Healthy Homegrown Company Culture: 16 Ideas

Below, experts from Fast Company Executive Board share 16 practical ideas that continue to foster inclusiveness and team building at work.

Hat tip to Michelle Hayward, CEO, Bluedog for turning us on to this fantastic piece in Fast Company: "16 ideas to lead to a healthier homegrown company culture.  Her contribution is #1 (usual for her in many respects). 

Build Relationships With People You Can Help and With People Who Can Help You

This is not networking because networking is merely the process of exchanging information and developing professional contacts. Relationship building is different.  

Build the relationships – and go deep – before you need to ask for help.  By the time you need to make the ask, you have already established trust, reliability and familiarity — all the things needed to ask and receive. 

Celebrate Your Achievements With Other Women

When you travel alone it can be scary and liberating at the same time. It pushes you out of your comfort zone.

Here are some takeaways for female business leaders and entrepreneurs from one woman who recently returned from a business trip.

Entrepreneurial Obsession by Laurel J. Delaney

Enjoy a free download of my ebook, "Entrepreneurial Obsession: 13 ways to create a brighter future for your business" – one of the most important books you'll ever read. Discover how to do something different now in order to build a successful business. Learn how to weather economic storms, live loud, and sleep like a baby during tough times.

Why It Is Necessary to Support Women Entrepreneurs Around the World

The question that all forward-looking entrepreneurs should be asking themselves as the global economy continues to develop and diversify is: what can be done to support women entrepreneurs around the world? 

According to this article, women face three specific obstacles: funding, mentorship, and experience.

By supporting programs that help women learn about the world of entrepreneurship, such as Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global's offerings, women can build strong borderless businesses faster, solidify their position in the global economy, and stay competitive in the world marketplace.

Amsterdam-Based Women Entrepreneurs Are a Force to Reckon With

Women across the globe are starting businesses in record numbers. They have busted borders, broken through stereotypes and are bringing about progressive changes in the business ecosystem.

According to data released late last year (2021) by the Dutch chamber of commerce – KVK, the number of female entrepreneurs in the Netherlands increased by 29 per cent in the past five years.

However, women are still facing challenges on their way to entrepreneurship, but their hunger for success has made them cross all roadblocks and lead their businesses.

Here are 9 Amsterdam-based female founders that are running their startups solo. 

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.

Entrepreneurs Always Spot Opportunity, Especially In Times of Disruption

The COVID-19 pandemic, in particular, has presented both dramatic disruption and unique opportunities. In fact, more American entrepreneurs report seeing increasingly more business opportunities despite the economic challenges of the pandemic, according to research from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM).

Read on to examine entrepreneurship – positive perceptions of starting a business and a world still rich with opportunities.

The Power of Entrepreneurship, Importance of a Supportive Network and the Real Value of Education

Shakenna Williams '94, Babson College, learned the power of entrepreneurship.  She learned the importance of a supportive network.  She learned the real value of education.

Her parents owned a large beauty supply distribution company, supplying all of the Northeast, and as Williams and her brother grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts, they spent every summer working in the business.

The lessons of her father and the experiences that followed now impact her work as the founder of Babson’s Black Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership (BWEL) program and as the executive director of the Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership (CWEL) at Babson College.

Read on to discover more.  To uplift your spirits.  To get inspired.

Did These 18 Women Change the World?

Who are the most successful female entrepreneurs in America? There are too many to list, but these 18 businesswoman were chosen by Small Business Trends because they forged their own entrepreneurial journey.

From an executive chairman to world-famous recording artists, these female entrepreneurs continue to make waves throughout the business world.

The question becomes:  Did these women change or revolutionize the world with ground-breaking innovations?

Find Ways to Support and Encourage Other Women Entrepreneurs

Here are 3 questions to ask yourself that the author [Tanya Dalton for Entrepreneur] hopes will prompt you to be part of the solution of helping more women entrepreneurs grow their businesses.

Answering the 3 questions allows you to find ways to support and encourage other women business owners so we can all collectively grow.

