find us on social media, subscribe to our email newsletter, and check out our blog at mymarketingdoctor.com
Our Social Handles:
Facebook and Instagram: @marketingdoctorinc
LinkedIn: Marketing Doctor Inc.
Twitter: @marketingdocinc
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech: Ciara James of Limitless Learning TT On The 5 Leadership Lessons She Learned From Her Experience
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
The right attitude is key. As a leader you will be faced with many challenging obstacles and how you choose to face them makes all the difference. A leader who is confident, determined and optimistic will always be more successful than one who is fearful, hesitant and defeatist.
As a part of our series about “Lessons From Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech”, we had the pleasure of interviewing Ciara James. Founder & CEO- Limitless Learning TT.
Ciara James earned her B.S. in Mathematics from Morgan State University, M.S. in Applied Financial Mathematics from the University of Connecticut and has over 15 years’ experience in teaching, strategic learning methods, and educational development. Currently through her company, she focuses on connecting with students individually and custom-tailoring their lesson plans to ensure that each one receives the desired attention as well as a thorough understanding of the material in a way that works best for them. Her ultimate goal is to shake things up within the education system, particularly in the Caribbean, by shifting the focus from examination to student, where it isn’t the test results that matter as much as it is ensuring that each student leaves school with sound knowledge, firm grasp and full understanding, which will inevitably set them up for success in any career they decide to pursue.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
In the beginning I thought I was going to be an actuary, making lots of money and living my very best life. Then that changed into pursuing applied financial mathematics, with the intent of exploring the financial services sector. While I did work in investments for a little over a year and was good at my job, I just was not as passionate as my co-workers. I thought a change in department to risk analysis would be just what I needed, but ended up turning down that job offer and starting my own business in education. Both my parents are educators and I was always told by many of my professors that I would be an excellent educator and honestly, they were right.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began at your company?
In June 2019 I decided that I wanted to have a “summer” camp for science, math and art in July 2019. There wasn’t much time for preparation and advertising, literally 4–6 weeks to bring this idea to fruition. Many thought that I was crazy, biting off more than I could chew, and postponing to the following year would be wise. However, I had a vision of what I wanted and it entailed having that camp in July 2019. I must admit that 2 weeks before the start date, I was a bit nervous because no one had signed up for this camp. On the first day of camp, July 15th 2019, we were at capacity and couldn’t take any more students for Camp SMArt. To date, it has been one of the most successful events created by Limitless Learning TT. Had I not followed my intuition and postponed to the following year, the camp would have never happened because of COVID-19.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. 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 was starting up my business I didn’t really have a lot of money. I needed a logo but quite honestly I really didn’t want to pay a lot but also wanted it immediately. An acquaintance offered to design a logo for a minimal fee with a really quick turn over. Let’s just say you get what you pay for. I learnt very quickly that you can never go wrong investing in quality service, especially when it comes to your brand.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
What makes Limitless Learning TT different from other companies is that we are extremely student-focused. Every student has a different personality and a different learning style. We tap into that by not only providing one on tutoring with individual attention, but also tailoring our lesson plans and going at the student’s desired pace. This results in each student learning in the way that works best for him/her.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
Yes! We are in the process of creating a remedial math program specifically geared towards students who reside in the Caribbean. Math is the subject with the highest failure rate in the Caribbean, at both the primary and secondary levels. This program will allow students to work at their own pace to correct foundational issues in mathematics, while ensuring that by the end of the program they have a thorough understanding of the topics and concepts covered.
Ok super. Thank you for all that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. Are you currently satisfied with the status quo regarding women in STEM? What specific changes do you think are needed to change the status quo?
While we have made a lot of progress within the last couple of decades, there is still a lot that needs to be done when it comes to the status quo regarding women in STEM. While more of an effort is being made to make young women aware of and excited about careers within the STEM field, when they’re actually in field many of the senior roles are still “reserved” for men. It is much more difficult for women to be promoted to senior level opportunities than their male counterparts. In my opinion the only way to combat this is through reprogramming at the primary level, where the result is that men are no longer regarded as the ONLY experts in this field.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by women in STEM or Tech that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts? What would you suggest to address this?
I feel like women have to work twice as hard as men to be seriously considered as an expert in their field. Even with letters like MS or PhD attached to their name, there is always this need to prove to everyone, especially their male counterparts, that they have rightfully earned their place and are worthy. Nothing can change without acknowledgment. The first step is acknowledging that this is a serious problem before methods can be put in place to find a solution.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a woman in STEM or Tech. Can you explain what you mean?
One very important myth I’d like to dispel is that women in STEM aren’t still dealing with the unfairness of the gender pay gap. It very much exists! It is very frustrating and quite frankly an insult to have the same qualifications and experience, sometimes more than male co-workers, and still get paid less.
What are your “5 Leadership Lessons I Learned From My Experience as a Woman in STEM or Tech” and why. (Please share a story or example for each.)
My five leadership lessons are:
The right attitude is key. As a leader you will be faced with many challenging obstacles and how you choose to face them makes all the difference. A leader who is confident, determined and optimistic will always be more successful than one who is fearful, hesitant and defeatist.
Talk less and listen more. While it is important to voice your opinions, as a leader it is also important to hear the concerns and opinions of your team and take this into consideration when making decisions, especially ones that affects your team. This is what builds trust and respect, which in turn creates success.
Own your mistakes. No one is perfect; everyone makes mistakes. What is important is admitting when you’ve made one, taking the necessary steps to correct it, learning from it, and ensuring that it isn’t repeated in the future.
