The 10 Most Admired Women Leaders in Business 2022

The

Most

Admired Women Leaders

in Business, 2022

Door to Success Leaders that We Need Today Womanhood Unlocking the POTENTIAL of WOMEN for WELFARE of the WORLD

Founder & President

VOL-02 | ISSUE-10 | 2022

www.insightssuccess.com

Editor’s Desk A Choosing to Thrive

s a business leader, you will be forced to adapt to the changing times to be relevant in your business.

You must embrace reality and confidently make the best even in a crisis by staying alert and recognizing the opportunity. As the saying goes, “Seek, and you shall find.

Ask, and you will be given. Knock the door, and it will be opened,” making crisis an opportunity to deliver something remarkable by tapping into your fullest potential. The world is full of possibilities; however, one should look at the problems from several angles while staying objective.

Society’s progress is measured by the degree to which women have progressed. If you educate a woman, then you educate a generation. The participation of women leaders in the business demonstrates women empowerment adding to better representation of women as a sign of progressive gender equality globally. It is one of the most critical sustainable development goals of the United Nations.

Gender equality is a prerequisite for promoting an inclusive society, fostering sustainable development, and building solid businesses. Promoting a culture of freedom where everyone can be just themselves and contribute according to their best capacities should be encouraged by business leaders. Achieving sustainable gender equality needs the engagement of men and women, boys and girls. It is everyone’s responsibility to create an all-inclusive culture where everyone is celebrated, appreciated, encouraged, and pushed to achieve their best for themselves, business, and society.

Women leaders need to be pragmatic and take clever actions to ensure extraordinary business performance, promoting a client and employee-centric culture to intact clients’ trust. They have a knack for instilling transformational change by encouraging everyone to deliver exceptional performance and admirable leadership abilities.

In this edition of “The 10 Most Admired Women Leaders in Business 2022,” Insights success celebrates leaders who believe in their incredible capacity to make a difference in the business world by utilizing their inherent potential.

Explore similar stories of strong women leadership in various business fields that are redefining the business world’s terminology. Have a quick rundown of the articles written by the in-house editorial team.

Have a good read!

Sharad Chitalkar sharad@insightssuccess.com

C O N T E N T S

08

A RT I C L E S

30

Door to Success Leaders that We Need Today

Womanhood Unlocking the POTENTIAL of WOMEN for WELFARE of the WORLD

46

C O V E R S TO RY

Daria Dubinina

22

An Ambitious, People-Oriented Leader

Diana Jenner

32

26

Redefining the Beauty Industry

Sherry Blinkhorn

Heather Ripley

An Ardent Legal Professional Exemplifying Passionate Leadership

An Avid Designer Creating Spaces that are Collected, not Decorated

Tracy Lamourie

36

Ruthie Staalsen

An Accomplished Real Estate Broker and a Passionate Advocate for the Mentally Ill

A Passionate, Remarkable, and Committed HR Executive

52

18

Dervilla Lannon

Helping Businesses Stay Ahead of the Curve

Karina Tiwana

42

Building the Next-generation FinTech Products

An Admired Trailblazer Empowering the World for Better

48

Tessa White

56

Editor-in-Chief Pooja M Bansal Managing Editor Anish Miller

Executive Editor Sharad Chitalkar

Assistant Editors Jenny Fernandes Sourabh More

Visualizer

Art & Design Director

Associate Designer

David King

Sonia

Shyam Sonawane

Senior Sales Manager

Business Development Manager

Kshitij S

Peter Collins

Marketing Manager

Sales Executives David, Martin

John Matthew Technical Head

Business Development Executives

Jacob Smile

Steve, Joe, Saurabh

Technical Specialist Aditya

Digital Marketing Manager Marry D'Souza

SME-SMO Executive Atul Dhoran

Research Analyst Frank Adams

Circulation Manager Robert Brown

Database Management Stella Andrew

Technology Consultant David Stokes

sales@insightssuccess.com February, 2022

Follow us on :

www.facebook.com/insightssuccess/

www.twitter.com/insightssuccess

We are also available on : Copyright © 2021 Insights Success, All rights reserved. The content and images used in this magazine should not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission from Insights Success.

Reprint rights remain solely with Insights Success.

The

Most

Admired Women

Leaders

in Business, 2022

Featured Person

Company Name

Brief

Daria Dubinina CEO and Co-founder

Crassula crassula.io

Crassula White Label solutions build PSP, Banking, FX products.

Dervilla Lannon Vice President of People

Verkada verkada.com

Verkada brings the ease of use that consumer security solutions provide, to the levels of scale and protection that businesses and organizations require.

Diana Jenner Managing Director

Orchids Retreat Beauty & Wellbeing Clinic orchidsretreat.co.uk

An award winning boutique Beauty Salon with one goal in mind: the wellbeing of clients.

Heather Ripley CEO & Founder

Ripley PR ripleypr.com

Ripley PR is an award-winning, global public relations agency.

Karina Tiwana General Counsel Vice President and Corporate Secretary

ALE USA Inc. al-enterprise.com

Infinera is a global supplier of innovative networking solutions.

Laurie Stach Founder and President

LaunchX: High School Entrepreneurship Programs launchx.com

LaunchX gives students the skills and mindset to start real companies. Its signature summer program prepares high school students for real world success through entrepreneurship.

Ruthie Staalsen Owner & Professional Trainer

Ruthie Staalsen Interiors (RSI) ruthiestaalsen.com

Ruthie Staalsen Interiors helps you create relaxed, collected interiors, with a global influence.

Sherry Blinkhorn Broker/Owner

Blinkhorn Real Estate LTD blinkhornrealestate.com

Blinkhorn Real Estat implements innovative technologies and offers virtual reality tours and drone videography to enhance the listings services.

Tessa White CEO

The Job Doctor thejobdoctor.com

Accelerating business by helping companies design effective people strategies and increase workforce engagement.

Tracy Lamourie Founder and Managing Director

Lamourie Media Inc. lamouriemedia.com

Lamourie Media Inc. builds your brand with effective public and media relations.

Daria Dubinina

CEO and Co-founder Crassula

Daria Dubinina Building the Next-generation FinTech Products

February 2022 | 18 | insightssuccess.com

The 10 Most Admired Women Leaders in Business, 2022

W

omen have made enormous strides in the finance sector. Their contributions in the space are strengthening the financial-services industry and helping businesses stay ahead of challenges. One such woman shaping the future of finance is Daria Dubinina.

Before diving into entrepreneurship, Daria's journey has been full of discoveries and industry research. She has been working in the FinTech and payments field for five years, doing e-commerce and online payments. This allowed her to get to know the FinTech industry and strengthened her desire to learn and develop in FinTech.

Daria has dedicated more than nine years to mastering payments, e-commerce, and business development. As a leading strategist and entrepreneur, she has also led major partnership deals with top international companies. Today she is the CEO and Co-founder of Crassula.

Let's unveil more about Daria's journey and how Crassula is delivering the world-class products.

Putting Accumulated Knowledge into Action Crassula's story began when Daria met Alex Novozhenov and Vlad Nikolayev. They all are co-founders of Crassula.

The decision to found Crassula was a natural progression of the desire to put the accumulated knowledge into action.

They started with a simple idea to provide fast and easy core technology for launching FinTechs. And today Crassula White Label solutions are trusted by the industry leaders. The company allows users to build their PSP, Banking, FX products in days and provides access to worldclass products to over 5 million users.

Allowing Companies to Create their Products and Services Crassula White Label software provides the technical infrastructure for the FinTech companies that allows creating their services and products. With Crassula, companies can concentrate on building their businesses without spending years and huge budgets developing their solutions. Also, this approach reduces the risks when testing a business idea; now the company can begin to implement its idea on Crassula's platform, attract customers and enter the market.

