Never Stifle a Woman's Access to Work or Entrepreneurship (Documentary to Watch)

Nearly a third of countries have laws that stifle a woman's access to work, including limits on bank accounts, property inheritance, and many types of jobs. These countries, not coincidentally, have some of the highest rates of poverty in the world. 

A new film from Maureen Castle Tusty and James Tusty's Sky Films, She Rises Up, tells the stories of three women who have overcome such obstacles to found businesses in retail, cosmetics, and textiles.

Watch She Rises Up.  The road to eliminating poverty begins with HER.

Women Entrepreneurs: Be True to Your Own Values

Founded in 2022, the Coaching & Resources for Entrepreneurial Women (CREW) program encourages early-career women in science to become entrepreneurs, in part by reimagining what that means.  The program is led by Carol Feghali-Bostwick, Ph.D., the Kitty Trask Holt Endowed Chair for Scleroderma Research. 

One of the goals of the program is to build women’s confidence so that they can be successful entrepreneurs while remaining true to their own values.

Read the entire article and for more information on how to apply to the CREW program visit here.

Happy 20th Birthday Escape From Corporate America (2024)!

When I started this blog in 2004 (here's one of the first posts), people didn't know what a blog was.  Now they do and everyone recognizes the importance of sharing your knowledge with the world for others to grow from your experience.

Take a walk down memory lane with some of my posts celebrating Happy Birthday Escape From Corporate and Happy Anniversary Escape From Corporate America.

And remember y'all, it started with an article I submitted to The Conference Board in 2003 and from there, I started this blog, and from there, well the rest is history.  Here's what I said when I launched and it still is at the core of the my thinking day in and day out:

When I authored "Escape From Corporate America!" published by the Conference Board in 2003, I had no idea the reaction to it would be so profound and overwhelming. My inbox was flooded with email messages from gifted women who could not say enough about their dissatisfaction at work. Apparently, I underestimated just how fed up women are with Corporate America. EFCA offers a comprehensive look at why women are leaving BIG companies for entrepreneurship. Hint: They want freedom, flexibility, recognition, more money, and opportunities to leave a legacy -- all the things they once thought they would find within corporations. Are you ready to ... "Escape From Corporate America?"  

This blog serves as a beacon of hope for women entrepreneurs who aspire to create their own destiny.  Hooray to you for continuing your readership here which I thank you for.  We started with a handful of readers a month and now we range anywhere from 30,000-60,000.

Let's keep this good vibe going.

Female Entrepreneurs Are a Major Driver of Business Startup Growth

Americans have started more new businesses last year than ever since data collection started and female entrepreneurs are a major driver of that growth.

New data from my company, Gusto, shows that women started half of all new businesses in 2023. This is compared to a mere 29% in 2019. Women-led businesses have proven uniquely resilient to tough economic conditions like persistently high inflation and interest rates, and they generated $2.7 trillion in revenue last year. 

For women, flexibility is the No. 1 reason for starting a business.  They want to have the freedom to decide how they work.

At Escape From Corporate America (EFCA), we have known this to be true since 2003 on the flexibility and freedom parts of Gusto's findings.  Here's what I said in 2003 when EFCA was launched:

"They [women] want freedom, flexibility, recognition, more money, and opportunities to leave a legacy -- all the things they once thought they would find within corporations."

Read the full article to learn how female entrepreneurs are a major driver of business startup growth.

Women-Led Enterprises Are Regenerative Forces in Our Economy

Around the world, small businesses are the hearts and souls of communities. Your local barber and corner stores offer more than just transactional interactions for essential products and services. They are places where people listen to your everyday problems and foster a sense of belonging. What’s more, there’s a one in three chance that these micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) will be led by women.

Policymakers, businesses, banks, community leaders, and individuals have a role to play in unlocking women’s economic power, valued at $10 trillion annually. We need whole system change that includes comprehensive macroeconomic reforms including fairer tax systems and recognition of the care economy.

We need localized women-centered financial products and entrepreneur support systems to create more equitable economies for all marginalized groups, including women.

The latest evidence on women-led businesses finds that they not only reduce poverty but that they also drive job creation, spark innovation, and contribute to safer, greener and more vibrant communities, ensuring that everyone thrives collectively. These women-led enterprises are regenerative forces – building business communities and hiring local workers. Local economies simply cannot succeed without them.

Thanking All the Super Supportive Dads!

Twists and Turns on the Path to One Woman's Success

Amy Somerville, CEO of Success Magazine says that the path to success is anything but straightforward; it’s riddled with twists and turns, setbacks and triumphs.

And, now, as I [Amy] watch my own children play “grown-up,” my heart is full. They create clever roles as entrepreneurs, inventors, artists and social influencers. Will they follow the traditional path of higher education and conventional careers? Who knows? 

She goes on to say that what truly matters is that they [her kids] dare to dream big, set their sights high, push boundaries and understand that with unwavering determination and perseverance, any goal is within reach.