The 10 Most Inspiring Businesswomen Making a Difference, 2021

VOL 10 I ISSUE 06 I 2021

Analyze, Revise, Decide Evaluation: One Step Towards Success

MOST INSPIRING

Impacting Business World Instrument Of Inspiration

Dr. Kathaleen Reid-Martinez

Editor’s Desk Creating a Strong Foundation for Next-Generation of Difference-Makers

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hat does it mean to be a difference-maker? I believe a difference-maker is the one who can always come up with new ideas, drive a transformational change, and lead an organization towards the path of success.

We look up to certain people in our lives, consider and set them as our role models or idols, and we aspire to become like them. However, what we see is the tip of the iceberg.

We don't know the hardships and struggles they have gone through to be in their position or role today.

Currently, the modernization of the business world has drastically changed the landscape of the traditional business workings for the past few years. With the adaption of newer technological changes and innovative strategies, the difference makers are making efforts to cultivate a streamlined work process in any given sector.

Modern business is often challenged with unseen hurdles, and leaders are often responsible for overcoming these difficulties while also coming up with ways to prevent mishaps in the future. Business leaders, especially women, have a knack for solving problems with an innovative approach. They often work as a team to lead by example for the aspiring next generations.

The inclusion of women leaders in businesses is a longwaited change, but now it has become necessary. Women leaders are compassionate, creative, humble, and straightforward, and these qualities of women often cultivate a work culture where the opinions of their team

matter. This approach has opened the business world to include diverse groups of people from various ethnicity to understand multiple perspectives, which will garner the business offerings at a ground level connecting people to the company.

Therefore, Insights Success embarked on a journey to find leaders who made the most with their proficient knowledge and expertise. In this edition of " The 10 Most Inspiring Businesswomen Making a Difference, 2021," we are cherishing the leaders who created their success tales with dedicated efforts, courage, and fortitude.

Featured on the cover of this edition is Dr. Kathaleen Reid-Martinez. She serves as the Provost and Chief Academic Officer at Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, Oklahoma. She led an exceptional academic COVID response team and continues to direct dynamic colleges with a global impact.

Dive into more alike and inspiring stories of such inspiring leaders and spread the word about their contribution to make this world a better place.

While flipping through the pages, make sure to scroll through the articles written by our in-house editorial team and CxO standpoints of some of the leading industry experts to have the know-how about the industry.

Delve in!

Aditya Gaikar aditya.gaikar@insightssuccess.com

COVER STORY

08

Dr. Kathaleen Reid-Martinez

Leading Change in Higher Education

CONTENTS 26

ARTICLES

46

Analyze, Revise, Decide

Impacting Business World

Evaluation

Instrument Of Inspiration

One Step Towards Success

18

Carol Stewart

22

Elif Köse

A Pioneer in the Research Park World

Empowering Women Through Fashion

30

34

Ilana Devillers

Kc Rossi

A Trailblazer Preserving the Environment

by Reducing Food Wastage

Supporting Holistic Entrepreneurs Scale a Profitable and Soul-Aligned Business

38

42

Kimberly Stuck

Lanette Richardson

Educating and Spreading Awareness About Cannabis

Helping Individuals Become More Innovative, Ambitious, and Well-Connected

48

52 Ronda Landa

An Unmatched Sales and Marketing Professional

A Trailblazer Enabling Various Aspects of Business

Lauren Kriner

Editor-in-Chief Hitesh Dhamani Managing Editor Anish Miller

Executive Editor Aditya Gaikar

Assistant Editors Jenny Fernandes

Visualizer

Art & Design Director

Associate Designer

Co-designer

David King

Priyanka Rajage

Kartik Balapurkar

Shubham Dali

Senior Sales Manager

Business Development Manager

Kshitij S

Peter Collins

Marketing Manager

Sales Executives

John Matthew

David, Martin, Sagar

Technical Head

Business Development Executives

Jacob Smile

Steve, Joe, Dharmendra

Technical Specialist Aditya

Digital Marketing Manager Marry D'Souza

SME-SMO Executive Amol Wadekar

Research Analyst Frank Adams

Database Management Stella Andrew

Circulation Manager Robert Brown

Technology Consultant David Stokes

sales@insightssuccess.com October, 2021

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Featured Person

Company Name

Brief

Carol A. Stewart Associate Vice President Tech Parks Arizona

The University of Arizona arizona.edu

The University of Arizona is the leading public research university in the American Southwest.