Crassula allows its clients to launch their crypto banks and wallets, accepting crypto payments. Using its solutions, clients can start their crypto business in days.

February 2022 | 19 | insightssuccess.com

Helping Companies Bring their Ideas to Life Daria is playing a crucial role in supporting the launch, growth and development of FinTechs around the world through Crassula. Firstly, Crassula helps FinTech companies to bring their ideas to life quickly and save their budgets. It also creates a whole infrastructure of solutions and products, a kind of tech hub, stimulating the creation of new products and services development.

"We also do a lot of R&D and there is a clear trend of FinTech penetration into most tech industries. Social media, retail, gaming, and other industries are developing FinTech components. Thus, our solutions are also becoming more global, which allows us to develop the global market," Daria notes.

Creating Most Effective Products for Customers Further Daria mentions that Crassula researches and tests the latest technological advances to create the most effective products for its customers. Today, the Crassula platform offers 3 main products: Core Banking System, Crypto Banking System, and PSP. Core Banking System provides ledgers with IBANs, card management system, KYC onboarding and verification module, AML financial monitoring module, SWIFT & SEPA transfers, Currency exchange, and more.

“We are constantly developing, growing and improving.”

Crypto Banking product allows Crassula's clients to launch their crypto projects, manage and open accounts with unique crypto addresses, exchange fiat to crypto, make crypto transfers, invest in crypto, issue cards for private and business clients.

PSP is helping create a global payment gateway attributed with alternative payment methods, anti-fraud, risk management, merchant integration, smart routing, and virtual currencies, enabling payment companies to make online payments secure and smart for merchants and payers.

Encouraging Out of the Box Thinking in Team Members Stating the importance of culture Daria states that the most

February 2022 | 20 | insightssuccess.com

important value for Crassula is its team. For its community, one of the key principles is called "Freedom And Responsibility". It does not control every minute of working time, giving its teammates freedom to create whenever they want, but expects responsibility of finishing the projects on time and with the highest quality. It created its product with the ability to think out of the box and tries to encourage this skill in its team.

As a CEO, Daria tries to motivate Crassula's community, be a role model, share her experience and stimulate creativity in the area of responsibility of Crassula's teammates.

Daria believes that the basis for building a team is to work with the best. To cooperate with the best professionals from around the world, Crassula developed remote working practices even before the pandemic. So, when COVID-19 flipped the workplaces upside-down, Crassula had already embraced a remote work model before hiring professionals online began to get popular. This approach enabled the team to double in size in 2021. Currently, Crassula is a technical hub bringing together professionals from all over the world.

Its dream team is working remotely from Latvia, the UK, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan.

Keeping Pace with World Trends and Availing Edge We asked Daria her opinion on the next big significant change in the FinTech space, to which she says, "Pandemic, lockdown, and society changes led to radical changes in technology. Technologies today are developing rapidly as never before, and the FinTech industry is growing as well.

Online banking is becoming a transforming tool in finance.

And it's not just about the cashless economy. Digital banking offers more innovative services and products, improves security and transparency. It is important to mention white labelling as one of the main trends. White Label FinTech solutions allow the market to develop faster, and the businesses to launch their own solutions, minimize risks and costs.”

Looking Forward to Working on New Solutions Looking backward, Daria sees a lot of amazing clients, successful projects, and collaborations. Therefore, she is looking forward to working on new solutions for Crassula's clients, to new integrations, nominations, and collaborations.

Being Open to New Opportunities In her advice to emerging entrepreneurs, Daria says, "Building your own business is one of the most hard yet exciting journey. This is a chance to give rise to new trends that may one day change the world. Therefore, you should be open to new opportunities, work hard, and develop your networking skills. You should always take care of yourself, of your team and keep moving to the new goals.”

According to Daria, one of the most important financial innovations and one of the main trends is crypto. Trends such as robotic process automation and voice-enabled payments cannot be ignored. No one could even imagine how quickly it could evolve when online banking has just started. Big data projects are still an important trend, as people create an incredible amount of data every second.

Crassula is at the cutting edge of technology development, and it is going to work to let its products keep pace with world trends and possibly lead them.

February 2022 | 21 | insightssuccess.com

The 10 Most Admired Women Leaders in Business, 2022

Dervilla Lannon฀ An Ambitious, People-Oriented Leader

T

o attain the financial independence for financing a summer trip to France, Dervilla Lannon learnt the importance of working for inspirational leaders when she spent six years working at her father's meat processing plant in Ireland. Her father set the standard that exemplified what an inspirational leader should be with his work ethic and an unparalleled focus on his team and customers worldwide.

When Dervilla met Filip Kaliszan, the CEO of Verkada, she noticed that he exhibited similar traits as her father - an incredible work ethic and relentless passion for high-quality products, customers, and his team; she decided to join the company.

Dervilla Lannon became the Vice President of People at Verkada in November 2020. She feels very fortunate to marry her two main passions- people and philanthropy - in her role. As VP of People, Dervilla is excited to play a part in ensuring that employee satisfaction, engagement, and overall employee experiences are elevated. Dervilla says that Verkada's employees are incredible and working alongside them is an honor.

The Professional Widespread Dervilla studied law as an undergraduate at Trinity College in Dublin and qualified as a lawyer specializing in asset management/corporate securities law. This role allowed her to interact with clients across the globe, which she greatly enjoyed. The hours, primarily servicing global clients across different time zones, were demanding to say the least.

In 2009, Dervilla was asked to move to London to acquire two asset management companies. The situation of the

global financial crisis taught her to be resilient and maintain a positive attitude in what seemed like adversity. Over the next ten years, Dervilla worked in London, Dublin, and San Francisco, and for that, she is truly grateful. The amazing experience of living and working in different countries helped Dervilla understand different markets, customer needs, and cultures, which is helpful in her current role as Verkada expands both within the US and internationally.

In her current role at Verkada, it is awesome for her to see Verkada's employees enjoy similar experiences by leveraging its internal mobility policy to relocate to its offices in London, Sydney, Tampa, Salt Lake City, Austin, and Scottsdale.

Verkada is the leader in cloud-managed enterprise building security, enabling over 9,700 organizations worldwide to protect their people, assets, and privacy.

February 2022 | 22 | insightssuccess.com

Dervilla Lannon

Vice President of People

Verkada

During Dervilla's time at BlackRock, the company grew significantly, both organically and inorganically, which she feels prepared her well for her current role at Verkada, which is in a hyper-growth phase. She learned that change is the only constant, and to be truly successful, and you have to embrace it. Dervilla was fortunate to be selected to participate in the Women's Leadership Forum and had BlackRock's CFO as her sponsor. BlackRock's CFO was instrumental in her transition from the legal department to the financial technology business.

Initially, Dervilla questioned her ability to work in technology when her background was in law, and to this day, she struggles to keep up with the basic employee tech stack.

After almost five years surrounded by incredible technologists and security professionals, Dervilla realizes that you don't need a traditional technology background to impact a technology company positively.

Soon after, she joined Verkada, and COVID19 forced people to work remotely.

Onboarding remotely into a new sector during an unprecedented time was not easy.

However, Dervilla was overwhelmed by the support from leadership and acts of kindness shown to her. She knew she had made the right decision when she received gifts with thoughtful notes from Filip and constant check-ins from her then-boss (the CFO of Verkada).

Realizing Pain Points of Customers Dervilla states that when Verkada entered the physical security space, it quickly realized that a major pain point for customers was that they had different devices that didn't communicate with each other. So as their organizations implemented more security products, it became more difficult to manage them.