What will you do today to support another female entrepreneur?

Women Entrepreneurs Are On the Rise

International Women's Day (IWD), coming up on Tuesday, March 8, 2022, has been a time to recognize achievements made by women and to recommit to the fight for equality — socially, politically, and economically. 

There have been slow and steady gains in the workplace. But during the pandemic, it appears to be accelerating a generational mind shift for women.  Greater work-life flexibility and personal control of their career has become the No. 1 issue for today’s working women.

Here's what that means:  Out with Corporate America and in with entrepreneurship, which allows us to do what we love, generate revenue, care for and spend time with our families, and contribute to the health and well-being of our communities.

Read on about the wave of women entrepreneurs arising during the pandemic.

Ensuring Productivity Is the Key to Going Forward

Theo Paphitis, Chairman at Theo Paphitis Retail Group and Dragon from BBC's Dragons' Den, writes "Things I have Learnt in 2020," and little did he know at the time that the worst was not over yet on the global pandemic.  Still, his insights apply even more to our current times.  Paphitis emphasizes that ensuring productivity is the key to going forward – no matter where anyone is located or how the work gets done.

Another futuristic thought leader is Michelle Hayward, founder and CEO, Bluedog. In her article, "Let's not go back!," she talks about how now is the time for people to propel themselves into futures they've been too tired and stressed to imagine.  "Let's hold space for the possibility of a new future by limiting language that speaks to the prospect of reliving the past," she says.

Two entirely different thought leaders from different parts of the world yet they meet at the same point:  We can't go back and we must create a new future.

Be Interesting But Not Complicated

"My father was not a complicated man.” ~ Diane Disney Miller (daughter of Walt Disney)

Innovation is such a personal, creative endeavor, but the influence of others plays a big role in helping us succeed. 

Here I share insights from some of those who’ve inspired me when it comes to developing innovative practices in my business. Perhaps they will have the same effect on you.  At the end of each passage, there’s a lesson learned along with a big question to get a conversation going. 

If nothing else, this article will encourage you to take time out to reflect and work a little magic on the innovation front.

The Power of Networking to Build Confidence, Create Connections and Accelerate Opportunities

To understand what helps female entrepreneurs thrive at a higher level, Forbes contributor Kathy Caprino interviews Pat Hedley, investor, advisor and author of Meet 100 People: A How-To Guide to the Career and Life Edge Everyone’s Missing. After a nearly 30-year career with global growth investor General Atlantic, Hedley is now a private investor and advisor to growth companies and a passionate advocate for intentional and generous relationship building. 

Here's what she had to say, oh, and one quick snippet from when Pat was asked why networking is so important for entrepreneurs generally, but especially for female entrepreneurs.

Networking is essential for entrepreneurs because founders are highly reliant on accessing resources and information they don’t already have to start and build a business. Even if one has a great idea, executing on that idea requires an extensive network of individuals including employees, customers/clients, investors, advisors and influencers.

Read on for the full interview.

This Is the Moment: Female Founders, Quotes, Community, Stories, Funding, Side Hustles and More

If you were thinking about setting out and doing something in 2022, this is the moment.  Explore it all here.

Women Entrepreneurs Tackle BIG Ideas

Female entrepreneurs are still receiving little capital.  Wired reports:

“Startups with a woman founder raised $25 billion in the first half of 2021—more than the total amount raised by women any full year prior.”

While the incremental changes are noticeable, we aren’t close to where we need to be.

After years of witnessing these founders' struggles and limited access to capital, Dr. Silvia Mah, partner at Ad Astra Ventures, who helps women founders grow innovative startups tackling big ideas, is determined that there are certain things the VC industry can do to level the playing field.

Here are three. 

Helping Black Women Entrepreneurs Start and Expand a Business

A growing number of firms have opened their treasure chests to Black woman entrepreneurs. They, in turn, are often using the financing to help other Black women start or expand a business.

The median seed funding raised by a Black woman founder is $125,000, nowhere near the national median of $2.5 million in 2020, according to ProjectDiane. In the first half of 2021, Crunchbase data revealed that only 0.34% of capital went to businesses run by Black women.

