WPO Heads to Baltimore in 2016

Every year, the Women Presidents' Organization (WPO) hosts an annual conference in a different city. This year we hosted it in Phoenix.  The conference attracts over 800 members, representing successful women-led businesses from all over the world, sharing expertise and business strategies and learning from interactive seminars and speakers.

We are proud to announce that our 2016 annual conference will be held in Baltimore, April 7-9, 2016, at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront.  Mark your calendars now to attend.  If you are not already a member, become one.

WPO has set a goal of making the 2016 annual conference in Baltimore the organization's largest ever. We are exploring the possibility of adding a job fair, with jobs provided by WPO members. Attendees will have the opportunity to travel to our nation's capital for behind-the-scenes events at the conclusion of the conference.

Meanwhile, read our recent press:  Women's Business Leadership Group Is Coming to Baltimore

The Owner's Journey: How to Sell or Transfer a Company

At some point in a business owner's lifetime they wonder what they should do with their business -- sell it or transfer it, for example. Entrepreneur in Residence at Columbia Business School Barbara Roberts (pictured) has created a Whitepaper, "The Owner’s Journey: Experiences shared and lessons learned from entrepreneurs who successfully sold or transferred their business to family members."  It's all you need to execute a finely tuned exit at your business.

Barbara says:

"There has been significant sale and employee and family ownership transfer activity in the private company space over the last few years as baby boomers head into retirement.  However,  many successful entrepreneurs do not know all of their options for sale and transfer and are not well-prepared to give up ownership of their companies."

Commissioned by U.S. Trust as a Columbia Business School Whitepaper, the paper follows eight successful entrepreneurs who nurtured and grew their businesses and then grappled with the challenges of sale or transfer to family members.

The 44-page Whitepaper can be accessed free here.

Snapshot of Barbara's background:  Barbara is trained in facilitation and mediation, and certified in coaching by the Hudson Institute of Santa Barbara.  She works with CEOs and owners of venture-backed and family-owned private companies as a board member and coach/consultant in all stages of entrepreneurship from startup through sale, and works with families on succession planning.  She also chairs peer learning groups at TIGER 21 and the Women Presidents’ Organization and runs succession planning workshops for the NYC Economic Development Corp. and New York Public Library.

Barbara is available to answer any questions you might have about the report and welcomes private consulting/coaching and speaking opportunities on growing a business.  She can be reached via email at BR.

You might also be interested in a previous Whitepaper she wrote, "Life After An Exit:  How Entrepreneurs Transition to the Next Stage after a Sale."  We posted about it here on March 7, 2011.

Invest in Your Single Greatest Asset: Yourself

Every WPO member's story is unique and different but I suspect that each one begins with someone starting a business because they spotted a need or thought they could do something better than anyone else.  Sometimes it turns out big and other times it fizzles out fast. Either way, they keep moving forward and getting stuff done.

What separates successful entrepreneurs from the unsuccessful ones? In this article, it boils down to five things (hint:  one is to invest in yourself!).  See if you agree.  If you don't, feel free to chime in. We're hoping to hear from you!

5 Things Successful Entrepreneurs Do Differently

Are You Likable at Your Business?

In "Seven Habits of Likable People," the author asks this one question as it relates to your chances of getting ahead at work:  Are you well liked?  Now, I ask you the same question as it relates to running your multi-million dollar business:  Are you well liked?  Whether you want to get ahead at work or at growing a successful business, you can improve your reputation by practicing these seven habits of likable people.

Seven Habits of Likable People

Tips on Taking Your Business to the Next Level

Growing your business into a multimillion dollar enterprise is no easy feat.  If it were, every businessman and businesswoman on the planet would be doing it.  So what does it take to get your business to the next level?

Last week (5/8) administration officials, investors and entrepreneurs gathered at The Washington Post to offer advice on fostering a thriving, woman-owned small business.  Here's what they shared.

"Don't fear debt, embrace risk, and more advice for women business owners"

Screenshot courtesy:  The Washington Post, Kate Patterson

50 Fastest WPO Companies Boost Our Economy and Create Jobs

Congratulations to Chicago members Michelle Vondrasek, Catherine Tojaga and Shelly Sun for making the 50 Fastest Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies - presented by the Women Presidents’ Organization and sponsored by American Express Global Corporate Payments.

