Have you ever struggled with saying “no?” I certainly have – in fact, years ago I had to have a friend point out that even my company is named YESS! Many times we say yess out of a desire to help others succeed, sometimes out of a need for approval, sometimes out of obligation and sometimes it’s a wholehearted, sincere…
Great Clips CEO Rhoda Olsen joins Sue for her “Inspiring Women” podcast. Rhoda shares her leadership style, why she looks for gaps in her organization, and what practices keep her strong as a leader. Listen to the full podcast below.
In this month’s “Inspiring Women” column, I was honored to share the story of Sandy Hansen-Wolff, my friend and colleague who inspires all who know her. Sandy’s life changed when her first husband passed away and she acquired his business; she used her loss as a way to learn and become stronger. Now she inspires others as a motivational speaker…
Giving Greatly: Reflections from South Africa My husband Kevin and I just returned from a two week trip to South Africa with the Phakamani Foundation. This great organization provides micro-loans to South African women to enable them to start businesses, with the focus of “providing a hand up, not a hand out.” By doing so, Phakamani gives these women and…
Great Clips® has more than 4,100 salons in the U.S. and Canada, and CEO Rhoda Olsen understands the impact that many people working together can make. Although Great Clips has about 1,200 franchisees, more than 200 corporate employees and about 40,000 stylists who work in the franchised salons, an underlying emphasis across Great Clips is the dedication to local, charitable…
As a Minnesota resident, I often find myself dreaming of warm climates this time of year. The temperature hovers around freezing and I can picture the arid deserts of Arizona or the lush rainforests of Hawaii. Both climates offer respite from the Minnesota winter, but they are decidedly different from one another in flora and fauna. A cactus can’t survive…
What a joy to feature Helain Pesis, owner of Continental Diamond, in my “Inspiring Women” column for Minnesota Business magazine. Helain shared her journey from being an elementary school teacher to owning a business, and explained that the secret to her success has been “staying open to life’s opportunities.” Continental Diamond modestly opened its doors in 1981 with just a few…
My friend Amy Ronneberg, CFO of Be the Match/National Marrow Donor Program, is a true inspiration. In addition to her roles as CFO, Board member, mom and marathoner, Amy also has added cancer survivor to her list. In this month’s “Inspiring Women” column Amy shares how cancer transformed the way she leads. “Amy has been driven to be the best…
Building Tomorrow’s Leaders With all that is currently going on in our world, I’ve been thinking about how the next generation will lead. What will they do in the business realm? The larger social realm? It’s up to us to be and build the leaders for our collective future. We must expose those we lead (including family, work and community)…
If you own a business or are on the leadership team of a business, you’re tasked with strategically defining what the future of your business will look like. Who will lead it into the future as you and your leadership team think of future transitions? How will you grow? What are you missing in terms of innovation, talent, information, processes…