Tuesday's Treasure - Texas Couture

Being half-Texan (Mother's side) and a frequent traveler to the Lone Star state, I could not pass up an opportunity to highlight some of the fashion trendsetters that have their roots there.

Hearing about all the festivities surrounding the recent SXSW Event in Austin made me a bit homesick. While all the focus seems to be on the Capitol City's lightning rod as a High-Tech startup breeding ground, I have seen some remarkable talent emerge in Fashion.

One Austin native, Tom Ford, recently re-launched his line of flattering designs for women after abandoning the gender in 2004. Fast Company named him one of their 100 Most Creative People in 2010 and his spring collection 2011 shows he is back with a bang.

Sadly, another one of my favorite Austin designers, Susan Dell wife of Billionaire Michael Dell, shut down her Phi luxury collection last year. I remember when Susan opened her first store in the tony Tarrytown area of Austin in 2003. 85 Broads member Lauren Santo Domingo whose new venture Moda Operandi we featured here last week, was also a big fan of Susan's work as I recall. I hope we see more of her in the future.

Tuesday's Treasure - Fashion Flourishes through Female Entrepreneurs!

What a great time to be a female in the Fashion industry. Through my association with the 85 Broads Network, I have met many very talented and savvy businesswomen who work in the fashion world for top designers, or who have recently set up their own ventures after working in other areas.

Our own Evie, who is a Spokesmodel for WWRG and an 85 Broads member, is actively involved in several projects including the Fashion for Development initiative she is now rolling out via South South News. We featured her shows in a recent Lifestyle Lifters post.

We have also featured a venture curated by Shauna Mei called Aha!Life. For those of you looking for something unique to give to someone or yourself, I recommend you visit their website and sign up. Many of their offerings are created by women or benefit women in disadvantaged countries.

Another recent addition to the firmament of fashion by an 85 Broads member (or members in this case!) is Moda Operandi. Here, Ashlaug Magnusdottir and Lauren Santo Domingo have created a "first-in-category, members-only online store that lets customers browse and pre-order designer collections immediately following their runway presentation. Launched during New York Fashion Week, M'O was created to allow its members to "shop the runway" from the privacy of their own homes.

Moda Operandi provides direct access to complete runway collections from the finest designer brands, including Nina Ricci, Giambattista Valli, Carolina Herrera, Calvin Klein, Alexander Wang, and Proenza Schouler, as well as jewelry, shoes, handbags, and accessories. Membership perks include recommendations from top stylists, personal shopping assistants, and tools to review looks from every angle."

So many great Women now hold C-level positions at fashion industry Icons like Burberry and Gilt Groupe, to name but a few. If you have a "passion for fashion", please consider joining a network like 85 Broads where you will find plenty of support and mentorship. This is the vision that Janet Hanson set forth when she co-founded the organization in 1997 which has grown to a membership of over 25,000 women and a few enlightened men (me included!)

Tuesday's Treasure - Event Alert "How Women-Owned Small Businesses Will Save The Economy"

We interrupt our regularly scheduled Tuesday's Treasure post to let you know about a "treasure" of another kind and a very special event she will be speaking at for those of you in the NY Metro Area.

Her name is Kathy McShane and we featured her in a Wednesday's Women of Courage post last year. This Wednesday, March 10, at 9:30am at Waveny House in New Canaan, CT, the American Association of University Women will host Kathy where she will discuss women entrepreneurs and how their growing ranks will change our economy and help lead us out of the financial crisis that continues to put women, their children, and generations to come, at risk.

This blog has been a strong advocate for Women's Empowerment and Women Entrepreneurship. In a blog last year we highlighted the events surrounding the Women's Forum in Deauville, France which has become the "Davos for Women". We have featured pioneering women entrepreneurs such as Shauna Mei, founder of AHA!Life and women, like Kathy McShane, and VC Cindy Padnos of Illuminate Ventures that target women-led ventures, and help them realize their dreams.

Please continue to support the efforts of Women Entrepreneurs and seek them out when next you are looking for goods or services. Your local chapter of 85 broads or Ladies Who Launch are a good starting point.