For just the second time, nominations were open to global entries. The 50 Fastest generated a combined $4.4 billion in 2014 revenues (mean of $88.3 million) and collectively employed 31,121 in 2014 (mean of 692).

To learn more about the winners, visit:  Trailblazing Women Business Owners & Leaders Recognized for Rapid Company Growth

Screenshot courtesy:  Women Presidents' Organization

WPO 18th Annual Conference 2015 in Phoenix, Arizona

The Women Presidents' Organization annual conference -- April 30 - May 2, 2015 in Phoenix, Arizona -- encourages WPO members to share business strategies and experience with other successful women from all over the world, as well as learn from interactive seminars and speakers.

To register and view conference schedule, visit:
https://www.womenpresidentsorg.com/news-events/annual-conference

See you there!

Twitter:  @WomenPresidents
Twitter hashtag:  #WPOConf

Screenshot courtesy:  Arizona Biltmore

Women's Entrepreneurship: Sources of Economic Hope

As of August 2014, about 57 percent of women were counted as labor force participants, and the gap between men and women had narrowed to only 13 percentage points.  But to appreciate that stat, we must back up a bit.

In 1948, the gap in labor force participation between American men and women was 54 percentage points—only one-third of American women were officially counted as in the labor force. Nearly seven decades later, the gap has narrowed considerably as women have entered the labor force en masse, and as men have experienced steady declines. 

According to the Ewing Marion Kaufman Foundation’s recent report “Sources of Economic Hope: Women’s Entrepreneurship," women business owners will lead the way to economic growth in the United States.

Read more:  Sources of Economic Hope:  Women's Entrepreneurship

Screenshot:  Ewing Marion Kaufman Foundation

Dr. Marsha Firestone Becomes Council Member to the National Women's Business Council

The National Women's Business Council has welcomed Marsha Firestone to its esteemed group of Council Members. She will serve as the representative of the Women Presidents' Organization. Based in New York City, Firestone has an extensive track record and decades of experience supporting women entrepreneurs, business owners and leaders.

Read the news here.

Screenshot courtesy of the National Women's Business Council

Squeaky Clean WPO Chicago Member Alison Gutterman

WPO Chicago member Alison Gutterman is president and CEO of household cleaning company Jelmar LLC.

Jelmar was the only woman-owned business in Illinois to be included among six nationwide chosen by Wal-Mart to be part of the retail giant’s Women’s History Month promotion. Jelmar has 13 employees and about $50 million in yearly revenues.

In an interview with Sandra Guy at the Chicago Sun-Times, Alison talks about how she gets people to interact with her company by using technology, how she formulates safe products and how she keeps the company growing.

Read the interview here.

(We are very proud of Alison and appreciate her mentioning the Women Presidents' Organization in her interview.)

Screenshot courtesy:  Sunday Sitdown at the Chicago Sun-Times

Debugging the Gender Gap

GoDaddy CEO Blake Irving is trying to distance the company from sexist ads.  In order to do so, Irving is acting as an executive producer of “CODE: Debugging the Gender Gap,” a feature-length documentary looking at the reasons why more women and minorities aren’t going into tech.  The film, which is directed and produced by Robin Hauser Reynolds, is slated to premier at New York’s Tribeca Film Festival on April 19.

Will this work?  What would society gain from having more women and minorities code?  Learn more here.

Screenshot courtesy:  Code documentary

Have a Business You Are Passionate About

One of the keys to achieving success with a business is to have a business you are passionate about.  Other drivers for success include but are not limited to:  Know your business (serve as an expert in your field), don't let uninformed people talk you out of launching a creative idea that you have prepared for in earnest, and don't second guess yourself and wait until everything is perfect before you launch -- just do it!

Learn more:  Female entrepreneurs should follow their passions

Photo credit:  Lynn

March is Women's History Month

Celebrating the contributions of women to the business world and beyond.

While you celebrate, take a tour of Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation's great research -- from gender stereotypes of entrepreneurship to why the lack of women leaders is a problem for businesses -- and discover:

New networks and better access to capital can help women entrepreneurs overcome the barriers they have encountered along their entrepreneurial path.

