Lilibet

With the passing of Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth honored him in the following manner at his funeral today, April 17, 2021:

In a loving gesture to her husband of 73 years, the Queen placed a handwritten note on top of the Duke of Edinburgh's coffin throughout his funeral services on Saturday [April 17, 2021]. The monarch signed the note with the nickname "Lilibet" — a nickname she was given as a child. 

Philip is thought to be the last person who called by her childhood moniker. 

Queen Elizabeth may have lost her husband but she has gained additional love and support from people all over the world for her leadership, courage and strength.  She will never be alone.

We salute and honor "Lilibet" with the duty and public service she has shown her country and the world.   May the Duke of Edinburgh rest in peace.  May "Lilibet" carry on.

Unstoppable Female Leaders

These female leaders in business and noted below in link, guide the way with their motivating courses, podcasts, and transformational advice. 

Working their way from the ground up, they show that everything is possible with a little determination and belief. 

Have a look at these inspirational female leaders and try on some of their ideas yourself.  Then get ready to live an extraordinary life, both personally and in business.

Who Made It Possible to Make Beautiful Bonnets?

Every Easter, people all over the world unknowingly pay homage to the first woman to obtain a U.S. patent in her name in 1809, Mary Dixon Kies.

A professor by the name of Autumn Stanley believes it was a machine patent which automated the manual techniques of weaving straw with silk that previously enabled women to make hats in their homes. 

Read the entire story on how a cottage industry was born.  

Meanwhile, put on your mask and fancy bonnet, and have yourself a very Happy Easter.

It's Her Time

Don't we know it.  Female entrepreneurship is skyrocketing, especially in Massachusetts.  What they need more of to grow is the ability to collaborate and share resources.

The Women’s Entrepreneur Initiative (WEI) Study concludes that for them to continue to make gains, women business owners need better access to resources, financing, expertise and networking.

Constance Gamache of Deloitte Consulting says, "Women are the fastest growing, highest performing and most economically underutilized subsegment of entrepreneurs."

Enough said.

We've always known that women need an entrepreneurial hub (or cafe) to share experience, resources, challenges and opportunities.  We have had one going on since March, 2020.  Won't you join us?  It's every Tuesday at 4PM CT.  Everyone is welcome.  Don't let the global part throw you – most of our tribe are startups that have the world as a market on their mind.  See you there because I facilitate the discussions every week.

Female Entrepreneurs Work Every Bit As Hard as Male Entrepreneurs (Maybe Harder)

The story goes like this from 2019.  

Alyson Saxe ran into an old friend at Costco, who – upon learning Saxe had children – inquired whether she worked outside the home.  Saxe explained that she'd founded a PR agency. "My friend said, 'How great! You're a mompreneur!'" recalls Saxe. "'You get to work and have time for your kids and family!'"

Saxe, later, went on to raise north of $2 million for her second company, the brand-management platform IrisPR, based in Phoenix. "I work every bit as hard as male entrepreneurs.  "I am not a mompreneur," says Saxe. "I am a mother. And I am an entrepreneur."

Read on to appreciate how business language – like much other language – is de-gendering.

May Your Blessings Outnumber the Shamrocks That Grow

©2021 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow.  And may trouble avoid you wherever you go." – Irish blessing

Women Entrepreneurs Drive America's Recovery

Women entrepreneurs continue to play a greater role in creating new jobs and economic activity across the country.  Since 1987, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has celebrated Women’s History Month by acknowledging how women entrepreneurs have transformed the face of entrepreneurship nationally.

According to the National Association of Women Business Owners, nearly 12 million businesses are owned by women, generating $1.7 trillion in sales, and employing over 9 million people.  Together, these businesses represent one of the fastest growing sectors of our economy. 

Read more about how women entrepreneurs are driving America's recovery from the global pandemic.

Black Women Business Owners Are at the Forefront of Innovation as Entrepreneurs

Meet the 10 finalists for the first New Voices + Target Accelerators Pitch Competition of 2021. 

Black women business owners are continuing to remain at the forefront of innovation as entrepreneurs and the New Voices team is joining forces with the Target Accelerators team yet again to give ten of these hard-working women the chance of a lifetime. 

Poised and prepared before a panel of business experts, the ladies shared their entrepreneurship journeys for a chance to win between $5,000 and $20,000 in funding for their businesses. 

Winners will also receive business coaching and mentoring from @newvoicesfamily to help them grow and scale their companies with purpose.

To learn more visit, here (note:  this was previously aired but you can get your free passes to check things out).

Be Real

I (Laurel Delaney and creator of this blog) have the good fortune of connecting on a quarterly basis with Colleen Killen-Roberts, Divisional Vice President of Entrepreneurship at the Edward Lowe Foundation through the global business work I do in their System for Integrated Growth (SIG) program.  

Below Colleen talks about why relationships matter and how to take 5 steps to building stronger ones.

One step in particular resonated with me:

4.  Be consistent — and genuine. Walk the talk. Do what you say you’re going to do — and in a timely manner. Bring the authentic version of yourself, warts and all, when meeting with existing or potential partners. You don’t have to be perfect. But you do have to be real.

So often people don't practice this.  Do you?

Read the entire article, Relationships Matter:  5 Steps to Stronger Partnerships

The World Needs More Love

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"What the world really needs is more love and less paperwork." – Pearl Bailey, actress

Four Tips on Facing Fears When Creating a Business

Spiritual business coach Ava Johanna overcame homelessness and hardship and found prosperity. Here's her story, plus her top four tips on facing fears.  It's all about seeing beyond your past when creating a business.

Why Is Israel the Best Country for Female Entrepreneurs?

The Mastercard Index of Women Entrepreneurs (MIWE) tracks the global progress of women entrepreneurs and business owners across 58 economies. The US, Switzerland and New Zealand ranked second, third and fourth, with the UK sixth. So what enabled Israel to take the top spot?

Find out from the founders of an Israeli venture capital firm as they tell how they have made it in a man’s world and the ways they feel the status quo could be changed.

The One and Only Pop Superstar and Entrepreneur Lady Gaga: Greatest Female Singer of All Time

Use Your Power to Support Female Entrepreneurs

Two women discuss various ways to support female entrepreneurs. Here’s a closer look at their four tips.

1. Know the difference between real and performative allyship — and practice the former
2. Take a step beyond mentorship and be a sponsor
3. Be an active bystander against micro aggressions
4. Use your votes and dollars to push for bigger policy and ecosystem changes

Read the entire article on ways to be an ally for female entrepreneurs.

She Works

The products the women make in Uganda at luxury jewelry brand Akola are sold at Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom and many other retailers.

Akola means “she works” in a local Ugandan dialect, and it was founded as a nonprofit almost 12 years ago with the idea that sustainable job creation is the only way to get women out of poverty. 

Drill down further to see how through a combination of vertically integrated manufacturing, swift innovation in their product offerings and a strategic business model that includes a combination of for-profit and nonprofit entities, the decade-old brand has been able to navigate the Covid pandemic with unwavering commitments to sustainability and social impact.

Meditate to Focus in 2021

Meditation is an excellent tool to take your mind off the daily hustle and regain your ability to stay focused.  Here are some tips to regain the ability to be attentive to what is truly important.

Meanwhile, have yourself a joyful, healthy and prosperous New Year!