Cherene Kambeitz Marketing & Communications Director

Levvel levvel.ca

Levvel Inc. help businesses find the balance they need to succeed.

Dr. Kathaleen Reid-Martinez Provost and Chief Academic Officer

Oral Roberts University ORU is an interdenominational Christian liberal arts university.

Tulsa, Oklahoma oru.edu

Elif Köse Founder

Elif Köse Fashion House elifkose.co.uk

Elif Köse is for every woman who wears her designs is to feel empowered and beautiful, knowing they have the confidence to do and achieve anything.

Ilana Devillers CEO and Founder

Food4All (F4A) f4a.com

F4A allow its partners to generate profit out of their losses, enable customers to have access to best before-date products at reduced prices on a larger scale.

Kc Rossi Mindset & Self-Leadership Coach

Kc Rossi Inc. kcrossi.com

Kc Rossi, Inc. offers one-on-one business coaching and group coaching.

Kimberly Stuck CEO and Founder

Allay Consulting LLC allayconsulting.com

Allay Consulting serves the hemp and cannabis industries to ensure regulatory compliance across all operations.

Lanette Richardson Founder and President

Utah Women in Sales utahwomeninsales.com

Utah Women in Sales helps individuals become more innovative, ambitious and well-connected.

Lauren Kriner Vice President (Business Development)

Capitol Construction Services Inc. capitolconstruct.com

Capitol Construction Services, Inc. has been one of the most professional general contractors and has followed many clients all over the United States.

Ronda Landa Sales Director

First American Title Insurance firstam.com

First American Title Insurance Company facilitates and streamlines real estate transactions by providing comprehensive title insurance protection and professional settlement services.

Dr. Kathaleen Reid-Mar nez Provost and Chief Academic Officer

Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Cover Story

Dr. Kathaleen Reid-Martinez Leading Change in Higher Education

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We went to significant lengths to build a safety net around our students to ensure that every student had the support they needed to make the transition.

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Executive administrators at universities everywhere rapidly and strategically responded to secure the well-being of their students. At the same time, they had to undertake the monumental task of helping students make the critical transition from face-to-face learning to online/virtual, and manage the myriad processes that entailed. The degree to which universities succeeded in meeting the significant challenges depended—and continue to depend—on the professional experiences and abilities of dynamic leaders.

In this edition of Insights Success, we have endeavored to find such leaders from across a variety of industries and disciplines, to present to you the Most Inspiring Businesswomen Making a Difference. On this journey, we met Dr. Kathaleen Reid-Martinez at Oral Roberts University. As Provost and Chief Academic Officer (CAO), she led an exceptional academic COVID response team and continues to direct dynamic colleges that have global impact.

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Interestingly, before the pandemic, technology had been the leading disruption to higher education; now technology has become one of the saving graces of the pandemic.

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ndoubtedly, the education sector was one of the most affected by COVID-19, not disregarding the impact on the healthcare community, industries, and the public worldwide. Higher education institutions, which are historically slow to evolve, were forced to adapt practically overnight or face indefinite closure.

Kindly give us some insight into your executive leadership path in higher education and what prepared you to make a difference in your profession.

I have been serving in leadership as a Chief Academic Officer (CAO) and Provost since 2010. My journey includes additional years rising in responsibilities from professorships to fulfilling a variety of leadership positions including Executive Director, Dean, Vice President, CAO, and Provost. These advancements are a traditional pathway through the academic ranks, but obviously they do not come automatically. For me, leadership has come as a result of stepping-up to help address specific challenges impacting the institutions where I worked. In many cases, these challenges had no probable solutions at the time. This aspect of my work and profession continuously fuel my intellectual and personal interests.

Does “stepping-up” to a challenge, as you say, come naturally to you or is it something you have learned?

A little of both. I have always had a natural capacity for problem-solving—a willingness to look at challenges from a variety of perspectives until you discover a workable or preferable solution. Beyond a natural capacity, I have developed a disciplined approach to problem-solving over the years that has served institutions and organizations well.

What types of organizations have you assisted?

My work in higher education also gives me the opportunity to bring academic insights to the business community.

