Women in Business spotlight features women of all generations who have dominated their industry, risen above uncertainties and challenges, and have advice for the world. They pursued their passion though others may not have seen their dream as possible, and they made it happen. As women, we must stand together and mentor our youth. Our support can help the future’s women stay empowered. We CAN have brains and beauty. We are badass.
To show your support and spread the word, take a selfie in your “power suit” (whatever that means to you), and use the hashtag #BrainsandBeauty.
I recently sat down with Kerry at Pullman Kitchen in Santa Rosa. Kerry, a Social Media trainer, educator, author and speaker, and consultant, had arrived before me, as always. She can always be counted on for her promptness. It was over lunch that I interviewed my dear friend, who I have looked up to for so many years.
I first met Kerry through the Santa Rosa Young Professional’s Network. It was their second mixer and at the time, Kerry was an organizer. She helped organize and make space for people’s items and belongings. She decluttered everything.
It was Neil Shaw, former owner of Sizzling Tandoor, that gave her the advice needed that sparked a light bulb. An ah-ha moment. He said…Kerry, you are giving advice away for free. You need to charge. It was then that Kerry realized she has something: a business concept.
People had been asking her for years about social media. The economy was tanking. Within 3 months of speaking to Shaw at a Chamber event, she put together a social media boot camp and began her path to becoming a Social Media Guru. She has gone on to write books on social media, navigating the social media world, and updates her blog regularly.
Emerging into the Beautiful, brainy badass sphere didn’t come without its challenges – she cites that at the beginning, some found her budding passion “cute” and had difficulty taking her seriously. Low expectations didn’t stop her. Her quiet power, much like burgundy is red with class, is showing the world her ideas aren’t just viable. They’re good. People react to hearing that she’s an author, and she credits her many speaking engagements as coming directly from her books. The pride of authorship, and being able to pay her bills and do what she loves, make it all worth it.
Smartt Takeaway: The idea that women are “trying to be X”, and the mis-teaching that we ought to frame our business ventures in this way, subtly reinforce this idea that we’re just playing around with being successful. We’re not. We are successful.
