Fierce Feminine Leadership

Sue Jacobson is the founder and CEO of Jacobson Strategic Communications, a media and public relations firm brainstormed with legendary GE CEO Jack Welsh and New York Times bestselling author Susie Welch in 2010. She has provided public relations services to dozens of companies and organizations including the University of Pennsylvania, Education Testing Services, Pennsylvania Tourism Economic Development, the Salvation Army, and the Jack Welch Management Institute. Currently, she serves on the board of the National PBS Foundation, the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, the Marian Anderson Award, the Settlement Music School, and Business Forward. Additionally, she is the Commissioner of the Pennsylvania Commission of Women. Keep Reading >> Sue joins me today to discuss the power of having the confidence to take risks and continually challenge yourself. She explains the importance of believing it’s okay to make mistakes, why it’s critical to lean into challenges and obstacles, and the importance of building tr

  Sramana Mitra is Founder of One Million by One Million, the first and only global virtual accelerator. She is the author of the Entrepreneur Journeys book series as well as the Vision India 2020 and Billion Dollar Unicorns books. As an entrepreneur and CEO, she successfully ran multiple businesses, including Intarka, DAIS Infotech, and Uuma, Inc. and holds a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT. Keep Reading >> Sramana joins me today to explain what “unicorn businesses” are and why entrepreneurs need to stop chasing these unicorns. She shares the formula that she believes makes up a successful business, why over 99% of venture capital deals are typically rejected when seeking financing, and the parameters your business needs to meet to be considered a “fundable business.” She also explains the difference between a “real entrepreneur” and a “pseudo-entrepreneur” and why she believes smaller, profitable businesses should be celebrated.   “We are trying to create fortune in

Brilliant women like you are brave enough to create their own businesses, build an exceptional team, and have life-changing ideas they want to share with the world. Sadly, not all brilliant women are brave enough to speak in front of an audience or make their voice heard in a boardroom or show their capable and competent selves because of this genuine and crippling fear - the fear of being visible. Keep Reading >> Today, I’m going to define visibility and share why many brilliant women struggle with it, and how having this fear negatively affects your career, business, and leadership presence. I’ll also explain how you can overcome it with smart, straightforward strategies so that you can peel away the self-doubt and start breathing life into your ideas by showing the powerful and authentic you.   You cannot inspire others if you are not willing to be seen and heard for who you authentically are.   Today on the Fierce Feminine Leadership Podcast: What is Impostor Syndrome How to recognize if you’re uncomfor

If you want to make a strong impact in the world while doing the work you love, you need to build your personal brand. Many fierce leaders struggle with building their personal brand, so they turn to information on the internet or published books to seek tips and strategies that will help them create the brand they desire. Unfortunately, most of these tips and strategies are either outdated or ineffective.

The ability to have clarity on your message and what you bring to the table at your organization is critical to your career. It helps instill a sense of confidence, certainty, and self-clarity in everything you do.   Keep Reading >> My guest today, Kathryn Ferrero, is the Chief Marketing Officer at AXA Equitable Life Insurance where she oversees all aspects of the company’s marketing outreach including digital marketing and communications. She is responsible for developing strategic marketing initiatives with a strong focus on digital innovation, customer experience, and increasing the company’s revenue.   She joins me today to share her story and how gaining a sense of clarity on who she is, how her skills can serve her organization, and how staying curious and open to pivoting has helped her create a big career inside a large organization.     “The idea of picking a major in your career can actually be kind of dangerous.” - Kathryn Ferrero     Today on the Fierce Feminine Leadership Podcast:   How her pas

Born in Scotland and growing up as a shy girl in British Columbia, Mari Smith is now one of the world-renowned experts on Facebook and social media and has been coined the “Queen of Facebook.” With a passion for both people and technology, she provides training and consulting services to entrepreneurs and businesses through her digital marketing agency. She is the author of the book The New Relationship Marketing and the co-author of Facebook Marketing: An Hour A Day. Additionally, she is a sought-after international speaker and trainer, an expert in hosting webinars and live video broadcasts as well as a brand ambassador for numerous global brands. Keep Reading >> Mari joins me today to share her journey of growing up in British Columbia to currently living in San Diego and how she built an enviable Facebook empire. She shares her insights on the recent Facebook issue on privacy breaches and the driving force that allowed her to build authority. She also shares why she is known as the Queen of Facebook an

Rachel Drori is the founder of Daily Harvest, a frozen meal subscription service that provides healthy, whole, and unrefined foods without compromising nutritional value. In 2016, Rachel’s company went national and had over one million smoothie sales. Due to its success, the company has attracted celebrity investors such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Serena Williams, Olympic gold-medal winner Shaun White, and celebrity chef Bobby Flay.

