Women Taking The Lead With Jodi Flynn

Fabienne Raphaël is an Online Business Strategist & Connector, Speaker, Best-Selling Author & Podcaster at Marketing to Crush your Competitors. She helps entrepreneurs to cash-in on their expertise & build their online business the right way to make it profitable & automated, so they can spend more time with their loved ones. Her mantra is: Connect, Build, Automate. Playing Small Moment Fabienne was scared to put herself out there for fear of what others would say. Silencing her true self, she struggled to fit in and please everyone. While in a mastermind group, she clashed with another entrepreneur because she saw herself not as skilled as the other women, despite all of their similarities. This caused a rift that couldn’t be repaired during their project. The Wake Up Call Fabienne’s wakeup call wasn’t just one day, but a series of events to expose who she really was. Her business partner was a great influence on her life and business skills. Fabienne realized what she was expressing was only

Susan Morris is a condominium developer in Portland, Maine and Principal of NewHeight Group, a firm specializing in providing marketing, branding and business strategy to organizations developing new products and services, or repositioning existing ones. Susan is a Maine Angel and is actively engaged in Maine Startup and Create Week, Women Standing Together, TopGun and the House of Genius. She has built and exited from several businesses. Prior to having her own businesses, Susan worked for Marriott International for 13 years. Susan is co-author of a college textbook, Hospitality Sales: A Marketing Approach and serves as a speaker, adjunct professor and facilitator. Playing Small Moment During her Marriott career, Susan was the account manager for very large accounts, handling all aspects of their development and strategies. The man who replaced her when she relocated to a new position packaged up her work, claiming it as his own, and teaching presentations about it all throughout Marriott. Looking back, she

Marissa Lawton is a Self-Esteem & Strategy Coach for Mompreneurs. In a previous life, Marissa was a Mental Health Counselor who specialized in women's issues. Today, she uses her training as a licensed therapist along with her business degree to help moms raise their biz babies while raising their real-life babies. Playing Small Moment Marissa realized, at her 8th grade graduation, the importance of grades and reputation. She wanted to go to college and growing up with a single mom she knew the only way she could get there was by earning a full-ride scholarship. All throughout high school she would daydream about moving to a far away place and getting out of the area. However, during her junior year, Marissa received a full-ride scholarship from Arizona State University, which was only 2 hours away. Marissa jumped at the chance because she decided to stay closer to home. That choice changed the course of her life forever. The Wake Up Call The corporate world was not for Marissa, so she decided to go down

With her signature program Step into the Spotlight, Profile Builder and Coach Mentor, Vanessa Talbot specializes in igniting coaches to Be Seen and Heard by boosting their profile and increasing their influence; resulting in their magnetic attraction for more leads, more clients and more opportunities! Creator of the popular Facebook group Coaches, Authors, Entrepreneurs: Step into the Spotlight, Vanessa is also the Author of the international selling Inspirational book for women, Extraordinary YOU: The art of living a lusciously spirited, vibrant life. Playing Small Moment Vanessa was playing small when she had a mining company with her husband. She realized that business was his dream, not hers - they ended up getting a divorce. Vanessa never fought for what she deserved because she didn’t like conflict. She had to start all over again from scratch. Vanessa knew she had to find another way to earn an income while still maintaining the same lifestyle she had grown to love. The Wake Up Call As a shy introvert

I don’t think it will come as a surprise for anyone that in the past year I’ve spent a lot of time contemplating our position as women in the workplace, in the home and in society - more than I ever have in the past. Multiple conversations per week flow into more conversations and more pondering. Sometimes, I admit, I get a little overwhelmed - like I’m trying to crack a code that no one has been able to solve yet. There are many reasons why as women we are faced with bias and some are out of our control. However, what I’ve come to see as the biggest obstacle to our confidence and equal opportunities is ourselves. Collectively, it is our own self-imposed limits that are having the greatest impact on the slow progress we’ve had as women. Stay with me for a bit, Here is a story from my own experience. In grammar school my peers and I were assigned in work groups based on what our ability was believed to be in certain subjects and the teacher taught each group according to this criteria. When I was in the 3rd gr