Before the pandemic, I presented at the CES Consumer Technology Association on Personalizing Blockchain for Higher Education; I was a panelist on a Deloitte-sponsored presentation on Building Smart Cities; and I was a featured speaker at Blockchain in Education—West, on the Microsoft Campus in San Jose, CA. What people and factors have influenced and impacted your life?

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I have worked on projects sponsored by the United Nations, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Partnership for Peace Consortium, and the Geneva Institute for Leadership and Public Policy (Switzerland). I lead training initiatives on values-based leadership, innovation, technology, as well as change processes to impact society in the areas of education, business, government, the military, and non-profit sectors.

Most of the people who have influenced my life are people who possess a big vision or who have great capacity to tackle big challenges.

My faith in Jesus Christ has had the greatest impact and influences every aspect of my life. I was raised by humble parents who, though financially disadvantaged, refused to let that be viewed as an obstacle to achieving personal goals. I am so grateful for their influence and for the values and faith they cultivated in me, such as service, honesty, responsibility, and integrity. These and other values shape everything I do.

Professionally speaking, most of the people who have influenced my life are people who possess a big vision or who have great capacity to tackle big challenges. I perform best when I’m working with others who are not afraid of the big issues or of doing what must be done to successfully address them.

With all you do, how do you maintain a balance between your professional and personal life?

Every leader must determine their own values and priorities and then stick with them. However, it’s not easy. It takes countless choices made one at a time. Like most things in

life, we have to try, fail, learn, assess, try again, and reassess until we find a balance that works for all involved.

How do you take your university’s mission into the real world and what impact are you having?

Our mission is To develop Spirit-empowered leaders through whole-person education to impact the world. We do this by partnering with local, national, and international organizations who give our students real-world internships and hands-on work experiences in their desired professional fields.

One way we measure our impact is through external sources such as US News and World Report College Rankings. For instance, in the 2021 edition, ORU placed #1 in Best Undergraduate Teaching, #3 in Best Value Schools, and #7 in Regional Colleges West, among others. As these rankings suggest, we are doing a great job in teaching and preparing our students for the real world reflected by our university job placement rate of well-over 90%. As ORU graduates take their place in the workforce they are on their way to fulfilling their dreams.

COVID-19 was a tragedy for students everywhere. It disrupted the status quo of the traditional college student experience—whether it was academic pursuit, student life, social life, or sports.

Up until the pandemic, many universities thought they would never get involved with online education, just like many companies thought they would always deliver goods and services in person. So, if anything positive has come out of the pandemic, it is that universities and companies alike have grown to better understand and to respond to the needs of their customers.

At ORU, we had been offering online programs for years and already had faculty and systems in place that were easily adapted when COVID struck. Like other universities, ORU had a two-fold challenge that we had to respond to within a very short window of time.

First, institutions had to meet the emotional and physical demands of students while learning continued. This meant ensuring student safety, monitoring the spread of the disease—nationally, internationally, as well as locally.

Simultaneously, administrators and faculty had to continue the learning process through new modalities and technologies. For the first time, many universities had to wrestle with the concept of student engagement. At ORU, we were very fortunate that our faculty had a very high commitment to student engagement. Our situation was more a matter of modifying practices than having to create

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What is your opinion regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on higher education and how did ORU overcome this significant challenge?

Don’t let fear stand in your way, especially in areas of interest where you can apply your skill set to solve problems.

new ones which allowed us to adapt in a week’s time in the midst of the crisis. This contributed greatly to our university’s success.

The entire educational experience for universities was extremely challenging. Virtually overnight, schools went from having thousands of residential students to having thousands of virtual learners. We had to determine quickly how we would support each of these students through this incredible shift. In the ORU Academic area, we went to significant lengths to build a safety net around our students to ensure that each had the support they needed to make the transition.

Second, one of the most interesting aspects of adapting to the pandemic was realizing that the workforce, for which we were preparing our students, had become a moving target. Universities were preparing students for one kind of professional environment, when a completely new reality was unfolding within workplaces right before our eyes. The world of business—all types of industries—were simultaneously re-envisioning themselves. Some failed and new ones arose. One of my “go-to” people immediately recognized that we could no longer just be tracking “the jobs of the future” alone, but how those jobs were adapting to COVID-19 and the workplace—and our learning outcomes had to be adapted as well.

