Despite the fact that women comprise more than half of the workforce at America’s companies, women CEOs number only 15 out of 500 at the nation’s largest corporations and women represent only 15.2 percent of Fortune 500 company board membership. Board directorships can be both lucrative and priceless for women entrepreneurs who are striving to make certain connections or position themselves and their enterprises for global commerce. Why the abysmal lag in corporate board appointments for women despite the compelling evidence that corporate boards that include a critical mass of women (3 or more) consistently outperform their competitors? Felicia talks to guests about preparing more women for corporate board directorship, how to change the current board membership trends—and what changing it could mean for women entrepreneurs.
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Today on The Ms. CEO Show we discussed healthcare reform from the perspective of the small business owner. A true discussion of the facts with no PR, politics or misplaced passion has not been had in mainstream media, if you ask me, and I wanted to have it; so we did. This is not just a ratings boosting topic for The Ms. CEO Show. I wanted to get to the facts. This is a real issue that could affect entrepreneurs and small business owners in a major way. The wrong turn could put some folks out of business—and make it that much more frightening, risky and cost prohibitive for some folks to go into business. Either of these scenarios are the last things we need with the U.S. and global economies continuing to struggle (despite what those brainiac economists said in this week’s Wall Street Journal about the recession being over).
So, all business owners need to be concerned about this issue, and perhaps women business owners especially. I came across a compelling and provocative blog article by Nancy Duff Campbell, founder and co-president of the National Women’s Law Center, in which she advocates for healthcare reform for business owners—and especially women business owners, who she says are adversely and disproportionately affected by a decaying and archaic healthcare system. Whether you agree or not, it’s an interesting read.
Also, at the heart of this debate is whether healthcare is a right or a privilege. What do you think?
Our guests for today: Kristie Arslan, Executive Director of the National Association for the Self Employed (NASE) ; Roslyn Stone, COO of Corporate Wellness and a small business owner who likes to provide full health coverage for her employees; and Kesi Stribling, creator of the national stakeholder initiative, 100DaysIn.com, and also a small business owner—all had plenty to say. Check out the entire show on the player to the right or subscribe to it on iTunes (search “The Ms. CEO Show” on iTunes).
Meanwhile, here are the top 10 takeaways from what the business owners and advocates on today’s show had to say collectively:
- No Mandated Coverage: As a small business owner let your elected officials know that we do not want mandated coverage to be a part of healthcare reform. Healthcare costs and insurance are still too high so mandating coverage is essentially adding a whopping additional expense to the budgets of small business owners and entrepreneurs who are already battling high costs to stay in business and grow.
- No New Taxes: We know someone has to foot the bill but as a small business owner, let Congress know that you do not want to see an increase in taxes (or at least not an exorbitant one) to pay for this reform when other aspects of the healthcare system need to be restructured and overhauled to drive costs—and therefore the money needed to pay for reform–down.
- Make healthare costs and insurance more affordable before you go digging into the pockets of everyday working people. Affordability in every respect is a critical issue that Congress needs to consider before making any final moves. Healthcare needs to be more affordable. Health insurance needs to be more affordable. And, as an entrepreneur, you can be proactive to control your own healthcare costs by being part of an association or alliance. Check out the NASE as one such alliance. (Check out “Group Power” on this page for a better understanding of why being part of an association or alliance matters.)
- If it’s a business expense (and healthcare is a heck of an expense) it should be deductible, period. Deductibility is important. With small business owners spending so much on healthcare — in some cases, as mcuh as 20% of revenues — it should be deductible but it is not. This should certainly change! Advocate for deductibility.
- Confused? Get more clarity through the National Association of the Self-Employed. The whole healthcare reform debate is confusing but I found on today’s show that I was less confused after hearing the explanations and information provided to us by Kristie Arslan, Executive Director of the NASE. Check out their Health 101 website section — and listen to the show — for greater clarity.
- Tell the Small Business Committees of the U.S. House and Senate that you are expecting them to do their jobs! Stay in touch — or get in touch — with Congress, particularly the strategic members of Congress, who can make final decisions and have real sway when it comes to this issue. Both the House and Senate sides of Congress have Small Business Committees who should be advocating for our needs and concerns in this issue. Get in touch with both the Senate and House Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committees and let your voice be heard!
- This isn’t just a D.C. battle, it’s coming to your backyard too. Check into how you will be affected at the state level when it comes to healthcare reform. The entire debate has been discussed from the federal legislative perspective but it seems that there could be another showdown—or more frankly, a big mess—when it’s time for the states to have their say or administer the reform laws that are eventually passed. The NASE, again, has an informative primer on state impact—check it out.
- Do what entrepreneurs and small business owners do best—DO something. We can’t let apathy set in on this one. Make a phone call. Send a letter. Send an e-mail. Real reform is needed and something is going to be passed. All of us are going to shoulder the cost and burden of healthcare reform so have your say in it before it is too late!