Dr. Joanie Connell is the founder of Flexible Work Solutions, a consulting firm that specializes in leadership assessment and development.  She is the author of Flying without a Helicopter: How to Prepare Young People for Work and Life.  She received her doctorate from UC Berkeley and her bachelors from Harvard. Playing Small Moment After Joanie had graduated with her Psychology degree, she decided to apply for the CSPP (California School of Professional Psychology). When CSPP made the offer, she accepted the salary, which was in alignment with the wage Berkley stated. Joanie didn’t counter; she accepted it as is. The program director at CSPP boosted her salary because he realized she didn’t negotiate and was worth more than she was initially offered. The Wake Up Call Joanie had her wake up call after she left her previous job of being a professor over a decade ago. Joanie became a consultant and wasn’t sure what she could offer others that hadn’t been offered before. One of her contacts called her to develop

Kim Boudreau Smith is a multi-talented CEO and business leader with a legacy of empowering thousands of women. From a corporate background in sales and marketing and over 20 years of experience in the fitness industry, Kim has gone on to become a #1 International Best-Selling Author with the book being one of the best-selling on Amazon for 2015! Kim combines her expertise with a passion for motivating and inspiring other women to become “top producers in their lives”. As CEO of Kim Boudreau Smith Inc. and KBS Publishing, her platform on international speaking and coaching has enabled thousands of women to benefit from her inspirational and empowering work. Playing Small Moment Kim thought that in order to continue her radio station she needed to merge with someone else. She met a woman who owned a radio station in Michigan, and ultimately this partnership didn’t work out. Kim closed the doors on everything and told her client she was done, but they told her “Kim, you are not a quitter”. Kim and her client mer

Michelle Mazur, Ph.D. is hired by speakers and entrepreneurs to create speaking as profit-center for their business by building a speech-like product that positions them as the go-to expert in their field. She is the CEO of Communication Rebel. She lives in Seattle, WA with her adoring husband, 2 obsessive felines, and a huge collection of Duran Duran memorabilia. Playing Small Moment Michelle was taking Debate during her Junior Year of College and read the judges’ comments on the ballot while on a trip back home. She saw, in big bold letters, a capital B and a word that rhymes with witch. That moment ended up changing her life. She was scared of speaking up which still plagues her today; Michelle has never shared this story with another audience before. The Wake Up Call Michelle needed to find her voice; she was a blogger and didn’t know how to go about showing her passion in her writing. Michelle attended a conference; the lady at the beginning tricked and duped the whole audience. She was very upset, and w

Rachael Thompson Phillips is a Spiritual Entrepreneur, Business and Spiritual Mentor, and Founder of Successfully SASSY and 'BEYOU' Oracle Cards. She works with sassy spiritual lady entrepreneurs who are lightworkers, healers, therapists, psychics, psychic mediums, yoga teachers and coaches providing a service based business and want to unleash their potential and become successful spiritual entrepreneurs through online businesses and/or online courses. Playing Small Moment Rachael always learned to follow her intuition. During Easter vacation 15 years ago, she decided to ride on a jet boat. Rachel was saying goodbye to everyone when her heart sunk. She didn’t listen to her gut instinct, 5 minutes into the trip the steering cable snapped and she was thrown from the jet boat into the water going 80mph. Rachael was under the water angry at how she hadn’t lived her life’s purpose yet and how she almost died leaving her family and friends behind. The Wake Up Call Rachael’s aha moment was creating two different ca

Vicky Murgatroyd is a mindset coach and transformation specialist. After losing her Mom and finding out her partner was cheating on her weeks later, she lost herself completely. Discovering the world of personal development, Vicky finally owned the responsibility she had, both towards her failings and then her potential. She now shows other entrepreneurial women that self-awareness and self-knowing are the only way to success. Playing Small Moment Vicky's playing small moment was when one of the girls in her group of friends verbally abused her. She slipped into a perception of believing that was her reality, rather than having the confidence to know that she defines herself. Vicky thought if she could make herself unnoticeable, it would all go away. The Wake Up Call Vicky’s aha moment happened when she lost her mom, leaving her to feel like she had nobody to fall back on. Vicky learned, from her practitioner, about a new process to help her let go of her emotions. She needed to get over her boundaries in or

