Women Worldwide with Deirdre Breakenridge

Priya Nembhard and Joan Pelzer couldn’t have approached becoming entrepreneurs in more different ways. Priya has been a serial entrepreneur since 2003 when she and her husband created their first business. Joan, on the other hand, happened into the entrepreneurial life by chance and hasn’t lost the bug for a moment since. 

It wasn’t until the two came together to create media magic, that they realized their true passion and purpose in this space. When they met and came together it was as if all of the pieces of a puzzle slid into place. They now create a radio and YouTube talk show called Follow Me Friday and have truly learned the beauty of creating a brand and following on their own terms.

Listen in as Priya and Joan discuss the evolution of Follow Me Friday, why their partnership has bolstered their personal businesses, and why embracing various media has taken their show and their businesses to the next level. 

They both admit that your branding is the foundation upon which your business should be built. It is the voice, the “texture,” the “feel” of your business and it is what people will remember long after you’re gone. Their biggest advice with regard to this unbelievably important business creation step? Make sure that your branding speaks to not only your business goals and your ideal client, but that it also speaks to YOU.

These two make creating a social presence seem like a breeze, but it hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows. Listen in as they share the ups and downs, highs and lows, and most important of all, the challenges they’ve faced and continue to face as their partnership grows. 

Joan and Priya definitely understand the intricacies of having a media presence and this conversation is full of fun and laughs, but best of all they share tangible advice that you can use to start becoming more comfortable with being social!

Show Notes:

  • [01:08] Thank you for showing up every week!
  • [02:18] Learn more about our two guests, Joan Pelzer and Priya Nembhard.
  • [03:50] Joan shares a bit about her entrepreneurial journey.
  • [05:14] How did Priya become a serial entrepreneur? 
  • [06:30] Priya chats about the story of how she and Joan met. 
  • [09:19] The two discuss the evolution of Follow Me Friday.
  • [12:05] How does the show come together? 
  • [13:40] What makes for having a really good guest? 
  • [16:00] Learn more about how Follow Me Friday morphed into video from audio.
  • [18:24] Hear Joan and Priya discuss why branding is important to creating a thriving business.
  • [23:20] How do Joan and Priya manage Follow Me Friday with everything else that they do? 
  • [24:50] What would the duo say to the entrepreneur who is scared to be social? 
  • [27:57] We chat about the pros and cons of feedback from other people.
  • [30:08] Priya and Joan provide a bit of parting advice for all of our entrepreneurs.
  • [32:15] Connect with Joan and Priya!

Links and Resources:

Direct download: WW243.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

There are no words to express the impact that Gloria Feldt has had on the world of women in leadership and women in general. As the former CEO of Planned Parenthood and the founder of Take The Lead, Gloria has spent the better part of her life fighting for the rights of women across the country to decide what to do with their bodies and their lives. She is an inspiration in the fight for women’s rights and this conversation is one you won’t want to miss. 

Gloria didn’t start off with a driving passion to fight for women’s equality in society and in business. She was once a young woman with a cause no greater than being an amazing wife and mother to her family, but after having her third child she wondered what else there was. 

Gloria was lucky! She grew up with a father who encouraged her to pursue her dreams in a time when women weren’t supposed to have dreams beyond nurturing a family. Having heard that she could be and do anything during her entire adolescence gave her the confidence needed to pursue a new dream. 

Fast forward a few years and she was presented with the opportunity to lead Planned Parenthood. 

The same organization that helped her realize that her life could be better organized, better controlled, came back around and wanted her to be their voice. She couldn’t say no. Since then she has made it her mission to help support women in leadership and women in power to maximize their impact. 

She has since retired from Planned Parenthood and now owns her own business, consulting and coaching women leaders to be the best in their fields. 

To say that this was an inspiring conversation would be a gross understatement. Gloria’s life and work have been full of ups and downs, but her positive attitude and her drive have kept her going and working for women everywhere. 

Listen in as she discusses the role of social media in our lives, how to encourage women to take their fair share, and how you can get more involved in this wonderful cause. You won’t want to miss a second of this discussion!

Show Notes: 

  • [01:09] Welcome back and thank you for your dedication to the show, learning, and community.
  • [02:08] Meet Gloria Feldt, the cofounder and president of Take The Lead and former CEO of Planned Parenthood.
  • [04:02] Gloria shares a bit about her early life and what drove her to the role of CEO and teaching other women to lead. 
  • [08:44] Did Gloria feel supported in her journey toward leadership by other women and men? 
  • [10:42] What qualities are really important for women to have when learning to manage power and leadership? 
  • [14:47] How are the cohorts selected for the 50 Women Can Change the World program? 
  • [16:23] What is the importance of branding when building or launching a venture or business?
  • [21:02] Gloria gives advice to younger women and men who are working to choose their life’s path.
  • [25:24] What challenges has Gloria faced in her work with Planned Parenthood and in her business today? 
  • [27:46] Learn how Gloria keeps herself sharp both mentally and physically.
  • [30:37] Gloria shares what the oppression of other people’s opinions on social media really means!
  • [32:56] Hear Gloria’s parting advice for women regarding power and leadership.
  • [34:28] Connect with Gloria.

