Category: Women in Business

InvestHER Ventures is an early stage investment firm in Chicago that exclusively backs female tech founders. February 12, 2019 1 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Cayla Weisberg, Partner at InvestHER Ventures, describes the importance of asking follow-up questions, especially as a female entrepreneur and a minority leader. InvestHER Ventures is focused around sales and customer success. It also strives to help others through the sales life-cycle while building the framework and fundamentals, so their clients’ companies can be set-up for their best success. To learn more about Cayla Weisberg and InvestHER Ventures, watch our full video interview. Related: How a Culture of Collegiality and Teamwork Help These Law Partners Succeed Entrepreneur Network is a premium video network providing entertainment, education and inspiration from successful entrepreneurs and thought leaders. We provide expertise and opportunities to accelerate brand growth and effectively monetize video and audio content distributed across all digital platforms […]

Equity is fair treatment; equality is equal treatment. You need equitable measures first to close that gap and get everyone to a level playing field. December 31, 2018 3 min read This story originally appeared on Ellevate Why equity? Why not equality? Equity is fair treatment; equality is equal treatment. If you start from a place of disadvantage and are then treated equally as a person with advantage, you perpetuate and ultimately grow the gap between the two of you. You need equitable measures first to close that gap and get everyone to a level playing field. If you are a woman in business, odds are you have been and/or are subject to micro-aggressions and maybe even overt discrimination that has negatively impacted your career in some way. Whether it’s overly protective paternal treatment or more systemic discrimination, it has an impact. Related: Communicative Responses: Life as a Token Woman If, […]

The Girl Scouts teaches young women how to take risks and be entrepreneurial. December 14, 2018 5 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Cookie season is coming! Beginning in January, girls across the country will be knocking on doors, setting up tables at grocery stores and using social media to sell the sweet treats that have become synonymous with the Girl Scouts. And while we can all enjoy the fun of debating whether Thin Mints or Samoas are the most delectable (Thin Mints get my vote), cookie season has a deeper meaning for me. The truth is, I would not be the businesswoman I am today if I hadn’t been a Girl Scout. Related: The CEO of the Girl Scouts Wants to Turn Today’s Cookie Sellers Into Tomorrow’s Powerful Female Entrepreneurs What many people don’t realize is that the Girl Scout Cookie Program is actually the largest […]

Dealing with a jerk at work can be particularly challenging and triggering for strong, assertive women. December 3, 2018 3 min read Brought to you by Ellevate I have the privilege of working with a lot of assertive, direct women. They aren’t afraid to speak up. If they have an idea, they share it. When someone says something they disagree with, they express their counterpoint. And when they feel personally attacked by a colleague, the hairs on the back of their neck may stand up and they prepare themselves to fight back. This is where things get tricky. Related: 8 Things You Can Do When You Have a Toxic Boss We keep telling women to be confident, to not take crap and to stand up for themselves. But, that doesn’t always work in our favor. Especially when we’re dealing with jerks. You know who I mean. That jerk who always undermines you. That jerk who shows up late to all […]

You are a smart, talented leader. Unleash your power. November 30, 2018 6 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Women, it’s time for us to suit up. We need to harness our unique feminine advantages as women to dominate in business. After years of trying to show we are equal to men, we have not made any progress. Why? Women have been playing by the wrong playbook — the male playbook. The rules of that playbook are rigged against us. Related: How to Address Gender Inequity at Work We need to start using our own playbook to change things. No more “learning in” or “outmanning the men” or “beating the men at their own game.” It’s time for women to capitalize on our unique advantages as women to succeed and lead in business. Those unique feminine advantages have nothing to do with our sexuality. Rather, we have […]

Improving relations between men and women is key to increasing opportunities for women in business. November 29, 2018 5 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. There was male/female discord in the workplace well before the #MeToo movement. But, if the #MeToo movement has taught me anything, it’s that we need men to be part of this conversation. We cannot isolate ourselves from men and expect to change the status quo. Women are instinctively more collaborative in their approach to business. So, instead of looking at business as a place to compete with each other, we need to work together to empower women in the workplace, in politics and in the overall economy. Being pro-women doesn’t mean one must be anti-men. So, why perpetuate the cycle? Related: Men: Be the Hero Improving relations between men and women is key to increasing opportunities for women in business. A survey released […]

Someone has to leave work early to pick up the kids from school, and that someone is often a mom. November 16, 2018 7 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Working moms shouldn’t have to make the choice between their families and their careers but, unfortunately, many face difficult decisions every day. While society has come a long way, and there is an increase in workplace resources and flexibility, childcare responsibilities still fall disproportionately on moms. This can make it difficult to get back into a career or achieve the same level of pay women were on track to receive but missed after months (or even years) of time off to take care of their children. Related: 10 Qualities That Returning Caregivers Bring to the Workplace When my kids transitioned to school, I started to realize many women, myself included, fell victim to the “3 p.m. disadvantage.” […]

For women entrepreneurs, these four industries are ours for the taking. September 21, 2018 5 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Women are surprisingly taking over jobs that were previously reserved for men and performing at par or even better, as well as commanding higher pay. Related: The 24 Most Powerful Female Executives and Their Net Worths Recent trends suggest that we are moving up from lower paying jobs, where the bigger chunk of the female workforce lay, and taking up positions in previous “men-only” occupations in management, finance, law, leadership, etc. In fact, women statistically make more competent leaders than men, albeit less confident. Besides demonstrating that what a man can do a woman can do too, we’ve gone a step further to dominate a few industries. While the number of women in executive positions remains relatively low, our leadership competency gives us an edge to take […]