Thursday's Truths - Microloans Make a Difference!

My apology to my faithful viewers. I have not had an opportunity to post since last week! There are a lot of exciting things happening with the WWRG network, including last evening's event put on by our local chapter of 85 Broads which featured the Grameen Foundation and their work to provide microloans to women in disadvantaged nations so that they can lift themselves and their children out of poverty.

I was honored to be a Power Host at the event, and led a group of women ( and a few enlightened men!) through a exercise on how the process of loan making works.

The impact of these loans is impressive. Here are a few statistics courtesy the Grameen Foundation:

• 9.4 Million...
  ...of the world's poor have been helped by our MFI partners, allowing them to begin their journey out of poverty.
• More than 1 Million...
  ...microloans have been generated through our Growth Guarantee program. (Estimate based on average loan size.)
  
• $160 Million...
  ...in local currency has been leveraged to support microfinance programs in 13 countries.
• 25,000...
  ...Village Phone operators are working in 6 countries around the world.
• 300,000...
  ...daily transactions are supported through Mifos at microfinance institutions around the world.
• More Than $2.3 Million...
  ...in in-kind services have been contributed by 140 Bankers without Borders volunteers in 9 countries.

Many of you know that I am committed to getting the word out about Global Women's Issues including the fact that greater than 70% of the world's poor are women and children.

I encourage you to support organizations such as the Grameen Foundation and others like it. Also, please familiarize yourself with the UN Millennium Goals, which seek to eliminate world poverty by 2015.

Thursday's Truths - Women Entrepreneurs at Women's Forum 2010

Day one of the Women's Forum 2010 being held in Deauville, France features speakers including Jennifer Halliday, Global Director of Business Development, Zinio, LLC. and Vivmag, LLC.

One of the major themes running through this Event is how women are becoming increasingly involved in global entrepreneurial activities.

Here are a few findings that were presented in today's session:

- opportunity and necessity are the two primary reasons to get involved in entrepreneurial activities.
- Across the world, women in richer countries are starting an increasing number of businesses with high economic potential and in high-tech sectors.
- In countries with low levels of economic output (GDP), entrepreneurship offers a way out of poverty.

As I reported in an earlier blog, 20% of all entrepreneurs in China are women. Here in the US, Chinese-Americans like Shauna Mei are starting up successful ventures, and capitalizing on the educational and career opportunities that this country presented to them.

There are many exciting programs scheduled for tomorrow's (10/15/10) session including one by Jeanniey Mullen, Global Executive Vice President and CMO of Zinio, LLC and Vivmag, LLC,

Also on tap tomorrow is a session sponsored by Ernst & Young of an inaugural group of CEO Male Champions. The business leaders will come together to define – through specific and actionable dialogue – what it means to be a CEO Champion of women’s advancement and empowerment.

Enlightened men are increasingly becoming involved in previously exclusively all-female groups. I am privileged to have been named as one of the first "Guys Who Rock" by 85 Broads, a global and exclusive members-only network of over 22,000 women (and a handful of enlightened men!)

Thursday's Truth - NOW I get it!

Late last week I had an AHA! moment, as entrepreneur and 85 Broads colleague, Shauna Mei would say. An article entitled Women on Street A Declining Breed appeared in last week's WSJ.

It was brought to my attention by another 85 Broads colleague, Margaret Astolfi of Clear Harbor Asset Management.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over the past ten years, 141,000 women, or 2.6% of female workers in finance, left the industry. This despite a 4.1% growth in the number of women in the US labor force during the same time period.

In the article, several reasons are cited for this decline, including one by 85 Broads Founder, Janet Hanson, who offered that women are finding "their entrepreneurial groove" , " It's not because Wall Street is not a fascinating place to be, it's just that there are other places that are more fascinating".

I could not agree more. One only need look at the swelling ranks of women entrepreneurs in emerging markets like China where women make up 47% of the workforce, and 20% of all entrepreneurs. Click here for a recent study by Harvard and Rollins College faculty.

But I have another theory as to why female talent has left the financial industry.

It involves authenticity. Most women demand it. And Wall Street has traditionally not fostered a culture of truth.