Be a role model. The fact is that many young women dream of being in a position of leadership within the STEM field. Be an exceptional example and show that anything is possible.
Never give up!
What advice would you give to other women leaders to help their team to thrive?
Get to know your team on an personal level. Everyone has different personalities, brings different strengths and unique aspects to the team. As a leader you need to be able to pinpoint different strengths so that together the team can work in a way that is most effective and cohesive.
What advice would you give to other women leaders about the best way to manage a large team?
Delegate and communicate! When dealing with a large team it is impossible to do everything on your own. Delegating will not only create more time for you as a leader to work on important tasks, but will also give teammates more independence, experience and opportunities for growth. Also, communication is key. Effective communication between a leader and the team ensures that everyone knows what they’re doing, how they’re doing it, what to do if they encounter any obstacles, and the best solutions to problems, all of which result in success.
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 would not where I am today without my sister Dana, who is my role model and the biggest supporter of my business. She has been there from inception, for every new idea or project, whether crazy or sane, and isn’t afraid to let me know how she honestly feels about a situation or decision. Not only has she invested in my business but she has invested in me and my purpose. Her unrelenting love and support is one of my driving factors to be the best at what I do.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
There are many students locally and regionally who can benefit from one on one assistance in Math but simply cannot afford to do so. In 2019, I successfully created a local community initiative to help alleviate this problem. While it is just a small step, the hope is that it can continue to grow into something epic.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
If I could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to people it would be the mutual respect movement. I think it’s extremely important to be able to accept someone for who they are, even if they might be different from you or even if you may not agree with their beliefs or lifestyle, and vice versa. I feel as though that would solve a lot of problems in the world right now.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
My favourite life lesson is a version of Maya Angelo’s words “hoping for the best, prepared for the worst, and unsurprised by anything in between.” Prepared should be my middle name because I am someone who always has multiple back-up plans for my back-up plans. Honestly, it would be really nice if plan A always works and I am hopeful that it does, but I also understand that it’s not realistic. Thankfully, because I always have so many back-up plans there is rarely any circumstance that I’m not ready for or that surprises me.
We are very blessed that very prominent leaders read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
As a mathematician and educator, I would love to sit down with Gloria Conyers Hewitt, the first African American woman to chair a department of Mathematics in the US. She is such an influential woman in the STEM field and being able to pick her brain would be an exciting and unforgettable experience.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Never ignore your instincts. At this point in my life, I strictly adhere to this. If it doesn’t feel right, it simply isn’t. The moment I feel something isn’t right, whether it’s with a potential hire or a client, I decline the hire or client. Many times, it’s inconvenient to listen to your instincts because you’ve probably invested in a person or idea or you don’t want to lose a client. But it’s far better to rip off the band aid early than to let the original issue fester — because it will. Be decisive and always listen to your gut.
As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Susan Cho.
Susan Cho is a 2003 graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point and is currently the Director of Intelligence at Hyperion Services — a global security firm. As a serial entrepreneur and combat veteran, she also serves as a passionate advocate for veteran hires in the workforce.
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 was fortunate to have cultivated my skill sets in tactical intelligence while serving in some unique assignments and units within the military — under some of the most brilliant and unconventional leaders in the intelligence field. As a result, I had the opportunity to be selected for some assignments with critical missions and was selected to be the intelligence lead on several very complex hostage rescue operations. Hostage rescue operations are not an everyday occurrence in the military, so it is pretty unusual to be a part of one, let alone several. Fast forward to today and it makes sense to bring my expertise into the private sector. Hostage rescue operations are, by far, the most complex type of security operation and I’m fortunate to lead intelligence operations once again for an organization like Hyperion. I get to work with the very best operators who bring their own expertise in hostage rescues and complex security operations and we’ve been able to accomplish some incredible things together.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
One of the reasons we are so successful in some of the most dangerous and complex missions (i.e. hostage rescues) is due to our ability to respond to a situation immediately anywhere in the world with the best operational teams, supported by the very best intelligence and technical expertise. No other private security company can do this because they don’t have operators pre-staged in every country in the world and don’t have the logistics in place to support those operators within 24 hours. Hyperion’s sister company, Silent Professionals, sources and vets skilled field operators and intelligence professionals on a continuous, rolling basis, so unlike every other security company in the world, we have no need to spend time and resources on recruitment. As a result, we have the ability to respond to any crisis anywhere in the world within 24 hours by mobilizing operators and assets who have been pre-vetted and also already reside within the crisis region.
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?
The thing about being disruptive in an industry is that it causes a chain reaction and you’ll find inefficiencies everywhere so that it becomes necessary to take on more than just the slice you’ve disrupted. Even though we have so much native operational talent and experience within our team, we fought so hard in the beginning against being an “operational” security service provider. We knew we had a disruptive asset in being able to source and vet top talent in the private security industry in a way that was absolutely unprecedented through Silent Professionals. We had every intent to focus our efforts solely on improving this disruptive and valuable capability and regularly rejected requests to become operational as a security service provider. We fought this idea for probably about 2 years before we grudgingly created Hyperion Services to take on all of the clients that were requesting us to be their security service providers. We now look back and laugh at how hard we fought this move given that it completely makes sense now.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
My parents have been a continual source of deep wisdom for me throughout my life and I consider them to be my greatest mentors. Their wise advice has always had profound life and business implications that I probably couldn’t even enumerate them all in a single book. They were born in the early 1940s in Korea — before there were even two Koreas. They’ve been through such hardship in their lives yet have never complained about how unfair or difficult life was for them. They worked hard and sacrificed their own dreams and goals and pleasures to give my brothers and me better opportunities. They were shining examples of what immigrants are in this country and what honest, hardworking people can accomplish in a single generation in a free country. No matter what obstacles I ever encounter, they pale in comparison to the hardships my parents faced in their lives and still they never let life defeat them. I fully believe that strength and resolve can be inherited if the example is strong enough.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
If your solution to a problem is more comprehensive and efficient than the existing solution(s) to a problem, then disruption is positive. You’ll know when disruption is positive because adoption of the new solution is organically accepted by the masses, rather than a forced adoption. On the other hand, some people consider disruption to mean simply shaking up an existing system without consideration to the effectiveness and efficiency of the solution itself. This sort of disruption often causes more damage than good — not just to the existing industry or system but it usually inflicts collateral damage on other peripheral industries or systems.
Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
1) Never ignore your instincts. At this point in my life, I strictly adhere to this. If it doesn’t feel right, it simply isn’t. The moment I feel something isn’t right, whether it’s with a potential hire or a client, I decline the hire or client. Many times, it’s inconvenient to listen to your instincts because you’ve probably invested in a person or idea or you don’t want to lose a client. But it’s far better to rip off the band aid early than to let the original issue fester — because it will. Be decisive and always listen to your gut.
2) You’re responsible for building the world you want to live in. Every action I take, no matter how big or small, contributes to the environment and community around me. I
3) “Do right and fear no man.” I love this quote from Winston Churchill. I never let anyone enslave me through greed, fear, or
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
I honestly don’t think about things this way — I never think of anything in an ‘us’ versus ‘them’ fashion…and I’ve been in male-dominated industries and environments my entire life. I think that every person faces challenges that can be greater for them than it is for another person, and that includes men. I’ve been fortunate to work alongside the most elite men and women while at West Point and while serving in the military. Sure, I’ve faced countless situations where I’ve been judged or viewed a certain way because I’m a woman. But men can face the same level of discrimination but in different ways. It’s no cakewalk for a man to be selected as the very best when they’re surrounded by a sea of other men who are considered to be the best. It’s competitive and brutally cutthroat to rise to the very top. People will always try to get under your skin or think of reasons why you aren’t capable compared to others, but the very best don’t focus on what other people say or do to undermine their accomplishments. The things I might hear or see as a woman may be different than a man, but the essence of what is happening is the same. The thing that sets apart the very best is that we look at our so-called disadvantages and turn them into advantages and don’t get our feathers ruffled because of someone else’s prejudices.
Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?
It’s not a book or podcast, but a lesson from my father that has deeply impacted the way I think about how I approach all obstacles in life. It also dovetails off of what I said in response to your last question. My dad was my Tae Kwon Do coach since I was 4. After a sparring competition when I was about 8 years old, my dad took me outside and drew a line in the dirt with a stick. He handed me the stick and told me to make the line shorter. So I cut the line up into several segments with the stick. Without saying anything, he took the stick from me and redrew the line and then drew a line next to it 10 times the original length. He said that while I had great potential as a fighter, I would never realize my full potential by trying to identify my opponents’ weaknesses and attacking them where they were weak. Instead, he told me not to focus on my opponent and focus all of my energy on “growing my own line” so that, in comparison, the line next to me could never measure up. Focusing on what’s unfair or where I perceive someone else’s advantage or weakness does nothing to develop my own skills or value.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I would start a movement of empathy. I think this age of social media and media sensationalism for engagement is so polarizing and dulling peoples’ sense of empathy and compassion.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“A great carpenter can build with any kind of wood.” That’s about the most direct translation from wisdom that my dad shared with me long ago. It’s a constant reminder to me that all people and resources have value but the challenge is mine to determine the best application and place to employ that asset to build something great. It’s easier said than done and is a lifelong work in progress — my goal is always to become a better carpenter in life.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Thriving As A Woman In a Male-Dominated Industry: Rachel Southard of Men In Kilts On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman In a Male-Dominated Industry
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Know your strengths and take advantage of them — What’s that one thing that you know no one can do better than you? Go all in on that and deliver unshakable results. Don’t sign up for administrative or “mom tasks” unless they are your core responsibility. This is a big thing that sucks up your time but doesn’t get evaluated for performance. It’s probably one of the reasons men get promoted because they haven’t been distracted by these things. Look- I’m a mom and I’m a planner. It is second nature for me to take control and plan; dinners, events, meetings, etc.. I have to make it a point to pause from jumping in and I have gotten comfortable saying no.
In the United States in 2022, fields such as Aircraft piloting, Agriculture, Architecture, Construction, Finance, and Information technology, are still male-dominated industries. For a woman who is working in a male-dominated environment, what exactly does it take to thrive and succeed? In this interview series, we are talking to successful women who work in a Male-Dominated Industry who can share their stories and experiences about navigating work and life as strong women in a male-dominated industry. As a part of this series, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Rachel Southard.
Rachel Southard, Brand President: Rachel joined Threshold Brands as the President of Men in Kilts in June of 2021. Prior to joining Threshold, Rachel was a consultant at an Ogilvy company where she led strategy behind digital experience initiatives for brands such as Southwest Airlines, Chick-Fil-A, Christian Brothers Automotive and Caesars. For the ten years prior to her time at Ogilvy, Rachel worked at Self Esteem Brands (SEB) leading operations for Anytime Fitness franchise, a $1.5B global operation with over 4,000 locations worldwide.
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 childhood “backstory”?
This is so interesting because this is never a question you get in the business world, but I really do think that my childhood story had an influence on where I am today.