The article for Black Enterprise Magazine goes on to say that more efforts are surfacing to provide funding to Black women, or people of color in general, such as the Goldman Sachs’ One Million Black Women initiative, Fortune reported. One firm that is seeing the capital flowing steadily is the Fearless Fund, which works to increase Black representation in venture capital and support women of color.

Learn to Love Uncertainty

What’s keeping you up at night?  That's a key question to ask a business owner or top level executive if you want to find out what's really going on with them.

Being a small business owner myself and a formally trained facilitator, I decided to take a different approach and asked 20 presidents of small businesses in marketing, interior design, insurance and a variety of other industries what’s allowing them to get a good night’s rest.

Here are the highlights of what they shared, one being "Learn to not just live with but love uncertainty."

How a Business Owner Can Sleep Like a Baby During Tough Times, by Laurel J. Delaney for American Express.

Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) Provide Affordable Financing to Women

Congress created Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) in 1994 to provide affordable financing to women, minority, and other underestimated entrepreneurs.

CDFIs hope, through financing, is to help women entrepreneurs rebound faster and grow stronger, healthier businesses despite the pandemic.

CDFIs are mission, not profit-driven. They have lower requirements regarding years in business, credit score (or no credit score), and collateral. Entrepreneurs still have to prove that they're creditworthy, but CDFIs work with entrepreneurs whom banks typically turn away. CDFIs have proven that financing women- and minority-business owners are NOT risky.

Think of them as first responders for women entrepreneurs.  How will you use a CDFI loan to become a healthier, stronger business in 2022?

Source:  Our esteemed colleague and friend, Geri Stengel, who contributes to Forbes on a regular basis.  She is a big supporter of women business owners.

Begin Again

©2022 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"No matter how hard the past, you can always begin again." – Buddha

Season's Greetings Escape From Corporate America Friends!

"I love the excitement, the childlike spirit of innocence, and just about everything that goes along with Christmas." – Hillary Scott

Empower Microentrepreneurs This Holiday Season

Companies are donating a portion of their sales in select Whole Foods Market stores from December 1-31 to Whole Planet Foundation. 

These funds will be given to entrepreneurs in the form of microcredit loans in communities where Whole Foods Market sources products. 

Learn more about each brand and why they choose to support the mission to alleviate poverty.

3 Chicago Women Entrepreneurs: The Kombucha Brewer, Pie Baker and Toffee Maven

NBC 5’s Food Guy Steve Dolinsky shares stories about three Chicago-area female entrepreneurs who focus on homemade sweets and sophisticated sips this holiday season.

The kombucha brewer, pie baker and toffee maven are also fighting for the same things: market share, new business and most importantly: respect in their industries.

Bring on good cheer and support as many women business owners as we can this holiday season!  

These Are a Few of My (Oprah's) Favorite Things 2021

The list is here!  Discover all of Oprah's favorite things for 2021 – from sweaters, to jewelry, to kitchen items and beauty gifts.

Check it out. 

Women Entrepreneurs Are Changing the Travel Space

Entrepreneurship is a challenging road, but the number of small businesses with women leaders is growing. 

There's data to suggest that female-founded companies outperform their male counterparts, made even more impressive by the fact that women only secure 2.3% of venture capital funding. 

The travel sector is also growing with female entrepreneurs, and here are eight that are changing the industry with their businesses.

Let Pamela Slim Help You Find New Customers

Pamela Slim has a new book out that you don't want to miss: "The Widest Net – Unlock Untapped Markets and Discover New Customers Right in Front of You."  

The Widest Net is a step by step method for building a thriving business. You can pre-order now and get these bonuses:

• The Widest Net Workbook
• The Widest Net Method Ecosystem Mind Map
• An invitation to The Widest Net SUPERclass, a virtual workshop to create your 12-month marketing plan using the Widest Net Method. 

Go after those customers now!