Another thing women demand, and are willing to fight for, is equality. Despite recent progress, the gap between what women on Wall Street earn compared to their male counterparts is still unacceptably large. Forgetting pay, women account for only 16.8% of executive officers, and only 2.5% of financial company CEO's, according to a recent study by Catalyst, Inc.

The only thing that will reverse this alarming trend is a mutual investment by both men and women in changing the way society views their roles and responsibilities. Click here for a post on this subject by fellow 85 Broads colleague and Wonder Woman, Jacki Zehner.

The truth is, we need more women on Wall Street, not less. But then again, we need more women in all areas of influence and power. We need more Authenticity. Once this has been restored, the women will come.

I, and many others, are looking for ways to help bridge the gap between men and women. Women of Wealth are putting their money where their mouth is, and supporting other women.

And it's finally beginning to pay off!

Tuesday's Treasure - Networking 101

Many of you have accumulated wealth through the effort and determination required to succeed as a small business owner, entrepreneur, or by breaking through the glass ceiling at a Fortune 500 company.

My fellow 85 Broads Member, Hilary Eaton Pearl, is an internationally recognized success coach and founder of Hilary Pearl Associates. In her seminars, she emphasizes the need to create and maintain a "personal brand".

There are many ways to do this. One is to join one of the many women's networks that have been created within corporations that recognize the value, and cost saving, associated with fostering gender equality. Many employers like Deloitte, view it as part of their business strategy.

By viewing this blog, you are passively joining in to my global network. Each time you click through to another blog or website, you are taking part in what I call learn & apply involvement.

Another way to amp up your personal brand value is to join one of the many digital social networks, such as Facebook or LinkedIN. Be very careful here, however, because reputation management is much more difficult when you hang yourself out to an entire world via the World Wide Web.

If this is the way you want to go, I suggest you hire a good "social media trainer" such as Kathryn Rose who is part of the Ladies Who Launch network, and Founder of Supreme Social Media. They can coach you on how to tap into this incredibly powerful tool and become more effective with networking at all levels - professional and personal.

And finally, there is just plain, old fashioned face-to-face human interaction. Take time to strike up a conversation with a person next to you on the train, in a store, or restaurant. Janet Hanson, Founder of 85 Broads calls this "seeing the trade"

As Hilary says "It’s each of our responsibility to make introductions between two people you find interesting. Later, the gift will come back to you."

Celebrities, Philanthropies,Charities - Jacki Zehner

I would be remiss in not mentioning the recent change of "virtual venue" by one of my favorite Gal Pals and fellow 85 Broads member, Jacki Zehner.

Coupled with a physical change in venue, Jacki now continues her popular blog as part of her namesake website, jackizehner.com. Her previous blog posts from pursepundit.blogspot.com have been ported over so none of her brilliant insight and true humanity will be lost.

For those of us who have seen Jacki grow into one of the world's most powerful women on Wall Street, this is a very welcome step. Take a look at her latest op-ed piece for a taste of how committed she is to action and not just words. When Jacki speaks, it is with a strong voice calling for Women's Equality.

Few know that Jacki and her husband, an ordained minister, are supporters of many causes through the Zehner Family Foundation. Both of them are retired Goldman Sachs partners, Jacki having been the youngest woman and the first trader to be invited into the partnership.

I know from firsthand experience that with this couple, family comes first. And despite their wealth, they know that stewardship of Time, Talent, and Treasure are the most important lessons to be learned, and the most difficult to live by.

For a great list of upcoming global women's events (maybe you will be lucky enough to catch Jacki at one!) click here.

Thursday's Truth - Networking Authentically

In yesterday's Wednesday's Women of Courage post, I highlighted the research that Cindy Padnos of Illuminate Ventures has made available as yet another data point proving that despite all the hype, women still face an uphill battle to reach parity with men in multiple venues.

In my opinion, the battle is not in the boardrooms or hallways of Corporate America. The truth is - this battle is in the minds of millions of brilliant women, conflicted through nature or nurture over their purpose in life.

