Learn How To Guide Your Business From Other Female Entrepreneurs
One of the things we all need on the journey to becoming unstoppable leaders is excellent role models to follow along the way. Each week, the Intentional Greatness podcast introduces you to women in business who are breaking barriers and setting the business world on fire without compromising their core beliefs. Check out the amazing women entrepreneurs I’ve interviewed in this month’s podcasts.
Overcoming Limitations
At every turn, visionary leader Claudia Mirza had to overcome limitations to achieve her own success. Claudia attended a prestigious high school in her native Colombia before immigrating to the United States while knowing and understanding a very limited amount of English. Claudia never allowed obstacles to stop her from accomplishing her goals whether they involved Harvard 
classmates or C-suite executives. She continues to overcome obstacles in her business today, which provides multilingual technology solutions for businesses throughout the United States and around the world. Her company is the 34th largest language services provider in the world as well as the 13th fastest growing female owned organization worldwide.
Claudia’s experience has been meteoric by most standards, but it is her love of people and desire to help others that is at the core of her success. She has never allowed limitations or obstacles prevent her from accomplishing her goals in life and in business. It is this tenacity and commitment to achievement and consistently moving forward that allows her work to empower so many others.
Listen to Sue’s interview with Claudia Mirza on the Intentional Greatness Podcast
Developing the Right Attitude
Having the right attitude in life makes a world of difference for your success. That is certainly something Anita Janssen believes. In a recent discussion, she talked about the challenges of being a female entrepreneur in the world of agribusiness. While her accomplishments today speak for themselves, that wasn’t always the case for Anita, who had to prove herself and her credibility in an industry dominated by men who were often reluctant to change.
Anita not only faced the challenge of being a leader in a male-dominated industry, but she also struggles with extreme anxiety. She discusses her journey with anxiety, managing her condition so that it doesn’t manger her, and overcoming the stigma associated with anxiety and its many symptoms.
Living purposefully and maintaining a positive attitude remains important to Anita, especially when things don’t go exactly according to plan. During the course of our discussion, we also addressed the importance of all entrepreneurs learning to say “no” so they can find balance. While this tends to be an issue women struggle with more than men, it is something all leaders need to embrace.
Whether you’re working in a male-dominated industry, struggling with anxiety, depression, or some other “hidden” illness, I hope you find inspiration from my talk with Anna and her ideas on attitude for success and growth.
Listen to Sue’s interview with Anita Janssen on the Intentional Greatness Podcast
Having a Vision
If truly anyone is qualified to discuss overcoming challenges to create success in today’s competitive business climate, it is Kate Grathwol who has transformed her own visual impairments related to albinism into a profitable business that empowers other people sharing similar challenges. She does this by offering support, information, rehabilitation, and referral services so people with vision loss or impairments can lead their lives while maintaining greater independence.
Kate goes on to discuss how her for-profit business helps to fund all the non-profit business she always runs to assist people with vision impairments and blindness. Later we talk about things she does to help eliminate the stigmas associated with vision loss while helping those who are struggling to cope manage their vision loss more proactively and effectively.
Kate believes it is so important to meet her clients where they are so she can discover their unique and specific needs and their own visions for the future. Doing this allows her to help them reclaim the things they want to most, which is an invaluable talent to develop no matter what entrepreneurial field you pursue.
Listen to Sue’s interview with Kate Grathwol on the Intentional Greatness Podcast
Creating a Culture
Workplace or corporate culture is getting more attention as the economic turnaround has created more jobs than people to fill them. This boom for businesses means companies must step up their games in order to attract and keep top tier talent. This is something Kimpa Moss of Lurie, LLP, has managed to excel at by creating a workplace culture that attracts incredible people who get the job done.
During our conversation, Kimpa discusses the importance of core values for creating an attractive workspace. While not the first word that comes to mind for an accounting firm, one of Lurie’s core values is “fun.” It works for them in a big way. As does their willingness to accept suggestions for shaking things up, breaking up monotony, and de-stressing organization-wide.
Kimpa discussed specific things her company does to help relieve stress and decompress during and after peak-volume periods. Later, we discuss the freedom that comes with the realization that you don’t have to be right all the time to be a successful leader in business today. That is why, as women entrepreneurs, it is necessary to surround ourselves with others who are bright, intelligent, driven to succeed, and willing to speak up when they disagree.
Listen to Sue’s interview with Kimpa Moss on the Intentional Greatness Podcast
Overview
Commitment to intentional greatness involves creating a community where female entrepreneurs learn from each other to help aspiring women in business achieve their goals. This is done by cultivating confidence, fostering kindness, and supporting the development of other qualities that create passionate leaders. These four women do that in their work and their communities daily.