Verkada set out to ease this pain by creating a software solution that provides access from anywhere, on any device, to all of its

February 2022 | 24 | insightssuccess.com

customers' security cameras, access control, environmental sensors, Alarms, and Guest Check-in systems. Verkada calls this solution "Command," and it ensures its users cannot only monitor with ease but also leverage different products to gain more insights and minimize blind spots.

Protecting People and Assets with Security Products Verkada is a leading physical security platform that protects people and assets. Designed with simplicity in mind, Verkada's five product lines video security cameras, access control, environmental sensors, alarms, and visitor management - provide seamless visibility through an integrated secure cloud-based software platform.

On a personal level, Dervilla knew Verkada was the right place for her when several solutions engineers and members of the product and executive team installed Verkada's security products at her house, making her feel safer. Further, Verkada also equipped her parents' home in Ireland. She was onsite for the installation, and it gave Dervilla and her parents a great sense of comfort that Verkada's security products are protecting them.

Innovating and Developing Awesome Products Dervilla is focused on building a strong People function.

With the mission of making Verkada an amazing place to work to continue to attract, retain and motivate world-class talent, which will, in turn, continue to innovate and develop awesome products, which are critical to the physical security ecosystem.

hardware on an intuitive, cloud-based software platform, modern enterprises can run safer, smarter buildings across all their locations.

Setting Higher Ambitions Dervilla envisions herself being at Verkada for a long time.

Life has taught her to set her ambitions high, so her goal is to help Verkada scale beyond its one thousand employees to tens of thousands of employees around the globe, which is a magnet for the most talented people in their respective fields. After Verkada, she envisions herself focusing her time on enhancing the experience for cancer patients and sick children in hospitals in Ireland, two causes close to her heart.

Ensuring Safer and Smarter Enterprise Buildings Verkada brings the ease of use that consumer security solutions providers to the levels of scale and protection that businesses and organizations require. By building high-end

February 2022 | 25 | insightssuccess.com

Diana Jenner Redefining the Beauty Industry E

veryone deserves to feel great about the way they look. It was this belief that led Diana Jenner to found Orchids Retreat.

Diana turned her passion for beauty into a boutique Beauty Salon that genuinely cares about the wellbeing of its clients.

From starting her career by working in a Spa to running an award-winning salon, she has come a long way. At Orchids, she creates tailored programs to suit each client's individual needs of Chemical Peels, Mesotherapy, and Customised Facials to promote and maintain healthy skin.

Inspired by her urge to take beauty industry to the new heights, we at Insights Success caught up with Diana to learn more about her journey and Orchids Retreat.

Below are the highlights of the interview: Brief our audience about your journey as a business leader until your current position at Orchids Retreat.

What challenges did you overcome to reach where you are today?

My career in the beauty industry began working in a Spa at the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas whilst attending University Nevada Las Vegas. I always wanted to own my own business, and as a lifelong passion for beauty, I wanted to have my own salon.

My Dad told me that I couldn't go to beauty school as I needed a formal education not just to learn a trade skill; he wouldn't even let me attend an evening massage course whilst at university. Instead, I got a job in the spa whilst studying at UNLV to gain hands-on experience. Fast forward a few years, and I moved to England to be near my Mom. In Europe they offer Beauty Therapy courses that teach you a variety of skills, so I enrolled in every course possible. For a year, I attended holistic, beauty and advanced courses full-time during the day as well as

evening and weekends, so I completed three years of courses in one year.

Now it was time to gain some experience in the industry. I started my own business called Orchids Hideaway and set up a treatment room in my bedroom at home. This expanded to a two bed house with one room just for salon use; while building up my own clientele, I was working in a salon and managing a bar and restaurant to make ends meet.

I then took a job with Virgin Atlantic to see the world and visit spas and salons around the globe. In 2008, I gave up my wings and bought my first salon on the top floor of a hair salon. I was enjoying training and sharing my passion as I grew the team, so I gained my teaching qualification from Greenwich University to enable me to teach beauty.

Teaching, running a salon, and growing a family proved to be too much to juggle, so the next chapter was to be a solopreneur.

I kept a treatment room on the coast and took up a residency at the Soho Hotel in London, which gave me the opportunity to host seasonal skincare events for beauty magazines, bloggers and treat celebrity clientele. It was a fantastic experience, and I'm so grateful to Kit Kemp for the opportunity.

The pandemic proved difficult for many, but with grit and motivation, I was determined to swim upstream and provide wellbeing for the community. Last summer, I opened a sixtreatment room beauty and wellbeing clinic. And, we now have a team of twelve to offer beauty, holistic, wellbeing and advanced aesthetic services.

Tell us something more about Orchids Retreat, its mission and vision.

Orchids Retreat's mission is to help others put their best face forward. To educate our team and clients about how to care and maintain a healthy body and glowing skin all year

February 2022 | 26 | insightssuccess.com

The 10 Most Admired Women Leaders in Business, 2022

“

We offer affordable, safe and painless treatments for people of all ages and only use industry-approved, state-of-the-art technologies.

“

Diana Jenner, Founder and CEO Orchids Retreat

round. We pride ourselves in offering a high standard of treatments, customer service and client care.

Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run and what are your future goals for Orchids Retreat?

Enlighten us on how you have made an impact in the Aesthetic Facials niche through your expertise in the market.

I have so many goals and aspirations!

With over 20 years of experience in the Beauty Industry, I still have the same motto - put your best face forward.

Healthy glowing skin naturally is about looking after your skin. We're only given one body in this life and you've got to look after it. As one of the first UK Brand Ambassadors for Dermalogica and an Advanced Skin Expert, I created the Youth Boost facial along with a trio of others to focus on clients' specific skincare needs. We use Dermalogica Professional Skincare, mesotherapy, micro-needling and Bio Therapeutics technology to design bespoke facials for each client.

If given a chance, what change would you like to bring in the Body Massage industry?

During the pandemic, I obtained a distinction in an aromatherapy course and used my years of product ingredient knowledge to create my signature scent and formulate my own bodycare range to help clients refresh, relax and restore at home. I would like to be a household name one day and to advance Aurum D to being stocked and sold in high end retail stores, not just at Orchids Retreat.

The British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology asked me to help the government write the guidelines for our industry to be covid compliant. I was delighted to help the Department of Business and Industry Strategy (BEIS) and to share my knowledge and experience with others in this sector I set up Signature D coaching and consulting.

I think teaching therapists how to save their hands and look after their body's is crucial to a lifelong career in this industry. At Orchids Retreat, we welcome apprenticeships and college students to join our team as junior therapists. I host monthly masterclasses for our whole team to further develop their skill set and am amazed how many do not know hands free or trigger point techniques that can be used to save their hands from repetitive strain. I believe the industry should offer this training as part of therapists initial course content.

Going forward, I would like to share my passion and combine features from all three companies to franchise Orchids Retreat around the United Kingdom and launch our Beauty and Wellbeing Clinics globally. Offering a 'Beauty Business in a Box' with advanced coaching, policies, procedures, business set up, marketing materials and ongoing support.

What, according to you, could be the next big change in Skin Therapy industry? How is Orchids Retreat preparing to be a part of that change?

Just go for it! You'll never be completely ready; there is no such thing as failure, just lessons learnt. I learn new lessons every day, and it helps us all to grow, develop and blossom.

What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the business sector?

I think the next big change in the industry will be people trying to undo the effects of having too many fillers and enhanced treatments. Advanced aesthetics are a growing market, but it is important to maintain standards. I think it's also vital for professionals to only recommend what is needed and advise when to put the brakes on and educate their clients about the need to look after the canvas not just continue to plump out the lines artificially. You can't turn back the clock you have to look after your skin.

