Self-Made Women: Cynthia Stant of Inner Feminine Beast On How She Started With Very Little and…

Self-Made Women: Cynthia Stant of Inner Feminine Beast On How She Started With Very Little and Created A Million Dollar Business

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Not everyone is going to want to celebrate your success. When you hit huge milestones all you’re going to want to do is scream from the rooftops and celebrate like crazy. You cannot get upset when people you love and people you want to tell aren’t that happy for you. You have to remember that being an entrepreneur is a choice. A lot of people aren’t willing to do what you are willing to do but that is also why you will get to live a life that many others will not. And although you earned it, just remember everybody’s doing the best they can at the conscious level that they are at. So it’s very important that you are very selective with who you keep as the top five people in your life. Always choose to be the smallest person in the room. Because those people will help you to rise up. They will celebrate you, motivate you, inspire you, and be there to support you. Find your tribe. I would not be where I am if I didn’t have the women I have in my life.

Some people were born with the proverbial silver spoon in their mouth. Even then, becoming a millionaire is still quite an accomplishment. But people who start from nothing, and especially women who start from nothing, who make it to the top to become millionaires, despite the pay inequalities based on gender, the confidence gap, with nothing but grit, hustle, resilience, and “stick-to-itness”, are on a whole new level. We want to share those stories and inspire other women. In this interview series, we’re talking to “Self-Made” women leaders who started with nothing (i.e. started without investors or trust fund or capital or even people believing in them) and went on to create a million dollar business.

As a part of our series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Cynthia Stant.

Cynthia Stant is a self made millionaire, sales consultant, and brand strategist. After conquering the corporate world of sales at an executive level, she found herself without a next move in life after being fired. After just 6 months she was already pulling in multiple 6 figures from her favorable programs by tapping into her financial, business oriented, and metaphysically disciplined background, in order to start a path for luxurious, hardworking, successful, ambitious women like herself to follow and thrive from.

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” and how you grew up?

I grew up in the small state of Delaware. My father was married when he was 18 and had two children, but then years later had a divorce. My mother was 20 when she met and married my father who was 10 years older. Together, they had my older sister and 7 years later I was born. I am the baby of the family. My father was 45 by the time he had me. I lived a very happy suburbia life that my family worked extremely hard to provide. Being the youngest, I often played alone at home and became very used to playing with my imagination. Being that my sister was so much older, when we would interact she would pretend to be my teacher. I would often be at school desk and she would be writing on the chalk board and creating worksheets for me. She would teach me whatever she was learning at school at the time and I would love earning a golden star sticker from her. This made me very advanced at school. I was always in gifted programs. I even was asked to skip two grades and had the local University come interview me and my family to see what our at home life was like because of my high state testing scores. My parents decided to not have me in advance because they were concerned about the social aspects. It makes sense now that my sister is a school principal and has her doctorate in education. As I got a bit older, I was in every extra curricular activity. I inherited my father’s athleticism and height. I have been close to 6 ft tall since I was 12, and I was often the youngest person to earn the spot on many of the sports teams I was on. I was captain of the cheerleading squad and softball team in middle school, and continued to cheer and participate in many school events including the yearly charity fashion show as I grew up.

Growing up, what were your early experiences and perspectives about money? Or we could say, what was the “money consciousness” in which you were raised? Can you please give an example of what you mean?

Because my father had two children from a previous marriage who were only a few years younger than my mother, my mom worked three jobs to provide for the family. I often wouldn’t see her in the morning and she would come home and kiss me while I was already sleeping. She used to work at the bank in the morning, JCPenny’s men’s shoe department in the evening, and very late evenings she often served at the bar my father and she owned. My mother worked her hiney off and advanced in the bank. She took night classes at the local college to climb up the ladder in her career. She worked her way up to becoming Vice president at the 3rd largest financial firm in the world. She benefited from extremely long hours and hard work and instilled this in me. She somehow was still very present for me in my life — Helping me with every school project, hand sewing every halloween costume, and somehow sneaking out of work to see me at Distinguished Honorary awards ceremonies at school. She showed me that although she worked a ton, she prioritized her children the most. In 2008 my mom was let go during the financial crisis. After 16 years in a leadership role that she took so much pride in, it was all thrown away. She was devastated. This was my first real lesson in life that the source of your success and happiness cannot ever come from outside of yourself.

