By Charissa Durst, Hardlines Design Company President and WPO Columbus II Chapter Member Can you turn a downturn into an upswing for business? WPO member Charissa Durst started her architecture firm, Hardlines Design Company, in 1990 just as the economy was starting to sputter into recession. Hardlines survived — and thrived. Eighteen years later, she … Continue reading 6 Tips for Keeping Your Company Strong in an Economic Downturn
Key Takeaways Lengthy disability leaves may have more to do with how an employee is feeling mentally vs. physically. Both employers and employees should focus on nurturing the right “return to work” mindset. The appropriate motivation may help a returning employee feel more satisfied and productive. It’s no secret that disability costs can have a … Continue reading Exploring the Psychology Behind Return-to-Work
By Francine Farkas Sears, President of Fabrique Ltd. and WPO Advisory Board Member Unprecedented. Unpredictable. Volatile &Tomorrow is Just a Day away– The Words I’ve heard describe this traumatic year, undeniably we are in uncharted territory. 2020 marks my 70th year as an entrepreneur, also coinciding with my 80th birthday. Yes, I have a long … Continue reading Right Things Happen for Wrong Reasons
As the world reckons with racial injustice, the WPO encourages members as business leaders to focus on how entrepreneurs can acknowledge the toxicity of racism – recognize and address it within ourselves, in colleagues and employees, friends and family. Please take the time to consult the resources below, to talk, read, learn, listen, support, and … Continue reading Racial Injustice Educational Resources
By Merilee A. Kern, Fast Company A wide-ranging cohort of CEOs and executives weigh in on what courageous leadership really means. While some contest, or outright refute, whether or not former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill said, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts,” it has power … Continue reading 3 must-have traits for courageous leadership in a post-pandemic workplace
By Deb Kemper and Kathryn Swintek, Managing Partners, Golden Seeds Funds Editor’s note: As businesses grapple with massive change, two of the Managing Partners of our Funds – experienced investors and board members of both public and private companies – shared their advice on the new and expanded role that boards must play. Anyone serving … Continue reading A call to action: What boards must do to help companies and CEOs cope with the Covid-19 crisis
Neely Powell Founder & CEO, Charleston Shoe Company Industry: Fashion, retail, and accessories WPO Member-at-Large WPO Member Since: 2017 How has being a WPO member helped your business? Being a WPO Member has connected me with some of the smartest, most thoughtful and generous women. It’s such an incredible community of knowledge sharing, and the ability to bounce … Continue reading WPO Member of the Moment: Neely Powell
By Phil LaDuke, Thrive Global I wish someone told me how difficult it is to raise money as a woman, even with a successful business. When I first tried to move forward on my management buyout, the investment banker involved was so condescending that aside from the negative remarks he made, he never took my interest … Continue reading Margery Kraus: “As a leader, every action you take is amplified”
By Frank Cespedes, Top Sales Magazine Even in good times, life in a sales organization is filled with short-term deadlines and pressures: sales per quarter, sales per rep, did she or didn’t she meet quota. As a sales manager once said to me, “In this job, if you don’t survive the short term, you don’t … Continue reading Sales Leadership During and After the Crisis
By Rod Kurtz, American Express When COVID-19 shuttered her chain of bakeries and delivery wasn’t cutting it, Olga Sagan decided to get creative. Guess what? Business is way up. In normal times, Piroshky Piroshky has a literal line out the door of its flagship location at Seattle’s famed Pike Place Market. In normal times, that kind of demand would … Continue reading The Art of the Pivot: Olga Sagan, Piroshky Piroshky
By Elizabeth MacBride, Forbes In 2000, Harvard researchers published an influential paper suggesting women respond differently to stress than men. Instead of “fight or flight,” it’s “tend and befriend.” Like so much research, it turns out that most of the data that has been used to frame the “fight or flight” idea was based on … Continue reading Tend And Befriend: How Women May Respond Differently To The Stress Of The Pandemic
Hello Alice Blog Many founders are pivoting their business in response to the impacts of the coronavirus. Here’s how Hello Alice pivoted theirs. With the coronavirus affecting most aspects of our daily lives, it’s no surprise that it’s also impacting businesses in a big way. Many founders are pivoting their businesses to reflect the current … Continue reading Hello Alice’s Director of Strategic Initiatives Shares How Founders Can Pivot Their Business In Times of Uncertainty
Ira Hellman, Prudential Key Takeaways • Don’t let emotions rule your decisions. • Stay invested (and diversified) for the eventual rebounds. • A financial professional can put the headlines in perspective. The coronavirus-infected stock market has left investors everywhere feeling anxious and uncertain. Here are seven things to consider: 1. Bulls are usually stronger than … Continue reading 7 Ways to Handle Investment Volatility
By WPO Board Chair Margery Kraus, Diplomatic Courier As the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps across the world, nations are scrambling to protect their population and industries from the potentially devastating socioeconomic effects of the virus. Governments are increasingly restricting travel—domestic and international—to reduce contagion. According to Pew Research Center, more than 90 percent of the world’s … Continue reading Global Problems Need Global Solutions
By Geri Stengel, Forbes Between 2007 to 2012 — the period before and after the Great Recession — the number of women-owned businesses jumped 27% while privately held businesses grew only 3.3%, according to the Survey of Business Owners by the Census. Average revenues for women’s businesses decreased from $154,300 in 2007 to $143,700 in 2012 and … Continue reading How To Prevent The Pandemic From Taking A Greater Toll On Women Entrepreneurs