FIRST THOUGHT: Yes, You Can
Have you ever been told you couldn’t do a certain job or fill a certain role because you’re a woman? I sure hope not.It’s the 21st century, after all. But if you’ve ever been told that or even if you’ve told yourself that, keep this in mind: It’s not true. I’m willing to bet my cup of coffee it’s not true, and that’s a big deal for me! Recently, I came across a Forbes article that listed 20 job fields women are starting to have more representation in than men.These include careers in finance, medical management and business. I love reading articles like that—ones thatshow women dominating their profession and forging the space to be who they want and do what they want.
WOMEN IN NUMBERS: 5 to 6 Percent
It shouldn’t come as a shock that women are really good at working with numbers. Astudy published in the Journal of Business Ethics found some stats to back this up. One interesting find: Did you know that U.S. commercial banks with female CEOs and chairwomen held about 5 to 6 percent more equity capital than male-led banks? They also had a lower default risk during the 2008 bank failures. I’m not too surprised by this since most women are exceptionally trained in keeping calm and carrying on—even in a crisis. The study also foundfemale executives and directors act more conservatively and make less risky decisions than their male counterparts. So calm down Tom Cruise, these leading ladies aren’t interested in your risky business.
WOMAN TO WATCH: Lauren Flanagan, Managing Director of BELLE Capital USA
Speaking of ladies who are leading the way, let’s discuss Lauren Flanagan. This number-crunching powerhouse has focused much of her career helping female investors support women-led tech companies. Flanagan serves as the managing director of BELLE Capital USA, which is all about helping women-led companies succeed financially. In case you were wondering, ‘cause I know I totally was, BELLE stands for Bold Enterprises Leveraging Leadership and Experience. Who doesn’t like an acronym that encourages both beauty and boldness? But that’s just the top tier of Flanagan’s resume. She’s also the co-founder and managing director of the Phenomenelle Angels Fund, CEO of SCIOCorp, a strategic advisory firm, and executive chairwoman at Current Motor Company, a business that makes electric motorcycles and solarcharging stations. The only thing that could possibly rival her sheet of accomplishments is her list of accolades. She has been named BusinessWeek’s Top 25 Angels in Tech and won the Northstar Award from Springboard Enterprises. Flanagan doesn’t believe in failure. She sees those moments as learning lessons. Her resiliency is a good reminder that you never know if you can accomplish or achieve something unless you try.
QUITE THE QUOTE
Thinking about the topic of numbers, finance and strong leadership reminds me of a quote from Nelson Mandela. He known for saying: “Money won’t create success.The freedom to make it will.”
That’s all for now. Be sure to share this so more women can have a voice! Thanks for getting ready with us.
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