- Correct knowledge is power—take advantage of what is being provided! Get informed and stay informed about this issue. For small business owners, I think NASE is the source to which to remain connected on this issue.
- Answer the philosophical question for yourself, and move forward accordingly. The underlying question in all of this, really, is this: Is healthcare a right or a privilege? If you have not answered that question for yourself then there is a starting place to decide what you believe and what you will ultimately advocate for. I think everyone should have access to basic health care and that we need to do a lot more preventive education, awareness and advocacy.
Whatever you believe when it comes to healthcare reform, I hope you will DO something about it because as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said: We must live together as sisters and brothers, or perish together as fools.
Today on The Ms. CEO Show, I chatted with fellow Ms. CEO Kathy Ireland, CEO of Kathy Ireland Worldwide (KIWW), a billion dollar corporation. This former model and actress is not only a billion dollar business woman, she’s also a mother, wife and author has just published a new book: REAL SOLUTONS FOR BUSY MOMS: Your Guide to Success and Sanity. She shared great insights and inspiration for women entrepreneurs, and the funniest stories from her childhood on today’s show, so check out the full interview; and check out these Top 10 Takeaways for women entrepreneurs from what Kathy Ireland had to say.
- Life comes in seasons. We can have it all but not all at the same time. Kathy said her 20s were about learning. Her 30s were about motherhood. And currently life for her is about growth as a businesswoman.
- Crisis is a time for teaching and learning. Kathy says the economic crisis has been an opportunity to teach our children about what matters most and about the value of a dollar.
- Rejection is noise; just turn it off. Kathy says she experienced a lot of rejection and plain ol’ rudeness when she was a model and struggling entrepreneur (she even once had to re-organize her company through bankruptcy). To her this is all “noise”. It’s really no big deal when you learn to turn it down, tune it out, and move on with a better strategy.
- A sacrifice for your dream isn’t really a sacrifice. Kathy says be willing to give up material things in the short term to really live your dreams. This is not a sacrifice—it’s a bold investment in your future. Also, realize that most stuff that we think is a big deal, really isn’t. Kathy once slept in an airport on a trip to save money—this was just a small act to her to achieve the BIG results that she was on the way to: A company that does more than $1.4 billion a year in revenue.
- Put everything to the mission statement test. Kathy says that all new products considered and eventually developed by her company must be in alignment with Kathy Ireland Worldwide’s mission statement: Finding solutions for families; especially busy moms.
- Every woman is a brand. Kathy says we are all a brand—every individual. What’s your brand? Know it, change it (if necessary) and live it.
- Don’t lose your “real” self in your press kit. Kathy says to know and be okay with our ”real” versus our “retouched” selves (she said this in reference to a photo) and to know when it’s time to get control of our real self, and make some adjustments for our health and well being.
- Good old sound business advice still applies (and works). Kathy says to build a billion dollar corporation you’ve got to have a plan, strategy and timetable—then work your plan and honor your priorities.
- Your customers are the boss. Kathy says that her complete success is tied up in her relationship with the moms who buy her products. She is in contact with her customers all the time and they are her boss—and she says she works everyday with this in mind.
- How you start your day greatly predicts how your day will be. Kathy says getting to bed earlier and getting up earlier gives her the time to read the Bible, pray and reflect on what she is grateful for—and that makes all the difference in her day.
Something happened yesterday and I woke up a much simpler person. I think what happened has been stirring over the last few months as I have had some dramatic, life-changing experiences; but whatever this big bang was, it took the form this morning of a personal mental shift (sometimes called a “breakthrough”) in me.
This calmer, simpler perspective and approach will probably show up in myriad ways in my life over the next few months but the most obvious way it is coming out now is my desire to write this blog sharing that everything—especially business—is so simple.
Want to know the really simple way to be successful in business? Just create something that people really, really like. When you do this, everything else will come together. You’ll get customers because everybody tells other people about stuff they really, really like.
That will bring in money, which you need to run your business. Your business growth will necessitate the need for employees or contractors, and you’ll find good people to work for you because everybody wants to work for a brand that people really, really like. Publicity? That’ll come. Press can’t help themselves—they love telling people why so many other people really, really like something (and the cons of why they shouldn’t, but why they do anyway).
Taxes, accounting and all that other back office stuff required for business? Well, you can hire the best help money will buy to take care of that stuff if you don’t really like doing it because you’ll have so many customers who really, really like coming back for more of what you created that is relevant to their lives.
Product/service. Customers. Marketing. Back Office. That’s pretty much a business. So, you see, it’s simple. Just create something that people really, really like—and you’ll really, really, really like the result.
