Find Your North Star in 2021 from WPO Chicago

©2020 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Best wishes for a life you were meant to live in 2021:  happy, healthy, productive and prosperous.  It starts by finding your own North star.

Season's Greetings From WPO Chicago!

©2020 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Wishing you a happy holiday season and a wonderful (much better) new year.

The Light At the End of the Tunnel on the Global Pandemic

According to Bill Gates, the health emergency could end during the spring of next 2021.

"For the spring, the numbers are going to change drastically and it will be possible to return to normality," commented the tycoon [Bill Gates] during an interview for NBC. He also thanked people to become aware of the importance of wearing a mask and other necessary care for decrease the number of infections.

Read more about what else Gates said on predicting the end of the global pandemic.

She Roots Out Racism in the Construction Industry

Deryl McKissack is the fifth generation in her family to carry on the building business tradition. The roots of her firm date back to the 18th century.  

As a 59-year-old Black woman and the founder and CEO of the Washington, D.C.-based architecture, engineering, and construction management firm McKissack & McKissack, Deryl's seen racism and sexism firsthand.  

Her firm is a 2020 Inc. Best in Business honoree and she is a leading voice combating bias in her industry.  

Read more about how she built her business with $30 million in revenue – and with a mission to root out racism in the construction industry.

Give Women Business Owners What They Need

Covid-19 has exposed the deep inequities women business owners continue to face, despite the economic dynamism they contribute to our country.

Women-run businesses make up 40 percent of all businesses in the country and their revenues invigorate our local economies. Last year alone women-owned businesses generated $1 trillion in revenues.

Winter has come and the crisis is far from over.  Let's give women business owners what they need.

Draw On Your Backup Plan

The U.S. recently broke a single-day record, with more than 160,000 new coronavirus cases. California became the second state with more than one million confirmed cases, joining Texas. And perilously, more Americans are now being hospitalized for Covid-19 than at any other point during the pandemic.

What's in store for small businesses?  A lot of uncertainty continues in the weeks and months ahead.  Draw on your backup plan:  new product or service launch, different strategy, more competitive pricing.  Whatever it takes to finish strong, do it.

Plot Your Company's Strategy in COVID Era and Beyond

Christian Stadler writes about strategy for Forbes and says, "If companies take an honest look at their strategic plans last year, how many factored in COVID-19?"  He goes on to say, "AI and forecasting work well for existing customers and markets in stable environments. Regardless of whether we get a vaccine or not, the era we are entering now is not one of them."

Read on to learn 3 ways Stadler believes a world characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA) calls for new ways to plot the future.

Build Resilience

A recent report by the Entrepreneurs Network, in conjunction with Barclays, shows that female-founded equity-backed businesses were twice as likely to have faced significant disruptions — such closed premises or a delayed product launch — than businesses founded by men.

"If we want a complete recovery from this recession, we need to see as many entrepreneurs as possible innovate and create new jobs,” says Aria Babu, author of the report. “This means we cannot afford to keep barriers which prevent female entrepreneurs from realizing their full talents.”

Read more how startups by female founders are the most affected by the pandemic. 

Stay Positive

Stay positive.  Why?  Because negativity can have toxic effects on you and your business.

In fact, Christine's [Porath's] research has shown over and over that we falter when exposed to negativity or rudeness. Witnessing rudeness interferes with our working memory and decreases our performance. Mere exposure to rude words reduces our ability to process and recall information. We tend to shut down, stop communicating, and cease being helpful to others. Dysfunctional and aggressive thoughts (and sometimes actions) skyrocket.

Learn more about how to thrive when everything feels terrible.

How to Prepare Your Business for the Next Crisis

Faced with the worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s and a global economy that’s expected to have shrunk by 4.4% by the end of the year, a team at PwC have come up with a five-point plan to ensure businesses are not caught napping by the next global crisis.

PwC says:

1. The global economy is expected to shrink by 4.4% by the end of the year.
2. Businesses need to be better prepared for the next crisis.
3. A new five-point plan to achieve this includes conquering our fear of AI and data analytics.
4. It also includes finding a way for people and machines to work in harmony.

Read more about the 5 things businesses could do right now to prepare for the next crisis.

Suddenly the World Wanted Only One Product

As business owners know, speed and agility are it.  If you don't have those traits going for you, well, let's just say 2020 has crushed you.  

Case in point:  Etsy is a U.S.-based e-commerce company best known for connecting individual crafters and artisans directly with consumers. But when CEO Josh Silverman heard in early April that face masks would be a key component of the general public’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic, he mobilized sellers — fast. 