Read:  Women in Entrepreneurship | Kauffman.org

Explore:  Women's History Month 2015

Screenshot courtesy of:  Women's History Month 2015

8 Success Drivers To Thrive in Export Markets

What do you need to succeed in the export game?  As the Nextrade Group, LLC states:  "Empirically, two companies of the same size, sector, and age can have dramatically different odds of success in the global marketplace."

Below you will find the Nextrade Group's summary analysis highlighting three key assets and five critical capabilities that set successful SME exporters apart.  Discover if you fall into any of these categories.

Download:  8 success drivers companies need to thrive in export markets

Screenshot:  Nextrade Group, LLC

American Express Global Payments Becomes Corporate Sponsor for 2015 WPO Fifty Fastest Growing Women-Led/Owned Companies

According to the news release (2/25/15):

The Women Presidents' Organization (WPO) has today announced American Express Global Corporate Payments as the exclusive corporate sponsor of WPO's eighth annual Fifty Fastest Growing Women-Led/Owned Companies™ ranking. Based on a strong legacy of supporting and advocating for women business owners, American Express will tap into the insight, experience and expertise of the Fifty Fastest Growing Women-Led/Owned Companies globally. To create content focused on business expansion, American Express and the WPO will be collaborating on a new guide for growth: The Fast Growth Handbook, which will detail strategies for success of 50 Fastest honorees to help propel women business owners through their growth journey. - Source:  American Express Global Payments To Be Corporate Sponsor for 2015 WPO Fifty Fastest Growing Women-Led/Owned Companies

We are honored and excited that American Express Global Corporate Payments has chosen to become an exclusive sponsor on this important initiative.

Screenshot courtesy:  American Express Global Payments

International Women's Day: Let's Celebrate Our Achievements

International Women's Day Theme for 2015!

International Women's Day, March 8th, represents an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women all around the world while calling for greater equality.

The theme this year is Make It Happen (#MakeItHappen) -- encouraging effective action for advancing and recognizing women.

Go here to learn more and get involved.

Screenshot courtesy:  International Women's Day theme for 2015

Be Clear About What You Have To Do

While running your business, do you ever feel as if some days you accomplish nothing?  You're not alone.  Many business owners struggle to manage their time effectively.  The article below outlines five ways to take back your time - one example being "prioritize like it's the day before a vacation."

5 Ways To Finally Stop Wasting Your Time

Photo Credit: slack12 

How to Conquer Your Biggest Roadblocks

Whether it’s breaking the glass ceiling, building a multimillion dollar business or battling stereotypes, no one’s denying women have come a long way. But we still have a long way to go.  Below eight successful women entrepreneurs share how they take down the roadblocks that get in their way.

8 Women Entrepreneurs Share How They Conquered Their Biggest Roadblocks

Photo Credit: Vaughan

Get Outside Your Comfort Zone: Join WPO

Sharon Birkman Fink, President and CEO of Birkman International, discusses the Women Presidents' Organization.

A Dose of Inspiration on Women Entrepreneurs Who Make a Difference in Our World

St. Louis-based Prosper helps women entrepreneurs start their businesses there.

Hundreds of women from around the world applied for a $50,000 investment from Prosper, but Tuesday [1/20/15], six women-owned businesses were awarded the money to help them expand.

The six women who received the money run companies from tracking your dog to helping kids and adults with seizures.  These awardees are all potential WPO members.

Read:  Investment helps women entrepreneurs prosper

Photo Credit: Destinys Agent

Marsha Firestone Talks About the Art of the Pivot

Women Presidents' Organization Founder and President Dr. Marsha Firestone provides advice on how you can be a successful, multi-million dollar earning entrepreneur. Here are her five tips with one being:

Know when to let go: The “art of the pivot” is important for all entrepreneurs. Knowing when to acknowledge a failed idea is key to staying afloat. Keep in mind that it’s OK to admit failure and move forward. It will make your business stronger in the end.