Be Encouraged,
Felicia Joy
For most entrepreneurs, your business, even with the greatest business plan, starts out as a basic compelling idea for a product or service and morphs into something else. The idea that you start out with is only a figment of your imagination because what you set out to create throught your specific business doesn’t currently exist.
As you make your way down the path of figuring everything out in order to move from imagination to reality, the world around you will have an impact on how each part of the business that started out in your head comes to be in real life. Most times, what comes into fruition will be adjusted by the needs and demands of the people your business will serve.
Allow this process to occur. If you stall, stop or try to protect every detail of your original idea, the clarity you need to find success and fulfillment will never come. You’ll therefore be out of business and back at square one. The most important things are to hold on to the essence of your idea and to keep moving.
Clarity about how it will all end up will come to you as you move along. I promise. Been there, done that—got the t-shirt, umbrella, note pad and coffee mug. And, get this—it happens to the most seasoned entrepreneurs. This is simply life’s way of giving you directional signage to grow the business, so have faith and take heed! Clarity will come.
That said, I want to share some background information and changes you will see based on clarity that has come to me. Ms. CEO Media Inc. launched in December 2008 with “The Ms. CEO Show” as its first media product. Ms. CEO Media Inc. is a specialty media company that produces content to inform and inspire women entrepreneurs to achieve their greatest potential in business. The company will eventually be the go-to source for women entrepreneurs to get information, inspiration and leads/referrals for everything you need to build your business. So, we’ll deliver content through every possible platform—radio, television, print, Internet, live events, merchandise and mobile. All specifically for women entrepreneurs.
We’re currently active in:
- Radio with The Ms. CEO Show;
- Merchandise with our “Ms. CEO” t-shirts;
- Live events with our signature events: Pretty Powerful, an annual celebrity-style photo shoot during which women get new fabulous, publicity-worthy headshots and Ms. CEO Martini Mondays, our bi-annual (twice per year) kick off your heels and meet some great women networking event;
- Internet with our active blog here at msceoshow.com and our social media activity (follow us on Twitter — @msceo); and soon,
- Print with the launch of our national “Ms. CEO Magazine”.
This is an overview of Ms. CEO Media Inc. and our current status.
Separate and apart from Ms. CEO Media Inc., my life’s mission is to build substantially valuable businesses that create enjoyable and reliable employment for people—and to use entrepreneurship as a tool for positive social change. In this capacity, as an individual, I have built and learned from multiple businesses in the past and I am now moving into a new phase of my mission with the upcoming launch of www.feliciajoyonline.com. This is what I meant by clarity and changes you will see.
We will continue to blog and connect with women entrepreneurs here on www.msceoshow.com. The culture of women is special and unique—and the culture of women entrepreneurs is even more so. Plus, as Marsha Firestone, President and founder of the Women Presidents’ Organization, said to me as she thanked me on The Ms. CEO Show, the mainstream press continues to ignore or under-report on women entrepreneurs despite the fact that we are leading the small business economy. So Ms. CEO Media Inc. has a lot of work to do to provide you the information you need and the recognition you deserve.
But to carry on with my individual mission, which is predicated on me touching all people, from all walks of life, I am launching www.feliciajoyonline.com and moving into the publishing arena. Mass communications is an essential part of spreading world-changing ideas—which is a necessary part of my mission—so I will be publishing books for all entrepeneurs and everyday people, on a regular basis. My first book, Hybrid Entrepreneurship: The New Path to Prosperity and Success in an Economically Changed America, is due out June 16th. (Sign up to be notified about it at www.feliciajoyonline.com or follow me on Twitter at @feliciajoy.) I will also be posting my personal daily business blogs at www.feliciajoyonline.com once that site is launched.
What this all boils down to is the clarity that has come to me: You, each and every woman entrepreneur out there, and the women who will become entrepreneurs—all of you—are Ms. CEO. I am Felicia Joy. So, it takes a vast team of people to serve all of you and I am assembling that team to give you what you deserve through Ms. CEO Media Inc. And, I, Felicia Joy, am going to use www.feliciajoyonline.com as my hub to share with the world—everyone in the world…both genders, all ages, all races and ethnicities, and all nations—the entrepreneurial thoughts, ideas and actions I think we can all take to make this a better place.
So, to my fellow women entrepreneurs, no matter who you see getting involved on www.msceoshow.com or with Ms. CEO Media Inc., please know that it is all for you and all for the betterment of what the company can provide. And please know as well that I am always here as a resource for you. Drop me a line at either felicia [at] msceoshow.com or info [at] feliciajoyonline.com or let’s keep up on Twitter (@feliciajoy and @msceo).
I’m all clear!