Within days of the release of public health guidelines, Etsy had more than 20,000 sellers with masks ready for purchase. As Silverman put it, “It’s as if we woke up and it was suddenly Cyber Monday, but everyone in the world wanted only one product, and it was a product that basically didn’t exist two weeks before.”

Read on to see how this ties back into the importance of speed and agility to survive in 2020 and thrive in 2021.

Don't Let People Speak Over You

USA Vice President Mike Pence interrupted Senator Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for his current job, a total of ten times over the course of their recent debate, double the times that Harris interrupted him. 

Pence’s interruptions at the debate, however, were seen by many as a particularly obvious example of the way gender and interruption often interact, especially in the workplace, something that was noted by Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter.

This episode just further drives home the point:  Don't let people speak over you, especially when you have the floor.

Read more:  'Mr. Vice President, I'm Speaking.' What Research Says About Men Interrupting Women—And How to Stop It

Men Have It Easier

More than half of female small business owners say men have it easier.  Fifty-four percent of women-owned businesses feared they’d have to permanently shut their doors because of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research.

The study, commissioned by Groupon and conducted by OnePoll, aimed to understand how women small business owners are meeting the challenges COVID-19 presents.

Learn more here.

Take Your Work Seriously But Be Joyful in Your Play

What follows below is a wonderful tribute by Ryan Park for The Atlantic on Ruth Bader Ginsburg.  Ryan is an attorney based in Durham, North Carolina, and a former law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justices David H. Souter and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

As Ryan says, Justice Ginsburg’s legacy belongs to all of us.  He goes on to say, "But no matter how seriously she took the work, she was always joyful in her play."

It buoys me to see people inspired to carry forward her vision of a more equal and just society. She would have expected no less. And if she were still here, she’d reassure us with a smile and a hug, and tell us to get to work.

Read the entire article, "My Friend and Boss, Ruth Bader Ginsburg."

Grow Your Business Even During the Harshest of Times

Here are 9 tips for how women-owned businesses can grow their business even in an economic crisis.  Many of these tips we are sure you have already applied. 

17th Annual WPO Chicago Summit 9/10/20 a HUGE Success!

©2020 Women Presidents' Organization.  All rights reserved.

A big shout out of thanks and gratitude to all the people who worked their tails off for our 17th Annual WPO Chicago Summit that took place Thursday, September 10th from 1:30-6:00PM CT.  Yes, you read that right on the time. Don't ever let people tell you that you can't run a virtual meeting – a 1st for our Summit! – for more than an hour and keep people engaged, enthusiastic and informed.  Our Summit was a HUGE success!

We had more than 50 people participate from all over the world from the Women Presidents'​ Organization and even had the great pleasure of our CEO joining us, Camille Burns.

The theme this year was "Create a Powerful Advisory Board" and our experienced presenters were Barbara Ford, Mary Elworth, Ann S. Deters, Sandy Marsico and Patricia Miller. Thank you all for sharing your experience with us! You guys rock!

Thank you to our Steering Committee members: Margo Jacquot and Ann S. Deters. And to Laura Fairman for her great design work, as always.

Special thanks to the WPO sponsors who attended – can't mention them all but I'll bring in two who spoke briefly: Kathleen Christy CPA, CTFA, CEPA, PNC and Kerri Adams, Financial Wellness Account Executive, Prudential - we appreciate your support.

Finally, thank you to the entire WPO family who signed up for our Summit (you know who you are) because you made our program that much more vibrant and informative. With gratitude ...
(#WPO, #CreateAPowerfulAdvisoryBoard).

Reminder: 17th Annual WPO Chicago Summit 9/10/20

Be Still. Find Your Joy

A few tips to be still and find your joy in everyday life.

5 Business Owners Share Their Tips on Thriving During COVID-19

The five businesses highlighted in the article below for GoDaddy (Open We Stand unit) have been thriving through COVID-19 and we can all learn important lessons from them during this time. They reexamined their strategies, got creative, and made tough decisions on how to adapt and sustain long-term growth for their businesses.

Here are five key tips we can learn from these small business owners that can impact our own strategies going forward into the future.  Two of the business owners featured are former and current WPO members.

Read more:  What we can learn from these 5 small businesses thriving through COVID-19

17th Annual WPO Chicago Summit 9/10/20

How WPO and PNC Empowers Female Entrepreneurs

To support the continued trajectory of women-owned companies and the financial health of the women who own them, PNC Wealth Management is a corporate sponsor of the Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO), an international peer-to-peer mentoring model for women who own and run high revenue-generating businesses.

