We are about halfway through Women’s History Month and I am loving all of the programs and events for women business owners (though every month is women’s history month and the gatherings don’t end in March.)

One article I appreciated on International Women’s Day was this one by Esther Choy in Forbes about to dos and not to dos when preparing for “celebrating women’s history month with hashtags.” In other words, how to authentically shout out women’s history.

On my socials, you’ll see me at weekly programs and events. The Women Mean Business Summits in NY was on March 6th and the Women Mean Business Summit is coming up at MGM National Harbor followed by WACIF’s Cultivate Summit on March 27.

This month also  includes a memorial for one of my mentors, Marsha Firestone, whom I write about here.

During these big celebration months, I’m often at a loss about how to recognize the celebration without just listing off things that I’m doing or places I’m going.  In Choy’s article, she recommends taking the personal route and asks the following questions. I’m going to take that cue to recognize the women who’ve made an impact in my life.

1. Who has been very influential in your work life? How so?

In the LinkedIn post I write about Dr. Marsha Firestone who definitely had a huge impact on my career. As a boss, she influenced a lot of how I work and manage people in ways I didn’t necessarily notice at the time. She’s the reason I got into this career.

At the same time, there are influential people who helped me STAY in this career and supported me when I eventually started my own company.

Ellyn McKay introduced me to Marsha, worked as a Chapter Chair and as the Executive Director of WPEO (Now WBEC DMV).  We know each other through my Mom who worked with Ellyn at one of their first jobs. I was in Ellyn’s wedding when I was thirteen years old and she has evolved from one of my Mom’s friends to a trusted colleague whom I have followed in to more jobs than one.

Ellyn and I are now collaborating on my role as Women Presidents Organization’s Regional Lead for the Southeast and I am reminded every day of how the two of us together, along with many others, are carrying on Marsha’s legacy.

2. Can you tell me about a time someone supported you in a meaningful way?

Along these same lines, Betty Hines is someone who has been very supportive of me. I haven’t known her quite as long as I’ve known Ellyn but long enough that we appear in what I consider to be baby pictures, when I first moved to New York for my second job out of college in 2002.

Like Ellyn, Betty Hines saw potential in me as an eager underling and when I started my company, she recommended that I take over one of her cherished and long-time WPO Chapters in the DC region. She is a mentor, colleague and tireless supporter not just of me but through her organization Women Elevating Women, of eager business owners who are growing and scaling.

3. What is an obstacle you’ve overcome?

Since 2020, much of this blog has been devoted to obstacles  – the COVID 19 pandemic, the changing landscape of my industry, and simply staying motivated through the chaos.

One person who is always energizing to me and simply refuses to give up is my Mastermind My Company business partner Heather Cox. She and I met over a decade ago and started working together on Mastermind My Company (formerly Diversity Masterminds) in 2019.

Heather and I have different personalities that suit us well for running a business together. We have had to be brave and resilient through a lot of challenges. That is so much easier to do that when you have a partner to bounce ideas off and just lean on.  We recently gave a presentation at a conference about our “principled evolution” from Diversity Masterminds to Mastermind My Company.

It has been and still is a challenge but it’s easier together.

4. Who was one of the best bosses you ever had?

I don’t really have bosses anymore and I already mentioned Marsha so I’ll mention two women who have been very supportive in a “boss-like” role.

One is Camille Burns, CEO of Women Presidents Organization. While I am a WPO Chapter Chair and Regional Lead she is not really my boss and it will probably stress her out if I call her that.  She and I both worked for Marsha in WPO and WPEO in the early 2000s in New York. I joke around that we “grew up together” in our professional roles. She is now the CEO of the Organization and I now own my company but we are both products and proteges of the organization we worked for over 20 years ago.

Camille cares deeply about the legacy she is entrusted with in WPO, and as one of over 100 Chapter Chairs, I can say I feel seen by her and supported not only in my role, but it my own business and life.

Another is Mary Fehlig, President of The Fehlig Group. The Fehlig Groups works with large, medium, and small businesses to align their business practices with their values Mary and I started working together after I got my B Corp certification.

Mary as a leader has built a collective of small business owners to collaborate with as she helps companies to measure, track, and showcase their impact.  As a member of her collective of business owners, her commitment to supporting our own businesses along with our own work-life balance is truly unique.

March is also B Corp month, recognizing purpose driven businesses making a social impact. It’s rewarding to be part of a small collective of purpose driven companies that’s driving a larger movement, especially with a leader that lives those values.

While women’s history month asks us to look back, it also urges us to look at the present and drive toward a better future. I appreciate having these brilliant, dynamic women in my work life universe and look forward to many more years of making an impact – together.