February 2022 | 28 | insightssuccess.com

Door to Success

Leaders that We Need

Today

February 2022 | 30 | insightssuccess.com

L

ife is a struggle that revolves around personal and professional challenges. And, when you are struggling, seeking advice from genuine friends always helps you. But instead of following people and their advice, create your own opportunities that help you find your own path. Because fate is by far the greatest mystery of all, and you can never know where it will take you. But the real question is there an alternative to all of this? While everyone speaks about these complicated things, let’s discuss the solution through this article.

Our lives are connected to technology and social media, as they play a key role in today’s modern world. As business leaders, we have to accept the fact that the vision to bring change in the lives of the people and transform the world is possible with technology. But, promoting compassion and wellbeing among the people is also equally important.

Understandably, everyone wants to create their identity and influence the world. But developing leaders just for the sake of business output and profits will degrade the quality of the leadership. And, we don’t want such leaders, especially in tough times like today.

We want leaders who can get the best out of their team, which is possible only without the fear of judgment. It is a great way to lead, discuss, guide, and help each other in crucial times. A ray of hope is all people need, and leaders can bring that hope through these sources. For example, if any employee knows that he/she does not have to face the issues alone and there is someone to talk about it, it gives hope to that person.

Yes, that’s the alternative for a leader – to connect - to help those who feel down and try to bring the best out of them. That’s what the leader should be recognized for, and this is the shift leaders need to bring currently.

As an organization and as people, we should develop compassion and ethics that reflect our outlook on the world.

and well-being among the people. Now that we have got the alternative solution for the leaders. The next question is, how do you recognize that you need help?

Most of us today are too busy making a living. We exist only within our daily routine, as we are preoccupied with massive responsibilities in many aspects of our lives, like academic, financial, career, household chores, etc. And due to this, it becomes too late to realize that you are already struggling – emotionally and mentally. We no longer listen to our body & mind, and finally, we do not appreciate our actual/real life.

There appears an absence of self-care. Taking care of yourself can be overlooked against all the professional pressures of our life. But it is important to take time to care about your physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental health.

Before you extend your compassion and authentic care for people, you must first practice self-care.

Why? Because you can never give what you do not have.

Below are things that can help you in practicing selfcare: Ÿ Start your day doing things you love the most and boost your mood. Ÿ Be grateful for things you have, no matter how small or big it might be. Ÿ Have sufficient sleep, healthy food, and exercise regularly Ÿ Do activities and interactions add value to your life There are much more things that you can discover yourself to practice self-care. After following all the things, you will appreciate your life, even more, resulting in a healthy work-life balance. With peace of mind, you will achieve your life goals. You will know yourself better – see a better version of yourself and attract positivity in your life.

It is only with this approach we can make it possible to sustain and impact lives for longer, creating a better world for all. This is a much-needed alternative in today’s pandemic situation – promoting compassion

February 2022 | 31 | insightssuccess.com

The 10 Most Admired Women Leaders in Business, 2022

Heather Ripley Helping Businesses Stay Ahead of the Curve

W

hat was it that made your competitor position itself as an industry leader? It was likely a PR agency that helped it gain a competitive edge.

Well, your business can make it too. What it needs is an agency that can create results-driven branding for your business and help you compete successfully. This is exactly what Ripley PR brings to the table. Spearheading the operations of the company is Heather Ripley, an accomplished PR executive and its founder and CEO. Heather combines business management, solid analytical skills, and creative B2B public relations strategies to deliver measurable results for your brand.

Inspired by her passion for serving clients, we at Insights Success got into conversation with Heather to learn more about her journey and how her rare combination of creativity and analytical thinking is helping businesses thrive.

Below are the highlights of the interview: Brief our audience about your journey as a business leader until your current position at Ripley PR. What challenges have you had to overcome to reach where you are today?

In 1996, I worked for a department store’s buying office and fell in love with ad copywriting. My career over the years evolved into public relations and marketing. In 2009, I was managing PR and marketing for a large franchisor, Clockwork Home Services. While there, I secured a spot for our three franchise brands, One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing and Mister Sparky, on The Celebrity Apprentice with Donald Trump.

That appearance helped our CEO position the company for acquisition, and he sold the brands for more than $180 million. I then entered the agency world and worked in senior management for two different agencies before moving back to my hometown of Maryville, Tennessee and starting Ripley PR in 2013.

Within 45 days of starting Ripley PR, I had secured my first three retainer clients. Within six months, I had hired my first full-time employee.

Now, Ripley PR is a global public relations agency that has been recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine as a Top

February 2022 | 32 | insightssuccess.com

Heather Ripley CEO and Founder Ripley PR

“Success to us is all about you. It’s not about placing another award in our office. It’s about your success in clear, easy-to-understand, concise numbers.”

Franchise PR Agency four years in a row and was honored

by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Agencies in 2021.

Through our hard work, we have cemented ourselves as one of the top PR agencies in the country for the home service industry and skilled trades. I also published a book for the home services industry last year, entitled “Next Level Now,” which is available for purchase on Amazon.com.

Tell us something more about Ripley PR, its mission and vision.

My team really loves what we do. We only succeed when our clients succeed. It’s not about gathering awards for Ripley PR, but how best to ensure that we successfully advocate for our clients.

At Ripley, you don’t just get one person to help you increase your company’s visibility; you get an entire team of specialists. Our experts can help you create content, pitch

story ideas to the media, and show you the best way to become an expert in your industry.

Enlighten us on how you have made an impact in the PR niche through your expertise in the market.

We pride ourselves on our knowledge of the home services industry and the world of franchising. Those are two of our nicheindustries that we serve. During the time I spent at Clockwork Home Services, I came to realize that the home services industry was underserved in the public relations field. Many home services business owners don’t understand the power of PR or feel they don’t need public relations until their business is larger or has a crisis. Ripley PR’s success in driving growth for home service companies and adding value to a franchise system illustrates how important public relations is to these industries. Our goal is to help home services and franchises dominate in their service areas.

February 2022 | 34 | insightssuccess.com

Undeniably, technology is playing a significant role in almost every sector. How are you leveraging technological advancements to make your solutions resourceful?

The ability of the average person to influence the reputation of service companies through review sites like Google or Yelp is a perfect example of why an agency like Ripley PR is useful to this industry. While we do rely on tried-and-true earned media outreach strategies, we employ world-class systems like media databases and workflow management platforms to help us provide measurable results for our clients. In addition to using technology ourselves, we also represent several tech and SaaS companies operating both in and outside the home service industry. Journalists are hungry for more news about innovation, so we lean into and leverage the stories behind our clients’ own tech advancements to keep their brands top of mind.

If given a chance, what change would you like to bring to the sales and marketing industry?

I’d like to show smaller businesses who want to double or triple in size how public relations can help them grow.

Many smaller companies think they don’t need PR because they either aren’t big enough or they aren’t going through a crisis. But public relations can work for any size organization. If you’ve ever wondered why your top competitor was quoted as an expert on your local news, the chances are it wasn’t just luck. The owner probably hired a PR agency. A public relations agency can help any size business become known as the thought-leaders in their field.

What, according to you, could be the next big change in the public relations industry? How is Ripley PR preparing to be a part of that change?

Social media will continue to grow and evolve. While social media has had a share of bad publicity lately, it’s still a medium that journalists follow. So, in order to stay relevant and top of mind for those delivering the news, companies will need to stay active on social media. In addition to legacy media, non-traditional media is becoming increasingly popular. Influencers, podcasters, YouTubers and others will continue to impact more of our decisionmaking on media outreach.

Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run and what are your future goals for Ripley PR? Ripley PR has clients across the U.S., as well as internationally. We will continue to evolve, improve and grow as an agency and deliver results for our clients, no matter where they are based. We provide our clients with

detailed reports that help us determine what is working and what is not, and we make the necessary adjustments to improve results.

