When I began my journey to write a book featuring 10 entrepreneurial women it was at a networking event that I was introduced to Martha Henderson. Martha is an Olympic athlete, representing Canada in the 2008 Beijing Games who is passionate about her sport.
?When she first began sailing it was not in pursuit of an Olympic dream but rather to explore a passion for the sport. ?I was never the best sailor ? actually, I spent the first few years of sailing camp lying in the bottom of the boat, singing songs and having fun. Many years later, I found an evaluation my instructor wrote about me that said I was a pushy airhead and would not go anywhere in sailing. I love that! Sailing is my passion and my love for the sport is why I excelled.?
Martha is now an Arbonne representative and is part a team of successful individuals pursuing their own entrepreneurial dreams. Her chapter is all about the importance of teamwork and creating your own network!
She is passionate about her business and is often found supporting the efforts of her team through various events and product knowledge sessions. Martha believes we create a certain kind of magic when we?re part of a team and that collectively we achieve so much more when we work together.
In the mini biographies, I ask each entrepreneur for 3 words of advice. What does Martha say: ?Embrace the journey?
Read more about Martha Henderson in her chapter featured in Breaking Barriers 10 Entrepreneurial Women Share Their Stories:
Networking ? Your Circle of Influence
Building Your Personal Tribe
Martha Henderson Independent Consultant, Arbonne
To hear Sharon describe her personal philosophy: ?Education, at its best, helps us?to uncover who we are, how we learn, what motivates us and where we can be the best ?us? in the world.?
The best way to describe her business is through her 30 second elevator??We help businesses double and triple in size and profitably by helping people learn to manage in chaos.?
As a semi finalist through the RBC Women of Influence awards, Sharon was able to support her business philosophy and values for transformational change. Her clients are mindful of not only their success but take a big picture view of how they are participating in the global market.
What are Sharon?s three words of advice: ?Self-awareness, Purpose and Resilience?
Read more about Sharon Gilmour-Glover in her chapter featured in Breaking Barriers 10 Entrepreneurial Women Share Their Stories:
A Solid Foundation ? Your Education
Doing What You Love…
Sharon Gilmour-Glover ? Light-Core
As an entrepreneur, when you begin your journey, one of the most common questions you will be asked is: When was the moment you felt that ?now is
the time? to open your own business?
?If you speak with Karin Schuett from Circle of Life Cremation and Burial Centre Inc. that day arrived after she had spent 10 years as a licensed funeral director and preplanner. She had a very satisfying career, meeting many amazing people. Her colleagues were a source of inspiration and the families she served were always appreciative of her attention to detail, ensuring that arrangements were ?just right? for their loved ones. She attributes that success to her ability to respond with empathy, kindness and non-judgment to individual requests from friends and family.?
Karin and her business partner Frank have taken a community approach, reaching out in support of other businesses and finding ways to connect through random acts of kindness. The same way others helped them open their business in record time. ?Karin shares these words of advice: ?Just do it? There is nothing worse than regret.
Read more about Karin Schuett in her chapter featured in Breaking Barriers 10 Entrepreneurial Women Share Their Stories:
Collaboration ? Like-Minded Entrepreneurs
Your Journey Begins
Karin Schuett -Circle of Life Cremation and Burial Centre Inc.
?The Other Bird?s corporate philosophy is very simple: ?To be good.?
?When Erin walked me through the concept she was actually sharing the recipe for her long-term success: ?We make all of our major decisions based on this simple thought. If we have to question the moral implication of any decision then the decision is to err on the side of good. I can lay out some examples for you: Charity is one aspect that is drastically different than others in hospitality. As with every business, we get multiple requests every week to donate to charity or participate in charitable events. For charity, we have a ?yes? policy. If a charity asks us for assistance, we always say ?yes.? The only exception is if it will be detrimental to the business. For example, if we have a wedding on the same day as the event, then we would have to decline. One hundred per cent of the time we say yes to charities in our community looking for gift certificates for raffles, auctions etc.?
Erin supports her philosophy by setting an example to her team and supporting women in the hospitality business. She has even shared her
philosophy through a TedX Talk. Erin philosophically lives by her three words of advice: ?Don?t be shitty?which supports her credo as the CEO of her venture and role model to the other female members of her team.
Read more about Erin Dunham in her chapter featured in Breaking Barriers 10 Entrepreneurial Women Share Their Stories:
Building An Empire ? Having A Dream
The Gender Game; Does It Still Exist?
Erin Dunham ? The Other Bird
When looking at the retail business, I connected with a family owned company offering a product that I have enjoyed as a customer for many years with six stores in Quebec and Ontario. Their corporate mission: ?Bring the best materials from Italy and Egypt, assemble with top-notch spinning techniques and craftsmanship to deliver a product that survives trends.?
Odile and her two daughters Gabrielle and Kinza work together to ensure that the customer experience is always positive and everyone is treated almost as part of the family. Their stores in both Quebec and Ontario cater to a upbeat customer with an on-line option to reach a global market.
Not only are the clothes comfortable, easy to care for and classic, but they NEVER go on sale. You are assured that the quality of the product and the price you pay is as timeless as their corporate philosophy.
As matriarch of the family, Odile, will share her three words of advice with conviction: ?Follow Your Instincts? This is part of the family?s success in being able to make the right decisions at the right time.
