She Owns It

Celebrating, Connecting, and Supporting Women Entrepreneurs

The day when I realized It’s not all about “The End results”

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by Shaheena Shaikh

27 October 2019 I attended a networking event at hotel Jury Inn Oxford, the purpose of the event was to celebrate 3rd anniversary of OMPEG. At this occasion the company also honored some of the achievers, and to my surprise I was awarded with the honor of “Dare To dream” award for my brand Falcon Fashion. The moment was filled with surprise, and emotions. I have no hesitance in saying that more than the award I was impressed by the title written on it, “Dare To Dream”, which persuaded me to look back in to the journey from a dyslexic, shy and timid girl turning in to a business woman.

That day brought so many memories back of the struggles throughout my school years, the journey of womanhood and motherhood, till the dream which started few years back, of setting up my own fashion brand. I always knew my journey is not going to be easy with having responsibility of a young daughter and taking care of household. I worked tirelessly and passionately and at the same time ensuring not to disturb my day to day responsibilities and overall not losing the pa-tience and desire to achieve my dreams. When I achieved my first milestone of receiving BA honors degree, I announced my entrance in the world of Fashion.

There were moments of frustration and the days when I couldn’t see beyond, but always had a will to go on.The journey from a weak girl to a strong woman is filled with so many challenges, pain, and ups and downs that I cannot write in few pages, but dream does not become reality till we have a courage to pursue it with sweat, hard work and perseverance.

The path is still long and it’s just the beginning, but one thing I realized that success is not all about making monetary profits, success is over all a expedition. From taking a first step to challenge yourself, coming out of your comfort zone, and most of all where you are and where you want to be, each small achievement is a accomplishment and each failure adds a brick to strengthen the wall of your success.So hold fast on to your dreams, because future belongs to those who believe in their dreams.

 

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Falcon Fashion was established in February 2018 by founder Shaheena Shaikh, who felt that there was a need to empower women through the use of ethnic and expressive apparel. The brand is a fusion of Eastern and Western inspired garments that enables the creation of bold prints and colours for women that aren’t afraid to stand out.

Why Co-Working is Vital to My Business and my Well-Being by @katelynstanis

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by Katelyn Stanis

When I left my corporate 9-6 gig to turn my side-hustle as a wedding vow and toast writer into a full-time business, I felt a surge of excitement and serotonin. But after just three days working alone in my home office, the extrovert in me was pleading to get out—literally. I had to get out of the house.

I forced myself to schedule at least two outings per week. From coffee dates to networking events, I would attend anything that gave me a reason to put on pants and mascara.

Despite my best efforts, I was starting to feel depressed. Many days, the only time I left my apartment was to walk my dog and I felt elated when the doorman wanted to talk for five-minutes.

My lackluster attitude began to slowly eat away at my entrepreneurial spirit and I didn’t feel inspired or motivated. After 10 weeks, I had officially lost my ability to make working from home work for me. It was time to consider a co-working space for my vow writing service.

Being in located in New York City, co-working spaces are about as common and trendy as matcha tea spots. I toured three spaces and chose a women-focused space—The Luminary.

Joining this workspace has been the biggest game changer for me. If you’re considering a space, here are the immediate benefits that I’ve experienced:

  • I have a real routine again. For me, routine equals productivity.
  • I have made new friends. Belonging to a co-working space with a focus on community means forming connections with amazing women who not only help on the social front but are valuable business mentors too.
  • There are a ton of monthly professional development events that happen each month. Investing in myself means investing in my business.
  • I’m inspired! It’s important to surround myself with things that give me fuel. For me, that’s being around people and in a place that reignites that fiery entrepreneurial energy.

Being a solopreneur can feel isolating and uninspiring at times but it does not have to. Consider your options. Explore spaces. And choose a place where when you walk in, you feel ready to rock your business and your life.

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Katelyn Stanis is the owner and creator of Wedding Words, a wedding vow and speech writing service. She helps tongue-tied couples from across the world tie the knot through her one-on-one custom vow writing service and speech writing service.

With a BA in Journalism, Katelyn has always adored asking people the right questions to unearth their own vibrant story. Today, she uses that same passion to discover the details of a couple’s love story and collaborates to put their heart into words.

Katelyn has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Brides, The Everygirl, Bridal Musings, and Wedding Chicks.