Across its consumer footprint, PNC supports approximately 45 WPO chapters and has been instrumental in founding several chapters in communities where women presidents lacked a peer network.

Read more about PNC, WPO, and the in-depth conversation Beth Marcello (left), director of women’s business development at PNC had with WPO Executive Board member and Xtreme Solutions, Inc. president, CEO and founder Phyllis Newhouse (right).

Doing Good: Disaster Relief Pro Bono Portal

Key ways you can help people affected by COVID-19 and other recent disasters.  Find pro bono opportunities, including those helping victims of the COVID-19 pandemic, below.

Learn more here.

Helping Business Women Reach the Million Dollar Mark

Julia Pimsleur first she took her passion project from a side hustle into a full-fledged business. Then she ascended to the even more difficult peak of turning a business making a few hundred thousand dollars a year into one generating millions per year.

“I’ve [says Julia] always been interested in moving the needle on something for women and realized this was it… I want to help close the economic gender gap by helping more women scale up their businesses.” She decided she wanted to help other women to reach the million dollar mark and beyond by providing them with coaching, community and mentorship.

Learn more on how it takes a totally different skillset to scale a business to a million dollars.

Note to Julia:  Once you work with a woman and they hit the million-dollar mark, send them our way!

JOIN Us: WPO Digital Conference July 22-23, 2020

The Women Presidents’ Organization Annual Conference - Reimagining Business - has been reconfigured as a digital event on July 22ⁿᵈ and 23ʳᵈ. Now we can engage our entire international membership base with impactful content – from thought-provoking keynote speakers to workshop sessions and networking opportunities – all without traveling.

Here's what you can discover by attending.

Conference schedule

Register here.  Look forward to connecting with you!

Time to Kick Back and Do a Little Reading Outside of Business

Find out what Assistant Editor Kate Cray, at The Atlantic, recommends right now as a good read, with a focus on the classics.

The Books Briefing

Gary Hamel and Harnessing Everyday Genius

We are big fans of Gary Hamel.  He spoke at a WPO Annual Conference in Chicago back in 2006.  What an event, filled with extraordinary insights, energy and over-the-top learning.

And now Gary is still at it with his high level intellect.  He, along with Michele Zanini, talk about Harnessing Everyday Genius for Harvard Business Review..

The crux of the article:

This workplace alchemy—turning dead-end jobs into get-ahead jobs—doesn’t require new legislation or billions of dollars in public spending. It just takes commitment to building organizations that kindle the spark of everyday genius in each human being.

Read it all, here.

Cities Where Women Are Most Successful

The new rankings, from the website SmartAsset, analyzed the “percentage of women with a bachelor’s degree, median earnings for women working full-time, percentage of business owners who are women, housing costs as a percentage of women’s earnings and the percentage of full-time working women earning $75,000 or more.”

Here's what they discovered.

Illustration credit:  SmartAsset

One Woman's Battle with COVID-19

With COVID-19, it's likely you know someone who has gotten it – a colleague, a neighbor or family member.  And should that be the case, you can always lend a helping safe hand – from a distance – and have the person realize they are never alone.

Read this story about one woman's journey getting COVID-19 and how she discovered a support team to help her.

Color Blind or Color Brave?

Open Your Hearts and Be An Ally to Black People

Some good resources curated by Susan Diamond, Vice President, Chapter Chairs and Chief Learning Officer, Women Presidents’ Organization.

From Paulette Turner – Chapter Chair, Fort Worth, TX
Black People Need Allies, Too

Nancy Geenen – Chapter Chair, Silicon Valley, CA
This will make you understand privilege

Betty Hines – Chapter Chair, Greenbelt, MD
10 Books About Race to Read Instead of Asking a Person of Color to Explain Things To You

Laurel Delaney – Chapter Chair, Chicago
75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice

Leaders Who Have Already Had to Prove Themselves Are the Most Effective

Women account for less than 7 percent of the world’s leaders, so the fact that so many have distinguished themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic is noteworthy. But that’s not all.

Some of the worst-performing countries are led by unapologetically old-fashioned “men’s men.”

In the article below, the authors says:  "If traditionally “feminine” traits don’t explain female leaders’ strong performance in times of crisis, what does?"

The authors go on to say:  "The answer may be related to the path women take to power, which is generally more demanding than that faced by men. In particular, it may be linked to the “glass cliff” phenomenon, whereby women are more likely than men to be appointed to leadership positions that are “risky and precarious.”