Four years ago, I started another division of Ripley PR called Orange Orchard. This agency division is committed to using what we’ve learned at Ripley to advocate for organizations that are providing eco- and animal-friendly products and services. I would like to see Orange Orchard be a global force for good in the world.

What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the business sector?

If you believe in yourself and you are willing to work harder than ever before, you can be successful. When I started Ripley PR, I had my knowledge of the industry and my business acumen to fall back on, but I experienced a lot of challenges and was determined to remain resilient. If you believe you have a unique talent or product to offer the world, take a chance and showcase what makes you special.

February 2022 | 35 | insightssuccess.com

February 2022 | 36 | insightssuccess.com

The 10 Most Admired Women Leaders in Business, 2022 “

Karina Tiwana An Ardent Legal Professional Exemplifying Passionate Leadership

I

“

t takes dedication and laser focus to find success, not to mention rolled-up sleeves and dirt under your finger nails”, states an ardent leader, Karina Tiwana. As the General Counsel, Vice President and Corporate Secretary of ALE USA – the U.S. entity name of AlcatelLucent Enterprise - Tiwana has been an integral part of the success of the company. Her passion for the business side of law and sheer dedication has led Tiwana to where she is today.

After spending almost 15 years at Alcatel-Lucent, first as a Contract Manager for five years, Tiwana moved up through the ranks of the legal department, where she landed a corporate counsel position supporting the most innovative business divisions of the company. Eventually, became a primary legal resource to one of these divisions, the Enterprise division, in 2006. Thereafter, she was tapped to support one of the highest revenue-producing divisions in the company. She did that up until 2014 when she was invited to support the planned divestiture of the Enterprise division as General Counsel in the United States. Tiwana would be charged with building a department to support all the legal needs of Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, the new stand-alone company, in North America. This was no small feat but, she said, “many talented and professional people carried my torch.”

Reflecting on the experience, Tiwana recognizes she’s grateful for the men and women along her path that buoyed her up when she felt she might be drowning. Helping a new company be born is a daunting task. The Enterprise Business Division, turned Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, contains a close-knit group with many employees boasting long tenures with the company.

Let’s know more about Tiwana and her contribution to the industry through an interview conducted between her and Insights Success.

Below are the highlights of the interview: As a business leader, what is your opinion on the impact of the current pandemic on the telecommunications industry?

The pandemic’s impact on people, in some cases, has been horrifying and deadly. I will in no way minimize my feelings of empathy toward families that have lost loved ones and those who have fallen ill from the virus. And, of course, to parents trying to cope with both at-home working and at-home teaching of children ripped from schools and their friends. This at-home working and teaching has created an increase in the need for tools like the AlcatelLucent Enterprise Rainbow Unified Communication Platform, as well as infrastructure solutions, such as the company’s OmniAccess Stellar wireless LAN and the OmniSwitch network switches that make everything connect to support the increased communication needs spawned by the crisis. In this way, many telecom industry segments are reaping the benefits of the “new normal”. It’s a shift from in-office to home working and from in-person school to home school. Even events and what used to be live entertainment have gone online as we all try to cope with the restrictions required to keep all of us safe through the pandemic. I hear through news reports that many companies will continue the work-from-home options in some form or other so, it looks like the need for telecom industry tools, solutions and infrastructure is going to continue to grow.

What is your opinion on the necessity for businesses to align their offerings with newer technological developments, especially when it comes to Digital Transformation?

I think that when it comes to digital transformation, businesses that align their offerings to advances in technology further drive the evolution. Technology

February 2022 | 37 | insightssuccess.com

How do you bring your General Counsel skills in establishing strategic direction and delivering results globally?

I do this in many ways, but one of my greatest pleasures in the recent past has been contributing legal advice to our team of women and men that have created the Diversity and Inclusion Employee Resource Group (ESG) under our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program. With the executive sponsorship of Rukmini Glanard, our Executive Vice President of Worldwide Sales, Services and Marketing, the ESG hosted our second global online summit to highlight that diversity and equality are life issues and, definitely, a business issue impacting financial results. An equal world in business results in an enabled and better world for business. We need all of our minds and all of our hands, as a company, to compete and succeed.

Diversity and inclusion – across gender, ethnicity, age, religion, etc. – enable a better, balanced environment for economies and communities to thrive.

In what ways have you contributed to the community?

In my community, as a woman Veteran, I am very active in our American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary. This “American Legion Family” provides support to local Veterans, their families and the general community where Veterans live and work. One example of a recent project in 2020, we recognized the needs of so many children in our community around Christmas time. We sponsored, locally, Toys for Tots supported by the United States Marine Corps Reserve. We served over 300 children and all of them received gifts and a food donation for their families.

Supporting this kind of “all-volunteer” community event brings me great joy because I saw the power of giving in action. College students, home for the holidays, stood alongside their Parents, Grandmothers and Grandfathers to

participate in the toy and food distribution portion of the event. I strongly believe in the empowerment provided by serving a cause much greater than yourself. I get this empowerment through working within our American Legion Family. I currently serve on the Executive Board as Sergeant-at-Arms and have served in the past as Post Commander. At the time I served as Commander, I was the very first woman everto serve as Commander in the Post’s 77-year history.Today, I’m proud to say, as other notable “first women” leaders are saying more and more, “I may have been the first, but I won’t be the last.”

If given a chance, what change would you bring in providing growth opportunities to Women?

I am very lucky to have been given the chance at AlcatelLucent Enterprise to effect real change in my role as General Counsel at ALE USA. I hired student interns in 2014 as a creative way to augment my staff. We showed so much success with training and utilizing student interns in our legal department that it inspired the company to adopt an Internship Program and now, many departments are hiring student interns. In fact, a recent hire is going to supplement our global CSR endeavors. She will be graduating from college soon with a degree in Ethnic Studies. I think these internship programs are vital to creating opportunities and success for everyone, especially

‘‘

Step-up and lead from the front.

‘‘

continues to be instrumental in our lives and the growth of business. In particular, I think, as a strategy, aligning business infrastructure with Cloud technology builds a mindset that pushes innovation, agility and problemsolving. Our company’s Cloud technology products and services have helped our customers push beyond digital transformation plans and overcome the challenges of working through a pandemic. It’s clear to me that Cloud delivers the benefit of scale and adapts to opportunities, while being reliable and secure. It just makes sense to me how flexible technology enables businesses to adapt the work environment, ensure efficient operations and manage costs.

February 2022 | 38 | insightssuccess.com

Karina Tiwana,

General Counsel, Vice President, and Corporate Secretary,

ALE USA Inc.

for women. In my case, all of my interns moved on to become practicing lawyers and have secured positions in law firms. I’m very proud of all of them.

As an established business leader, what would be your advice for the budding women entrepreneurs?

Make sure you know a good lawyer! Not a shameless plug.

No, seriously, it’s very important to build a strong network of diversely talented individuals that can be asked for the help you need along the way. Be yourself because your authentic self is your best face. Have a clear picture of what your authentic self is. Remember, there will be roadblocks on your journey to success and some may be related to your gender, your age or any number of things but the roadblocks are just hills to climb and there are plenty of people to give you a helpful push so you can keep going.

Leverage your mentors and allies. These are your friends, your classmates, your teachers, your family, your

colleagues, and your professional network. They will help you navigate. But, above all, do what you love. Do it a lot.

If you do what you love and you do it a lot, you will get really good at it. If you get good at it, you will likely make money at it and you will be wealthy. Wealth is not money alone. Wealth includes not only professional success but also self-fulfillment and realizing your dreams.

February 2022 | 39 | insightssuccess.com

Ruthie Staalsen

Owner Ruthie Staalsen Interiors (RSI)

The 10 Most Admired Women Leaders in Business, 2022

K

An Avid Designer Creating Spaces that are Collected, not Decorated

nown for her exquisite taste, superior sense of style, and infectious personality, Ruthie Staalsen of Ruthie Staalsen Interiors is a prominent name in the interior design space.