Gender inclusion in the corporate and working world has come a long way over the last several decades. However, now that more women are starting to hold seats at the tables where the big decisions are made - many female leaders struggle with speaking up, providing their valuable insight, and making meaningful contributions to the conversations and decisions that are being made. Keep Reading >> On today’s episode, I’m discussing why you need to speak up, buttercup! I explain why powerhouse women won’t stay silent when sitting around the big tables in their businesses or organizations and how staying silent robs the conversation - and the people in it - of your value, insight, and brilliance. I’ll also share strategies you can use to help you find your voice and speak up at the tables where these big decisions are being made.   “Successful people are often comfortable sharing their half-baked ideas.” - Eleanor Beaton   Today on the Fierce Feminine Leadership Podcast: Why more women need to speak up and provid

Rachel Glaser is the Chief Financial Officer at Etsy, an e-commerce company with a unique focus on offering handmade and vintage products and supplies. She has over 30 years of experience serving in senior executive roles within finance departments at several well-known brands such as Leaf Group and Move, Inc as well as serving as the Senior Vice President of Operations Finance at Yahoo and The Walt Disney Company. At Etsy, she is responsible for overseeing the global financial operations for the company and was recently elected to the Board of Directors of The New York Times. Keep Reading >> Rachel joins me today to share how having a brand-first approach helped her accelerate her career and climb the corporate ladder while being a working mother. She explains how focusing on empathy impacted her personal and professional life, why having a brand-first approach to working with various companies was an important factor to her when deciding to transition into new roles or companies, and the lessons she has le

Tonya Flickinger and Christine Poulon are two of the five co-founders of the FinTech startup company, Blispay - a company dedicated to pioneering the next generation of point-of-sale financing solutions for merchants and consumers. As Head of Operations with the company, Tonya is responsible for designing, implementing, and launching consumer lending and merchant financing products as well as building, managing, and developing cross-functional teams and talent. She has been building and managing FinTech products for over 15 years and has held product and operations roles at several well-known companies, including PayPal, Bill Me Later, Bank of America, and IBM.

Many women tend to downplay their achievements. They are worried that their efforts to get out there and own their accomplishments may come across negatively - as if they’re showing off. This worry is only one of the many fears that prevent women from moving forward and from knowing what they are capable of accomplishing. Keep Reading >> Today, I’m sharing five self-promotion fears that could be holding you back from your ultimate potential. I’m also sharing how to overcome this fear and how to effectively and confidently promote yourself without sounding conceited and egotistical.   “Focus on the people who will benefit from the success that you create and drive and allow that to be the fuel that allows you to engage in a strategic art of self-promotion.”   Today on the Fierce Feminine Leadership Podcast: How downplaying your accomplishments can hurt you Where to begin when overcoming the fear of self-promotion The significance of belonging to an intentional community What the Tall Poppy Syndrome is The in

While society thinks that being selfish is something negative, there are advantages - especially when it comes to your professional life. This “selfishness” does not mean you should neglect your responsibilities and valuable relationships. It simply means giving yourself time to focus on your priorities so you can have the energy to make progress on the things that are essential to you and your career. Keep Reading >> Today, I’m sharing why successful women are more selfish when it comes to their priorities and why you should learn to embrace episodic selfishness — an essential tool that allows you to drive your career forward while keeping your sanity. I’m also sharing why women struggle to be selfish, how being selfish boosts your performance, and some practical ways to be selfish without alienating support and the people that matter.   “Reframe selfishness as focus.”   Today on the Fierce Feminine Leadership Podcast: The fear of being selfish Why you need to allow people to fail Being noble vs. leading t

Many women obtain a certain level of success by following the rules in the world of business -- a world initially built for and by men. These rules have taught us that if we keep working hard and striving for our goals, we’ll reach that next level of success. Some women decide to play a smaller game, neglecting their dreams and ambitions out of fear of being overworked, overwhelmed, and disrupting the work-life balance they have established. Keep Reading >> In this episode, I’m sharing how to unlearn the old rule that more success equals more work and how this rule keeps you from getting to the next level of success. I’m sharing the reasons why hard work will not take you to the next level, how to avoid overworking, and how powerhouse women manage their workload and get results.   “Success is not the result of your labor. Success is the result of your leverage.”   Today on the Fierce Feminine Leadership Podcast: The wrong mindset about success The pivotal moment for Arianna Huffington regarding hard work an

Michelle Zatlyn is a co-founder and the Chief Operating Officer of CloudFlare, a web performance and security company that helps make the Internet fast, safe, and reliable for users around the world. She has been recognized locally and globally for her entrepreneurial efforts and success, including Fortune Magazine’s Most Influential Young People in Business and Elle Magazine’s Women Who Rule Silicon Valley.