Niyc helps women, struggling to find their self-belief, overcome negative self-talk, activate next level breakthroughs in their life and business, and create their life of joy, personal power, and unstoppable success. Her signature 90 Day Master Your Success Mentorship and Guru Girl Entrepreneur Mastermind combine the power of Positive Psychology with Niyc’s decade of experience in coaching women to create positive change, and produce dramatic and long lasting results. Niyc is from the UK, where she recently won Young Entrepreneur of the Year and is currently travelling the world, speaking and coaching. She is Founder of niycpidgeon.com, Award Winning lifestyle brand optimallyou, Newcastle parkrun, and her first book Now Is Your Chance will hit the book shelves in March 2017, with Hay House Playing Small Moment Niyc began her career as a personal trainer. She would push herself really hard. The income wasn't great, but she was doing something she really loved. Niyc got to a point where she felt stuck while wo

This past year I kicked off a local mastermind group in Maine. The participants gelled very quickly and within an hour they were being very open about their struggles, the current state of their business, and where they would like to be making more progress. Some common themes quickly cropped up and one in particular was the need to constantly work on creating the conditions for a great life, as well as what is required to maintain those conditions. One of the participants blurted out, “Happiness is not for the faint of heart!” We all chucked but it was laughter with the ring of truth. And she is right. Happiness is not something you work for, achieve, and then you can forever stare at your happiness diploma on the wall Do You Feel Like a Happiness Failure? Happiness is not an achievement at all and I think that’s where many of us go wrong. Happiness is a state of being - it can come and go based on the choices we make and our current level of awareness. If you feel like your failing because there are times w

In 2002, Sheila Ronning believed so strongly in women’s ability to serve on corporate boards that she became the founder & CEO of Women in the Boardroom. Today, as one of the nation’s top leadership and board service experts, Sheila excels at connecting influential women executives and professionals with the people and tools they need to succeed in business and the boardroom.  She has built a strong track record and a powerful network over the years, which she uses to help women achieve their goals. When asked about her secret to networking, Sheila says to “Be fearless, sincere, honest, and frank.” Playing Small Moment Sheila is a life learner. She was playing small when she was working for a major retailer. She realized her boss was always just dangling a carrot in front of her face. He was always giving the store management positions to the guys. Sheila was selling herself short by constantly needing to please him.   The Wake Up Call The aha moment Shelia can remember was when she moved from Minneapolis

Laura Novak Meyer is the owner and founder of Little Nest Portraits, a luxury boutique brand of photography studios specializing in family portraiture. As an independent photographer, Laura built Little Nest Portraits as a way to meet customer demand in an underserved niche of the market. Today Laura is one of only 3 % of women business owners to grow her company to more than a million dollars in revenue. Little Nest Portraits is now an emerging franchise company staying true to its leader’s core values, vision and passion. Playing Small Moment Laura played small when she first started Little Nest Portraits. She believed this was a temporary solution to an economic downturn.  Laura thought Little Nest Portraits was going to be a little spin off of Laura Novak Photography. The Wake Up Call Laura had a wake up call was when she delegated ‘culture’ to a senior manager. The senior manager created a culture of fear and blame. It took Laura almost two years to undo that. She realized culture is the one thing you c

Bola is a money coach, business strategist and founder of Clever Girl Finance, a platform that empowers and educates women to make the best financial decisions for their current and future selves. Clever Girl Finance also inspires women to pursue their dreams of financial independence in order to live life on their own terms. Playing Small Moment Bola attended a meeting at work with a senior VP. Though in her head she had so much to say, she actually didn't say anything for the whole hour. After the meeting had concluded, the executive pulled her aside and told her if she didn’t speak up people would not realize her potential. Bola realized that she can be successful at doing what she puts her heart into. She just needs to quit thinking the WHAT IF. The Wake Up Call Bola’s wakeup call was when she had her twins; she realized she needed to pursue her dreams. Bola wanted to make sure she left a legacy her children would be proud of. She told her fear that she was going on a journey and fear could come along for