Everything You Need to Know About the Power of Eye Contact [Infographic]

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Graphic courtesy of Rory.com.

Humans are social animals, and we can tell a lot about one another just from the way we make eye contact. Developing a strong and confident gaze is one of the most important skills you can achieve, both in your professional and in your personal life. People who make strong eye contact are perceived as capable, dominant, and approachable, while those who break their gaze frequently are seen as shy and submissive. As women especially, it is important to be conscious of the way we make eye contact and practice holding our gaze. Luckily, this is a skill that you can work on, and here is a guide from Rory on methods for improving eye contact in specific situations.

 

Everything You Need to Know About the Power of Eye Contact

How to Find Freelance Film Gigs

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by Lena Strothe

Being a freelancer is both incredibly freeing and nerve-racking. Choosing your projects and determining your own schedule is a luxury, but it is also a constant grind to find your next lead or client. The entertainment industry is especially notorious for its competitive and cutthroat nature when it comes to staffing. With that in mind, here are a couple of helpful tips for finding your next gig:

USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO YOUR ADVANTAGE

Social media is an absolute must for freelancers, especially for those of us in audio/visual fields. Update your Twitter with work availability, post pictures of your latest project on Instagram, and be on the lookout for Facebook groups that are specific to your field. I have gotten a lot of my leads just by periodically checking on 10-20 production resource groups. Personal favorites include “Freelancing Females” and “I Hella Wanna Be On Set.”

USE INDUSTRY SPECIFIC TOOLS & JOB BOARDS

There are tons of great ways to look for gigs online nowadays, but ideally, you’ll want to stick to sites that cater to our industry. Mandy, Production Hub, and Staff Me Up are all good examples of this, although it can be easy to get lost in the sheer amount of applicants. Try to be as specific in your search and in your profile (union affiliations, genre experience, special skills, etc.) as you can. For a smaller, more vetted community, you may also want to check out Wrangle, an invite-only community and staffing platform for media freelancers that rely on recommendations, user feedback and a verifiable professional work history when selecting for members.

CONSIDER CO-WORKING SPACES

For a lot of industry folks, a good amount of time is spent networking, prepping, budgeting, and pitching for the next project. While these are all tasks that can technically be done from your home desk or – let’s be honest – living room couch, I would urge freelancers to consider spending some of this time at a coworking space. Each city has different options, but popular hubs like WeWork or the more women-centric community The Wing are a fantastic way to meet likeminded creatives while writing, working or grabbing coffee at the communal kitchen. Another plus: they offer great networking events that may help you widen your client base!

Alright, best of luck out there ladies. Network, promote and co-work your way to the next dream production gig. Break a leg!

 

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Lena is an LA-based Content Producer, specializing in Film Marketing. Notable theatrical campaigns include Aquaman, Ocean’s 8 and Marvel’s Jessica Jones.

How to Merge your Work and Everyday Wardrobes by Megan Moran of @stylefoundrycle

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by Megan Moran

Minimize Your Closet to Maximize Your Wardrobe. This is a phrase I toss around a lot but on the surface can be a little confusing. What I mean by this is that you need to get rid of the pieces you don’t love and make better use of the ones you do…. Easier said than done, right?

One of the reasons people struggle to “maximize their wardrobe” is because they have a separate one for work and everyday. (Raise your hand if that’s you!) Not to worry I’ve got an easy system to help you merge the two so you have fewer pieces that are making more outfits for you:

1. First and foremost get excited (not scared) about the trend towards a Business Casual. Most companies (and therefore your clients) are leaning this way which is GREAT when it comes to maximizing your wardrobe. It’s so helpful because while you want to look put-together and dressed up for your meetings, you also want to match your client’s attire. With this change from business professional (jacket required) to a more relaxed look you’re expected to dress less formal- just like you do when you’re outside of work.

2. Focus on your tops: Having the right tops are the key to merging your work and everyday wardrobes. Your closet should be mostly filled with polyester blouses or classic sweaters because they can easily be dressed up or down. i.e. For work, you can wear your blouse with your dress slacks + heels + a statement necklace. But then on the weekends you can wear that same blouse with jeans + casual flats + and a simple long necklace. One piece working for both aspects of your life.

3. Keep your bottoms neutral: By keeping your bottoms neutral and letting your tops do the talking, you can more easily mix and match what you own into many different outfit combinations while limiting the pieces you can’t wear all the time. I suggest at the very minimum you have dress pants in: black, navy, and gray and jeans in: white and a dark wash.