Interestingly, before the pandemic, technology had been the leading disruption to higher education; now technology has become one of the saving graces of the pandemic.

What do you consider the biggest challenges for educational leaders today?

of our programs and how we are using immersive technologies to facilitate learning.

The biggest challenges for administrators are dealing with multiple ways of learning and distribution of education. We were already moving headfirst into these challenges and the pandemic accelerated the situation. The pandemic has brought about more personalized and individualized modes of learning and multiple distribution methods. Students are migrating among the modes of learning: learning online, virtually, and face-to-face, and they can also engage in a variety of combinations of these modalities at any given point.

Furthermore, like most administrators, I also attend conferences, read studies and reports, and talk to others outside of academia who understand the underlying implications for educational development and demand. I keep up with individuals who are tracking the trends and shifts within the professional fields of greatest interest to the university. Changes within industries can demand rapid adjustments to academic programs—or can mean that we must create altogether new initiatives.

To effectively manage this diversity of learning approaches, higher education requires better integration of systems. We need to be data informed and not just data driven. In the middle of these very complex interactions, leaders must be aware of the ever-changing market demands. You cannot do just one of these variables well and succeed—you must do them all well.

How do you sustain your creative leadership spirit in this changing technological era?

For me, technology fuels my creative leadership spirit. I cannot imagine ever losing my love for technology or desire to find dynamic applications. I was an early adopter and promoter of online/virtual education and enjoy engaging with a variety of industries and revealing how technology is revolutionizing higher education. At ORU, I am very excited about what we are doing with AI in some

I have developed a network of individuals who I can count on to have fresh insights on what is happening in areas critical to our students and to advancing our academic goals. We all need this kind of insight to push our thinking.

Otherwise, gravity and time limits will create inertia that holds us back and that tempts us to apply old thinking to new problems.

What advice would you give to emerging women leaders?

I encourage emerging leaders to take advantage of new opportunities as they present themselves. If you like challenging yourself, there will be no end to what you can do. Don’t let fear stand in your way, especially in your areas of interest where you can apply your skill sets to solve problems. I tell emerging leaders to not overthink opportunities too much. It is important to know yourself, to hone your capacities, and then turn off your “fear switch.”

This will allow you to learn from new experiences, to really enjoy what you do, and be successful.

What endeavors would you like to see in the near future?

I’d like to see academics be more engaged with smaller learning communities solving some of the world’s greatest problems, through competency-based and personalized learning. It would be exciting to dive into these challenges firsthand.

Kathaleen Reid-Martinez, PhD Educational Background Dr. Reid-Martinez received her B.A. in English from the University of Maryland, European Division; an M.A. in Mass Communication from the University of Denver; and a Ph.D. in Speech Communication from the University of Denver. She is ordained by the Church of God, Cleveland, Tennessee.

Professional Background Dr. Reid-Martinez has more than 25 years of experience in education, including a strong background in leadership

development and virtual and online education. Her accomplishments include transforming quality control of academic programs, spearheading rapid enrollment, and leading in the acquisition, application, and integration of technology to advance learning.

Speaking and Advising Dr. Reid-Martinez has spoken at global and regional leadership development initiatives on values-based leadership, innovation, and change processes to impact society in education, business, government, the military, and non-profit sectors. She has spoken in China, Singapore, India, Papua New Guinea, South America, the Middle East, Western and Eastern Europe, and Central Asia.

Carol A. Stewart Associate Vice President

Tech Parks Arizona, The University of Arizona

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The 10 Most Inspiring Businesswomen Making a Difference, 2021

Carol Stewart

A Pioneer in the Research Park World

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ith an enriching experience of working with research parks, technology commercialization, business incubation, governmental relations, and business development, proactive leader Carol Stewart leads by example. Currently, Carol is steering the ship of Tech Parks Arizona as Associate Vice President at the University of Arizona, bringing her knowledge and experience after serving as a champion of Canadian innovation and entrepreneurship.

Carol is at the leading edge of innovation, willing to jump in and bring others along for the ride. Her diplomacy, political acuity, and steadfast leadership provide focus, stewardship, and vision to the networks she leads and which she is part of. She not only serves as a role model, but is a friend to this community, eager to collaborate and serve the University of Arizona, Tucson, and the international community.