5 Tips on How to Be a Successful Entrepreneur

Photo Credit: brookealbrechtstudio

Women Business Leaders Share Wisdom

Women business owners who are members of the Las Vegas chapter of Women Presidents’ Organization love to share the reasons why they are members of WPO (refer below).  But first, the President and Founder of WPO says:

“Just because you’re running a business that’s generating at least $1 million, you still need education,” said [Marsha] Firestone, who continues as president of the national group, which has 120 chapters on six continents. “There’s just as much need for business education in a business that has grown to a multimillion-dollar level as there is in a business that’s in the startup phase.”

The Chapter Chair for the Las Vegas chapter, Shelia McKay, says members meet for three hours once a month for 12 months and learn from one another’s experiences in a peer learning environment.

“Each meeting, we present an issue having to do with what’s going on in the member’s individual businesses,” she said. “The agenda for the year is decided by the members to meet their needs at the time and stay current.”

Read more:  Group lets women business leaders share wisdom 

Photo Credit: FOXTROT|ROMEO 

New Year, New Support For Small Businesses

Small business owners may get more support from Washington in 2015 in the following areas:

• Tax assistance
• Lending help
• Healthcare rollback

Read the entire article:  New year may bring more help for small businesses.

Photo Credit: jenschmen

Joy to Your World in 2015

©2014 Laurel J, Delaney.  All rights reserved

Make every day the best

day of your life in 2015.  

Video of Interest: Joselyn DiPetta, Present Possibility and Her TEDx Talk

Joselyn DiPetta, as featured in the video, specializes in the development and delivery of curricula and trainings that shape attitudes, effect behavior change, and cause transformative impacts within organizations and communities all over the world.  Joselyn conducted a great workshop for WPO Chicago III chapter this year. We are very proud of her, and the work she is doing to make the world a level playing field for both men and women. Watch the video to discover more and share with the world.

To learn more about Joselyn's work and to contact her, visit:  Present Possibility (http://www.presentpossibility.com)

Article of Interest: Be Ready to Hire More Staff

As 2015 comes rolling in, do you have enough staff to prepare for future growth?  There is a general consensus that 2015 will be a good year for business.  Now is as good a time as any to assess what's happening at your business and determine whether you need to hire a few good people to get client projects done.

Business leaders need to weigh the decision of hiring very carefully, though. Right now, it may be better for your business to bring new workers in on an evaluation hire, allowing you to see if they are fit for the team before hiring them permanently.

If the timing is right, go for it.  Hire fresh new talent.  You want to be poised for success in 2015!

Read more:  Be ready to hire more staff

Photo Credit: le temple du chemisier

Article of Interest: Do Women-Run Businesses Make More Money?

A global survey from French bank BNP Paribas and consultancy firm Scorpio Partnership found that women might not own as many businesses as men do. But it seems that their businesses tend to be more successful.  Further, U.S. Businesses run by men are 3.5 times more likely to cross the $1 million threshold then businesses run by women, a 2014 study (PDF) by Ernst & Young concluded.

Read the entire article:  Women-Run Businesses Make More Money -- Or Do They?

Screenshot courtesy:  The Scale-up Agenda - Ernst & Young

News of Interest: Women-Led Companies Confident and Thriving

According to a new study by our very own non-profit, peer advisory group, the Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO), companies led by women are highly confident in the economy, and the positions of their businesses.  The results show that they’re performing well, even outpacing the U.S. national average.  The 2014 Business Outlook Survey was sponsored by KeyBank’s Key4Women program.

Read the entire article:  Women-Led Companies Confident & Thriving, But Need Access to Capital

Photo Credit: ttnk 

Article of Interest: What Are the Reasons For Gender Disparity?

Is there a gap between what men make versus what women make when running a business?  According to a 2014 report by Ernst & Young, there sure is.

Male-run businesses are 3.5 times more likely to surpass $1 million in sales than their female-run counterparts and only 2% of women-owned companies ever break the million-dollar mark, according to a 2014 report by Ernst & Young. "Women start businesses at nearly twice the rate of men, but far fewer of them actually scale," says Kerrie MacPherson, a partner principal at Ernst & Young.

What are the reasons for gender disparity?

Read:  Why More Women-Run Businesses Aren't Making Millions

Screenshot courtesy:  EY

Video of Interest: What is the Women Presidents' Organization?

In this video, learn about the Women Presidents' Organization, the WPO Annual Conference and top women-owned businesses in the world.