Born and raised in South Africa, Ruthie has lived all over the world. She creates homes that have a relaxed, collected look and adds a global flair to her designs. Her knack for utilizing existing pieces within a space to create something completely new makes her a preferred choice among her clientele.

Besides, she has also co-authored the book, Behind Her Brand, which depicts what life is like as a female entrepreneur, mother, and wife, and how to best integrate these aspects to create a balanced business and fulfilling life.

Inspired by her passion for designing spaces, we at Insights Success caught up with Ruthie to learn more about her journey as a business leader.

Below are the highlights of the Interview: Brief our audience about your journey as a business leader until your current position at Ruthie Staalsen Interiors. What challenges do you have to overcome to reach where you are today?

I’m the oldest of 3 kids and carried the role of leader as a kid and still do. I was born and raised in South Africa and traveled the world in my childhood. Leadership has always been part of my DNA, and I think living in different countries all my life, made me a better leader because I learned to adjust to hardships and certainly learned about being flexible. That being said, I’m a very driven person and one of the biggest challenges I’ve had to learn is how to take time to relax. Being that my business relies a lot on me, it is hard for me to shut work off. I learned the hard way and have now hired people to help me do the things

I’m not so good at. This relieves me to do the things that I love, and that brings me more joy and time to relax.

Tell us something more about your company, its mission, and its vision.

We are a Dallas based boutique design firm focussing on residential design. We do everything from walk through consultations to full-service design projects. Again, because of our travels, I watched my mom set up home each time we were in a new country. She always surrounded us with the things that were important to us and created a home around those things. Our mission at RSI is to always give our clients a home they enjoy being in, one that welcomes them home and makes them spend time with family and friends. We want the homes we create to be practical, functional, and beautiful. We create a “feeling” that not just anybody can create.

Enlighten us on how you have made an impact in the Interiors niche through your expertise in the market?

I am a part of the Interior Design Society and keep as involved as I can. I believe that when you have good relationships with others in the same industry, you can add your knowledge and experience to others and, interns learn from others, making our businesses stronger together. I’m not afraid of making changes to our company if things are not working as they should. Change is hard but can sometimes lead you in a more positive direction.

Describe in detail the values and the work culture that drives your organization.

We have a positive and fun vibe here at RSI, and we hire people with that same energy. We love employees that have a lot of experience, however, the most important thing to me is their attitude, character, and “can do” spirit. Everything else can be learned, but these characteristics are crucial additions to my business model.

February 2022 | 43 | insightssuccess.com

God is the giver of gifts, it is up to me to use those gifts to serve Him.

Undeniably, technology is playing a significant role in almost every sector. How are you leveraging technological advancements to make your solutions resourceful?

We are incredibly active on social media platforms and use them to educate and inspire our existing clients and our future clients. We do before and after videos of our install days and document our behind-the-scenes happenings with our remodels and full home makeovers.

What, according to you, could be the next big change in the Interiors industry? How is your company preparing to be a part of that change?

Travel takes up so much time and although we love to travel, we often can't take time away from our ongoing clients. I see more and more virtual events, showroom tours, etc. happening (especially since Covid) so that we can still attend while being in our office. The only problem is the energy and comradery that goes along with in-person events is irreplaceable and needed in this lonely career. We work alone a lot as designers preparing design plans, doing office paperwork, etc. Being with others that motivate and encourage us is very important. I certainly don’t want inperson events to go away.

Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run and what are your future goals for your company?

I would love to have a unique line with lighting, rug, or furniture company. I believe my international flair could

February 2022 | 44 |

really be a benefit. So many companies need to revamp their outdated showrooms and products to keep them in line with their competition. Promoting other companies through my social media is one of the things I do naturally so putting these two things together only makes sense.

Another goal of mine is to have a Jewelry line made with bamboo, wood, string, metal, and other fun textures similar to the textures I use in my designs.

My future goals are to be able to donate more money to my favorite charities. I started this business with that very goal in mind and want to continue doing so more than ever.

What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the Interiors sector?

Though this industry is a fun one to be in, think about it seriously. There are lot of clients to please and loads of balls in the air to juggle constantly. When you first start, you are solo doing all the things a business needs. Hiring people comes later and those first few years are HARD. I would also say that if you are not good at working with others or are not a problem solver, this industry is not for you. You need thick skin to be an entrepreneur in general, also being a marriage Counselor is definitely in your job description 90% of the time.

| insightssuccess.com

Unlocking the POTENTIAL of WOMEN for WELFARE of the WORLD

February 2022 | 46 | insightssuccess.com

Womanhood

T

here is a tremendous amount of potential in every living entity. Untapped potential should be trapped for the welfare of the world. Where women are empowered that place flourishes in abundance. Empowered women leads to the prosperity of families, societies, nations and the world. Deep down, every person likes to live with dignity by contributing something to the world according to one’s capabilities and potential. Therefore, that potential should be nurtured in everyone and especially in the girls and women. Nothing can dim the light in every person that shines from within. All girls and women has to do is to be aware of their own inner potential and they can contribute to any field of their choice.

The world is currently going through the unprecedented times due to the ongoing pandemic. This is certainly challenging time for many people but some exceptional women leaders see the positive opportunity even in such unprecedented time and actually that is the hallmark of good women leadership. Exceptional women leaders are always aware and they understand that the unprecedented times always call for unprecedented actions, innovative, thoughtful, and win-win solutions. The world may be filled with lot of negativity due to inevitable challenges and causes, but exceptional women leaders call upon their inner light and they use such unprecedented time to develop and nourish their skillsets so that they can be an instrument of positive contribution to the world in the coming times. Now more than ever, women and girls need to call on their inner light to utilize the toughest times to tune into their conscience, learn new things by using virtual platforms and make themselves competent.

In the difficult times of pandemic it is essential for women leaders to be detached from the negativity around themselves. Unless and until one is detached from the negativity, it is very difficult to focus on the positive and to make the most out of that positive. Exceptional women leaders prefer to be courageous to confront issues more diligently and deal with people with empathy and due consideration. Exceptional women leaders choose to think deliberately and act on the conclusion of logical, rational, analytical, systematic, and cognitive-intensive thought process. That is really the most important part of exceptional women leadership. Leaders are supposed to think deliberately and act on the basis of logical conclusion for delivering the efficient results.

Educating and empowering a girl child creates a ripple effect and it creates a positive influence in the community.

Empowered women invest time and energy in creating the stronger next generations. The future leaders of tomorrow can be more talented, dynamic, and competent to deliver maximum contribution for the welfare of the world if they are raised by the empowered women. Empowering women is beneficial in so many ways and their contribution play a

very important role in creating the genuinely exemplary future leaders.

Gender equality is beneficial for the whole world.

Promoting gender equality is not just responsibility of women leaders or women issue but it is a societal issue and everyone should support in promoting the purpose of gender equality. United nations is again and again promoting the empowerment of women. That’s very crucial.

The greater number of women in every field is a sign of growth and evolved culture. The empowered women are boon to the world. That is the reason ‘Gender Equality’ is one of the most important sustainable development goals.

Empowering women is essential for the sustainable development of the world. Empowered women become great asset for businesses, families, societies, communities, nations, and that is ultimately beneficial for whole world.

There are plenty of fields where women have opportunities and they can contribute immensely. The world is in desperate need of genuinely exemplary women leaders to make a difference through businesses, science, research, technology etc. Women can become the leaders in the field of businesses, science, research, technology and in any choice of their field if they are willing to be bold and courageous enough to pursue their career in such fields relentlessly. They have the potential to make a difference in the choice of field they go and therefore women should not shy away from utilizing their best capabilities and they should deny the world of their valuable contribution.