Be Encouraged,
Felicia Joy
On today’s The Ms. CEO Show, I chatted with two phenomenal women entrepreneurs: Lyn Ross, founder of the Institut Dermed Spas in Atlanta, whose business grossed $28,000 in 1990 when she launched it and more than $3 million today; and Candi Carter, a full-time Emmy award winning television producer who created “It’s Hip Hop Baby”, an educational DVD series that helps children, 2-6 years old, learn colors, numbers and other concepts using kid-friendly hip-hop songs that Candi creates.
These two women live on opposite sides of the country, have totally different businesses and have never met but their success stories have common themes! Here are the top ten takeaways from what Lyn and Candi shared on today’s show:
- Don’t let life’s challenges and frustrations get you down. Use them to fuel your business success!
- Get up early in the morning; you can get a jump on the day before anyone or anything else can get in your way.
- So you don’t know everything—no big deal! Surround yourself with good people who know what you don’t know and are willing to help. (Think “interns”.)
- Don’t worry about what you cannot do; focus on what you can do—do it, and the opportunities will unfold.
- Listen to your gut. Listen to your spirit. Don’t take on other peoples’ fear and emotions.
- Be excellent. Get training, credentials and other things that set you apart.
- Really know your business.
- Connect with the true purpose of your business—you may sell a skin serum but the real purpose of your business is making people feel better and confident about themselves.
- Don’t ever give up, just make the necessary adjustments to get better.
- Learn the numbers side of your business—so you can stay in business!
Be Encouraged,
Felicia Joy
She’s as beautiful as a garden of roses yet tough as a box of nails: Andrea Jung—today’s Ms. CEO of the Week—is a 21st century business woman to be emulated and admired. She is the CEO and Chairman of Avon, a $10 billion company that remains on the cutting edge of cosmetic sales, corporate responsibility, technology, and global advertising and marketing.
I haven’t met Ms. Jung yet but I look forward to it. Imagine a woman gutsy enough to “fire” herself to save her job and her company. That’s what Ms. Jung did in 2005 when Avon’s profits were down and the hot water was rising, as investors raised their eyebrows at quarter after quarter of poor performance.
To get the company back on track, Ms. Jung took some advice and fired herself. Read what she shared with Fortune Magazine to find out what happened as a result. I think I’ll fire myself this weekend.
Be Encouraged,
Felicia Joy
Alicia Ingram, President and CEO of ANI Creative
Alicia Ingram, founder, President and CEO of ANI Creative is Ms. CEO of the Week. Her Atlanta based firm has carved out a niche in marketing and business services to create success. Visit her company online and check out our interview with her below for more about this week’s Ms. CEO!
What is the nature of your business and how do you increase revenues year over year? ANI Creative is in the results and communications business often known as “effective marketing”. We help my clients deliver hard-hitting messages, execute creative strategies and implement practical marketing solutions that make them stand out in the marketplace. As far as our revenues, we achieve growth in several ways: 1) Always maintaining existing relationships while building new ones at the same time; 2) Creating multiple impressions – also known as branding; and 3) In this economy, having sheer determination and constantly responding to my clients most pressing needs – that old fashioned concept generally referred to as “customer service”.
Have current economic conditions had an impact on your business—how so? Like for many, business is slower than normal, but this is also a time for re-tooling and new service offerings based on client needs.
If you weren’t running the business you are running what kind would you have—or what would you be doing instead? Hmm…I was in St. Thomas and I thought the guy who rented paddle boats on the beach had a pretty good job. So yes, I would be renting paddle boats on a beach; but honestly, I love what I’m doing now.
What do you do to de-stress? Work out, work out and then work out some more.
What businesswoman (women) do you admire and why? Shelia Johnson for her authenticity; and all women in politics or business who are trailblazers.
You have political aspirations—how will you balance between politics and business? Do you see them as contradictory or collaborative endeavors?
Very collaborative, business and civic leadership go hand in hand and require the same skill set of building relationships in order to drive results. In business, results are often revenue where has in politics, it’s often sound policy.
Are you in a relationship? If so, how does your significant other support you in business?
Currently, I’m not. However, from past experience, support from your significant other is essential. It’s important to have someone who understands your business in your passion and is flexible when it comes to having to pull late nights.
Do you think image makes a big difference in a business woman’s ability to succeed—and what kind of image do you try to project? A good friend of mine and I were discussing this very topic yesterday. Image makes a big difference and yes, for women more so than men. As business women, half of the battle is managing other people’s perceptions of you. This can be your image or your brand. Physical appearance is a part of that package. People make assumptions based on your image.
What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made in business and how did you recover? So many, but most memorably, not wanting to pay attention to accounting practices…it makes or breaks a business. I hired an accountant.
What’s your favorite food; color; song; vacation spot?
Food: Pizza and Oatmeal
Color: Blue all day everyday
Song: Too many to pick just one but anything by Beyonce’
Vacation spot: Toss up between St. Thomas and Capetown