News of Interest: Women of Color Achievement Awards 2014 (St. Louis)

100 Black Men of Metropolitan St. Louis, in partnership with the Women Presidents’ Organization, announce the recipients of this year’s Women of Color Achievement Awards.

A total of 11 women from the St. Louis area will be honored at the 2014 Women of Color Achievement Awards reception, sponsored by IBM and UPS. The event will take place on November 13th from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the Norwood Hills Country Club.  All award recipients were identified by the 100 in conjunction with local chapters of the WPO.

To learn more and to find out the 11 women who will be honored, visit:

100 BLACK MEN OF METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS PARTNER WITH IBM, UPS AND THE WOMEN PRESIDENTS’ ORGANIZATION TO HONOR LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS AND BUSINESS LEADERS 

Congrats to all the award winners!

Screenshots courtesy:  100 Black Men  St. Louis and Women Presidents' Organization

Article of Interest: More Women Starting Businesses

According to American Express OPEN’s 2014 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report, nearly 9.1 million women-owned businesses currently operate in the United States, generating over $1.4 trillion in revenues and employing nearly 7.9 million people.  Women are launching 1,200 new businesses a day.

The report also found that between 1997 and 2014, the number of women-owned businesses increased by 68 percent, 1½ times the national average rate of 47 percent.

Learn more:  Upward trend in women-owned small businesses

Screenshot courtesy: American Express OPEN Forum

Article of Interest: 4 Essential Shark Tools for Success

Stacey Alcorn, author and entrepreneur, chats with New York real estate mogul turned Shark Tank television personality Barbara Corcoran about what it takes to build a multimillion-dollar empire. The interview appeared in Entrepreneur.

Barbara Corcoran's Essential Shark Tools for Success

Article of Interest: Women Business Owners Are Turning to Technology To Improve Their Companies

According to a new survey, released by PNC Financial Services Group:

68 percent of women business owners are likely to focus on ways to improve cash flow, 48 percent plan to start or continue to upgrade technology to improve efficiency and 44 percent will add technology to improve customer experiences.

Beth Marcello, director of women's business development at PNC says, "These women owners are prepared to leverage technology and focus on efficiency until they see more growth in the economy and their sales."

Read the article:  Women Business Owners Focused on Technology, Improving Cash Flow

Visit:  PNC Insights

Note:  PNC is a national sponsor to WPO and we so appreciate their support.

Screenshot courtesy:  PNC Insights

News of Interest: Women Presidents' Organization 2014 Business Outlook Survey

A study released recently by the Women Presidents' Organization - 2014 Business Outlook Survey (sponsored by KeyBank's Key4Women Program - showed that 33% of women reported using their own money to start their businesses, with less than 1% saying they received venture capital or angel investing.

"The networks that are established by their male counterparts don't always include the opportunity for women to participate," said Dr. Marsha Firestone, founder of the WPO. "I don't say that in terms of being critical of men. That's just the way the networks work."

Other key findings from the study include:

• The economic downturn has loosened its grip on women business owners.  Just eight percent of WPO members said they believe economic conditions are the biggest threat to their bottom-line growth, a dramatic drop from last year’s findings, when half of the respondents cited the economic downturn as their biggest worry.
• Women-led businesses grew three times faster than the national average, a growth rate of 25% or more, compared to 5.4% average U.S. business growth.

Learn more:  Women at the top struggle for funding (CNN Money)

Article of Interest: Meet the New CEO of Life

Image source @STEMwomen

Imagine a life where every girl has an opportunity.  She speaks clearly and confidently.  She skillfully negotiates anything she wants.  She stands up to social pressures.  She builds a global network of mentors and sponsors.  Sounds like WPO members but in this case, meet the official Miss CEO, a website.

A little background:

In August 2014, Stanford professor of mathematics Maryam Mirzakhani became the first woman to win the Fields Medal, often described as the Nobel Prize of mathematics.

As the Stanford community celebrates Mirzakhani’s achievement, its members are also working to bring more young women into non-traditional fields like Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). In July and August this year, an organization called Miss CEO held a series of workshops sponsored by Stanford’s Department of Bioengineering, intended to equip young women with the skills necessary to thrive academically and professionally, particularly in STEM fields.