The authors close with:

While many factors are shaping outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic, leadership is undoubtedly one of the most important. It should surprise no one that, by and large, it is the leaders [who also start and run businesses] who have already had to prove themselves who are the most effective. That very often means they are women.

Read the entire opinion piece, here.

A Permanent Shift to Working From Home?

Global Workplace Analytics estimates that 56% of U.S. workers have jobs that are at least partially compatible with working remotely.  What's your plan for your employees at your company?

According to a Gallup poll, half of Americans who now work remotely said they want to continue doing so even after restrictions on business are lifted.

Will you let some employees work from home after the COVID-19 pandemic?

Read more.

Exciting News: WPO Chicago is Taking in New Members!

If you are a female running a multimillion-dollar business, now is your chance to connect with like-minded business owners by becoming a WPO Chicago member.  We are opening up our Chicago chapters to take in new members!

The Women Presidents' Organization is a non-profit membership organization for women presidents, CEOs, and managing directors of privately held, multimillion-dollar companies.

To request a guest visit to an upcoming virtual meeting, email me, Laurel Delaney, and we'll coordinate a best date and time for you. Keep in mind that we meet monthly virtually but in the future, when it is safe, we will be back meeting in person.

Look forward to hearing from you.  By reading this message, you are already well on your way to creating a business that can grow and prosper in the coming months.

Can Mompreneurs Maintain a Work-Life Balance?

Achieving the perfect work-life balance is the new goal for everyone in the business world today.

Mom entrepreneurs are particularly seen grappling with this challenge quite often as they have two full-time jobs: one running a business and the other at home.

So, is there any way to strike a balance between your work and family life, especially during the COVID-10 lockdown?

Read more ...

Bracing For the Economic Fallout

What do you do when the people who have been your customers are now the people whose actions and decisions could very well determine your future? Nationally, everyone is bracing for the economic fallout, and with the backdrop of a the worst national economic contraction since the Great Recession, all business becomes local.

Here are the stories of five local Washington business owners (three being female and one is a WPO member) yet their tales resonate with every business owner.

When the Future Is Uncertain, Talk

During the coronavirus pandemic, how can you be candid about the possibility of pay-cuts and layoffs without demoralizing your team? And, during this period of uncertainty, how can you offer assurance without giving people false hope?

Discover what the experts say.

Introverts Versus Extroverts during COVID-19

This says it all:

While memes are hailing introverts as those best equipped to deal with shelter-at-home mandates, some introverts don't agree. "It’s exhausting. I've taken to sitting in my car for a while in the evening if I just need quiet," says Katie Schmidt Murray, a freelance photographer and graphic designer in Silver Spring, Maryland. 

Read the article and challenge the notion whether it is easier for introverts to stay home versus extroverts.

The New Normal: Social Distancing

As social distancing becomes the new normal, some famous women business owners are offering encouragement to social media followers.

What are they saying about the novel coronavirus and its effects on our everyday lives?

Learn more from women entrepreneurs who offer levity and lessons during covid-19.

Women Leading in the COVID-19 Response

Solving health emergencies like COVID-19 demands the best minds the world has to offer – in health systems strengthening, therapeutic R&D and more.  We know diverse teams lead to more innovation, and neglecting half the talent pool, such as women, limits our ability to make life-saving choices.

Already, women comprise the bulk of the world’s frontline health workers, shouldering the burden of strenuous work, while increasing their own risk of infection. With the novel coronavirus, women have played a central role: take China, where 90 percent of the nurses and nearly half the doctors are female.

We must build the systems to support women’s leadership in global health before the next disaster strikes.  Read on to learn why we need women's leadership more than ever in the COVID-19 response.

Help Flatten the Curve

When it comes to fighting COVID-19, enabling staffers to work from home is just the start.  Employers should be doing more to protect their workers’ well-being as the COVID-19 outbreak continues.

Here are 5 ways employers must help flatten the curve (provided by a doctor).

Before Announcing Deep Layoffs, Read This

Many business owners are considering layoffs to ensure they make it through the COVID-19 crisis — and a recent survey found that a vast majority of corporate leaders are considering some sort of financial action as a result of the pandemic.

To be sure, a cost-cutting reflex is understandable. Leaders are obligated to make responsible decisions to keep their companies afloat. But those who manage the economic effects of this crisis in a clear and compassionate way create more value for their companies and will come out of this pandemic stronger than ever before.

So before announcing deep layoffs, we recommend that you consider these five measures first.

