There’s a Japanese word, “ikigai,” that roughly translates to “a reason to get up in the morning.” It’s basically the intersection of what you’re good at, what the world needs, what you can get paid for and what you love. So, I guess the fact that my reason to get up this morning was to destroy some Nutella crepes isn’t legit.
Today, put in the time to think about your ikigai. Maybe you don’t have one yet, and that’s OK. Brainstorm what you need to add to your life to give you that boost every day. Once you figure it out, you might find yourself filled with more purpose than ever.
WOMEN IN NUMBERS: 1 More
For many women, their career drive is what gets them out of bed each day and defiantly striving for that corner office. At On The Dot, we’re all about supporting ladies in high-power positions because it’s there we can create real change.
Little by little, women are inching our way into important positions at Fortune 500 companies. Most recently, Margaret Georgiadis earned the position of CEO of toymaker Mattel, bringing the number of women at the helm of Fortune 500 companies to 28.
WOMEN TO WATCH: Yin Lin and Lisa Wang, Co-founders of SheWorx
Two women are on a mission to create a world that is driven by gender parity in entrepreneurial leadership. Yin Lin and Lisa Wang are shaking up the traditional entrepreneur circle through their collective of female entrepreneurs called SheWorx.
It’s no secret female entrepreneurs have to swim upstream to be taken seriously, but as Yin and Lisa have discovered, there’s power in numbers. Since its founding in 2015, SheWorx has aided nearly 20,000 women to kick major butt in their fields, and the organization has curated more than 75 roundtables and educational summits focused on providing women with actionable business strategies and access to top mentors.
Yin and Lisa’s company also hosts the SheWorx100 Summit, an event that brings entrepreneurs together with investors to build meaningful relationships. They say the summit has been the most rewarding project so far because instead of conventional pitch competitions, entrepreneurs are provided a space and investor-led insight into how to develop better funding pitches. It’s a successful setup that has resulted in 25 percent of participating entrepreneurs getting a follow-up meeting with an investor.
SheWorx focuses on three actionable strategies for building successful entrepreneurs: ambition, action and altruism. An entrepreneur’s company succeeds when it combines these three elements, and it all comes down to communication. Lisa says 95 percent of companies fail because of people butting heads. Company culture is everything. But, as every entrepreneur knows, funding is mighty important too. That’s precisely why SheWorx has differentiated itself as a leader in the women’s movement by creating a community for serious female entrepreneurs who are committed to building successful, scalable companies.
Yin and Lisa not only share a mutual belief in providing much-needed resources for female entrepreneurs, they also share a similar background. Both are daughters of Chinese immigrants, and both have long been competitive athletes. Yin is a triathlete who has completed five marathons, and Lisa is a four-time U.S. National Champion gymnast and USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame inductee.
Needless to say, working hard is second nature for these ladies. That’s why I love this little tidbit of advice from Yin for all the procrastinators out there. She creates what she calls “forcing functions” for every goal, and surrounds herself with other people working toward the same goal so she’s always being kept accountable by people she respects. It’s the ideal way to make sure the important work always gets done!
QUITE THE QUOTE
With SheWorx in mind, today’s quote comes from the fabulous Dolly Parton. She said:
“If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then you are an excellent leader.”
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.
To learn more about our conversation, check us out at OnTheDotWoman.com and talk to us @OnTheDotWoman on Twitter and Instagram. We’d love to hear your voice.