International Women’s Day 2021: Insight from Women in Business

In honor of International Women’s Day on March 8th, we connected with a handful of women-owned businesses to ask for their best advice and encouragement on being a woman in business.

Gain inspiration, insight, and motivation from the nuggets of wisdom these powerful women shared. Here’s to celebrating the strength of women each and every day.

“International Women’s Day means honoring the incredible women around the world. It’s a day to raise awareness, to spotlight women that are blazing the trail in their fields or even just in their life, and celebrating the many achievements for women around the world.”

Morgan Potts, Founder & CEO & Founder of Granarly

What’s the best advice you have ever received when it comes to running your business?

Morgan: “The best advice I have received is that running a business is like walking a runway. The faster you run, the harder you fall. If you take your time, enjoy the views, and trust the adventure — you’re going to succeed. Everyone is on their own journey. It’s all about the experience, not the destination.”

What’s the biggest reward of being a woman in business?

Morgan: “I love connecting with other women in business — that makes my heart sing! Realizing that I’m not alone but that I CAN do this alongside many other women is the most rewarding thing.”

You can support Morgan at Granarly and follow along on Instagram. 

“When a female can free herself of the world’s expectations, that’s empowerment. It means she can do or be anything she wants, whether it’s perceived as “feminine” or not. She can be quiet or loud, wear makeup or not, run a business or stay at home, be a mother or not—and be confident in her choices. The more we can free ourselves, the fewer expectations will be put on us by society, and true equality may eventually be achieved.”

Meghan McCloskey, Founder of Craft + Boogie

What advice would you give to women just starting out or looking to advance their careers?

Meghan: “If a good idea comes to you, give it the attention it’s requesting. Turn it into a reality if you can. Just don’t ignore it—it will find someone else to bring it to life if you don’t.”

What’s the future of the next generation of women in business?

Meghan: “I hope to see more unapologetic founders, leaders, and creators—and our first female President of the United States.”

You can support Meghan at Craft + Boogie and follow along on Instagram. Also, check out her full ShipStation Story.

“Female empowerment to me means sharing your unique talents to inspire and encourage other women – and to make sure you take the time to let the women that inspire and encourage you know about it.”

Jeanne Foley, Co-Founder of The Groomsman Suit

What’s the best advice you have ever received when it comes to running your business?

Jeanne: “My biggest lesson learned through building a start-up and raising a young family is that nothing has to be perfect. I focus on looking ahead, moving forward, and you learning from the setbacks.  Learning to be confident and happy where you are, while always working to improve, is where happiness lives.”

What do you think are important traits of strong female leaders?

Jeanne: “I look up to female leaders who do not take themselves too seriously, share their experiences candidly, and are unapologetically themselves. I admire women leaders who support the people around them, build inclusive work environments that are focused on making sure their employees thrive, and feel good about their own contributions to the success of the business.” 

You can support Jeanne at The Groomsman Suit and following along on Instagram. Also, check out her ShipStation Story. 

“Strong female leaders need to have the core skills of any great leader, but in accepting and promoting the best of their feminine side, they create the potential to make the most of who they are as an individual and the businesses they lead.”

Fiona Elliot, Director at Meandmycar

What advice would you give to women just starting out or looking to advance their careers?

Fiona: “Whether you are starting out or moving to the next stage in your career, it’s important that you have a clear vision of what you trying to achieve or create. This vision needs to include your aspirations and goals, but also needs to include the logistics of how you are going to get there. This might include a need for equipment, training, child care, or transport. Some of these will be directly business-related, but others will indirect. All are vital to achieving your goal. Its not a weakness to have other things to care about than work. However, it is a weakness to try and achieve more without taking these things into consideration.”

What has been your biggest victory/triumph as a woman-owned business?

Fiona: “Creating the leading motoring gifts business in the UK, selling to and for men who are passionate about cars, offering a credible range to an audience ranging from the pure enthusiast to the unsure partner and combining innovative products with great customer service, all with a predominantly female team.”

You can support Fiona at Meandmycar. 

Check out this video including four women-owned businesses. We asked each woman what female empowerment means to them, see what they had to share.