FIRST THOUGHT: Going Rogue
When I rented my mermaid costume for Halloween, I asked the shop attendant for a short, colored wig. The perplexed employee responded, “Short hair for a mermaid?” It threw me because I was choosing to dress up as a mythical creature. Can’t that mythical creature have a cute bob? I’m pretty sure a mermaid wouldn’t wear a non-waterproof, gold-sequined corset either. There are plenty of opportunities to go rogue, forgoing long, wavy locks for short, kicking your traditional 9-to-5 gig to the curb or eating cereal for dinner. You’re a woman, dang it, and you can do as you darn well please.
WOMEN IN NUMBERS: 3
Women want to embrace our own choices. But we aren’t immune to feeling like we should take the path of least resistance, the path that’s been tested and approved by society. Sure, that path can be a lot safer than, say, the path of entrepreneurship, which is really no path at all but a winding and difficult course encumbered by countless obstacles. The unknown can make us queasy as we forge ahead in the dark. But according to Inc. magazine, there are three key reasons entrepreneurship is the best career path for women. Number one: As an entrepreneur, you have the freedom to choose everything from when you work to who you want to collaborate with to what kind of company culture you want to develop. Number two: drive. When you’re your own boss lady, you’re more compelled to get the job done right. And number three is, of course, passion—the entire reason to get up in the morning. The bottom line: Just go for it!
WOMAN TO WATCH: Arianna O'Dell, Founder of Airlink Marketing
Today’s Woman to Watch knows the whole scary entrepreneurial journey all too well. But she’s proof that if you take the entrepreneurial leap, a whole new world can open up to you. Her name is Arianna O’Dell, and though she is the founder of a successful digital-marketing business called Airlink Marketing, it’s Arianna’s voyage to entrepreneurship that truly sets her apart.
As a successful marketing specialist living in New York City, Arianna found herself working long hours and returning home worn out. Eventually, she decided she’d had enough, so she packed her suitcase and hopped a plane to Spain. But just because she was no longer living in the Big Apple didn’t mean she couldn’t still employ her marketing expertise. In fact, she used the money she’d saved from not having to pay New York City rent to fund and grow her marketing business, becoming a globetrotting digital nomad.
Arianna spurned the stuffy business suits and monotony of office life, embracing her wanderlust and making a solid name for Airlink Marketing by helping hotels, restaurants and travel destinations attract and retain clientele. All it takes is a laptop, an internet connection and maybe a couple cups of Italian espresso, and Arianna can work her magic from anywhere in the world. In fact, she’s traveled to loads of countries, embracing various cultures and managing Skype business calls across time zones.
Indeed, staying connected to her team of marketers, techies and designers from afar, Arianna relies on such modern conveniences as Google for Work, and gets cozy in co-working spaces like WeWork.
Arianna has truly embraced the digital-nomad lifestyle and become a success along the way, noting that her favorite part of owning a company is the freedom it gives her. So, it’s no surprise Arianna’s advice for burgeoning entrepreneurial nomads is to be flexible and take risks. So, ladies, as Arianna says, “Grab your travel shoes and pack your bag. Just don’t forget to bring your laptop!”
QUITE THE QUOTE
Arianna O’Dell would surely agree with 19th century explorer and writer Isabelle Eberhardt, who said:
“A nomad, I will remain for life in love with distant and uncharted places.”
This is Melinda Garvey signing off until next time. Remember, ladies, empowered women empower other women. Share On the Dot so more women can have a voice. Thanks for getting ready with us.
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