My father took care of me daily and was a serial entrepreneur. I saw him own every single type of small business. My mother and he owned a bar, a car battery business, a bakery business dropping off baked goods at gas stations and convenience stores, lollipop stands, pool business, and even electrical lighting. Starting at the age of 4, I would wake up at 4:30 in the morning and help the whole family to roll up hundreds of newspapers and bag them. Often I would go with my family first thing in the morning carrying a bag, black ink on my hands covering one side of a neighborhood street or an apartment building with my sister. I would travel the entire east coast visiting all the stops my father had to make to run his businesses. We’d go to bowling alleys to fix lights, we’d go to giant freezers on the side of the road to pick up bake goods, and we’d stop at every laundromat to collect the quarters that people left to buy lollipops, often finding that all the lollipops and quarters were stolen. My dad always took me somewhere special once a week to reward my behavior. My father was a historian at heart. So we would go to many museums, battle fields, and the zoo. We would read every sign top to bottom and often spent time drawing our favorite animals. I asked a million questions and he always had an answer. This added to my advanced learning. When I started school, my dad would take care of me the best he could. I remember my first grade teacher would keep a hair brush for me to do my hair in the morning because my father struggled putting a 6 year olds hair up in a ponytail. My father’s way of doing business conditioned me to think that it’s important to have multiple streams of income, and the more things you do, the more successful you will be. But just like my mother, his child was what he loved most. Upon my father’s death bed, he joked with me at 72 years old that “he still doesn’t know what he wants to be when he grows up.”

Awesome! Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Let’s talk about what you are doing now, and how you achieved the success that you currently enjoy. Can you tell our readers about the business you’ve created?

I am a sales consultant and branding strategist for 6 and 7 figure entrepreneurs. I help my clients to grow and scale service based businesses online through utilizing social selling, aka selling through social media. This means creating effective and profitable conversion events such as masterclasses and workshops, and having authentic connections and making sales in direct messages on several different social platforms. I primarily work with multiple seven-figure entrepreneurs who have sales teams and I teach the sales teams how to create an online experience through authenticity and support which ultimately helps the company to increase the revenue dramatically through their selling efforts. I have been blessed with the gift of knowing how to sell. It comes natural for me. To me, sales is all about serving, and being a solution. I find sales to be a spiritual practice because I truly believe a sale with me or whatever I sold was the start to someone’s success. At the age of 22 after taking a lot of pride in providing outstanding service at an upscale restaurant as a server, I had a table leave me their business card to come interview to work for them. 13 interviews later, I became the youngest state portfolio manager in the world and 1 of 4 women to represent the 2nd largest wine and spirits supplier at the largest national distributor. I managed a team of 42 people in sales. I was responsible for forecasting, budgeting, creating programs and tools to support my teams, building relationships, and training my team in the classroom and in the field. Most of my sales people had children my age. It was hard and I busted my butt often missing trick or treating with my young son or New Years Eve because these holidays fall on the 31st when you have to get your numbers in. I traveled regularly to Las Vegas, Kentucky, New York and Chicago. It was glamorous but my family instilled in me to prioritize my children. I became a young mother at 22 and married my boyfriend of 3 months after we found out we were having a baby. When most of my friends were going to music festivals and backpacking, I was in the boardroom doing anything to advance my career. Much later I actually decided to demote myself to become a sales person. I was making a capped salary and they were making commission. Sales people won all the cool prizes, had minimal responsibility, and were home at night and on the weekend. The title didn’t matter to me, the freedom did. I rose to the top of the ranks immediately and remained there as long as I had that position. When you’re good at sales you create a solid pipeline through relationship building and I now only worked about 2 hours a day. I thought to myself what else can I do to make money? After going to the University of Delaware and earning a degree in marketing with a minor in advertising I then stumbled upon and fell in love with Metaphysics. I attended the College of Metaphysical Studies where I learned how to meditate. After meditating daily for months, my intuition became very keen and selling to me became even more natural to me because it was all about energetics. I could see the solution people were looking for, I could vibrationally sense where someone was at, and who I could naturally support best. I wanted to take this knowledge and teach it. I had no idea how to start a business though, so I hired a business consultant. She was beautiful, young, semi local, a master sales woman which I adored, a mother, and I could see her potential. She could be wildly successful. This business consultant had a competition amongst her clients for lead gen and I, being the sales woman I am, went for it. I didn’t win, I got second and was devastated. But out of the kindness of her heart she reached out to me and thanked me and offered me an intimate VIP day with her instead. I was thrilled. I came super organized and over prepared as I do with everything. She was shocked that I had such clarity and preparedness being that I was only in her program for one month. She asked what I did and I explained to her my sales background. Then all of a sudden it hit me. I was meant to be her first sales person. She told me no because I was a client, and because it wasn’t in her budget for another six months. At this point she only had interns. This was one of the biggest life lessons that I know now, If you want something bad enough, you can sell yourself into it. I decided to quit my job and for much less pay I decided to be her sales person, and I convinced her to trust in me. The agreement was I would continue to be a client to someday own my own company and until then I would sell for her. I asked to be trained to not only be a good sales woman, but become an amazing businesswoman. I asked for her to train me to be the CEO that I knew she was. And we agreed. Now I had to figure out how to sell on social media with no training. I took what I knew from my sales experience and from what I knew in metaphysics as far as energy and connecting with people vibrationally, and in my first month I did about $670,000 in sales. From then the company took off. With the income we now had we would grow the team. I was responsible for hiring and managing the sales team. We attracted hundreds of clients and got the attention of several big names in the industry. People everywhere were interested in how we were making the sales. So my boss asked me to start coaching her 6, 7, and even 8 figure clients on how the sales are being made on social media. I absolutely did not want to. One, that was scary, and two it took me away from doing sales. She said it was important that I did it and so I did. I fell in love with it immediately. I was really helping people. And through coaching, I realized that it created a much bigger impact. Because if you teach the leaders, the leaders can support 1 million more people then you can as an individual. Eventually I was making multiple six figures and it was time to start my own business which was always my own intention. But with the amount of money that I made I wanted to hire a team to run that company while I still worked full-time at the one I was employed for. I’m not sure what happened, nor will I probably ever know, but one day after I made 5 sales, some new HR girl called me and she told me that I was fired. I was so upset. I felt so blindsided. But I know that it was meant to happen. I already learned from my mother’s experience that nothing outside of me should be the source of my success or happiness. And the very next day is when I started my business.