Let's be honest, despite all the Political Correctness we display in public regarding equality and women's rights, there is still a large undercurrent of discrimination against women playing out every day in our homes, schools, and in the workplace.

While efforts like The Girl Effect bring tremendous inspiration to the effort, it is up to each individual, woman and man, to show courage and authenticity in every aspect of their lives, if we want to achieve our potential as individuals, families, and the world as a whole. But we must also reach out to one another for support and inspiration if we are to rid our minds of the falsehoods regarding gender equality that are holding us back.

One organization that is working hard to provide women with a place to network authentically is the 85 Broads organization. Recently, they discovered that their database of members included over 750 women with the title of CEO, Co-Founder, or President. This datapoint has led them to the following conclusion:

TREND: Female entrepreneurs are attracting capital through trusted, established networks like 85 Broads. In turn, they are hiring women to play key roles in their businesses, both as employees and as consultants. In essence, they are becoming “buying centers” of other women’s services and products globally.

85 BROADS IS RAPIDLY BECOMING A GLOBAL BUSINESS HUB: ForbesWoman, a terrific magazine and website for "career-minded women who mean business," has selected 85Broads.com as one of the Top 100 Best Sites for Women. Several fellow members of 85 Broads have sites that also made the list!

Take time today to join at least one network of women. Reach out, down, and up to another female colleague or friend and invest in their effort by applying your time, talent, or treasure.

And most of all, take time to defeat the enemy that lurks in your mind. Once you believe in yourself, there is nothing that holds you back from achieving your goals and dreams!

Thursday's Truth - Wall Street and Gender Equality

As many of you are aware, I am always looking for ways to "bridge the gap" between women and men. I was recently nominated to receive honorary membership in an exclusive, formerly women-only group called 85 Broads.

In capital markets, we call the exploitation of price differences, or gaps "arbitrage". Although there are many successful female fund managers in the industry today, the fact is, this area of finance is still woefully under served by women. A recent study by The National Council for Research on Women is recommended reading.

According to data collected by Bloomberg, L.P. from January 2000 - May 31, 2009, on average, funds managed by women produced annual returns of 9 percent, compared with a 5.82 percent average annual return by funds run by men.

Furthermore, in 2008, during the height of the financial crisis, funds run by women were down 9.6 percent versus a a 19 percent decline in those run by men.

I am currently working with two financial services firms, both of whom are women-owned and Women's Business Enterprise (WBE) certified. One of these has over $3.1B AUM. But these women are pioneers in a still male-dominated industry, that has a long way to go to be truly "women-friendly".

As Women of Wealth, you need to be involved in making sure your money is managed by a female money manager or team. Many financial services firms give lip service to being focused on the investment needs of women. They recognize that women now control almost 48% of the world's wealth, and this number will continue to rise.

Beware of those that have set up "female facades" targeting this lucrative demographic, only to hand over responsibility for managing their assets to male fund managers behind the scenes.

Should any of you need assistance in finding these female-run funds, please drop me a note at my 85 Broads website.

Wednesday's Woman of Courage - 85 Broads Founder, Janet Hanson

In my post last Wednesday announcing the re-launch of the WWRG blogsite I mentioned my affiliation with the 85 Broads organization, a global and exclusive women's network, and my honorary membership as one of the first "Guys Who Rock".

I also promised to bring back the Wednesday's Woman of Courage post that spotlights the efforts of one or more courageous and visionary women from across the globe.

Since my loyal followers now come from 13 countries and 4 continents, it is only fitting that I honor today a woman whose efforts through 85 Broads have resulted in a membership of over 22,000 women (and a handful of men) in 82 countries.

I am speaking of Janet Hanson - Wall Street legend, Author, Entrepreneur, Cancer Survivor, Mother, and Friend.

Her accomplishments are too numerous for me to give to you so I encourage you to read a recent interview of Janet by another 85 Broads member, Ana Lueneburger.

In her book, More Than 85 Broads, Janet delivers a powerful message - "Partnership is everything in life".

I couldn't agree with her more.

I encourage you to join the 85 Broads network and participate in your local chapter's events. I hope to see you at one of them.

Until then, remember to believe, achieve, receive. SDG JBHIV