I definitely didn’t have a fairytale upbringing. I’m a Cajun from St. Mary Parish, South Louisiana. I literally grew up with the Bayou in my backyard. My parents were never married. My mom had me when she was only 17 years old. She married my step father when I was 2 but that was an abusive relationship and the only great thing that came from it was my sister. Needless to say I grew up with a whole lot of women in my life! My mom had 3 single sisters, my grandma who helped raise me was widowed and I had mostly girl cousins. Lots of estrogen at family gatherings! We moved around a lot. I never lived in the same place for more than a couple of years. Which meant lots of new schools, lots of new friends, lots of change. I really wouldn’t change a thing. Adversity has shaped who I am and I would not be where I am today without it.
Can you tell us the story about what led you to this particular career path?
I didn’t necessarily plan to be in franchising, it was a series of fortunate events. Once you experience franchising, you either love it or hate it, and I’ve loved it! It’s been part of my career path ever since.
My first job in high school when I was 16 was working in the daycare at a fitness franchise. I ended up working with that multi-unit franchisee for almost 10 years. I found a passion for fitness and worked my way up into managing multiple locations. It is what inspired me to do my undergraduate degree in Kinesiology. After getting married in 2009, my husband was awarded a professorship at Georgia State University so we relocated to Atlanta. I took a leap and started working for a fitness software company. Shortly after, that company was acquired by what is now the largest fitness franchise (Anytime Fitness) in the world. That was my introduction to the franchisor side of the business and I’ve never looked back.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
I previously worked for Self Esteem Brands (SEB), the parent company of Anytime Fitness; I was there for about 10 years. That company has a beautiful, amazing culture, and I thought I would be there forever. There was never really a reason to leave SEB.
Because I had an undergraduate degree in kinesiology but was loving the business side of franchising, I wanted to get my MBA to become more well-versed in the business space. I wasn’t getting my MBA to leave Anytime. In fact, I chose an international business program that specialized in Asian business studies because we were the first franchise to begin entering into the China market. But in the midst of working full time, going to graduate school, being a wife and mother and navigating the start of the pandemic, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
I think when you’re facing death, you look at life so differently. And it was at this moment that I started to think, ‘Is this really what I want? Have I let myself get complacent?’ It was a moment that truly pushed me to not only get through the current circumstances but to also do something bigger and better.
That was a pivotal moment in my career, breaking through complacency and stepping out of my comfort zone in order to really grow in my career. So I left Self Esteem Brands.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Endurance: This goes back to my childhood and the continuous obstacles I’ve faced in my life. It’s one thing to be able to get shit done and be a go-getter, but doing that when you’re faced with roadblock after roadblock, is a whole other story. There will always be something; a pandemic, a recession, a hurricane, a soiled employee, a bad vendor. Anything can happen at any time that could drain your energy and cause you to lose focus. Having determination, grit and resilience will get you through. Having a clear vision with a strong WHY that you don’t lose sight of is a must.
We recently went through this when changing vendors. What should have been a six month project turned into a twelve month project with upset after upset. At any given time we could have given up and stayed status quo. However, we kept revisiting our vision for the future, why we were doing this in the first place and what the end result would be for us and our franchisees. A strong why will get you through.
Empathy: My husband basically has a Ph.D. in empathy so there is no escaping the exposure to the importance of this trait in leadership in my house. (Ha!) In order for me to nurture diverse and innovative thinking from my team, I have to lead with empathy. That means taking the time to listen more than I talk (which is hard to do), validate different perspectives and assume good intent. By demonstrating empathy, you build trust among your team and through trust, your team becomes more productive and collaborative.
One way I show empathy with my team is by trying to anticipate their needs. I have an employee whose son just recently went off to college. I knew it was going to be an emotional week for her so I did my best to give her space and encouraged her to take a few days off and spend those with her son. I didn’t get frustrated that she was missing work more than usual. I put myself in her shoes and really thought about how I will feel when my girls move out and go off to college. Those moments with her son were way more important than any work that needed to be done.
Fun: Something that makes me very unique as a leader and peer is my silliness; I don’t take myself too seriously. Maybe that can give an interesting twist to my executive presence, but I think it is just so important to bring fun to everything that you do. Life is too short, and work is more enjoyable when you’re having fun!
Just today, I’ve planned a surprise for my team. We’re in the middle of some big projects, and everyone is over capacity. I recognize that, and it may have frustrated them to see the invite pop up because there’s so much to do, but I scheduled a mandatory meeting for the last hour of the day. But I’m actually surprising them with a virtual escape room just to give everyone a bit of a mental break. My team isn’t always the best at work-life balance because they love the work, so I’m making it happen myself!
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Can you help articulate a few of the biggest obstacles or challenges you’ve had to overcome while working in a male-dominated industry?
I’ve never thought too hard about the fact that I’m a woman in a man’s world. I just try to forget about distractions and get shit done. I think when you’re doing work that you’re passionate about and you’re determined to get something done, you don’t have time to lift your head up and realize what’s happening until you’re looking back on it.
The first several years of my career was working for male leaders who were part of the “bro-club”. It really hindered my ability to advance in my career at a pace I deserved. What it didn’t do was stunt the learning opportunities put in front of me. I carried those leaders, I put in the work and they took the credit. Although they may have taken credit for the work I did to make them look good, they cannot take away all of the lessons learned over those years.
Can you share a few of the things you have done to gain acceptance among your male peers and the general work community? What did your female co-workers do? Can you share some stories or examples?
I am who I am. I’m authentic, and I’m never going to try to be someone I’m not. I’m bubbly, fun and outgoing, and I don’t need to hide that to be great at what I do. I think men respect that level of authenticity, and when I show up as my full self, I’m able to show other women that they don’t have to be something they’re not.