What was your vision when you started this business? What’s the WHY behind the work that you do? (Please share a story about this if you can.)

So even though I loved teaching business and sales I had restrictions from my previous employer about what I could and could not do. I believe in being ethical and I therefore had to create a business doing something else. I realized when I coach sales that so many women would come to me and send me voice messages after class. It’s as if they would all whisper and say “Cynthia, I absolutely loved your training. It’s intriguing to me how you’re so intuitive and woo woo but at the same time you’re so practical and logical. It’s like you’re really helping me to understand sales.” I would respond and say “thank you, but why are you whispering?” I worked with many business consultants, I went to school for business, but never once was I taught that business is a spiritual practice. The understanding of universal laws and energy is even more important than learning the systems. It’s not what you do that matters as much as who you are when you do it. I realized I need to teach women how to not only be the CEOs of a business, but to be the CEO of their life. And when you understand and embrace how to have a disciplined spiritual practice you can create self accountability, self responsibility, and self integrity, which are all tools to lead to wild success. My company started with a program called the Spiritual Success Experience. Three weeks after starting my company with no clients, no testimonials, no program, and never doing it before, I had my first four clients. Four months in we secured our first six figures. Six months in we secured MULTIPLE six figures. This is where I was meant to be. After the completion of restrictions from my previous career, I then went public coaching business and sales, and the first online launch that I had for this was a six-figure launch. I managed all of this with just one employee and I made sure that freedom to be with my family is always my top priority. I help women to create beautiful businesses that lead to luxurious lifestyles, not lifestyles that revolve around a business. My ”why,” as I have been taught by my living parents, will always be my family. But for me, I will write things on my terms, keep things simple, and make sure I create a big impact, have more freedom, and promise myself that I never rely on anything on the outside of me to be the source of my success or happiness.

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

My company recently celebrated the second anniversary of starting. People often wonder how I had so much success so quickly. The reason is because I started as a multiple seven figure woman in my energy. Remember it’s not just what you do that matters, who you are matters even more. So even though my bank account and my sales didn’t match the people who I was having conversations with, my energy did. My success is absolutely because of the power of proximity and making genuine connections. In my first year some of my clients were top 25 podcast hosts, best-selling authors, TEDx speakers, or multi millionaires. I was having eight figure people on my podcast, some of the biggest names in the industry on my show. People always wonder how I did it, the truth is I just reached out and said hi and I match them energetically.

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?

Although I mastered sales, I still had quite a bit to learn about running a business. In the beginning, I had this story that I would tell myself that was not true. I thought all of my programs had to run in sequential order. I did not make them available for open enrollment. So I would launch, get several new clients, and start a new coaching call with just those clients. I had to keep adding new calls, and I always got lost on where I was in the curriculum and what I said to who. I was working more and was mortified 10 minutes into a coaching call when one of my clients said, “excuse me but we already covered this session.” Being someone who is super organized this felt terrible. I gave myself permission to see things differently. I realized with one little twist I could make my program open enrollment so I only would coach one session with all of my clients. This little secret is something I now teach my clients and they say it is worth millions.

We’d love to explore the traits that help you achieve your success. What were the mindset obstacles that you had to overcome in order to reach the place of earning a million dollars? Can you tell us what you did to overcome them?