Now we get it.

Read the entire article:  Young women take the lead in STEM - The Clayman Institute for Gender Research

Article of Interest: Women Investors Fuel Women-Run Companies

Source:  Businessweek (9/10/14)

According to Karen E. Klein for Businessweek, "Women made up 23 percent of all entrepreneurs seeking angel capital in 2013, up from 9 percent in 2005. There were fewer than 20,000 female angel investors in 2005, but that number increased to nearly 58,000 by last year."

Read the entire article:  Angel Investing:  Rise of Female Investors Fuels Women-Run Companies

Related paper:  The Angel Investor Market in 2013:  A Return to Seed Investing

Screenshot:  Businessweek

News of Interest: Vickie Rock Wins the "Ready, Set, Grow Pitch Contest" 2014

Our very own WPO Chicago member Vickie Rock, President of Victoria Legal and Corporate Services, wins the "Ready, Set, Grow Pitch Contest" at the WBDC Conference 2014.

Watch the video here.

Congratulations to Vickie!  We are very proud of you.

Screenshot courtesy of:  Video

News of Interest: Best Ever WPO Chicago Summit 2014

©2014 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

©2014 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Our 11th Annual WPO Chicago Summit held September 11, 2014 at Google Chicago was a huge success largely due to our Steering Committee members  - Mary Bahr, Cheri McEssy, Susan Rossie and Lynn Sutton - who worked very hard to make our Summit the best ever.  A huge thank you to them and an even bigger shout-out of gratefulness to Julie Krueger, Hillary Renderman, Lisa Landsman and Matt Butler from Google for sharing their expertise with us.

Related post:  11th Annual WPO Chicago Summit (For Members Only) Hosted at Google

News of Interest: Existing and Prospective WPO Members

Here are a few creative existing or prospective WPO members with revenues ranging from $1 million to $25 million:

GoldieBlox

STORY

Peek

Triggit

Camp Bow Wow

interTrend Communications

Photo Credit: Kevin Dooley - representing creativity

Video of Interest: Second Line in New Orleans 2014

The video shows the Women Presidents' Organization Second Line in New Orleans 2014.  We know how to work hard and have fun! Related Posts:

• News of Interest:  WPO 17th Annual Conference in New Orleans Was Insanely Great
• News of Interest:  Eriksen Translations
• News of Interest:  WPO 17th Annual Conference

Article of Interest: Start Noticing Successful Women Entrepreneurs

Successful entrepreneur Dr. Marsha Firestone

I am a big fan of Candida Brush, chair of entrepreneurship and research director of the Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship at Babson College.  In the article below she homes in on the single most important thing she notices when she teaches:  the majority of her students are much less aware of successful women entrepreneurs.

She starts the classroom dialog like this:

How would you answer the question: “Name a successful entrepreneur?” Did you say Bill Gates? Mark Zuckerberg? Steve Jobs?  Richard Branson?  Or maybe you said Larry Page or Howard Schultz if you like coffee?

According to Professor Brush, she says it takes about eight names before a woman is named.

What needs to be done to correct the situation?

In order to change perceptions about who is a successful entrepreneur, we have to work a little harder to intentionally include the names of successful women. 

Read the entire article:  Candida Brush: Include More Women as Textbook Examples of Success

Photo Credit: Women Impacting Public Policy - Marsha Firestone, Ph.D., President and Founder of the Women Presidents' Organization

Article of Interest: Inspiring More Young Women in STEM

How do we help more women break through the glass ceiling that holds them back?  Encourage them to start businesses and get young women interested at the outset in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Stephanie Vozza, for Fast Company, talks about how young girls need inspiration to become equal players among the next generation of innovators and technology leaders.

Read:  Introducing The Next Generation of Female Tech Role Models

Photo Credit: gcoldironjr2003

News of Interest: Where WPO Chicago Member Shea Soucie Dines to Make a Statement

WPO Chicago member Shea Soucie (pictured) is co-owner of two Chicago-based companies:  Soucie Horner Ltd., an interior design studio and SHIIR, a fine artisanal rug company.  She says:

“Everything I do is very visual, so where I choose to eat says something about me from a visual standpoint. We are about quality, not volume.”