Screenshot source:  https://pamelaslim.com/the-widest-net/

Tip of the Week: Create a Signature for PDF Documents On An iPhone

Hello on-the-go women business owners!  As more official papers are being turned into PDF documents, you may be asked to sign one electronically while you’re away from your computer.

If you’re using an iPhone, it’s actually not all that difficult; you can create a signature and reuse it by using the iPhone’s built-in Markup tool.

Ready.  Set.  Learn how to do it.

Be Anyone You Want to Be

©2021 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved

This Halloween, you might take a step outside the box and dress up as a powerful figure to make a statement. Whether that statement is about gender inequality, race relations, Covid or climate change, there’s a woman out there breaking barriers. Why not pretend to be them for a day? 

Halloween is the one day you can be anyone you want to be.  Here are five unconventional, last-minute costume ideas that you can easily D-I-Y with clothes in your closet. Word of caution: these looks are reserved for trailblazing women. 

The sky is the limit.  Enjoy and Happy Halloween!

Black Women Entrepreneur Excellence

The Women's Entrepreneur Leadership Lab (WELL) is a network of Black women business owners that facilitates peer-supported growth by fostering relationships that build community, collaboration, confidence, and capital.  It set out to address the lack of support Black women founders receive as entrepreneurs by banding together and creating a community to support each other.

Data illustrates how far funding needs to progress to support Black women, who accounted for 42% of net new women-owned businesses, while only being 14% of the female population from 2018-19, according to the 2019 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report, which analyzed U.S. Census Bureau data, and extrapolated forward based on Gross Domestic Product data.

Learn more to participate and recommend to others.

The Female Consumer Is Under-Represented in the Brand and Marketing Landscape of Spirits

In Christopher Marquis's research for his recent article on Karen Hoskins for Forbes and her work at Montanya Distillers to make the alcohol industry less of a “boy’s club," he was told that women in leadership positions frequently have their expertise questioned and people mistake them for someone other than a leadership figure.

According to Mr. Marquis's article:

The alcohol industry is known for being dominated by men. For instance, in 2018, only “4% of C-suite positions in wine and spirits were held by women” and women in the industry continue to face sexual harassment and abuse.

At Escape From Corporate America, we hope Mr. Marquis has an opportunity to interview Dr. Sonat Birnecker Hart, President and co-founder of KOVAL Distillery to learn even more how women who are smart, confident and experienced in the spirits industry can and do succeed.

Read the full article:  Women Entrepreneurs Are Transforming the Spirits Industry.

Forget the Seat At the Table and Just Do the Work That Needs To Be Done

Women often say, “I want a seat at the table.” For many business women, especially business women of color, a seat at the table is a hard-earned symbol of success in a company. 

So, what if instead of longing for a seat at the table, we flip it?  Reflect on what a seat at the table means to you and how you can flip the table to be more inclusive, open, and exactly what you envision it to be.

If you can't do that, I invite you to forget the seat at the table and just do the work that needs to be done.  Go after your own true vision of growth, success, and progress and that might just be starting your own business.  Go for it!

Stop Waiting For Perfection

Is this you?  

Because I was waiting. I was waiting to have more money in my pocket. I was waiting to be in a relationship, so we could go together. I was waiting until I was thinner. 

After years of putting off her dream, entrepreneur Kristy Carruthers took action and made it a reality, traveling the world and building a successful career in the process.

Stop waiting for perfection and get on with your life.  Take action.  Make it happen.

Take Risks, Empower Entrepreneurs and Work Together

Venezuelan-born Carmen Busquets was a pioneer investor in the fashion tech space, cofounding Net-a-porter and putting her money behind companies including Farfetch, Moda Operandi and Lyst. 

Busquets is also an entrepreneur herself, starting her retail career while she was still studying at the University of Miami and, in the 1990s, founding Cabus, a multibrand luxury fashion retailer in Caracas.

She was particularly proud that Cult, an online beauty retailer founded by two young women in 2007, was well-run — and profitable. Indeed, Busquets’ passion lies in taking risks, empowering entrepreneurs and encouraging them to keep an eye on spending, pursue profit and work together with a sense of mutual respect.