I come from very masculine industries. I was the manager for a bourbon company, I was slaying sales in the online business world. I started my business with a sales person‘s mindset. It was about doing more to make more and chasing numbers. This is a patriarchal way of doing business. Do more, produce more, go go go! Understanding energy I could foresee that this was going to lead to a burn out. So I hired a spiritual mentor to help me to be the woman I had to be in order to align with the business that I wanted to ultimately create. This mentor helped me to bring God into my business as my business partner. Having a partner in business, I could do less, and I could focus on my genius. It meant that I could be a supporter. I learned to embrace my femininity and just surrender to what ultimately was wanting to come to me and through me. It was a month after having this mentor that I started having $50,000 cash days.

What were the external obstacles that you had to overcome in reaching these milestones? And how specifically did you overcome them? (Please share a story or example.)

I had to really look at the systems, strategies, and structure of my company, and the programs that I offered. I had to realize that what I was taught by someone else that worked for them maybe isn’t actually the thing to work for me. When I was the sales manager for my previous company we would do 10 day conversion events. They were exhausting but started with those in my company because that’s what I knew. I had to rewrite the script. I went for it and did a one-day presentation to see if it was possible. I got the same amount of results. The focus had to be on my energy and beliefs behind it. I was also used to leveraging price increases. But then I decided what my value was and I would show up and double the investments of working with me overnight. I was nervous it would scare people away, but it attracted even more aligned clients. Just because you were taught something one way, doesn’t mean you have to keep it that way. And if something works for somebody else it doesn’t mean it’s the thing for you. That’s why I don’t teach particular systems to my clients. I help them to channel their system because this is the absolute difference maker.

Was there ever a point where you wanted to give up on your journey to creating a million dollar business? How did you work through that panic point? Please share a story.

No. There was never a single point that I wanted to quit. Now it certainly hasn’t been all rainbows, butterflies, and unicorns, I’ve shed my number of tears and had several sleepless nights. But never once did I consider quitting. I am committed to my business because it’s my purpose. And when I say commitment to me that means like jumping out of an airplane. Once you jump you don’t go back. I embody this and I teach often that if you do not quit you will not fail.

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?

The title of this article was suggested to be self made, but truly no one’s self made right? It’s through the support and connection of others that we together rise. My spiritual mentor who introduced me to having God as my business partner helped me tremendously. Although I was fired, my previous boss truly was a mentor. She showed me a lot of things to do, and not to do. But she gave me the confidence and supported me to begin coaching. I will forever be grateful for the time that I had working with her. My best friend started as a client. She is one of the most successful women that I know. Being connected to her is what inspires me to go bigger, and her daily voice messages help me to remember that even though I am the boss, I am really not alone. And the one who has been there from the very beginning, and has always had my back, and been 100% down with me as my support system is my husband.

What were the most important resources, tools, affirmations, mindset strategies or practices that you used to build your business to where it is today?

Daily meditation, reading Neville Goddard daily, and using tools and what I refer as “thank you letters” to work with the law of assumption. It’s what I do and what I teach. It’s not about reacting from where you are, it’s about being the woman now who has the end result. Again it’s not what you do, it’s who you are when you do it. If you can be her now, you will get her results. I do everything I can to remain in the frequency of the woman who has what I desire.

What do you think is the greatest challenge for women and creating wealth/abundance? What advice would you have for someone that is feeling blocked by that obstacle?

I think often women practice the patriarchal ways of doing business that we’ve been taught. I believe a lot of people are waking up to the divine feminine. It’s not about doing more, it’s not being one who has more. It’s not about slaying and working hard, it’s about surrendering and being supported. It’s not about pitching, it’s about inviting. It’s important to look at money as a relationship. I know that you desire money, but are you being the woman that money desires back? Understanding alignment and energy is everything. And it’s also important to have systems set in place in your business that make it easy to make money. I often see 30 day, 60 day, 90 day programs. That means a client comes in and then they leave. Which means you are constantly having to focus on sales. If you’re constantly focusing on sales, your clients feel that, and you’re going to lead to burn out. It’s important to have a subscription-based model where you can secure a future income by having recurring revenue. You can make one sale over the next 12 months, knowing that your client is going to pay a certain amount every month. When you have this level of recurring revenue it’s a lot easier to breathe and focus on what is wanting to come through you versus forcing and pushing just to make ends meet. I also know several colleagues of mine make millions of dollars a month in cash. I see women all over the online industry with mastered earned income. This means they are working to make the money they have. To me yes they are successful, they are rich. But to me it’s not about being a rich woman, it’s not being a wealthy woman. So I not only have earned income, I use that money to create passive income. My husband and I have built a multi-million dollar real estate investment portfolio along with our business partner, consisting of single family units, multi family units, and storage units. It’s important if you’re going to create true freedom, that you learn how to have your money make you more money. Money loves a purpose, and money loves to move. I foresee in the future but I will be teaching these wealth practices.