Click here for where she dines to make a statement.

Report of Interest: Forget the Glass Ceiling: Build Your Business Without One

In Geri Stengel's "Forget the Glass Ceiling: Grow Your Business Without One (PDF file)," 10 women provide practical advice on how to start and grow companies, really BIG companies - all are or have the potential to be $100 million plus companies.

Screenshot above from "Forget the Glass Ceiling:  Grow Your Business Without One"

Article of Interest: Meet the 12 Most Powerful Black Women 2014

First Lady Michelle Obama

Forbes assembled the world's 100 most powerful women in 2014.  Of the 100 women featured, 12 are black - from CEOs to entrepreneurs to musicians.  Check out who they are:

The World's Most Powerful Black Women 2014

Photo Credit: AlexJohnson

News of Interest: Manilow Suites Wins TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence 2014!

Manilow Suites, a short-term corporate housing company of 35 years, announced that it has received a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award 2014. The accolade, which honors hospitality excellence, is given only to establishments that consistently achieve outstanding traveller reviews on TripAdvisor, and is extended to qualifying businesses worldwide.  Establishments awarded the Certificate of Excellence are located all over the world and represent the upper echelon of businesses listed on the website.

Read the entire news release:  Manilow Suites Wins Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence!

Congratulations to long time WPO member Francine Manilow, President and Founder of Manilow Suites, for earning this prestigious honor.  We are very proud of you and all your successes!

Screenshot courtesy of Manilow Suites

Event of Interest: 11th Annual WPO Chicago Summit (For Members Only) Hosted at Google

Invitation courtesy:  MAB Advertising Inc.

Article of Interest: Investing in and Supporting Women Entrepreneurs Worldwide

How Goldman Sachs deployed a far-reaching, data-driven strategy to further the cause of women’s entrepreneurship through its 10,000 Women Initiative.

The 10,000 Women Initiative began in 2008 as a five-year program sponsored by the investment bank Goldman Sachs.  Funded with a $100 million commitment from the Goldman Sachs Foundation, the initiative aims to provide training and support to women entrepreneurs.

Read the entire article:  Applied "Womenomics" | Stanford Innovation Review

Supplement to the article above:  Progress Report

Related video:  Investing in Women Entrepreneurs

Screen shot courtesy of Goldman Sachs

News of Interest: Alecia McClung Featured on Windy City LIVE

Our very own WPO Chicago member Alecia McClung, President of Administrative Resource Options (ARO) was featured on Windy City LIVE concerning her kidney transplant in 2003 and the unlikely bond she formed with the organ donor's Mom.

Before we get to the video, here's what her peers -- fellow WPO Chicago members -- had to say about the it:

•  I just watched this with my husband. You were incredible! And inspiring! And so wonderfully you :)

•  You were amazing!  You spoke so eloquently, and so from the heart.  Definitely inspirational for all who watched.  Thanks for sharing!

•  I second those sentiments.  Anyone watching you and Penny Brady had to be moved by the story that binds the two of you.  Truly inspirational.  Hopefully it encourages all to know the lifesaving difference that organ donations make.

Watch the video here:  Son's organ donation leads to friendship

Screenshot courtesy:  Windy City LIVE

News of Interest: Where Mary Bahr Lunches in Chicago

Our very own WPO member, Mary Bahr (pictured), president of MAB Advertising, is featured at Crain's dining blog:

Mary Bahr is president and creative director of MAB Advertising Inc., a 15-year-old Chicago firm whose clients include Sears Holdings Corp., Kmart Corp. and Pet Supplies Plus Inc. She often dines with chief marketing officers ...

Read the entire article:  Where the president of MAB Advertising does lunch in Chicago

Article of Interest: Why I Admire These Two Women Entrepreneurs

Our friend and colleague, Dr. Sharon Hadary (@hadaryco and pictured), writes a wonderful piece for the Wall Street Journal on why she admires two women social entrepreneurs.  The fact of the matter is that the two women she praises are staunch supporters to the Women Presidents' Organizations so we could not be happier to see them honored in this fashion.

Read the entire article:  Why I Admire These Two Women Entrepreneurs

Photo screenshot courtesy:  Sharon Hadary and Co.