Read more about Odile, Gabrielle and Kinza in their chapter featured in Breaking Barriers 10 Entrepreneurial Women Share Their Stories:
Lifestyle Choices ? A Balancing Act
Your Family In Business
Odile, Kinza and Gabrielle Nasri – ?a va de soi
As an entrepreneur, or solopreneur we need to leave ourselves with a something for a rainy day. The little bit of assurance that we have money tucked away ?just in case.?
Our financial plan or workbook will give us the opportunity to build on our financial success, and plan for our present and future needs and wants. So how do we begin to think about our finances both personal and professional?
When speaking with Lee, she has a very simple theory:
?Start with adding up what you own and subtract what you owe. Then think about what you spend and what you make. We need to make sure those numbers are healthy. If not, then you know where to start to make adjustments.?
As a mother of two Lee, believes that planning is something you do to assist and care for your family. Her there words of advice are based on building a foundation for the financial health of her children. Brave, Persevere, Believe will begin your own financial workbook.
Read more about Lee in the chapter featured in Breaking Barriers 10 Entrepreneurial Women Share Their Stories:
Financial Wellbeing ? Creating A Workbook
Organizing Your Financial Statement
Lee Helkie – Helkie Financial & Insurance Services Inc.
Virginia Burt is one of only six women recognized by her peers through the awarding of a fellowship from both the Canadian and American Societies of Landscape Architects. Fellowship is conferred upon individuals in recognition of exceptional accomplishments over a sustained period of time.
Virginia?s philosophy is grounded in the idea that gardens can engage the mind, body, spirit and emotions within a deep experience of the natural environment. She believes that landscapes and gardens, both large and small, whether urban or rural, remote or in the downtown core, play a huge role in human health. She is passionate about creating spaces where people, art and nature intersect. Throughout the design process she encourages collaboration with her team, clients, architects and other allied professionals.
Her three words of advice are tied to her corporate philosophy: ?VIM = Vision, Imagination, Motivation.
Read more about Virginia in her chapter featured in Breaking Barriers 10 Entrepreneurial Women Share Their Stories:
Expanding Your Territory, The Confidence Game
Your Roadmap to Expansion
Virginia Burt Designs Inc.
Jennifer is a marketing maverick with international experience, representing well-known brands in both products and services. She has worked in the world-wide market, providing both the strategic planning and execution of various concepts and theories that are ever changing in our current business climate.
Marketing is almost always the ?elephant in the room.? Most companies understand the value of engaging customers but find it challenging to develop a plan that will provide a solid return on investment.
New Initiatives Marketing offers services for small-to-medium businesses that don?t have in-house marketing support. ?Duct Tape Marketing? takes concepts, ideas and sales opportunities to develop a solid marketing plan with matrix for results.
It works and it sticks!
Jennifer will suggest that you: ?Go for it? as time is short and you just never know what opportunities will be presented along the way.
Read more about Jennifer in the chapter featured in Breaking Barriers 10 Entrepreneurial Women Share Their Stories:
Marketing ? Become Your Biggest Cheerleader
Build Your Personal Brand
Jennifer Kelly ? New Initiatives Marketing
I connected with Gloria and was taken with her sense of positive energy, contentment and commitment to be the very best ?Gloria.?
She is a certified ?Dream Builder? coach and ?Life Mastery? consultant through the Life Mastery Institute in California, and is committed to sharing her knowledge and experiences. Gloria hosted her own weekly TV and radio shown, and has been featured in numerous national newspapers and magazines.
Everything Gloria teaches is based on the latest in quantum physics, neuroscience and neuroplasticity. This means giving your brain the opportunity to establish new patterns and/or routines to achieve different results.
She not only has a strong conviction, but has achieved success believing that what she teaches works, 100 per cent of the time! The certifications she received gave her insight into how she would be able to describe her approach with both tangible and intangible examples so that individuals would be able to better understand the theory.
?Choice, Choice, Choice? is Gloria?s contribution to the three words of advice as a friendly reminder that we are in charge of our own destiny.
Read more about Gloria in the chapter featured in Breaking Barriers 10 Entrepreneurial Women Share Their Stories:
The Art of Reinvention: Turning Lemons Into Lemonade
The Power of Positive Energy
Gloria MacDonald ? Life Alchemy Inc.
As the author, I had a theory about the role of mentorship and how it has changed over the years. My objective: share the stories of ordinary women doing ?extra? ordinary things. Sharing experiences that will inspire other would-be entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams. These mini biographies are a form of mentorship with realistic stories sharing the challenges and opportunities you may face when self-employed.
In my own business, I work with individuals and leadership teams to develop and maintain a high-performance culture while creating your own work-life balance. Connecting with executives and entrepreneurs who are
looking for information for their personal health and wellness. We share tips and tools to reach their individual goals and enjoy a healthy and active lifestyle.
The foundation is EQ – an international talent and assessment tool recognized in over 66 countries world-wide. An on-line self assessment creates a personalized report with a well being indicator to get started on your own individual plan. EQ impacts an organization and its bottom line through its role in creating a high-performance culture.
As part of the strategy, I offer one-to-one coaching, seminars and workshops targeted towards individuals and work teams to assist with communication and productivity. To complete the target market, public speaking with a focus on sharing information.
What is my contribution to the three words of advice? ??Trust your instincts?
Read more about this chapter in Breaking Barriers 10 Entrepreneurial Women Share Their Stories:
Health and Wellness ? Your Personal Plan
Invest In You ? Your Best Asset
Trish Tonaj ? Phaze2inc.
In support of women in business and the spirit of global entrepreneurship
author royalties will be donated annually to SheEO.
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