Great! 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. When you react you are losing your power. In business and in life everything is happening for you, by you. When you judge and label things that are happening, you’re reacting to them. Instead as a leader, it’s important to remain calm and realize everything is a gift. It’s showing you where you’re at. Your job is to observe. Because you are the cause that creates the effect. Nothing is happening to you, it’s happening by you. And when you are the boss everything is a result of how you are being and showing up in your business. So when something happens that you think is bad, learn to observe and to pivot. Momentum is key to your success. What goes in motion, stays in motion. Aligned action is what will get you aligned results. It’s far more dangerous to stay where you are at, than to move forward and get something wrong. Keep moving and knowing failure is inevitable. As master yoda says “failure is your biggest teacher.” Every day I ask myself, what works, what doesn’t, and what do I want to do differently? Then I do it.
  2. Fear is your GPS. Not fear that pushes, but fear that pulls. Everyday I do something that feels a bit scary. But, being the CEO of my life I label everything. So Instead of saying something is scary, I say that it is exciting. I am training myself to realize that the feeling of fear is the feeling of growth. All growth happens when you get comfortable with being uncomfortable. But it’s important to realize that you wouldn’t be nervous if you didn’t care. Your desire is what is pulling you into the unknown to do scary things. As Michael Bernard Beckwith says “pain pushes until the vision pulls.” Let your desires pull you, and make you choose to see fear differently. Because you will never be fearless. If so, it means you’ve stopped growing. It’s not about being fearless, it’s about being courageous.
  3. My brand is called Inner Feminine Beast™️. This is because I understand the universal law of gender. It’s important that you embrace not just the masculine who is assertive, wants to slay in sales, who is disciplined, but you have to embrace the feminine within you even though you may not have been taught it. This is your intuitive side, your ability to be supported, your ability to surrender and to receive. And it’s not about balancing them, it’s about living with them in harmony. We must embrace both masculine and feminine ways in order to manifest magic and miracles in business and in life.
  4. True success is abundant. In life and in business you don’t ever have to ask yourself, is it going to be this OR that? Begin asking yourself how can it be this AND that? I always look for how I can have both. I can be super supportive to my clients AND take off every Friday and have a vacation every month. I can travel the world AND be present with my children. I can make more money than ever before AND work less hours than ever too. Again it’s not about labeling, it’s about observing. When you can see things clearly it’s like you lift the veil. Whenever there’s an obstacle there’s always an opportunity. You just need to learn how to see it. It begins with training your brain to look for both. It’s about abundance and not limitation. When I started my business I lived in an apartment and then moved to a three bedroom townhouse. My two boys slept in the same bedroom in a bunk bed. I had the master room with my husband, and I wanted a guest room so people could visit me. There was no room for an office. So I was going to put a desk in the TV room to work at. But then I had to ask myself, does the multiple seven-figure earner within me work in the corner of a room where her children play video games? No. Although it was an expensive investment I had to think about how I can have an office AND a guest bedroom. I spent thousands of dollars on a Murphy bed which is a bed that lays down from a beautiful shelving. I created a legit office that was my sacred space where I serve and do God’s work. It is where I created the money in my business AND hosted my visiting guests. I decided on both. With the work that I did in that office in the townhome, I now live in $1 million waterfront beach home that has two guest bedrooms AND an office. I chose both. Because I made a decision from the energy of the woman who had what I desired even though it wasn’t obvious to me right away in the physical.
  5. Not everyone is going to want to celebrate your success. When you hit huge milestones all you’re going to want to do is scream from the rooftops and celebrate like crazy. You cannot get upset when people you love and people you want to tell aren’t that happy for you. You have to remember that being an entrepreneur is a choice. A lot of people aren’t willing to do what you are willing to do but that is also why you will get to live a life that many others will not. And although you earned it, just remember everybody’s doing the best they can at the conscious level that they are at. So it’s very important that you are very selective with who you keep as the top five people in your life. Always choose to be the smallest person in the room. Because those people will help you to rise up. They will celebrate you, motivate you, inspire you, and be there to support you. Find your tribe. I would not be where I am if I didn’t have the women I have in my life.

We are sure that you are not done. What comes next? What’s your next big goal and why? What plan have you put in place to achieve it? Why is it a stretch for you? What will achieving it represent for you and for others?