Empowered women are the secret weapon of creating a positive change in the society and the world at large.

Empowering and enhancing women and investing in them unlocks a tremendous potential for the world. Empowered women are the most important weapon and resource in the fight against the global poverty. The untapped resource of women has the tremendous potential and that should be recognized by the people in the world especially by the people who have the opportunity to create awareness related to this.

The empowered women have the potential to significantly improve livelihoods, productivity, economic outputs, and the overall human life itself. The basic longing to live with dignity, the fundamental desire to have control of one’s lives and one’s future and to be part of determining the course of our communities and our nations are very much universal in the empowered women. These longings burn in the women and girls, and with these longings they can be a great dynamic force in the world to be an agent of change and make a significant contribution for the welfare of the world with their talents, skills, and abilities and that will lead to the ultimate welfare of the world.

February 2022 | 47 | insightssuccess.com

Sherry Blinkhorn Broker/Owner

Blinkhorn Real Estate Ltd

The 10 Most Admired Women Leaders in Business, 2022

Sherry Blinkhorn

An Accomplished Real Estate Broker and a Passionate Advocate for the Mentally Ill

I

t is easy to say be the change you want, but it is quite difficult to really understand the struggle one goes through to change oneself. We hear stories about people who have achieved success and paved their way to the top of their field, but that is just the tip of the iceberg.

Numerous factors drive one to make desired changes to be the change they want.

In our search to find such a persona, driven to adapt to change, we came across Sherry Blinkhorn, who perfectly fits the definition of 'be the change you want.' Currently, Sherry passionately leads her venture, Blinkhorn Real Estate Ltd., with her dedication to being the best of the best.

The Thorns and The Roses Sherry's journey hasn’t been an easy one. She came up through the foster care system and went through many challenges in her life, but she made some conscious decisions that would change her life for the good after her children were born.

Sherry began her professional journey as a commercial and residential property manager in her initial years then in 1998 she pursued getting her salesperson’s license. She began to achieve one milestone after the other by utilizing her extensive knowledge and experience to accumulate record-breaking sales. It resulted in her receiving national recognition in 2002 and 2003 and in 2004 she received the 'Platinum Award' for her sales achievement, placing her in

the top 5% in Canada's total sales volume with Royal LePage National Franchise.

Subsequently, embarking on the success, Sherry's adaptability to change led her to the quest of incepting her independent real estate firm, in 2005, Blinkhorn Real Estate Ltd., and she has never looked backed since. She sowed the seeds of efforts and dedication, forming a team with likeminded colleagues that reaped her and her firm the fruit of gaining a solid reputation for providing exceptional services and supporting many non-profit charitable organizations.

Adding Different Ingredients to the Recipe of Success Plunging forward in her path of success, she says the learning process never stops. Sherry holds a diploma in adult psychology, social work, and counselling skills. Being amply trained in the mental health field, she understands how stressful it can be to buy or sell a house.

Sherry has fostered an environment where she puts people first and encourages her colleagues to do the same. She’s created a caring and natural positive atmosphere in her workspace. She knows how crucial it is and is humbled to be part of the most significant transaction of one's life and is overjoyed to help it to become a reality. “We don’t see ourselves as good salespeople – we are good Realtors; there is a big difference,” says Sherry.

Sherry has focused her work approach around her buyers and sellers making them the utmost priority. It was vital to

February 2022 | 49 | insightssuccess.com

her to create a familial workspace which gives a feeling of comfort and smoothens the work process. She truly cares about her clients and understands their real estate needs, which is why she implies a friendly and professional atmosphere in her unique way. She has sculpted a valuedriven team that strives and implements effective marketing strategies with honesty and hard work.

Cherishing The Victories The amount of hard work and dedication Sherry puts in her work is commendable in itself. Her work ethic has set an example, and her efforts have been acknowledged with numerous awards, including the ‘Community Mentor Award’ from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Pictou County. She also received the prestigious ‘Business Leader of the Year award at the Pictou County Chamber of Commerce Gala in 2012. Sherry is the first female to receive this honor since its inception in 1991.

Her achievements don’t stop there and go further; in 2018, Sherry received the ‘Volunteer Vision Award’ from the Nova Scotia Mental Health Foundation. The following year she was also recognized with the ‘Women in Business Award’ at the Chamber Business Achievements Gala. Aside

‘‘

Blinkhorn Real Estate is dedicated to selling your home or nding you that dream home creating the best possible experience throughout the entire real estate transaction.

Professionally we serve, personally we care!

from awards, Sherry was featured in 2020 in the International ‘Top Agent Magazine’ and her life story in the Nova Scotia ‘At Home Magazine’.

Leveraging Technology to Provide Upscale Services At Blinkhorn Real Estate, Sherry has created a work culture driven by values to make client's lives easier and delivers high-quality products. The company implements innovative technologies and offers virtual reality tours and drone videography to enhance the listings services. They do their best to ensure that clients get the best prices for buyers and sellers by through their experience and expertise.

Above and Beyond for the Community The journey that Sherry embarked on has been a challenge in itself, she’s worked hard to forge her path to be at the position she is today. Her experiences have all contributed to finding transparency in her life. She has been a passionate advocate for the mentally ill for years. She was also the public relations director for the Canadian Cancer Society, Pictou, volunteered for years on the Palliative Care unit and made it part of her life to give back to her community.

Sherry has built Blinkhorn Real Estate from the ground up and contributed to many community organizations in various ways along the way including sponsoring sports teams and is routinely involved with multiple non-profits and other organizations across the county.

The Guiding Flame Unfolding the pages of Sherry's life, it is crystal clear that despite hurdles she’s faced, she always has come out on top.

She always empowers, inspires, and encourages a TEAM environment at her work. She ensures an ambiance of professionalism, integrity, and superior client service. She leads with a positive attitude, high ethical values, and hard work and says she will persist in doing the same into the future.

Last but not least, Sherry has asserted herself in a firm spot being a leader in the field of real estate. She is an inspiration to numerous people and continues to change many lives. Her compassion, dedication, and her drive to change have made her a successful businesswoman. She is truly an example of taking charge of her own life and being the change, she wants.

‘‘

February 2022 | 50 | insightssuccess.com

February 2022 | 51 | insightssuccess.com

The 10 Most Admired Women Leaders in Business, 2022

Tessa Whe

A Passionate฀ Remarkable฀and Committed HR Executive

Tessa is the Founder of The Job Doctor, where she put all her enriching, hard-earned experience. Through her company, she is moving employee performance from average to extraordinary and building strong company leaders with highly engaged employees.

Inspired by her passion for filling in the puzzle pieces of talent in order to create cohesive teams, we at Insights Success had a conversation with Tessa to learn more about her journey.

Below are the highlights of the interview: Brief our audience about your journey as a business leader until your current position at The Job Doctor.

What challenges you have to overcome to reach where you are today?

I started my journey as a single parent, just past the age of 30, when I found myself a mother of three, and now responsible for caring for three children, making a house payment, without a college degree or formal training in any particular career. In one of the most fortuitous happenings in my life, I ended up working with legendary Stephen R. Covey and his company, where I learned success principles that still guide me today. If you fast forward twenty years, I became the head of human resources within Fortune 50 company and in fast-growing publicly traded companies.

I left at the height of my career as head of Human Resources at Vivint Solar to pursue business on my terms. I first led out helping women find their footing—especially those who may have been impacted by divorce or unanticipated life events.

A year later, when the pandemic hit, I was locked in my house and had to re-imagine a business model, and The Job Doctor was born. I realized I could help both men and women reclaim their workplace satisfaction and come to the other side of the corporate fence, showing people how to navigate their careers. Within one year, I have almost 1,000,000 followers across multiple social platforms, and I have made guest appearances on GMA, The Doctors, as well as listed as one of the top entrepreneurs to watch in 2022 by USA Today and Disruptor Magazine.