1. Communicate openly
2. Share the pain
3. Crowdsource ideas with employees
4. Review all options
5. Have "Ice in the Belly"

Read more:  The Coronavirus Crisis Doesn’t Have to Lead to Layoffs

How to Quarantine and Chill During the Coronavirus Outbreak

The hashtag #QuarantineAndChill is actually a thing having to do with the intense cycle of anxiety-inducing news about Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), and it could be a nice distraction from a lot of the uncertainty we’re currently facing at the moment.

More people will be working from home over the coming weeks, which could lead to a lot of stir-craziness.

How you quarantine and chill is up to you, but the internet has lots of advice for how to make the most of your time indoors.

Go forth and socially distance yourself!

Julia Hartz: The Birth of Eventbrite (Podcast)

As Guy Raz from NPR's "How I Built This" podcast says:

In the early 2000s, Julia Hartz was helping develop TV shows for MTV and FX Networks, and seemed headed for a promising career in television.

All of that changed in 2003 when she went to a wedding and found herself sitting next to a serial entrepreneur named Kevin. They started dating, and Julia eventually quit her job and joined Kevin in the Bay Area. In 2006 they married, and co-founded the online ticketing service Eventbrite out of a warehouse closet. 14 years after launch, Eventbrite is a publicly-traded company with 1,100 employees and offices around the world. 

Listen to the podcast here.

Mark Your Calendar for March 8 to Celebrate International Women's Day!

Mark your calendars for March 8, Women’s International Day 2020 (#EachForEqual)!

This annual event was first held in 1909 to honor a New York garment worker’s strike. More than 100 years later, we are still uplifting women.

Here are ten ways in #Chicago you can celebrate International Women’s Day by supporting women-owned businesses and women-focused events.

25 Quotes to Honor Black History Month

In celebration of Black History Month, here are 25 quotes – from Rosa Parks to Harriet Tubman – that touch on success, humanity, gratitude and resilience.   These people paved the way toward equality for each of us and will forever be in our grateful hearts.

Congrats to These Top Women Entrepreneurs

Monica Smiley, publisher, and CEO of Enterprising Women magazine has announced the winners of the 2020 Enterprising Women of the Year Awards, an annual tribute to the world’s top women entrepreneurs. Honorees will be recognized at the 18th Annual Enterprising Women of the Year Awards Celebration & Conference, to be held from Sunday, March 29 to Tuesday, March 31 at the Wyndham Grand in Clearwater Beach, Florida.

The Enterprising Women of the Year Awards is widely considered one of the most prestigious recognition programs for women business owners. To win, nominees must demonstrate that they have fast-growth businesses, mentor or actively support other women and girls involved in entrepreneurship, and stand out as leaders in their communities. Many of the honorees also serve as leaders of the key organizations that support the growth of women’s entrepreneurship.

Congrats to all the award winners and finalists! We are happy to see so many WPO Chicago members and other Chicago women business owners come out winners!

Read more:

ENTERPRISING WOMEN MAGAZINE ANNOUNCES
2020 ENTERPRISING WOMEN OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS

How to Sniff Out Bad Behavior on Your Mobile Phone

A new Android app called Seudo is a potential gold mine of insights for those who are curious about what our mobile apps are doing behind our backs,

While it’s not the only app that uses a VPN to sniff out bad behavior—Guardian Firewall and Lockdown are other examples—Seudo goes a step further by trying to explain in detail what each app is doing. Using AI, the company identifies keywords or identifiers in the data it’s deciphered, then turns it into a description for users.

Good info to determine which of your apps are sharing way too much info and are suspect.

Whipping Up an Ad Blitz for Your Business At Super Bowl LIV

The Super Bowl has long been the event where large companies pull out all the stops. Smaller companies, however, are learning how to nab some of that limelight without paying for a TV ad.

From advertising around the event to working with host cities, the NFL, or even official vendors, here's how some founders are finding craftier and cheaper ways to make Super Bowl LIV pay.  This could be you!

Great Success in Business Starts with One Tiny Seed

There’s no “magic pill” that effortlessly launches you out of your cubicle confinement and into the free world of entrepreneurship. For some, the dream to be your own boss grows for a long time, even years, before it finally comes to fruition.

The truth is, great success in business grows from just one, tiny seed.

The folks at CreativeLive Blog asked some of their favorite women entrepreneurs to share how they got their start in business. Their answers revealed the deep motivators and personal qualities that drove them to make their big idea a reality.

Read more about how successful women entrepreneurs got started.