“My son was reading by the age of three and parents at nursery school were asking how I had taught him. It was at this point that I realized there was a gap in the marketplace.”
1,000 Stories
More than 1,000 women entrepreneurs from around the world have told us about their personal business journeys. Here are their stories, in their own words. Tell us yours!
Alison OBrien of JWalking Designs: Functional Workout Wear for Every Shape
“When things seem overwhelming, I take a deep breath, put my head down and keep going. What’s my other choice? Stopping is not an option.”
Melanie Moss: Simple, Nostalgic Desserts Cloaked in Beautiful, Bold Exteriors
“I grew up baking with my grandma, often trying on her jewelry in between popping a cake in the oven. Just like her recipes, each of my grandmother’s jewels had a story behind them that she shared with me during those precious moments we spent together in the kitchen.”
Kelly Magowan: An Entrepreneur Finds Her Calling Coaching, Developing and Branding
“I am so pleased that I continued to challenge myself and overcame the hurdles to be master/mistress of my own destiny. Through this, I have met with the most amazing people and have had an exciting career path.”
Lorena Lopez: An Entrepreneur Connects Latin American Businesses to the World
“I’d say that women in general — resilient, persistent through failures and obstacles, and creative — are my role models in the business sphere.”
Pavana Jain: Connecting the Auto Industry with Cutting-Edge Technology
“Success to me is to have the courage to fundamentally change the way we do things around us.”
Kimberly Lacy: From Teen Mom to Flourishing Interior Designer
“I am a problem solver and an analytical thinker and I always strive to approach a difficult situation knowing that there are numerous solutions to one problem.”
Patty McDonough Kennedy: Finding Voice and Purpose in the World
“I started the company in 2005 with one client, a beat-up laptop and about $400 in my pocket. Today, we have offices in New York and Vienna, Austria, and service clients across the world.”
CJ Scarlet: A Device and Mission to Stop Violence Before It Starts
“Our aim is to prevent sexual assaults and other violence and I won’t rest until our product is in the market and doing its job.”
Mkamboi Mwakale: Helping Clients Create Meaningful Relationships with Customers
“Success is a journey of challenging myself to accomplish more than I set to achieve and overcoming obstacles and failures with renewed confidence and vigor.”
Felicia Wright of Mygani: A Mompreneur Becomes a Visual Branding Expert
“My passion is empowering other moms and military spouses to embrace self-confidence and develop leadership skills through entrepreneurship.”
Samantha Toscano of LGBD Talent Development Center: Helping Aspiring Models and Actors Achieve Their Dreams
“I wanted to create a job whereI could do what I love everyday.”
Rania Habiby Anderson of The Way Women Work: Helping Women in Emerging Economies Achieve Career Success
“My first goal for myself and The Way Women Work is to accelerate the careers and businesses of 100,000 women in emerging economies.”
Doe Deere of Lime Crime: Colorful Innovative Make-Up for Women Who Live Unapologetically
“The idea for a makeup brand originated back in my sewing days – part inspiration, part necessity, because I found that bright and unusual colors were hard to come by!”
Michelle Myers of My Virtual Paige: An Entrepreneur Finds a Way to Raise Her Family and Build a Successful Company
“We have doubled our business year over year in both 2014 and 2015 and are excited about the growth we continue to see.”