Power Woman Round Up

 

Reflecting on 2019 has resurfaced some incredibly powerful thoughts and words from our FRĒDA Girl community. As we look ahead to a new year, we thought it would be inspiring to bring some of our favorite quotes to the top of your mind.

What has been the most significant in making you the woman you are today?
Wow. That is tough. I had parents that told me over and over that I could do anything and be anything. I think when you hear that you believe it.
Zoe Winkler, Co-Founder of This Is About Humanity

 

Can you please share a few words of wisdom/advice to someone that wants to start her own company? Embrace your vulnerability: While it often doesn’t feel like it, vulnerability is a superpower because it allows us to see how we can grow, and enables the people around us to do the same. In showing my vulnerability as a leader, I strive to create an environment of curiosity and a willingness to take risks—which ultimately inspires innovation.
Hillary Peterson, Founder and CEO of True Botanicals

 

 

 

What has been the most significant in making you the woman you are today?
My kids have reminded me of the power of thinking beyond today and about how my actions influence the next generation.  They inspire me to try to live my values in everything I do.
Ashley Merril, Founder, and CEO of Lunya

 

What are you most proud of?
I am most proud of how I have taken my creative passions and turned them into something that has had a significant impact on women’s financial independence. In the past decade at Stella&Dot, we have paid out over $500mm in commissions to our community of women, which has paid for mortgages, college, fertility treatments, healthcare, and more. We have also donated over $3mm to causes important to our community like breast cancer and autism. I feel really lucky to have had this opportunity.
Blythe Harris, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer Stella and Dot

 

 
Can you please share a few words of wisdom/advice to someone that wants to start her own company?
AS: I would advise on having a business plan, we started with an idea and ran with it. It changed phases many times as we went along which definitely makes communicating with several parties extra work. 

KS: Learn to tap into and trust your instincts but don't be afraid to take risks!

JS: Well, first and foremost, have a business plan.  That is one thing we did not have and really got us into trouble down the line. But we have learned a lot from our mistakes, and we made a lot of mistakes.  And that's another thing, mistakes suck, but you always learn something.

Jenn, Kristie, and Ashley Streicher, Founders Striiike Salon LA

 

 

 

What advice would you share with your younger self?
Life is long, and you have a lot of time to build a career, so pursue your passions and interests along the way, even if you’re not able to commit to them full-time. Also, don’t take yourself too seriously.

Meena Harris, Head of Strategy & Leadership at Uber and Founder Phenomenal Woman Action Campaign

 

 
Can you please share a few words of wisdom/advice to someone that wants to start her own company?

Starting a business is daunting when you are on your own. I give MAJOR props to the women who have done this alone.  I personally didn’t know where to start when I came up with ideas in my head. With my partners, we all found our stride, places where we really blossomed in the business.  For me, having no business background it really helped to have other women to work with. I am also SO incredibly grateful to friends who have their own businesses who offered contacts, support, words of advice and encouragement.  It made us feel like we were a part of this very nurturing group of women all on the same team.     

Sarah Wright Olsen, an actor, and an entrepreneur.  Co-Owner Yourzenmama.com and Co-founder of bāeo. 

 

 
In your opinion, what's the most important thing a small business should do to market their brand?
For small businesses, it is important to know what differentiates them from other brands. Having an authentic voice is step one of the process. After that, it is helpful to think of a couple of strategies and experiment with it. For example: weekly behind the scenes of your business to humanize your brand, photo series to showcase your product in a certain theme or any other interesting ways you can think of reaching out to your consumers. For every brand, you have to experiment with a couple of ideas to understand and measure what works well. For small businesses, it is important to constantly iterate your approach and ensure you are truly listening to your customers. 
Neeharika Sinha, Program Manager, New Products, Facebook 

 

 

You’ve been known to say, “When you see something beautiful in someone, speak it.” Will you share what this means to you? (bd: as your friend, you truly live life by these words. It’s inspiring to see and feel.)

So often we see such incredible things in the people around us, our environments, in nature— but we hold in our sentiments. It has become such a life-giving practice for me to speak out loud the beauty I see all around me, and NO ONE is ever bummed about receiving a sincere compliment! I love watching the smile stretch across someone’s face when you share the goodness you see in them. 
Ruthie Lindsey, Speaker, and Author

 

How can we better educate ourselves on diversity and inclusion and inspire others to do the same?
I love this question. Mostly because I am still humbly learning about this every day. However, I think the biggest thing I’ve learned is, we have to do the work. We have to want to learn, and want to listen, and be open to just listening for a bit. I’ve been learning the most in listening. I’m learning no inclusive act is too small. I’m learning to think about who is not in the room. And then to consider why are they not in the room? I’m learning to consider my purchasing power and to be intentional about where I spend my money. I’m learning to look at the voices I am listening to on social media, the content I am consuming, and the stories I am entertained by. I’m learning to consider my bias. I’m learning to acknowledge my privilege, and figure out ways to use that privilege to give others agency. But mostly, I’m learning that I have to continue to commit to doing the work. 
Britt Deyan, advocate for equality and inclusion, community building at Google

 

 

 

Any words of wisdom to a woman wanting to start her own business? One of our favorite books is ‘Great At Work’ by Morten T. Hansen. It’s all about the critical importance of obsessive focus and creating value. And the sooner you can create smart work practices you’ll move the needle towards a very focused vision. We wish we’d read this book as we were getting started, but it’s never too late. Lastly, just fucking go for it. Entrepreneurship is the master-class on life. 
Gina Pell and Amy Parker, Founders of The What