There are always conversations about imposter syndrome, and quite often, women feel like they have to be buttoned up or super serious. I hope that me coming in as my true self has allowed other women to jump on the bandwagon of authenticity and present themselves as who they are, not who they think men want or need them to be.
All of that comes back to the idea that I’m going to be me. I’m going to respect others and expect that back, and we’re all going to work great together.
What do you think male-oriented organizations can do to enhance their recruiting efforts to attract more women?
Have more women in leadership positions.
Let’s be real. Women will not feel welcome if your entire leadership team is made up of older white males. If you want to attract women, you need to have some diversity across your leadership team. I don’t want to be blocked in my career; when I see a diverse leadership team, I’m more confident in the fact that I’ll be well supported.
There is also something to be said for branching out in terms of roles. Women in leadership are very often in marketing or human resources positions. Show me a woman in some other roles that are typically held by men! If you have a woman CEO or CFO, that’s an even bigger statement that tells us, ‘This is a place for everyone.’
Ok thank you for all of that. 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 In a Male-Dominated Industry?” (Please share a story or example for each.)
Allyship: This is why it’s so important to join a company with a diverse leadership team where you have allies. Someone to advocate for you and stand by you when needed. Building relationships based on trust, consistency, and accountability with marginalized individuals should be a focus for everyone in leadership. And you have to pay it forward.
This is why I came up with the idea for She Dreams, a female focused networking group for female franchisees and leaders in our portfolio company, Threshold Brands. My co-sponsor, another female brand president at Threshold Brands, and I bring in guest speakers and host round-table discussions on different topics women face as leaders in today’s society. This is our way of being allies with our future female leaders.
Authenticity: I can’t stress this enough. Be yourself. Don’t change who you are to fit some stereotype. Be you, not who you think they want you to be. Sometimes we tell ourselves that we’re under a microscope and won’t get the privilege of messing up. Being authentic, especially in the sense of transparency, is so important. If you mess up, don’t try to sweep it under the rug — you’ll lose trust. Own it, set your ego aside, and move forward. That is how you build trust.
Unwavering Confidence- Most women have imposter syndrome, over 90% I’ve read. Those gut-wrenching thoughts telling us the world might discover we are inadequate or unworthy; that we are frauds. What you perceive is what you believe. You must shift your perception, so you can see you are already the successful person you aim to be and own it. Guess what- men don’t know what they are doing anymore than you do! Be confident in your decisions and own them. One way that I increase my confidence is by using data to make my decisions- it’s hard to argue against good ‘ol hard data.
Know your strengths and take advantage of them — What’s that one thing that you know no one can do better than you? Go all in on that and deliver unshakable results. Don’t sign up for administrative or “mom tasks” unless they are your core responsibility. This is a big thing that sucks up your time but doesn’t get evaluated for performance. It’s probably one of the reasons men get promoted because they haven’t been distracted by these things. Look- I’m a mom and I’m a planner. It is second nature for me to take control and plan; dinners, events, meetings, etc.. I have to make it a point to pause from jumping in and I have gotten comfortable saying no.
Mental health: I have a secret for you- you can have your cake and eat it too. But you have to take care of yourself. You can’t serve from an empty bucket. Nurturing a marriage, family, friendships and a career takes a lot of nourishment. Make sure you’re getting good rest, exercise, and find a hobby that allows you to lose yourself to recharge.
We recently invested in a cabin on 8 acres about 90 miles from our home near a lake. Working the land is so therapeutic for me. That hard manual labor, chopping wood, cutting trails, building a firepit, hiking, kayaking, exploring. It helps me to recharge so I can show up as my best self. It’s important that you find time to care for your mental health so you can show up and execute on the other four things.
If you had a close woman friend who came to you with a choice of entering a field that is male-dominated or female-dominated, what would you advise her? Would you advise a woman friend to start a career in a field or industry that’s traditionally been mostly men? Can you explain what you mean?
I would ask my friend, “Is this a career that you’re passionate about? Is the work something that drives you? Will it get you excited to get out of bed every morning?”
If so, just do it! Who cares who you’re surrounded by? It could be men, women or monkeys… don’t let that get in the way of following your passion.
Have you seen things change for women working in male-dominated industries, over the past ten years? How do you anticipate that it might improve in the future? Can you please explain what you mean?
There has been a spotlight on diversity over the last several years. Organizations are putting more thought and emphasis on having more representation in leadership roles and across all other roles. I’ve definitely seen a change, and I think that may be one of the reasons why I never thought too hard about whether I was entering a male-dominated space when I joined Men In Kilts.
Now, at Threshold Brands, we have a woman CEO, and there is another brand president who is a black woman and another who is LGBTQIA. There has definitely been a shift, and I think we will continue to see that shift not only in gender but also in race, orientation, and cultural background. We’re going to continue to see more diverse leadership across more organizations and that means we’re going to start having more innovation, growth and spectacular experiences. We can achieve amazing things when we value and encourage diverse perspectives.
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 recently went to an industry convention and one of the keynote speakers was Kat Cole. I was crying during her presentation because her story resonated with me so strongly. So much of what I spoke about regarding my childhood and adversity that I’ve gone through aligns with her experience. She’s a very inspirational woman, and it would be humbling to be able to sit down with someone who is so similar to me, having come from nothing and really paved her own way. Also, Oprah. I mean- go big or go home, right?
