Happy International Women’s Day!
Quite frankly, I feel I could just end this post there … wouldn’t that be a first for me?! Now, I feel we should celebrate the women in our lives every day, not just on one particular day a year. But at least the day helps to call attention to notable issues surrounding women – half the world’s population.
Photo © European Union 2013 – European Parliament, via Flickr (CC)
So today, on IWD, I’m calling your attention to three things:
1. Last month, Web.com and NAWBO released the findings of an interesting survey that looked at what matters to women business owners in 2013. Or, in other words, what keeps yo momma up at night.
Some of them:
- the state of the economy (no surprise)
- business tax issues (as a WBO myself, I can tell you this is something I think about a LOT, and it’s not fun)
- health insurance cost and affordability (certainly something I know I will be thinking about in the future, as and when I start hiring employees)
- access to a quality workforce (ditto… but even now, as I am always on the lookout for great partners I can pitch new business with, as part of my strategic consulting firm)
As a marketer, I found this information on where they want to focus their marketing for 2013 interesting:
What does this mean for people like me (and, perhaps you)?
- Brush up on these skills if you (we) don’t already have them, and constantly look for ways to learn and grow;
- Be smart about new business development by going after where the need/desire is!
Those are a couple of things that jumped out at me… what about you? That’s the first thing I’d love for you to check out today, or whenever you have time.
2. If women’s issues are important to you, a person and project you should know about are Kathy Korman Frey and the Hot Mommas Project® respectively. Kathy goes by the moniker @ChiefHotMomma on Twitter, and is just so delightfully hawt in every department that matters, it kills me. In a good way.
What is the Hot Mommas Project? Well, I will let them tell you:
“The Hot Mommas® Project is an award-winning social venture that pairs the world’s largest digital case study library of female role models with cutting-edge teaching tools.”
What that means is, they’ve taken the stories of your moms, daughters, sisters, friends, and aunts, made them teachable, won awards, and then channeled all that into classes that make a measurable difference in key success factors for women. How did it begin? Well:
“The idea for The Hot Mommas® Project started in 1998 when our founder was in business school. Years later, the first Hot Mommas® Project case study was borne when she was teaching at the George Washington University School of Business, Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence. It was a single story, about a woman trying to do it all, and making her own rules while doing it.
“That case study – or teachable story – won a prestigious academic honor: a Coleman Foundation Case Award. With the help of our partners, The Hot Mommas® Project went digital, and global, in 2009. From students to princesses to stay at home moms to CEOS, the depth and breadth of our stories is rich and breathtaking.”
Kathy is amazing and I’m awestruck by her continuous passion to empower women. To celebrate IWD with HMP, here are a few things you can do:
- Share a few words of wisdom with a “girl on fire” aka a high potential girl who’s becoming a young woman here (you can see what I wrote) before midnight tonight;
- “Like” HMP on Facebook and then share their lovely “girl on fire” card on Facebook to women who inspire you – it’s a lovely way of letting them know you care about them, even if you don’t talk about them every day.
3. You saw (I hope) my post on Oxfam’s Behind the Brands campaign. Please do look at their campaign and scorecard – it’s stunning and also quite mind blowing.
And if what you see disappoints you, please use the most powerful weapon at your disposal – your voice – to speak up and make a difference to millions of women around the world.
Thank you! Now, please go tell the women who inspire you that they do. They deserve to hear it, not just today, but every day. But at least you can start with today.
[…] about work and life. Second, I tend to travel somewhere in the world to meet with our people and celebrate International Women’s Day with […]
NickKellet thanks for sharing, Nick!
LKapetanovic that is so cool, thank you! Meet ChiefHotMomma, the HMP fearless leader.
shonali ChiefHotMomma Thanks for refering me.I already did..and it is really inspiring
Thank you very much LKapetanovic We are huge fans of shonali, as well, and love how she has our back. Gracias Sho!
ChiefHotMomma Mutual admiration society! xoxo LKapetanovic
Hey, Priti, hope you’ll be posting a photo/story of a woman who inspires you sometime this month! ~SB
First of all the idea of being Chief Alien came to me on my own. and amazingly Chief Hot Dude was a thought but just didn’t fit the space theme.
It is very interesting how differently things are around the world. In the US there is the dumb glass ceiling and the male dominated business world because men instead of harnessing the best talent often go for what makes them feel safe…like a dumb jock tye who will yes them to death. In places where women are physically oppressed like in the 3rd world and some Muslim Countries where they are not allowed to learn or have equal rights you can imagine they would say ‘Oh if only our oppression was the glass ceiling’
All I can say is with 3 in 5 PhDs going to women now I sure hope you all take over and get men back. Like ppassing laws requiring they wear heels to work, and force them to stay home on take care of the children while you ladies go on the big sales team junkets and party all night in vegas.
shonali Yeah, and women account for half of my home, and I count myself lucky for that.
Referendaris I wish I could “like” that tweet.
shonali You can!
MollyBorchers Thank you!
SpinSucks How nice of you to share, thank you!
shonali Of course!! shonali Of course!! Went a little heavy on the #iwd but I am a woman!!
Happy IWD to you too Shonali! Thanks for all you do!
jpippert Thank you!
Happy IWD to all the inspiring women in my life, and men who are inspired by them too!
Thank you for this hawt feature! The admiration is mutual – as you know. My daughter says “You all are twins.” So, naturally this is the basis for a very good relationship. :)
To associate us with your noble #IWD work is so appreciated. In my class, just yesterday, were two of the founders of GirlsRockDC. They have the same contagious energy I’ve found in you, those who follow you, the WGBiz community, and the HotMommasProjauthors and mentors. It is these types of women – and the men who support them – who have taught the team and I so much over the past few years since founding the Hot Mommas Project. Truth be told – we just wanted something to teach students about “life” and “work” in a curriculum format because the major publishers had nothing. We did not expect women, globally, to be sharing their stories and to become the world’s largest such library.
Just taking the time – Shonali – to share your wisdom and thoughts and support is what it’s all about. It means so much. Thank you again. I think about it often, and your name is mentioned around the @HotMommasProj a lot as a model of “how to do it” in the Sisterhood of Success.
xo
Kathy
ChiefHotMomma I can’t believe your daughter thinks you and I look alike. You’re GORGEOUS! So I will just take that and hang onto it, TYVM. :) GirlsRockDC WGBiz HotMommasProj are all so inspirational. We really have a very special woman entrepreneur community here in the DC area as well, don’t you think? I am touched that my name pops up once in a while. I honestly never expect that to happen, so for you to say that it does – when I know you don’t pull any punches – means a lot. Happy IWD, my friend!