The word “collaboration” usually has a positive connotation -- being productive as you work with others. In business, partnering with other people does not always have this outcome. There are fruitful collaborations that allow you and your partners to grow and there are those that leave you stressed, unproductive, and stagnant. How would you know which partnerships will help you soar? Keep Reading >> In this episode, I’m sharing why women tend to waste their time with partnerships and collaborations that go nowhere. I’m sharing how to recognize the signs of an unproductive collaboration, and where to get the information you need to develop the tools that will help you identify better partnerships in the future that will move you and your business forward.   “It is okay to say ‘no,’ to be strategic, to bow out of over commitments.” - Eleanor Beaton   Today on the Fierce Feminine Leadership Podcast: What collaboration means The reality about collaborating women Reasons why women enter into time-wasting partne

Annie Rogaski is a lawyer and an entrepreneur who has a passion for supporting women leadership. She co-founded a women-owned high-tech intellectual property law firm called HIP Legal and a women’s leadership organization called The Club. Annie is currently the general counsel at a mixed reality tech startup, Avegant, and the host and producer of Unraveling Pink, a podcast that tackles gender-based assumptions through honest conversations. Keep Reading >> Annie joins me on this episode to share how her decision to show up authentically changed the trajectory of her life and her career. She shares the significant contributions she made after deciding to show up as she is, the essence of founding The Club, and how Annie established her law firm as a result of a 30-day experiment she did with the co-founders of the company.   “If you are someone else at work, it’s like this rubber band. The further you are from your natural state, the more stress you put on that rubber band and it can either stress to the point

It’s a common saying that rules are meant to be broken. Perhaps there is some wisdom in this quote in the sense that some people have found success by thinking out of the box, going the extra mile, and breaking old rules. This mindset is what we’re going to talk about today as I share an interview with Amanda Boleyn that was originally aired on the She Did It Her Way Podcast.

Christine Cooper is the Head of the Canadian Corporate Finance Division for BMO Financial Group and is known to develop and lead high-performing teams. She is customer-focused and a trusted advisor to her clients. Christine is also a speaker and fundraiser who supports community organizations by playing an active role as a board member. Keep Reading >> Christine joins me today to share how authenticity, openness, and transparency play a role in having a big career in a big company. She shares how to build strong teams and culture inside organizations, the significance of having diversity around leadership, and the importance of growing your network and expanding your skill set in preparation for that significant career move.   “A couple of things that I found that has always been helpful is being authentic, being myself, and asking lots of different questions.” - Christine Cooper   Today on the Fierce Feminine Leadership Podcast: Being task-oriented vs. outcome-oriented How to quickly gain new trust when wo

While women face various challenges around the globe, there are those -- both young and old -- who go against the tide and stand up for what they believe in. In celebration of International Women’s Day, we’re going to honor women who found their voice and made it heard — women who acted on their convictions and literally changed the world. Keep Reading >> In this episode, I’m sharing five warrior queens — women and girls who inspire others to make a difference just like they did. I’m sharing their stories and achievements, what they fight for, and how they contributed to society to make this world a better and safer place for women.   “What I have found from working with women is that we need a good reason, a meaningful reason to do meaningful change.” - Eleanor Beaton   Today on the Fierce Feminine Leadership Podcast: What led the teenage girl, Memory Banda from Malawi, to demand an end to child marriages and gender-based violence Her most important achievement that significantly impacted the safety of the

Stephanie Carullo is the Chief Operating Officer at Box, a cloud storage specialist, where she leads international expansions, and runs operations and go-to-marketing. With more than 25 years of experience in leading and growing billion-dollar businesses, Stephanie held previous leadership positions in international organizations such as the Vice President of education sales in the US at Apple and the Vice President of data center and virtualization sales at Cisco. Keep Reading >> Stephanie joins me to share why you need to forget about confidence and focus on conviction. She shares why your ultimate objective should be putting your customer at the center of your operations and why it’s crucial to quickly and proactively build networks as you get to know people and understand their roles in the organization. She also shares the critical element in startup organizations that should be a priority for leaders.   “Make sure you find something you love and give it your 150% because it will continue to serve you w