No, I’m definitely not done. I just started the 3rd year of my business. To me that feels like I’m in third grade. Second grade actually, because the first year is definitely more like kindergarten. I am going to continue to work with women to create more impact, freedom, and money in their businesses. And I’m going to continue to work with entrepreneurs and their sales teams to secure amazing talent, sky rocket their revenues, and to create a company culture that keeps that talent and supports growth.

It’s not set in stone but I am giving myself time to play with curiosity and imagination. I foresee not only teaching sales and business strategies that are aligned with universal laws and fueled by spirituality, but teaching women how to convert their riches into wealth. I have this desire to show women how to make their money make more money through investing and wealth practices. Many people ask about what I’m doing behind the scenes in my real estate and I believe the vision is pulling to do something about it. This will support me to help women to create legacy wealth. To help them to prioritize what I care about most, and what was taught to me by my loving parents, to take care of our children.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

Join my FREE FB Group Inner Feminine Beast™ for more valuable content at

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Check out my Website: https://www.cynthiastant.com/

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We wish you continued success!


Self-Made Women: Cynthia Stant of Inner Feminine Beast On How She Started With Very Little and… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Female Disruptors: Sammy Kanter and Maddie Medved of Girl and the Gov On The Three Things You Need…

Female Disruptors: Sammy Kanter and Maddie Medved of Girl and the Gov On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Maddie: Don’t sell yourself short. This goes hand in hand with Sammy’s answer — a deal or opportunity could seem great, but the other party isn’t willing to pay you enough for example, don’t roll with it. A bad deal is a bad deal. If you or your company is worth a specific value, know that and stand by that. That doesn’t mean don’t negotiate, but it does mean having a backbone.

As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sammy Kanter and Maddie Medved.

Sammy Kanter and Maddie Medved are Co-CEOs of Girl and the Gov® a nationally-focused digital media company that is rebranding and revolutionizing civic engagement for Millennial and Gen-Z women, two critical blocks of voters. The company achieves this by meeting the consumer where they are, on the platforms they use. Sammy and Maddie have put their brains together, their experience in politics and public relations, and their mutual passion for getting young voters civically engaged, to create a multi-faceted company that’s turning the political world on its head. The company portfolio currently includes Girl and the Gov, The Podcast, #VIRAL, a paid social media consulting newsletter, B2B consulting, digital media channels, a networking-focused brand ambassador program, bespoke events, and more.

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?

Sammy: It’s a two-pronged journey because there’s two of us behind Girl and the Gov®. On my end (Sammy’s), the path to now begins at Lafayette College (PA), where I majored in Government & Law and Anthropology & Sociology. While that may seem entirely logical for someone now working in politics, I didn’t jump right into the field — in fact, I skipped over my original law school intentions and walked myself into a career in public relations centered around the design industry. Through that experience, I learned the A, B and C’s of communication, media, PR, marketing, and so on. It positioned me for what was to come because in tandem, there were two wheels turning — one that pointed to an underlying itch that I wanted to start my own business, and the other that was pushing me back toward politics. Eventually these worlds coalesced at the end of 2018, when it became apparent that many of my peers didn’t participate in the midterm elections, and that there was a huge hole in the civic engagement market. As with many businesses, Girl and the Gov® was born out of creating a solution to a problem. The solution itself was built on meeting this demographic (Millennial and Gen-Z women) where they were — at pilates classes, drinks with friends — and attaching civic learning to these spaces in the form of bespoke events. The equation worked and has been brought to the next level and beyond by a chance social media meet cute with my now business partner, Maddie. Together, we’ve brought Girl and the Gov® from a civics-focused events company to a digital media company that includes a podcast, political social media consulting, social media platforms, a brand ambassador program, and so much more.

Maddie: On my end (Maddie’s), my educational journey was pretty similar. I similarly majored in political science, and this was really the first set of academic courses I really felt inspired and engaged by. It was a natural fit and I just knew that it was the field I wanted to go into post-grad. Following the college years, I didn’t take any u-turns and sped full steam ahead into the political space, first working as a digital organizer on CA Governor Newsom’s campaign. Afterwards, I dabbled further into the campaign space by joining Tom Steyer’s presidential campaign in a similar capacity. When that campaign came to a close, COVID was at its peak, forcing me to hit reset and figure out the next direction for my career. By some weird aligning of the stars, and a follow for follow on Instagram, I connected with Girl and the Gov®. Sammy followed me, and I went out on a limb and pitched her a podcast in her DMs. And, now we’re here, rebranding the political space one step at a time.

