Why Women-Run Businesses Make the Most Money for Kevin O'Leary

Who's Kevin O'Leary (pictured)?  He's one of ABC's 'Shark Tank' stars.  Here's what he says.

"I've been investing now for over 10 years on things like 'Shark Tank' deals — and other deals that are brought to me because of 'Shark Tank' — and the majority of my returns come from the companies run by women," O'Leary tells CNBC Make It of his portfolio.

Read why that is here.

What I Wish I'd Known When I Started a Business

Ready to start your business?  Good.  Today we look at a few factors to consider before you launch.

MPR News host Kerri Miller asked three women entrepreneurs to share what they wish they'd known when they started their own businesses.  Here's a snapshot of what came out of the discussion.

1. Go with the flow.
2. Have some risk-taking in you.
3. Look at the big picture, not the day-to-day stuff.

There's more.  Read the entire interview about what you should know before taking your idea and turning it into a business.

Ireland Wants Women Entrepreneurs to Lead and Succeed

It's only fitting on St. Patrick's Day to blog about what's going on in Ireland for women entrepreneurs.

Enterprise Ireland and women’s business organization Network Ireland, in partnership with Entrepreneurs Academy, recently announced details of the annual nationwide Fueling Ambition Roadshow, which aims to encourage the ambition of women entrepreneurs at a national level.

The roadshow will included a leadership masterclass and an elevator-pitch competition with a cash prize of €2,000 sponsored by Facebook at each location. Additional prizes include 10 sessions with Enterprise Ireland mentors, annual membership of Network Ireland and attendance at Enterprise Ireland’s Excel at Export Selling training program.

Read more about how Ireland is driving support for women entrepreneurs to take on the o'world.

Enlightenment Now

Dr. Steven Pinker of Harvard University, has authored a new book, Enlightenment Now.  It's a long book but a joy to read because he is an exceptional writer.

In the latest Rule Breaker Investing podcast, Motley Fool co-founder David Gardner brings his listeners a special treat with an interview with Dr. Pinker.  He's a psycholinguist, award-winning researcher, and, according to Time magazine, one of the "100 Most Influential People" in the world today.

Here's an excerpt of my favorite part of the interview because it has to do with women:

"Societies that give more power to their women also tend to be democratic. They also tend to have low rates of crime. They tend to have moderate-to-high levels of social spending. They tend to have less inequality, and they also tend to be richer."

Learn more here.

Standout Women Entrepreneurs

What's the definition of standout?  According to Merriam-Webster:

:one [woman entrepreneur] that is prominent or conspicuous especially because of excellence

For the 2018 iteration of Forbes' annual 30 Under 30 list of game-changing young entrepreneurs, they highlighted 600 rising stars across 20 different industries. Many of the standouts this year -- across categories as varied as venture capital and entertainment -- happen to be women.

Meet 6 of the best and brightest.

Figurine credit.