Links and Resources:

Episode Sponsor: Fabian Geyrhalter and eRESONAID course

Download a free chapter of my book Answers for Modern Communicators at http://bit.ly/learningtheessentials

Direct download: WW242.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

I am so excited for you to meet Connie Zack. She is the co-owner and Chief Sales Officer of Sunlighten, a company founded after her brother began experiencing the after-effects of chronic fatigue syndrome because of toxic levels of heavy metals in his body. Connie shares how her brother’s healing journey led her and her husband to create Sunlighten, an infrared sauna creator and distributor. 

Listen in as Connie reveals why family comes first and how her drive to impact the world in a big way pushed her to leave the security of her corporate job with Procter & Gamble and create a business that helps so many people ease the pain and stress of everyday life.

Connie digs into how the journey from being a witness to the healing properties of infrared saunas to understanding how to grow and scale a fledgling business has changed her life. 

From learning how to hire staff and keep them motivated to discerning how to get their product into the forefront of the public consciousness, Connie reveals why each step was a moment of learning that has brought Sunlighten to the precipice of success. Every step has had a purpose in their journey and staying positive and keeping learning has been key to their prosperity.

Learn what it takes to go from starting a business in your basement to international renown. 

The world is noisier than ever, but as Connie says, YOU are the one responsible for how you perceive every situation. 

Focus on what you can learn from your failures and then move on to the next task or the next situation. Keep a positive attitude, be willing to learn, and take the time to better yourself with continuing your business education and focus on building strong relationships. These are the steps to succeeding in this noisy world.

Show Notes:

  • [01:05] Welcome back and thank you so much for spending your time with us!
  • [01:38] Our topic today revolves around how today’s entrepreneurs can grow their businesses in our extremely noisy world.
  • [02:23] Meet Connie Zack, co-owner and Chief Sales Officer of Sunlighten.
  • [03:51] Connie shares her journey from working in corporate to business ownership.
  • [08:00] Was entrepreneurship in Connie’s original life plan? 
  • [09:35] What was the growth process like in the beginning? 
  • [11:51] Were there any unexpected surprises that came with entrepreneurship? 
  • [13:00] Connie reveals the obstacles that had to be overcome as the company grew.
  • [14:42] Why creating a powerful team is Connie’s greatest success in creating a business. 
  • [18:12] Connie shares what you can do to be a better role model.
  • [21:13] Does Connie think it is harder for today’s entrepreneur to get out there? 
  • [23:27] You will make mistakes! Learn why those missteps will propel you forward.
  • [24:08] How important are relationships when developing your company?
  • [25:47] Learn more about the uses of infrared saunas and infrared light therapy.
  • [27:47] Be sure to marry your work and personal life and goals for greater levels of success.
  • [29:03] What is it like being a husband and wife team? 
  • [31:36] Connie shares her best advice for the woman entrepreneur.
  • [33:15] Connect with Connie

Links and Resources:

Direct download: WW241.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

One of the leading experts on futuring, Dr. Connie Reimers-Hild is joining me to discuss how you can create the business vision of your dreams become a reality. The key is in creating your ideal vision and learning ways that you can bring it to life. 

Dr. Connie has been helping businesses and business leaders to create personal and organizational innovation and transformation by developing their ideal visions. Her work recently has spun more towards helping women and women leaders understand their true ideal vision and how to achieve it. She has created a huge body of resources and loves to share her knowledge about how futuring impacts business.

We discuss everything from what futuring is, to how it has impacted Dr. Connie’s life and work, and why the concept is supremely important for all businesses. Nobody wants to become the next Blockbuster or Kodak and Dr. Connie’s unique training in both futuring and coaching has given her a fresh perspective on how to help businesses find their best next path.

We discuss so many fantastic bits of information that you can use in your life and business. Ever wonder how to involve your kids in your entrepreneurial endeavors? We chat about that too and why our kids’ involvement is so important to our businesses. If you’ve wondered how to take your business to the next level while maintaining your home life, then this is the episode you want to hear.

Show Notes:

  • [01:05] Are you facing challenges? Reach out to me!
  • [02:38] Learn more about futurist Dr. Connie Reimers-Hild.
  • [03:28] Welcome Dr. Connie to the show.
  • [03:49] How does one become a futurist? 
  • [04:35] Is the concept of a futurist prevalent in the business space or does Dr. Connie have to explain it often? 
  • [06:06] How do futurists help companies find new roads to success? 
  • [07:44] What goes into helping businesses find their vision for the next 5 to 50 years? 
  • [10:37] How do leaders affect the vision and success of their company? 
  • [13:49] Why communication is the skeleton key to success.
  • [14:45] Trust is necessary to enact change.
  • [17:04] What does Dr. Connie think is necessary to start a podcast? 
  • [19:06] Dr. Connie shares the challenges she has faced while building her business.
  • [21:57] Are professionals more hesitant to step out and create their own business dreams? 
  • [25:10] Staying at a job, isn’t always the safe choice…
  • [25:50] Why involving our kids is extremely important to both of us.
  • [26:42] Are there days of stress and overwhelm or is it easier to manage business and life? 
  • [28:29] Everything you do today, impacts the future of your family and business. What are you doing? 
  • [30:51] Dr. Connie provides her advice for zeroing in on your ideal future.

Links and Resources:

Direct download: WW240.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

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