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

Sammy: Absolutely! The political industry is fundamentally archaic. It’s failed to provide an effective means for young women to enter it from a civic engagement or marketplace perspective. Existing avenues have failed to recognize the motivations, habits, and interests of this demographic, resulting in missed opportunities for both civic engagement and enterprise. Impactful in tandem, the lack of avenues combined with a lack of comprehension surrounding the inclinations of this demographic create an under-engaged electorate. This is a huge problem and one that the political industry doesn’t necessarily prioritize fixing. That’s where we come in, ruffling a few feathers and making impact bit by bit along the way. By design, we’re reimagining the methods in which the industry functions — capitalizing on the crux of the issue, marketing and approachable civic education.

Maddie: Girl and the Gov® has forged new pathways for a rebranded and refreshed industry philosophy. We’ve done this on many planes, on the consumer and the political side of the coin. For the political side, we’ve moved the needle on how the industry can use social media to connect with voters and constituents, as well as to raise their brand awareness. This has come in the form of consulting, but most distinctly through our paid social media consulting newsletter, #VIRAL. It’s dedicated to the need-to-know best practices, basics, content concepts and more that bring political messaging into the 21st century. By educating the industry on how to navigate the platforms of now and the future, we’re changing the function of it as a whole and shifting focus and to the generations on these platforms — Gen-Z’s and Millennials.

Sammy: To add, we’re also changing the way the consumer engages with politics. In contrast to typical mediums (cable news), we’re taking it to digital platforms. Instead of radio, we’re taking it to podcasting. Instead of creating another intimidating space to learn about politics, we’re creating an environment where everyone can ask questions and learn together. Instead of gatekeeping, we’re connecting our followers with networking and job opportunities through a brand ambassador program. Some of these concepts seem simple, but they’re not concepts that have been put into motion before — even in 2022.

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?

Sammy: We actually plan to release a book one day with all of the most bizarre stories and mistakes we’ve seen along the way. In the meantime, we’ll share one that involves one of the first podcast recordings we did.

Maddie: This story was too good. We live on different coasts and record the podcast the majority of the time, remotely. This particular time we were together in person recording and for some reason, instead of renting time at a recording studio, we decided to rent a temporary office space and lug mics there. In our setup, something happened where Sammy’s headphones and mic weren’t syncing, so she was hearing herself back as she spoke, and it was chaos.

Sammy: It was comical, but also so awkward because the glitch was tripping up what I was saying, and our poor interviewee must’ve been so confused by us. Nothing I was saying made sense as a result. It was one of our first recordings ever, so the lesson learned was always to test equipment before and also to rent a space actually equipped to handle the task at hand. Being scrappy is everything, but you still have to be scrappy correctly.

Maddie: Totally. It was one of those errors where since we were so green, we had to pivot in the moment really quickly and hope for the best. It worked out, but that is certainly not an episode we point people to when they ask which episode they should start with.

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?

Sammy: This is kind of like a glass half full or glass half empty question. Change can be positive, and change can also be negative. It really depends on the context. That said, I think that when the phrase ‘stood the test of time’ has been used, it’s stood the test of time, because it’s been questioned and challenged, and remained the steadfast solution to whatever problem it’s solving despite that. These systems or industries are and should always be challenged. Just because something has ‘stood the test of time’ thus far, doesn’t mean it should be left without question after a certain point. Evolving ideas and frameworks, and testing new and old methods is essential to progress. And in that vein, disrupting is positive. Now, there’s nuance to everything, right? So the question becomes ‘what is the purpose of the disruption?’ Who will it impact and how?

Maddie: Exactly — the context, the reasoning, and the drive behind the need for disruption really determines whether it’s a positive or negative. The act of questioning the status quo and/or changing it isn’t the issue in the world of disruption. The issue can be if the disruption is designed with malice. Overall however, disruption is positive and is a part of the natural and needed evolution of industries.

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

Sammy: Don’t be afraid to walk away from a deal. Best advice I’ve ever heard and that we’ve followed. It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in, this is the notion to fall back on. There are so many times where a deal or an opportunity seem advantageous on its face, and into the process of getting it off the ground you find that it’s not a fit. That happens. When it’s not working or you find something that doesn’t align with your company’s values, find a way to walk away. In any and every contract we use at this point, we include contingency clauses. Just because it sounds like a good opportunity, doesn’t mean it is in the long run.

Maddie: Don’t sell yourself short. This goes hand in hand with Sammy’s answer — a deal or opportunity could seem great, but the other party isn’t willing to pay you enough for example, don’t roll with it. A bad deal is a bad deal. If you or your company is worth a specific value, know that and stand by that. That doesn’t mean don’t negotiate, but it does mean having a backbone.

Sammy: That’s the perfect segway to another bit of advice that’s related and it’s always going with your gut. If it feels weird or wonky, pay attention to that.