There’s never been a better time to be a woman entrepreneur. September 13, 2018 5 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Imagine your grandmother saying that growing up, she wished she’d been born a male. Perhaps you’d be surprised by that, or saddened. But, really when you think about it, it isn’t a shock at all. For much of the 1900s, women’s rights were secondary to men. That comment is exactly what was said to me recently, and I couldn’t help but think, “I’ve never felt that way!” I believe each gender has its own unique privileges and benefits, but never once have I thought that I wished I were a man or that I would have it easier as a man. Related: The 24 Most Powerful Female Executives and Their Net Worths As a woman in the business world, sure, I’ve encountered some discrimination. As have […]

Women must practice career self-defense against subtle and not-so-subtle challenges. September 7, 2018 6 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. The sad truth is that women in business must always be on the lookout for people who will try to discredit them. The opposition could come in the form of a direct challenge to your authority or a sneak attack to damage your reputation with your clients, your customers, your bosses and peers. Ask any woman in any line of work, and she’ll tell you how simple it is for a carefully planted seed of doubt or a well-placed bit of gossip to jeopardize her position by raising questions about her professional competence or her effectiveness in her business. Watching your back, unfortunately, is an inescapable part of the track to success. When it comes to protection from sneak attacks, you have to go it alone. […]

See the net worths of these leading women in business. September 5, 2018 11 min read This story originally appeared on GOBankingRates The business world is a traditionally male-dominated space, but some women have managed to break through the glass ceiling and rise to the position of CEO. The 2017 Fortune 500 list includes just 32 female CEOs, but these women aren’t allowing their minority status to hold them back. Related: How to Set Career and Financial Goals You’ll Actually Achieve From tech companies to financial firms, these women are holding court at the top of the org chart, and their influence is paving the way for other females to follow in their footsteps. Get inspired by these powerhouse women executives and their seriously impressive net worths. (By Laura Woods) Abigail Johnson Net Worth: $15.3 Billion Image credit: Daniel Malionek / Fidelity Investments Abigail Johnson, who is among the richest women in history, represents […]

The cannabis industry is not looking particularly progressive in terms of equal opportunity. September 3, 2018 5 min read Brought to you by Marijuana Business Daily As the cannabis space rapidly evolves into a multibillion-dollar global industry, women are increasingly being left behind, says Amy Margolis, founder and program director of The Initiative, a newly launched, female-focused business accelerator. Here are three things you should know about the project and the issues it’s tackling: 1. A declining number of women hold executive roles in the marijuana industry. Through networking, mentoring, executive training and funding, the Oregon-based accelerator is on a mission to bolster opportunities and roles open to women in the fast-paced world of marijuana. t’s a tall task to take on, considering the current landscape: The percentage of women in executive roles at cannabis firms fell 9 percentage points from 2015 to 2017, according to a Marijuana Business Daily survey. Fueling the decline, Margolis believes, […]

Reaching pay equity and leadership parity doesn’t have to mean playing by men’s rules. August 24, 2018 5 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. If we were actually keeping score of the “who is winning at work” game, men appear to have the lead. Women earn 79 cents to the dollar, despite education levels, compared to men. While roughly half of the U.S. workforce is women, only a quarter hold the coveted “chief executive officer” title. Females received only 2 percent of venture capital dollars in 2017. Related: 10 Pieces of Advice I Wish Every Woman Could Hear But, the score hasn’t always been this lopsided. Amazing and diverse women have played an instrumental role in advancing technology since it became a field. Throughout history, women have faced under-representation in positions of leadership and underpayment for their work, but that hasn’t stopped us. As the tables continue […]

While a lot happened in 2017, even more will happen in 2018. May 21, 2018 5 min read This story originally appeared on Ellevate Let’s face it, a lot happened in 2017. Politically, socially, environmentally. And women were the drivers behind much of that change. But regardless of how one feels about the events of 2017, it’s hard to deny the lasting impact they will have on us in the months and years ahead. Related: 4 Powerful Ways to Prevent Burnout This is particularly the case for women in corporate America. Looking back, the campaign theme chosen for International Women’s Day 2017 — #BeBoldforChange — was prophetic. Women were indeed bold. But the best is yet to come. While there’s no crystal ball, here are three bold predictions, based on the events of 2017, for what may happen this year.  1. The groundswell of women running for public office will translate into more women raising […]

A global survey from EY found that family businesses excel at advancing women. May 11, 2018 7 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. A well-run company may be the best Mother’s Day gift of all for women who follow their mothers into family-business leadership roles. After all, their mothers were the ones who taught them about leadership in the first place — both at home and in the office, where they focused on building enduring companies. In the process,those mothers exemplified a new paradigm for their daughters, demonstrating how to put their values to work and build on the legacies they inherited. As an EY global survey of the world’s largest family businesses, Women in leadership: The family business advantage showed, the presence of women in family-business leadership roles makes it easier for all of the company’s women — family and non-family alike — to see […]

Looking for female role models in business? Learn about these four women. May 4, 2018 5 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Starting a business is like starting a new diet. The hardest parts of this journey are getting the courage to begin and understanding what is the plan that is most likely to succeed. You have an innovative idea that will improve the world, and the thousand new things you must learn about running a business are enough to make your head spin. A great way to start your new business is to find a mentor and reach out to them for advice.  With the number of women-owned business growing 2.5 times faster than the national average, and with 114 percent more women-owned businesses in the U.S. than 20 years ago, we now have many successful female entrepreneurs who can serve as role models and mentors for future […]