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Female Disruptors: Ashley Osborne of HempHera Kosmetikos On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Do your most difficult tasks first. Never put the most difficult or physical task of your day off. Doing it later never works. You’ll not only get a little drop of dopamine sense of accomplishment, but regardless of how your day navigates — the most important thing is done.
As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ashley Osborne.
Ashley Osborne founded HempHera Kosmetikos with the belief that everyone should feel like a Goddess or God inside and out. She grew up fascinated by Greek and Egyptian mythology, as well as fashion and cosmetics, which became the gateway for her founding HempHera. By combining her experience in both the cannabis and cosmetic Industry, Ashley is bringing a hemp based skin care to both women and men.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
I think the beauty industry and cannabis industry are both individually disruptive themselves, because they both have such vigorous dynamics. Cannabis is so new legally, that we are learning new things every single day. The beauty industry is always changing. There will always be new formulations, new technology, new packaging, etc. HempHera is the world’s first fully dedicated CBD skin care line; I’m talking cleansers, toners, serums, moisturizers, eye creams, masks — ‘the whole nine yards.’ (to my knowledge, if they existed before me — I did not know about them.)
What makes us extremely unique is the scientific use of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is the term given to those areas of science and engineering where phenomena that take place at dimensions in the nanometer scale are utilized in the design, characterization, production, and application of materials, structures, devices, and systems. Basically, we break our CBD into millions of microscopic particles so that it can be absorbed faster and penetrate deeper.
Bioavailability is everything when referring to nutrients, especially CBD. A standard-size particle of CBD will measure around 2000 nanometers in size. A human cell cannot absorb CBD particles any larger than 60–80 nanometers. A lot of chemists and scientists can nano-amplify CBD.
What they haven’t figured out how to do is keep their THC levels low enough to be considered CBD. We have, but often why we see nano-emulsions. Without breaking your CBD into true nanometers, not only will it not absorb properly, but it makes it harder to get your CBD into a water soluble state.
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, I could tell you about mistakes I made last week, ha-ha.
One mistake I will never forget, was during our initial launch into live retail. I somehow ordered the wrong material for my labels. I wanted a clear, glossy label, and I ended up with a matte, frosted label. I didn’t think it would be much of an issue until I started labeling everything. I could see every imperfection and air bubble someone labeling a bottle by hand could have. It stuck out like sore thumbs to my eyes. I spent so much time trying to push every little bubble or tweak every little crack, that I got myself into a rushed state of mind. Keep in mind, this was my first rodeo in the tradeshow world as an exhibitor for my own company. I thought it would be a great idea to save some shipping costs and fly my products with me to Miami, after all, these were much smaller portions.
When I landed in Miami, and got to my hotel. I could have cried when I opened those boxes in that little suitcase. I think they looked worse than they did before. I ended up having my girl friends help, and we fixed them up again.
The lesson here is, don’t sweat the small stuff. Not a single customer cared. Most of them opened the sample right there and tossed the packaging in the trash.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
Absolutely, I could not agree more. Each one of my mentors has brought something different to the table. I would not be able to pick one and say that they were the best. Each of them was active listeners who listened and heard what I was saying. Each of them built a trusting relationship that is important to me. They knew how to stimulate my critical thinking and to hold me accountable for my growth.
I will start with Mr. Osborne & Mr. Liggett, my Junior high & high school science teachers. These two not only fueled my excitement and passion for science, but they were also very positive influences in my life. I will never use my childhood as an excuse for any decision I’ve ever made, except the will to break cycles. I also will not say that I had a terrible childhood, because I know there were tons of children who experienced worse. What I will say, is during a very development point of my life; they never let me down. Both were also coaches of mine as well, I ran track and played basketball. Sports, science, and music were extreme outlets for me, and still are to this very day. Teachers just don’t often know how much of an impact they made in a student’s life.
Mr. Steve Kelly — one of the most selfless leaders I have ever met. Steve was my boss at a sports bar I worked at in Indianapolis called Kilroy’s. He taught me how to work with integrity, how to be a dependable teammate, and what “one team, one dream means”. There is a huge difference between a boss and a leader. A boss tells you what to do, a leader shows you what to do — often side by side.
I will never forget one Saturday afternoon, it was just Shaina and I on the floor, and Steve was our opening manager. Kilroy’s is an IU based bar known for its stuffed bread sticks and flavored LIT’s. IU played Michigan, big 10 football. 2 servers. Somehow Steve forgot. We would have typically had 10–12 servers maybe 14, they had a pretty large outdoor patio that would stay full. There is also no hostess, it’s a seat-yourself location. I loved that, but it could lead to double or triple seating. Steve never let us see him sweat. He was not worried at all that he had around 165 seats that were about to fill and only 4 hands, well we actually had 6 because we had Steve’s. It was very busy, but a smooth day. Steve greeted all of the tables, even helped with drink orders, and he bussed all of our tables the entire afternoon. No complaints, great game, and us two girls walked out with $600 and home by 3 pm. I always trust Steve. If he said it would be okay, it would be okay. Fast forward all these years, he is the link between me and our extremely talented, one-of-a-kind chemist.
Lastly, my family. They have supported me every step of the way in every avenue I have ever taken in life, especially my mother. She has always been a problem solver and extremely creative. She could take nothing and turn it into something beautiful. She taught me through example how to work hard my entire life. She also makes it possible for me to be able to do all that I have done with HempHera, as I am a single mother of 2 boys myself.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
I honestly feel like you will have a positive and negative opinion on nearly any matter. It’s kind of like voting, people vote for what is best for their personal lives and businesses. If I lived and owned a business in the city, I would likely be more inclined to agree with decisions that reflected the best interest of my family and business and vice versa. At the end of the day, as long as the disruptor is making positive changes, influence, services, or options for the consumers — who is to say what is good and what is bad?