Maddie: It’s classic advice, but it’s also just true.

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

Sammy: That could not be more true. There is so much more work to do — rebranding politics from the inside out isn’t something that happens overnight or with one tactic. This goal requires a whole toolbox of concepts. What we have coming is an expansion of our media hub. That means more content on more streams in more ways with more partners. In what ways will it be manifested? You’ll have to follow Girl and the Gov® to find out.

Maddie: We always say the Democrats don’t need miracles, they need messaging. I’ll leave that as an easter egg as to where we’re going to be taking things. If you’re looking for one more hint, I’ll give it with the term ‘marketing.’

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

Sammy: Money is at the core of this. This applies if you’re a woman disruptor asking for investment from a VC or if you’re asking to be paid a particular rate by a brand partner. Regardless of the specifics, asking for money and also being paid for the value of services as a women disruptor is immensely challenging. The contrast in experience is validated by a bit of advice we had during a meeting where we were pitching an investor. That advice was to ‘lie about numbers because a man would’ve,’ and as result ‘he would have a faster more expedient road to getting investment.’ That advice is riddled with issues obviously, but it also showcases how different the approach and resulting experience is for men versus women entrepreneurs.

Maddie: Society largely doesn’t believe in women and their ability to bring value. We see this all the time. The influencer and/or content creator industry, which we’re also a part of is a great example of this. It’s a woman dominated field and it’s not taken seriously. It changed the entire way consumers research, learn about, and shop for products. The influencer industry flipped the advertising world on its head. Same goes for PR — but it’s still a profession that isn’t taken seriously. It’s also one where creators are taken advantage of constantly. The point I’m getting at is that it sometimes doesn’t matter if the proof is there — that metrics and conversions occurred — women disruptors across industries are undervalued. It’s a problem we need to solve as a society (hi, misogyny) and one disruption, one female-founded company, one investment at a time.

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

Sammy: Outside of Girl and the Gov, The Podcast?! Kidding. Female Founder World has been an essential listen since discovering it earlier this year. The show is hosted by Jasmine Garnsworthy who is an entrepreneur and media voice as well, and she interviews female founders about their consumer businesses. The conversations not only have great flow to them, but the questions asked are ones that are actually helpful to other entrepreneurs. It’s not fluff, it’s real insights. The interviews have provided a great way to get a pulse on how others are leading their companies and have certainly influenced our own tactics at times.

Maddie: You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero has been a particularly interesting recent read. It’s categorized as self-help, but really it’s about perspectives and learning how to get out of your own way.

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. 🙂

Sammy: A movement of civic engagement amongst young people, and quite frankly everyone.

Maddie: Our work is geared toward making our generation and beyond more civically engaged. It’s a movement we’re a part of and it’s one we hope everyone gets involved in. We can create change by being engaged — civically engaged.

How can our readers follow you online?

Girl and the Gov, Instagram: @girlandthegov

Girl and the Gov, the Podcast, Instagram: @girlandthegovthepodcast

Girl and the Gov, TikTok: @girlandthegov

Girl and the Gov, Pinterest: @girlandthegov

Girl and the Gov, LinkedIn: @girlandthegov

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


Female Disruptors: Sammy Kanter and Maddie Medved of Girl and the Gov On The Three Things You Need… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Women Leaders Of Real Estate: Vernique Hutchinson On The 5 Things You Need To Succeed In The Real…

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.

As a part of my series about strong women leaders of the Real Estate industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Vernique Hutchinson.

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.

How can our readers follow you online?

Instagram: @verniquetherealtor or @askvernique

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

Thank you for your time, and your excellent insights!


Women Leaders Of Real Estate: Vernique Hutchinson On The 5 Things You Need To Succeed In The Real… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Female Disruptors: LaTonya Baker of Generation of Excellence Trendsetters On The Three Things You…

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!


Female Disruptors: LaTonya Baker of Generation of Excellence Trendsetters On The Three Things You… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Female Disruptors: Lauren Randall On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

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 Disruptors: Lauren Randall On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Female Founders: Mila Alishaev of Manhattan Laser Spa On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and…

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?

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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 Founders: Mila Alishaev of Manhattan Laser Spa On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Female Disruptors: Lynne Giacobbe of Kendal at Home On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your…

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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

How can our readers follow you online?

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


Female Disruptors: Lynne Giacobbe of Kendal at Home On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Female Disruptors: Janet Casey of Marketing Doctor On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your…

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!


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

Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech: Ciara James of Limitless Learning TT On The 5 Leadership…

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.


Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech: Ciara James of Limitless Learning TT On The 5 Leadership… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Female Disruptors: Susan Cho On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

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.


Female Disruptors: Susan Cho On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.