Gloria Steinem: A Model for Women Entrepreneurs

Gloria Steinem was an entrepreneur – just not the Silicon Valley kind.

She didn’t raise venture capital or chase billion-dollar exits. She created something far more powerful. As an entrepreneur of social change, she built media, philanthropic institutions, and movements to disrupt a culture and economy that historically benefited men. Her work transformed media and the lives of generations of women.

“I became aware I could no longer just write about something. I also had to act on it,” Steinem said.

Her conviction to turn her frustration with a world that fought to hold women back from their careers is what made Steinem a model for women entrepreneurs.

Nancy Geenen Says Connecting With Leaders on a Human Level Creates a Trusting, Empowering Work Culture

Nancy Geenen.  Used with permission.  All rights reserved.

Accomplished entrepreneur, author, leadership coach and strategic facilitator Nancy Geenen spent many years “trying to be someone else, in so many ways.”

What she discovered in her journey is that when a woman leader connects with employees on a human level by being vulnerable and inviting in-depth conversations without judgment, other differences are not as significant, and the leader builds trust as people feel more comfortable being themselves.

Here are Nancy's 5 key thoughts about how a leader showing vulnerability and accessibility can create a trusting, empowering work culture:

1. Being accountable and permitting others to hold everyone accountable. “Invite that open, honest, and vulnerable communication that is built on trust,” Geenen says. “And if you behave in a way that’s unreliable, own up to it.”
2. Asking for advice and committing to do better. Geenen says it’s common for team members to have numerous ideas about how a leader can improve their leadership skills. 
3. Knowing your people and letting them get to know you. Geenen says it’s a leader’s responsibility to model relationship-building. 
4. Being empathetic, not judgmental. Geenen says when check-ins with employees are done with a mindset of positivity, curiosity and empathy, not judgment and criticism, it earns the team’s trust because they feel seen, heard, and supported.  
5. Showing you care. When a leader directly pitches in to help one of their teams, be it problem-solving on a complex project or customer-service issue, or performing a tedious task like changing the toner in the copy machine, it establishes common ground with the workforce, showing the leader has humility and sincerity. 

These are among some of the many golden nuggets Nancy shares in her book, "The Advantage of Other:  A Leader's Guide to Building an Equitable, Dynamic, and Productive Workplace."

How HER Side Hustle Makes $15,000 a Month

TikToker, Yamie Michelin, broke down how she's been able to make $15,000 a month by selling merchandise from discount retailer Marshalls on Amazon for a much higher price.

Michelin, who goes by @yamie_the_realtor on TikTok with no less than 41.5K followers and 820.8K Likes, first said she searches for products at discount stores. In one example, she purchased two primers from Sephora that she found at Marshalls for $3.99 and resold the items for $22.54 each.

Some sellers have even seemed to crack a code by outsourcing products from wholesale companies or discount retailers where they can buy bulk products cheaper and then resell them for a higher price, turning a profit without minimum effort.

Is it ethical?  

Is it ethical or fair when 7-Eleven charges $1.39 for a can of Campbell's Chicken Noodle soup and the Dollar Store charges 99 cents?

Read on to learn how Yamie's side hustle passively makes $15,000 each month.  

What Are Your Rules of Thumb?

Alan Webber is the founder of the technology business magazine Fast Company and has gone on to become Mayor of the City of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Many years ago I interviewed him after he wrote, “Rules of Thumb:  52 Truths For Winning At Business Without Losing Your Self."

I still love this book for all the rich insights that are straightforward and moving.  Alan was always so ahead of his time and continues to be.

Some of the answers he gave during our interview are more than ever relevant to our times.

For example, when I asked him what the gist of "Rules of Thumb" was about:

I suppose the gist of it is that we all need to pay attention to the new rules of work and life; that the world is changing and we are all responsible for how it changes — and to guide our own lives, our companies, our families, and our communities in a direction that makes sense, that works, that has positive results, and that is sustainable.

Perfect response.  But that's so Alan.  Read the entire interview here.

A Word From Wikipedia About Female Entrepreneurs

The word entrepreneur, especially female entrepreneur, has been around for a very long time.  According to Wikipedia:

Before the 20th century, females operated small businesses as a way of supplementing their income. In many cases, they were trying to avoid poverty or were replacing the income from the loss of a spouse.

They go on to say, "The term entrepreneur is used to describe individuals who have ideas for products and/or services that they turn into a working business. In earlier times, this term was reserved for men."

Well what do you know about that?

And then they talk about example from Finnish entrepreneur Armi Ratia (1912–1979), founder of the Marimekko textile and home decorating company and, of course, our very own American entrepreneur, television host and media executive Oprah Winfrey, who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from US President Barack Obama in 2013.

We've come a long way baby!

Entrepreneur Ivanka Trump

Ivanka Trump owns her own company.  More importantly, she wore a dress from her own label to introduce her father at the Republican National Convention 7/21/16.  According to the New York Post:

...the 34-year-old mother [Ivanka Trump] of three is putting out the message that she’s an up-by-her-bootstraps, entrepreneurial kind of gal, too.

©2016 Laurel J. Delaney.

Now, the big question becomes:  Where does she make these dresses?  I have a feeling they might not be made in the USA, which leads me to ... her father better take a more favorable position on international trade (TPP, NAFTA, etc.).

Read more:  Ivanka Trump wears her own label's $158 dress to introduce her Dad

Business Lessons From Female Entrepreneurs

©2014 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Matthew Toren, a contributor to Entrepreneur, gives his best shot at coming up with three books by and for female entrepreneurs. I've read Nos. 2 and 3 from his list and they are worth a look.

Read:  3 Great Books By and For Female Entrepreneurs

By the way, I've also read Barbara Corcoran's other book (pictured) and it's good too.

Start a Business Part-Time or Full-Time?

Starting a business can be awfully scary from the standpoint of answering these two critical questions:  How will I make money?  What happens if I don't?

Oftentimes, to minimize risks, people start a business gradually -- with one foot in the new business and the other in a full time job that offers a steady stream of income.

Yet, the part-time path also comes with its own set of challenges.  Here's a look at why.

Starting a Part-Time Vs. Full-Time Business