Tell us something more about The Job Doctor, its mission, and vision.

My goal is to help people get the job, get the pay, and get the confidence they need to pursue the career that brings them fulfillment. Having sat on the company side, I know how people rise or fall in companies, and my goal is to educate about how to win in the workplace and create frictionless growth.

“

“

W

hen life throws challenges at you, it’s up to you; you either live with it or rise like a phoenix.

Tessa White decided to conquer every hurdle along her way, beat every odd, and rise. Today, she is a successful entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and an acclaimed career expert helping others find their peace and purpose.

฀Never give up฀

February 2022 | 52 | insightssuccess.com

Tessa White

Chief Executive Officer, Founder The Job Doctor

Enlighten us on how you have made an impact in the HR niche through your expertise in the market.

You always hope you are making a difference, and for me, it’s the 200 emails I get each day from people who are either seeking help or have used my principles to help improve their work-life. Sometimes I get to see up close and personal a client gets the big promotion, or take the step away from work to commit to a living dream in another facet of life. Seeing a former sex trafficking victim find a career is just one example of many that I have.

What, according to you, could be the next big change in HR industry? How is The Job Doctor preparing to be a part of that change?

Businesses are not responding fast enough to the changing needs of today’s workforce. Millennials and Gen Z are not our parent’s generation where long term benefits like pensions or 401k, or life insurance were needed. Today’s workforce cares about mental health, not long-term disability, and variable pay that rewards immediately for performance rather than annual increases.

Undeniably, technology is playing a significant role in almost every sector. How are you leveraging technological advancements to make your solutions resourceful?

Technology made my business scalable. I use a CRM, and several plugins, in order to fulfill client rent-my-brain sessions and deliver small group masterclass mentoring.

While I thought I would be overbuilding when I first started, the day we turned on my website, I began getting orders. It has allowed me to serve people across the world, not just in my own community.

The employers who respond to the flexibility requirements, a more immediate reward system for excellence, and the pain points around getting basic needs like housing and transportation secured, will have access to previously untapped workers and will win the hearts and minds of the most talented people.

And social media, especially TikTok, which I had always thought was a forum for teenage pranks and dance-offs have connected me to executives, writers, new college graduates, and so many other individuals who enrich my life and my business.

Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run and what are your future goals for The Job Doctor?

Some people have just a job. Some have a fulfilling career, and a few lucky others, like myself, have a calling. I want to change people's lives and create the means to have a good life and provide for their families. I see the realization of a dream to help hundreds of thousands of people through a show similar to Home Makeover, where I take individuals and in 24 hours, do a makeover on their resume and their interview to help them improve their lives.

If given a chance, what change would you like to bring to the HR industry?

I’d like to move from human resources to HUMANE resources, where employees aren’t a cog in the machine but instead a whole person, with needs, emotions, and a life outside of work. When we see employees instead as people, it makes a huge difference.

What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the business sector?

Even if you don’t know what to do next, do something every single day to create energy. When you take action every single day, it WILL move you forward. You don’t have to see the whole vision at once. You only need to know what the next FIRST step is.

February 2022 | 54 | insightssuccess.com

Tracy Lamourie

Founder & Managing Director Lamourie Media Inc.

Photographer- Dave Gruggen, gruggenphotography.com

The 10 Most Admired Women Leaders in Business, 2022

Tracy Lamourie

An Admired Trailblazer Empowering the World for Better

As the Founder & Managing Director of Lamourie Media Inc., Tracy has been at the forefront in getting major media attention to help people. She is an award-winning international publicist working across borders and industries, from major entertainment projects to small businesses.

Let us unveil her impacting journey.

The Immense Rise Tracy garnered various skillset that ultimately led her to start a business helping other entrepreneurs and creatives build their global brands and reputations for thought leadership as a young advocate for causes she cared about.

With no financial resources, no formal backing - nothing more than an internet connection and an old computer in the apartment she rented at the time - and a whole lot of selfbelief and willingness to put the work in.

Tracy started working as a freelancer, which quickly led to her first company Lamourie PR, with her husband and business partner, Dave Parkinson. In 2020, they incorporated Lamourie Media. She mentions that in the early days. The biggest challenge was climbing that mountain to prove herself without the five-year degree behind her name, without thousands of dollars to spend in advertising.

After spending all those years of conducting business, COVID hit, and about 80 percent of Tracy's contracts relating to entertainment, events, and travel were grounded - so she had to pivot to find new clients who needed their messages amplified. She managed to do that very successfully to the point that the last two years have been her best yet from a financial and business growth perspective - even though most of the travel is still grounded!

Build YOUR Brand In essence, Lamourie Media amplifies the incredible things its clients across industries from the creative to the entrepreneurial to experts of all kinds - are doing and give them a global presence. In terms of values, this truly is a company that grew out of its founders' values, from learning to write that first press release that led to a 19-year campaign that ultimately freed an innocent man from death row. This experience taught Tracy the value of media attention and how difficult it is for some to make their voices heard without help. She asserts, "Though today we are a for-profit business, we still make the choices about whom we will represent and what kind of messaging we will put into the world with our values at the forefront."

“

“

T

he power of media is very impactful. It can drive several transformative changes that are essential for humankind. The voice that media can give a person holds the significant potential to amplify essential messages. Being a long-time advocate on a myriad of critical worldwide issues, Tracy Lamourie is passionate about being a voice for those who most need one.

Don't Dream It, Be It

February 2022 | 57 | insightssuccess.com

Becoming a Strong Voice As the recent winner of the Women of Inspiration award in Media, Tracy heard many affecting words from women she worked with. These women come from all backgrounds, levels of education, and cultures - thanking Tracy for the difference she has made in their lives and businesses by giving them a voice.

Setting Up For the Next Change Tracy mentions that the media industry is changing, and it is starting to reach a significant milestone. However, it needs to do more work - continued diverse voices and experiences need to reach the public. Those in the positions of privilege need to continue to do the work to level the playing field.

Cherishing this remarkable achievement, Tracy says, "I think we have been successful in what we set out to do.

Elevate And Celebrate what these incredible people are doing and sharing it with the world. I've also heard from many women who tell me that my career trajectory over the last decade, watching me create this company, and seeing the success I am having with it has inspired them to find their own confidence to put their passions forward and work to create lives for themselves out of those passions!"

Tracy states that the world will continue to see the effects of people creating their media and effective forms of expression with the evolution of blogs and podcasts and social platforms like clubhouse. It will get more effective, allowing people to reach their growing audiences and mainstream media responding to and often taking cues from that.

Keeping Up with Technology Like most industries, the way Tracy does public and media relations has been changing faster than many can keep up.

She believes that technology is the name of the game, from new social platforms to services that connect people with thousands of media contacts and beyond. Keeping up on all that is available can seem like a job in itself but ultimately makes your processes more accessible.

What Lies Ahead Tracy looks forward to the world opening up for travel again to see herself traveling again.

She says, "I am blessed that I can do most of my work from anywhere and after two years of being mostly locked down travel-wise in cold Canada. I'm looking forward to more trips back to Malta in the Mediterranean: one of her favorite destinations for business and pleasure. She gives a huge shout-out to the incredible BE hotel that I feel like is my second home!)."

Tracy wants to visit the world that aligns with her business.

She intends to continue pursuing her and her clients' goals with the relentless passion that has got her this far!

Bequeathing Excellence Tracy advises upcoming entrepreneurs aspiring to venture to start their entrepreneurial journey to "Don't Dream It, Be It." It is one of her favorite inspirational quotes from the Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack.

February 2022 | 58 | insightssuccess.com