Learn more about Busquets goal to seeing women become the executive leaders that they are capable of being.

What You Can Do to Attract Funding

Inspired Capital co-founder Alexa von Tobel talks about three ways (below) the entrepreneur turned investor suggests getting the attention of VCs.

1. Communicate your passion.
2. Prove that you're ready to learn.
3. Don't focus only on the money.

Read all her comments here.

Unmeasured Strength and Resilience

©2021 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Remembering 911, we go back to a post we published about Lauren Manning and her book, "Unmeasured Strength," which is about how Lauren's life on September 11, 2001, changed forever. She tells the story of survival and transformation.

It's only fitting to repeat it.

The photo above is a 911 decal from my Dad's car window.  He passed away in 2011 but I saved the decal and affixed it to a window in my home.  Over the years, the flag's bright colors have faded but our memories of 911 are quite vivid.

Let's all honor the fallen and heroes of September 11, 2001.

Entrepreneurial Obsession by Laurel Delaney

©2021 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Here are 13 ways to create a brighter future for your business.

Turning Limes to Limeade

Here are a few lessons you can learn from 5 global entrepreneurial icons who changed the face of American culture. Despite their early challenges, they managed to make their own way in life. We can learn from their endeavors and find opportunities in the unlikeliest places.  This is an article I [Laurel Delaney] wrote for American Express several years ago yet I still find in inspiring to read.  Hope you do, too.

In going after a dream, exercise unbridled enthusiasm until you achieve it.   So do something unusual to manifest your own latent entrepreneurial capabilities:  start a juice stand, backpack to India or sell a sketch to a neighbor.  

You never know where it will lead.  

How to Get a Good Night's Rest As a Business Owner During Tough Times

One of the key questions I always ask business owners:  what keeps you up at night?

Being a small business owner and a formally trained facilitator (e.g., Women Presidents' Organization Chicago Chapter Chair since 2003), I decided to take a different approach and asked 20 presidents of small businesses in marketing, interior design, insurance and a variety of other industries what’s allowing them to get a good night’s rest.

Here are the highlights of what they shared. 

Thought Leaders Who Knew Steve Jobs

©2011 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Like millions of other people, I have been a fan of Steve Jobs for more than three decades.  Use all Apple products.  Read every book on Steve.  So when he passed in 2011, I felt this inner urge to glean any lessons I could from him. I wanted to find out what made this man so great. Why was he so cool? Is it possible to integrate his brilliance into our work ethic? How can we make the world a better and more inspiring place to live?

In attempting to find the answers to these questions, here’s what I discovered from Steve himself, and thought-leaders who knew him.

Hire More Entrepreneurs and Grow

What would you do if you were at the beginning stage of an enormous snowstorm that showed no signs up letting up?  Surely, to get ahead of it, you’d grab a shovel and start shoveling or jump in your car to buy the last snow blower on the floor.  Well, in our current economic mess due to the global pandemic, the solution is right in front of us, too.  

Hire the best and brightest entrepreneurs (yes – that’s us!), and put them to work!  Who else is going to try something new that will shake us out of these tiresome doldrums?  

Here are ten things entrepreneurs can do that make them smart power resources.

Never Slip Into Mediocrity

Achieving high performance in tough times, especially during a global pandemic, is a serious challenge small business owners face. The ultimate goal may be extraordinary business performance, but you can still get worried, comfortable and slip into mediocrity. 

For example, many people thought at the start of the pandemic - and this too shall pass.  So they waited.  And they waited.  And then they realized they would be waiting and basically doing nothing for nearly two years.

To obliterate status quo, do you have what it takes to become a high-performance leader even during the toughest times?  Ten traits characterize the people who do.  The key is to never slip into mediocrity and do nothing.

10 Questions to Ask (and Answer) to Achieve Bold Innovation

I have always felt that growth and profits come from some form of calculated risk.  You, too?

