To Femininity & Beyond!
Updated: Mar 30, 2022
“There is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women” - Kofi Annan
First and foremost, I want to wish all of the courageous and confident career driven women a happy International Women’s History Month! Since the beginning of time, women have shown their value in a wide variety of fields. From caretakers for the household to teachers for the children. More recently, they have evolved into business women, SHEOs, and #girlbosses. While women have a tendency to be able to do it all, like any business, Women-Owned brands need the support of those around them to grow and reach their full potential. So, why is it so important to support women you may ask?
When you support Women-Owned business you are investing in the growth of the economy and women’s economic empowerment. According to WomenOwnedLogo.com, “As of 2019, there were an estimated 13 million Women-Owned businesses in the U.S., employing nearly 9.4 million people and generating $1.9 trillion in revenues.” And those numbers are only increasing.
You’re investing in not only communities, but families as well. According to WomenOwnedLogo.com, “Studies show women reinvest up to 90 percent of their income in their families and communities, compared to 40 percent for men.”
When you support women you support more diverse leaders and work environments. According to Forbes.com, “As of 2019, women of color account for 50 percent of all women-owned businesses, and make a significant economic impact: an estimated 6.4 million women of color-owned businesses employ nearly 2.4 million people and generate $422.5 billion in revenue.”
So, you’re wondering which Women-Owned business you can support? Well, #letsgetsocial
Outdoor Voices, founded by Tyler Haney - This Women-Owned fitness clothing company pushes people to get active and out into the world to make for a happier and healthier life. “We’re freeing fitness from performance and bringing back Doing Things For Fun. This isn’t about being first or fastest, it’s about showing up often.”
Third Love, founded by Heidi Zak - With the intention of making comfortability a standard for women’s lingerie, Third Love has done one hell of a job putting women and their undergarment needs first. Using“being our best selves” as motivation, this company proves to be a space to empower women of all shapes and bra sizes to live their best life, starting with what's underneath (their clothes).
Ouai, founded by Jen Atkin - Lives on the morals grounds of “being better IRL than on Instagram, letting go of unrealistic expectations and embracing imperfections”, Ouai, pronounced “way” is pushing women to love the skin they're in, starting with the products they use.
Jazz Moné, founded by Jazz Moné - The Black Women-Owned apparel and home + office brand empowers women of color to not only speak, but be heard. Birthed with the intention of providing a safe space for black women, Jazz Moné has created a number of ways to showcase the empowerment of black women in various industries. The vision: “Advocate for Black women. Inspire and empower Black women to reach their highest potential. Amplify the voices and experiences of Black women in all spaces.” (Jazzmoné.com)
Lastly, as we continue our journey through women’s month, let’s use this month of March to commemorate the strong, motivated women who had ideas and took risks to showcase the importance of those ideas and paved the way for the women in powerful places we have today. As we look to the future, I want to highlight some of the most famous female entrepreneurs to date.
Google’s first Marketing Manager, Susan Wojcicki. Obviously Google wasn’t founded by her, as we know, however, Larry Page and Sergey Brin did birth Google in her garage. With a net worth of $350 Million, Wojcicki is now the CEO of major media platform, YouTube
American tech exec, author, activist, and COO of Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg. With a net worth of $1 Billion, was listed as one of the 100 most influential people by Time Magazine in 2012.
The founder of the game-changing closet must have, Spanx, Sara Blakely. After being turned down by a countless number of potential investors, Blakely built her empire from the ground up, leaving her with a net worth of $1 Billion.
Always remember, there is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish. (Michelle Obama) Women and their accomplishments are far from being something of the past, but rather something continuously happening each and every day. As said by Co-Founder of TaskRabbit & Executive Chairwomen, Leah Busque, “I’ve never thought of myself as a female engineer, or founder, or woman in tech. I just think of myself as someone who’s passionate.
As the month of March continues to spread its wings, I’ll leave you with this; Continue to make a difference, continue to change the game, and most importantly, continue to do everything with passion. History is made every month, not just March.
For more of the most famous female entrepreneurs, visit: https://wealthygorilla.com/15-most-famous-female-entrepreneurs/
For more information on how to support women in business, visit: https://business.nextdoor.com/local/resources/how-to-support-women-owned-businesses
For more women owned business, visit: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/2021-50-fastest-growing-women-owned-and--led-companies-announced-301392300.html