Lee Gaitan is the author of two books, including her most recent one, My Pineapples Went to Houston—Finding the Humor in My Dashed Hopes, Broken Dreams and Plans Gone Outrageously Awry. Her work has appeared on The Huffington Post, Erma Bombeck, Mothers Always Write, Better After 50, The Good Men Project and many others. Playing Small Moment Lee was really lost and desperate when everything came to a screeching halt. She felt like she had to go back thirty years. Lee was feeling ashamed and embarrassed that she lost everything in her life due to a man. Lee had to sell everything she owned just to be able to afford a run down apartment. She had to work five jobs just to get back on her feet again. One day Lee burst into tears thinking she was never going to get to walk on the path she was on before everything hit the fan. The Wake Up Call One of Lee’s aha moments was when she was at a marketing session for teachers. The keynote speaker sought her out at the break and told her she should be speaking profession

What Nearly Toppled Me I did my first live webinar for Women Taking the Lead last week and I’m glad it’s done. Don’t get me wrong. It was awesome. It was amazing. And the size and scope of it nearly toppled me. And, now I know I can do it again. The foundation has been created and each time I do a webinar it will be easier and I can identify ways to tweak it a little bit to constantly be improving. Stretching to Accomplish New Things is Good I was reflecting on this experience prior to doing the webinar while I was home visiting for Easter. I was trying to not to let the work and worry of the webinar interfere with the celebration. Honestly, what gave me a little peace was the thought that it’s meant to be like this. Am I supposed to stress myself out with each new thing? No. I can see in retrospect some things I could have done to spread the work out more and to support myself. But I (and you), if we want to live amazing lives, we have to find opportunities to stretch our current abilities. This is one of th

Margaret Hasna Kelsey is the Founder of Wave of Insight, which offers conscious leadership coaching and consulting, and she has authored Wave of Insight's Poetry and Prose on Facebook, with a global following of 25,000+. She’s mother to a 7-year-old boy, whom she adopted from Nepal. When asked what she loves most about working with individuals and groups, she'll tell you, "Watching that aha moment when true transformational learning takes place.” The Wake Up Call While Margaret was married and in the process of adopting, she realized her husband didn't want a family. She had to ask herself if she was going to be able to adopt and raise a family on her own as a single woman. Margaret had to assess whether she was limiting herself or she was being limited by an outside force. Style of Leadership Margaret’s leadership style stems from a few different places. She pays attention to which part of her is growing the most now, and which part needs to grow the most, and then she watches for which parts regress at that

Adrian Granzella Larssen is editor-in-chief of The Muse, a career platform that helps millions of people find and succeed at their dream job. A nationally recognized career expert, she helps Millennials navigate career changes and job searching in the digital world. She has been featured in Forbes, Inc., Real Simple, Money, Fox TV, and MSNBC. Playing Small Moment Adrian played small from the very beginning. She took her first job right out of college, just to have a job. Though she learned a lot from that job, it wasn't exactly what she wanted to pursue. The Wake Up Call Adrian had a great job and worked with great people, but realized that her 16 year old self would be totally bummed about who she had become. Style of Leadership Adrian only hires people she can really trust and believe in. What Are You Excited About? Adrian is excited about Coach Connect, which launched last year. Coach Connect is a place where you can book time with coaches to enhance your skills, improve your launch and acquire new strate

Becky is an entrepreneur who loves design and believes that building a company should be fun. She started her first company, iBec Creative in 2006 - the day after she graduated from University of Southern Maine. She taught herself web development, design and digital marketing and was able to grow her company by bootstrapping. She currently has 14 amazing, kind, and talented full-time employees and 150 happy clients around the country who are growing their businesses.  Becky's honored to be featured in Business Week's Top 25 Entrepreneurs 25 and Under, awarded Small Business Administration's Young Entrepreneur of the year, and a recipient of the Stevie Women in Business Award. Playing Small Moment In 2008, Becky learned about Make Mine a Million, and she wanted to be on that list to make a million dollars. She learned that she needed to pay herself for the hard work she was doing on her own business. Becky also learned how to be a manager, and how to not let her shortcomings affect the business. The Wake Up C