For us, we’re disrupting our industry in a positive way, in my opinion. While the Hemp/CBD Market is very new, it’s not regulated like THC. Indiana was actually the first to require labeled QR codes that linked our products to lab testing and third-party testing. We ethically source every single ingredient. I know where it is coming from, and how it is being made — I will travel across the world to make sure something is what it should be. This leads to a very saturated market. Gas stations should never be selling CBD. Tobacco Shops should never be selling CBD. After they give you cancer causing agents, you can wash it down with a low-grade oil that you will hardly absorb?
Science is real. Science can be proven. Science is facts.
Bioavailability. How much of a nutrient will your body absorb? That matters, especially in the cannabis industry. Especially when consumers are being charged 2X the price of similar products because they have this added cannabinoid. While CBD skin care is safe for all skin types, it is really made for troubled, sensitive, irritated, dry, or mature skin. My brand was inspired by many of my favorite and most iconic brands in the world, I still use many of their products to this day — not everyone can use them. If my cell can’t absorb the cannabinoid because it is too big in size, it will actually just sit on top of the skin and clog the pores. We call that feeling ‘oil slick’ and it is actually doing more harm than good for one’s skin. We have water soluble hemp extract, and I use it in 95% of my formulations. We also use Broad Spectrum CBD, which means we remove THC but we leave all the other cannabinoids to create an entourage effect. I always try to explain to new team members how CBD and other cannabinoids work.
‘Think of CBD as Michael Jordan. He was one of the greatest basketball players of all time. By himself, he was powerful. But when you added In his teammates, let’s say Pippen, Kukoc, Rodman, and Grant — they were unstoppable.’
A lot of brands are using pure CBD, because they do not want the THC in their product, particularly skin care. The purest form of CBD, often called isolate, which is literally a crystal rock. Our bodies don’t digest rocks very well, and our pores do not either. If someone had extremely troubled skin, using that product would be like taking tiny little rocks and jabbing them all over their skin.
What exactly is the consumer paying for?
We are forcing brands to step up. Take the extra steps. Ensure that your product does what you say it does.
Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
Do your most difficult tasks first. Never put the most difficult or physical task of your day off. Doing it later never works. You’ll not only get a little drop of dopamine sense of accomplishment, but regardless of how your day navigates — the most important thing is done.
You can’t step in the same river twice. Quick actions could lead to mistakes and errors. It takes twice as long to go back and correct those mistakes or errors. I always take my time now really focusing on doing everything as effective as possible before I even start and finish my tasks.
Iron sharpens iron. A dull blade is pretty much useless. It will require more difficult force and provide poor results, if any. Iron– sharpeners are leaders that are focused on building the best & strongest team possible by utilizing & sharpening the strengths & talents that are around them. I’m also a firm believer that the company we keep and the people we invite into our lives matter. My inner circle is very small, but very mighty; mainly because we know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, we are problem solvers, and we know how to work together to achieve the best results- regardless of whose business or life, it involves.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
Oh no, the CBD industry is just getting fired up, and it has many veins. I can’t say a whole lot of detail at this very moment, but we have a few big announcements to make and a few awesome new products that are just coming out of testing for 2023 — we plan to shake things up next year! I think I have finally realized that I have gone as far as my two hands can take me. 2023 is all about growing. I plan to spend as much of the year as I need to be locating the perfect investors, or I should say, partner(s). I know that I can’t get where I want to go alone and in order to really kick the next door off the hinges, it’s going to require more than just myself. Fresh thinking, more skill sets, and shelf access.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
Women must contend with a very wide range of challenges in business. On paper, the workforce has never looked better for women. In the ’70s, women-owned business was under 5%, now we own nearly 50%. Additionally, for every 1 male college graduate, 3 women will graduate. We’re still the minority.
While there are many other adversities women must overcome, these are some I’ve personally seen or experienced:
Being taken seriously. Earning respect is not always easy but being a woman can be a huge conflict when dealing with certain men. I was a manager at Twin Peaks before exiting the service world and venturing onto my own avenue. Countless times I would have to cut someone off for their behavior or maybe they were just nearing what we felt comfortable serving them, and I would get asked ‘where is the real manager?’ I would always ask, what is a real manager sir? As if I were a fake manager? I was the highest paid female in the state. Higher paid than some men who had been there longer than me, which caused another issue in the long run. I can remember shrinking myself to play a “female “role even when I knew better. On the other hand, being too aggressive can have adverse effects. Trying to be too tough and over proving myself never ended well for me either.
Lack of funding. Even though women make up nearly 50% of the entrepreneurs in this country, if we added together all female-founded or co-founded companies, we would receive under 10% of investment funding and venture capital funding. I have ironically had interest from venture capital funding but haven’t dug deep into what all it would entail.