4. Accessories make a difference: Accessories are the other key to transitioning your looks. A statement necklace can give your outfit that dressier edge and make your look pop whereas a long necklace can help tone down an outfit and make it a bit more casual. The beauty is that these relatively inexpensive pieces help you take one top and make it wearable for almost every occasion.

5. Remember: Every piece you own should make at least 3 outfits. I say this time and time again but it really helps you understand if a piece is too limiting in your closet. When you’re looking at a top or sweater think about how you could wear it to work, then on the weekends, and then for a date night. If the piece can transition throughout those activities and you love it- then it’s a keeper. Now granted not every single piece (like that sparkly top you only wear during the holidays) will be approved by this rule of thumb- and that’s ok! Just keep it in your mind as a general tip.

 

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Megan Moran, owner and wardrobe stylist at The Style Foundry, has spent the last 10 years helping busy business women take the stress out of getting dressed. From her one-on-one styling services to her virtual courses to her speaking engagements and TV appearances- if you’re looking for fashion help she’s your girl. Her goal is to help you streamline your closet, create unique outfit choices, and shop stress-free, so you can save you time, ease frustration, and feel confident in your clothes. Need help with your wardrobe? Let’s chat: megan@thestylefoundrycle.com | www.thestylefoundrycle.com

Leadership Lessons a Road Trip has Taught Us [Infographic]

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Sometimes we do not recognize or accredit the lessons we learn from the adventures in our lives. It can go unnoticed the skills we gain from life’s endeavors. There are many ways to begin to see the lessons we have learned, including through a road trip. Road trips have taught us valuable skills that we can start applying to our daily work and personal life.

When we hit the road, we have to make a plan on how we will get from point A to point B, that’s planning. Sometimes, the unexpected comes along and your tire pops, that’s adapting. We also have to communicate with our co-riders to make the trip successful, that’s collaboration. CarRentals has put together 8 leadership lessons learned from the road that you can see in full detail here. Check out an overview of each skill the road has taught us below.

 

Leadership Lessons Learned From Road Trips

Gender Differences in Online Video Consumption by Rena of @teambiteable

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by Rena – Biteable social media marketer

Consider this: users view more than 500 million hours of video each day on YouTube. After Google, YouTube is the second most trafficked site on the internet. With that amount of traffic generating that many millions of hours, it can be tricky to discern who is paying attention to your online video content.

There are lots of factors to consider when crafting your online video content for the right audience. Age, social media platform, and location are all obvious indicators that can help direct your video content. A less obvious element? Gender.

Online video consumption trends between genders vary widely. Here’s some background on gender differences in video consumption — and some things to consider when creating content for a specific audience.

 

Women Vs. Men: Who’s Watching?

Historically, women have shown more engagement in online social networks than men. A study by comScore in 2010 discovered that social networking sites reach a higher percentage of women than men: 76% of women visit a social network, versus 70% of men.

More significantly, women spend an average of 5.5 hours each month on social media, compared to 4 hours by men. This suggests that women are more engaged with the content being shown on social media — and more often than not, the content is video.

A more recent study verifies this trend. In 2014, another study measured gendered differences in Facebook engagement. This time, the trend was even more clear: 54% of women view photos and videos on Facebook, compared to just 39% of men; in fact, women consume entertainment posts at a rate of 43%, almost 10 points higher than men.

 

Online Video Consumption Trends

Overall, video consumption is on the rise in a major way. One estimate anticipated that 74% of all Internet traffic in 2017 will be video. Driven by mobile marketing, video is king. The takeaway here is that these statistics seem to suggest that more women engage with online video content than men. And this is true, but there are underlying trends that content creators should note.

Women and men have different preferences in the kinds of content they seek out. One study found that women generally prefer visual platforms, like Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram — platforms where video is king. Men, on the other hand, are more dominant on text-based sites like Reddit or Digg. Some sociologists believe this difference is rooted in traditional gender roles: mothers have been historically responsible for taking family photos, and visual content online is the next evolution of that trend.

When it comes to marketing, however, the trends shift. Video advertising sees more traction with men than women: in fact, in one study, 50% more men than women interacted with video ads. What this suggests is that women consume content for personal and social reasons, while men look to videos for knowledge, and to learn about products and brands.