The essence of making revolutionary changes is taking risks. Bold risks produce bold innovation; they launch new products, services, and companies; they improve workplace conditions for employees; and they may even end up changing the world.

Here are 10 questions to ask (and answer) to help guide you and your organization to achieve bold innovation.  This is an article I [Laurel Delaney] wrote for American Express more than a decade ago and it still applies to today's world.

Don’t reinforce the old ways of doing things.  Continuing to take risks is an important part of achieving bold innovation.  

Think On Your Feet

To profit and prosper in any year, think on your feet, look for fresh conceptual insights all around you and practice a little spontaneous innovation (expression).  It can foster a climate in which we can make a difference and have an innovative impact within an organization. 

As we go forward in 2021, think carefully about your strategy for innovation in your business.  The genesis of every new product, business or service offering is a concept: an idea for something you believe people want and will buy at a price they can afford to pay you for the work needed to produce it.  Concepts can arise out of anything at any time.  I think of it as spontaneous innovation, which occurs in every aspect of our lives.  Some might refer to it as spontaneous expression, and it’s typically a moment that can’t be repeated easily.  

In this article I [Laurel Delaney] present four (4) examples.

March To Your Own Drum and Beat It With All Your Might

Innovation is such a personal, creative endeavor, but the influence of others plays a big role in helping us succeed. Here I share insights from some of those who’ve inspired me when it comes to developing innovative practices in my business. Perhaps they will have the same effect on you. If nothing else, this article will encourage you to take time out to reflect and work a little magic on the innovation front.

Oh, and at the end of each passage, there’s a lesson learned along with a big question to get a conversation going.

Happy Independence Day America and Happy 17th Anniversary EFCA!

©2021 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

We hope you are having liberty celebrations across America.  It's a chance to unite with family and friends and appreciate the moment when the Declaration of Independence was signed 245 years ago.  Your patriotism matters and is appreciated.

And at the same time, we celebrate with you the birth of Escape From Corporate America – some 17 years ago – on July 7, 2004.  Thank you for your readership.  Your engagement keeps me going.

16 Ways to Dodge the Post COVID-19 Crisis

Here's what I've heard many entrepreneurs and small business owners saying repeatedly about what they are doing to dodge a post COVID-19 or any economic crisis.  These tips will help you strengthen your business and the world.

Spice Things Up a Bit

While running your business through the global pandemic, how many times have you been told, "It's not working."  Really.  Think about it. 

Here are a couple of specific examples: You created a whole new way to pitch clients but haven't landed one new piece of business. You launched a new line of shoes and no one is buying them. You developed a brilliant method of allowing everyone in the world who has access to the Internet to connect on a platform to change the world, and only eleven people signed up.

Sound familiar?  Here are five signs that serve as early detectors of total business decay.  This is an article I [Laurel Delaney] wrote more than a decade ago yet it is still relevant to our times.

Bottom line:  Spice things up a bit and make some big bets.

Selfmade

Brit Morin thought up Selfmade under her Brit+Co, which helps people start businesses and make their own money, a little more than a year ago, when she was home-schooling her 4- and 6-year-old sons, and was reading articles about how the majority of jobs lost in the early weeks of the pandemic belonged to women. Economists were calling it a “Shecession.”

More than 1,000 women have completed the program. They range from 16 to 51 years old, and are from diverse backgrounds — stay-at-home mothers, burned-out executives, women laid off during the pandemic. More than half have been women of color.

Learn that anything is possible.

5 Ways to Get Double-Digit Growth For Your Business

The road to recovery due to the global pandemic is no excuse to settle for status quo or to not push hard for double-digit (10 percent or more) business growth.   

In the article below, I [Laurel J. Delaney] highlight some points in Michael Treacy's book, “Double-Digit Growth: How Great Companies Achieve It – No Matter What."  His insights are still relevant for today's business owners.  The five ways to go after growth consist of:

1. Get traction with your market share.   
2. Hold on to your hats — I mean customers!
3. Leverage market position.  
4. Move into new markets.  
5. Commission new lines of business. 

Read on to learn more.