Lack of Mentorship. We need more mentors. It is almost as if it is not that there are no mentors available, it is finding one another. Time management is a huge issue for a lot of women, especially ones with families. A lot of women would like to mentor but say that they have never been asked. Don’t wait. If you know someone around you that could save costly mistakes, help them. I have been fortunate to find a few organizations that really go above and beyond for their members. Cosmetic Executive Women, Financial Women’s Association, Women’s Business Club
Balancing business and family. I absolutely 1000% understand why households were run the way they were in previous generations. Just imagine not having the access we have that facilitate us to be able to leave the household and work. A washer and dryer to start. Could you imagine having to hand wash every load of laundry and clip it up on a line and wait for it to dry? My kids would lose every clip in 3 days, and it wouldn’t be from doing laundry, ha-ha. Or the food preparation you don’t see, even just a piece of corn on the cob, can be prepped for you already. But the stereotypes should have been buried long ago. I don’t think there is anything wrong with being a SAHM at all & I think a lot of people discredit what those women do. They support and enable the breadwinner and set him up for success. I would love to have someone prepare my meals, wash and press my laundry, support me, take care of my children, manage my home and yard, etc. I’ve met men that say they wish their wives would work as they do. I asked him, well — if she works too, who will take care of you? If your income far surpasses what she could make, why would you want her anywhere but helping you?
We are significantly underrepresented in leadership roles. Then again, we’ve only been considered humans for like 100 years. We couldn’t even vote.
Gender gap. While it is improved, I still must work 42 days longer for a job I am equally skilled and qualified for than a male.
Insufficient maternity leave. A lot of companies are really going all out and starting a movement. We need that. I don’t think everyone understands how strenuous having a child can be on your body and mind. We don’t need time to cuddle and take pictures every day, we need time to heal. After all, we have 42 extra workdays to squeeze into the rest of the year.
You never have to mold yourself into anyone’s idea of what a leader looks like. Stay focused, stay dedicated, and keep working hard!
Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?
Becoming Michelle Obama
This is an amazing read and Michelle is such an inspiring woman. It made me realize that there will always be adversity in life, and no matter who you are or where you are — you can get past it. Our stories are real. Our stories shape who we are and I want to be the one who tells my story.
“Even when it’s not pretty or perfect. Even when it’s more real than you want it to be. Your story is what you have, what you will always have. It is something to own.” — Michelle Obama
“Think and grow rich” by Napoleon Hill
This book centers around the idea that your mind is the most powerful tool you have.
Believes that success in any endeavor can be reached through mental visualization and imagination. Essentially, you can become anything that your mind believes possible; as a result, your mind becomes the one thing that can ultimately push you into success, or completely stop you.
“Where you go there you are” Jon Kabat-Zinn
Are you mindful or is your mind always full? This book will really break you down, but in a great way. It can be difficult to process negative feelings or emotions without letting them control us. It’s also difficult to focus on the present if you are always looking ahead or behind. Mindfulness is so important in our lives. It’s often thought to associate one’s self with higher levels of vision, greater levels of thinking, and more purpose in life. You know the saying, ‘same stuff, different day.’ I used to say that all the time. I never say it anymore. Now, I say ‘livin’ the dream.’ I used to feel like my life ran on autopilot. I was living, but I wasn’t experiencing. Meditation disrupts this process and helps you turn the other way. It helps you empower every current circumstance and to embrace every experience in your life; like ‘stop and smell the roses.’
I am just so thankful every day that I can wake up, a lot of people don’t get to do that.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
Now you are talking my language!
I would like to think that we can all be a person of great influence. If we influence one person, and they influence one person, and then they influence one person, the domino effect will continue. I would also like to think that I am already am/have.
My hometown’s population is a little over 30,000 people. My graduating class had 64 students. Before the pandemic, the state of Indiana was already under attack by the opioid epidemic. In 2018, Indiana was losing around 15 million dollars a day just in loss of wages. I’m sure those numbers have not changed much today. Our local hospital had to create its own internal police station because officers were being dispatched so much. Psychology will show us a great way to kick a bad habit, is by replacing it with a healthier habit. I wanted to create affordable and healthier options for my hometown, generate jobs, and hopefully generate taxes. I sponsor a large number of youth activities and sports, as well as local schools, and internal programs inside of those schools. I have an annual Christmas giveaway and we leave no age group left behind. I have a lot of access to a variety of merchandise so it’s easy for me to help in those areas. I want to show my peers that anyone can make a difference. It literally starts with just one person.
My biggest goal would be to start a movement somewhere along the lines of ‘One team, One dream.’ While I love being involved with the organizations I am, I think all of us have the biggest challenge of, ‘what happens when they leave here?’ Not everyone has a functional home life, some don’t even have food or a place to sleep.
I have a friend based in Indianapolis, Former Superbowl Champ, Marlin Jackson. After football, he established the Fight4Life Foundation. He now has his own school system, and also acquired an entire apartment unit he has incorporated into his school system. It involves active parenting in exchange for subsidized housing, it might be free housing, I will have to double check. I really want to create something like this in Richmond, but incorporate the school system that is already there, the additional resources, and local law enforcement. Statistics show that kids 12+ get into the most trouble during after school hours. Using Boys and Girls Club of America and Fight4Life Foundation as inspiration, I would like to create a space for older kids to go after school.
A hang out. A safe place. Somewhere you can talk if you need to, get help with homework, fellowship with classmates, play sports, games, etc. Maybe one day even incorporate mini-workshops of different skills. How I plan to utilize everyone would be establishing a store area, if you will, inside of our space, and with the help of the schools, programs, and police — we reward good behavior. Random acts of kindness, helping someone, achieving a goal, etc.
We reward them with a monetary value and inside our store, they can purchase things they might need for themselves and their household. Healthy, food/snack options, undergarments and socks, school supplies, hygiene goods, and whatever else might be an issue at home.
I want to show people that one person can make a difference, but together we change lives.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Never put your key to happiness in someone else’s pocket.
Basically, never attach your happiness to people or things. People aren’t possessions for one, we don’t own them. Tangible things can be taken away, be broken, lost, stolen, etc. Another person or a physical thing should never be the only reason we are happy.
Attach your happiness to your goals.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