Check out this infographic for deeper trends in video consumption.

 

How to Craft Your Video Content

Your content should be true to you and your audience, rather than crafted for a specific gender.

Generally speaking, content that is inclusive, rather than exclusive, will always perform better. Certain video best practices will always reign supreme: clear visuals, an engaging narrative, and keeping your video short and to the point will lead to better views.

There are different types of video you can make for your business as a lead magnet. With this background, an explainer video or promo might do better with men than with women. Conversely, a behind-the-scenes or review video is going to score better with women.

Most importantly, where you post your video often matters more than what you put in your video. Social networks like Facebook and Instagram are video-friendly platforms that are sure to reach lots of women. If you want men to view your video, prioritize YouTube and LinkedIn.

With these platforms guiding your content strategy, you’ll be able to storyboard your video to reach the right hearts, minds, and eyeballs.

 

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Rena, Biteable social media marketer

Rena is a social media scientist in the Biteable Lab. Out of the office, Rena likes late nights and good coffee.

How to Promote Gender Equality in the Workplace [Infographic]

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Info graphic courtesy of Fundera

Gender equality is achieved when there is an even playing field in terms of opportunities for either gender in workplaces around the globe. And while our society has taken huge leaps in recent years to help bridge this gap, there is still a lot of work to be done. Inequality can be seen in a variety of industries in things like a pay gap, sexual harassment, gender biases and an absence of women in managerial roles.

For instance, did you know that while companies that have high levels of gender diversity are 15% more likely to outperform their competitors, only 38% of managerial roles are held by women? Data has proven that both companies and their employees benefit when women are given more of an equal say and help to lead the company in the right direction. But many companies are still behind when it comes to actually implementing best practices for inclusion.

In honor of equal pay day just around the corner (August 26th), the team at Fundera took a deep dive into the issue of gender inequality in the workplace, what employers can do to help mend this systematic issue and lessons women can learn from inspiring women who have climbed the corporate ladder in spite of all the roadblocks in their way.

 

Gender Equality In The Workplace

Debunking the Myth of Overnight Success [Infographic]

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Entrepreneurial achievement is a hot topic for many business publications. In fact, it can sometimes seem like the business world is obsessed with the extraordinary stories of overnight success. That’s why it’s important to remember that these stories are indeed unlikely and that we often don’t hear about the preparation work or even the multiple failures that successful entrepreneurs face before making it big.

Things change quickly in small business, as many founders will tell you. While startups offer opportunities for accelerated success, they also come with a high chance of failure. Though the emphasis is often put on the quality of the idea, the reality is that sudden success is usually the result of years of hard work—and failures.

The team at Credit.com retraced the journies of some of the most high profile entrepreneurs in the world. They found that many successful businesses began as humble ideas and went  through multiple iterations before becoming profitable. This might come as an ecouraging reminder to entrepreneurs to keep working, create realistic timelines, be flexible, and learn from each failure.

 

Overnight Success

Infographic courtesy of https://www.credit.com/

11 Ways Your Small Business Can Avoid The Summer Slump [Infographic]

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During summer months from June through September, 53% of workers report feeling distracted. This phenomenon is so common, it now has its own name — the summer slump.

The slump kicks into high gear as high temperatures and summer vacations become office commonplace. 25% of employees report actually feeling less productive during summer months, as they get weary and lose motivation.

Summer also marks the mid-year point, so employees who don’t have a vacation on the horizon will begin to experience burnout. Consequently, a majority of American employees report that they don’t think their employer does enough to prevent this burnout.

From Memorial Day to Labor Day, your business productivity can really suffer if you don’t actively engage your employees with nontraditional leadership ideas. Thinking outside of the box will pay off in the long run, so don’t be prepared to switch up routine and take risks during summer months.

Some unconventional tips include:

  1. Increase flexibility during summer months: Consider remote work days and summer hours.
  2. Relax your in-office atmosphere to reflect the slow season: Casual dress code, pet policies, and more can help your employees relax!
  3. Ditch tradition: Consider planning weekly events you wouldn’t have time to do in fall, such as offsite meetings and team building activities.

If you do see a decline in your workers productivity this summer, don’t panic. Remember that this phenomenon is common — but start taking steps to avoid it today. Read on for 11 tips from Fundera to avoid the summer slump.

 

11 Ways Your Small Business Can Avoid The Summer Slump

From Fundera.com