Supporting and Mentoring the Community Building on decades of experience in the research park world, Carol landed in Tucson, Arizona to elevate the success of the University of Arizona (UA) Tech Park and to build a second park – The UA Tech Park at The Bridges which is located closer to the main UA Campus. It was also Carol’s vision to transform the UA Center for Innovation into a business incubator network that not only serves as a vital part of the Southern Arizona entrepreneurial ecosystem but also as a key soft landings location for international businesses. Her commitment to the region is to advance the community and make a real impact through university-based economic development.

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Leading-Edge Innovation Tech Parks Arizona creates the place, environment, and interactive ground that generates, attracts, and retains technology companies and talent in alignment with the research, mission, and goals of the University of Arizona. It directs the UA Tech Park at The Bridges, and the University of Arizona Center for Innovation with the highest priority of recruiting companies seeking connections to the UA to locate at these facilities.

For over 25 years, Tech Parks Arizona has significantly contributed to regional economic development by advancing the University of Arizona’s impact in many ways: Ÿ Supporting technology innovation and commercialization Ÿ Generating economic impact through the UA Tech Park Ÿ Advancing new technology Ÿ Enhancing R&D efforts of industry Leads by Example In the opinion of Carol, the pandemic has motivated educational institutions and businesses to push beyond traditional activities and take new creative approaches.

Carol and her team have seen the University of Arizona mobilize as an agent of change to support COVID-19 research, testing, and vacation site. The University of Arizona mobilized quickly and has continued to inform the public through weekly briefings and lead the region as a Point of Distribution (POD).

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tech giants work side by side. The company has reimagined what the new workplace looks like postpandemic.

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It is building flexible environments and developing programming that is highly adaptative to meet the growth trajectory of each business, including the nearly 60 startups that are currently in its UA Center for the Innovation incubator program.

Find your tribe and use your network.

Business is about relationships. Each relationship you build is foundational to success.

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Looking Forward Prosperous businesses equal a prospering community.

Carol listens to the needs of companies and connects them with the resources necessary. The business that connects with the collective expertise of the University can solve grand challenges to the problems society faces.

She has never settled for mediocre and believes this has served her well. Carol sees many opportunities for collaboration and growth in Southern. Arizona, and works tenaciously toward those goals.

The institution also took the opportunity to be proactive and review all of its assets and opportunities. The acquisition of the Ashford University, now UA Global Campus, is an example of being disruptive in these business unusual times.

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Much More than Buildings and Conference Rooms When asked, what is the one thing you would change in advancing knowledge worldwide, Carol highlights what has been achieved by scientists all over the world by collaborating on a vaccine solution and stresses that what can be learned and achieved with such concentrated endeavors. Carol states that we can collectively streamline the process to support businesses to not duplicate efforts.

Ideally, there would be a worldwide database for businesses around the world to plug into. By showcasing organizations and their unique offerings, she believes startups would have more valuable resources which would supercharge their path to market.

The Best Workplace Carol notes that culture is king. Employees and employers thrive in environments where networking and spontaneous discussions unfold. UA Tech Parks serves as the campus where community thrives, where emerging businesses and

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Elif Köse

Founder Elif Köse Fashion House

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The 10 Most Inspiring Businesswomen Making a Difference, 2021

Empowering Women Through Fashion

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eople talk about clothing, new trends, or celebrities at the MET gala whenever the word fashion comes up in a conversation. Most of the time, people undermine the importance of clothing that makes them feel confident about themselves. In today's world, it is essential to be confident individuals, and they say the first impression is the last impression, which is why clothing can be one factor that makes one feel confident. Elif Köse, the Founder of Elif Köse Fashion House, understands this and has created a clothing line dedicated to empowering women through fashion.

but also learned the way of living, speaking the culture, which helped her better understand her venture. She built her business with intentional networking to get a sense of belonging. Belonging and being part of a bigger picture is one of the greatest challenges that she faced.

Changing the World Elif says, "Fashion is the most empowering way to tell the world whom we are without speaking, and I know the effect

Being a non-native in the UK, she faced a hurdle of problems and overcame them to find her venture. She believes that every woman deserves to have the best look, personalized according to their taste and preferences.

The Journey of Becoming Haute Couture Imagine arriving in a country with only £265 pocket money with shaky English, no family or friends, and the education which wasn't even recognized by the authorities that makes you feel like you start the game 5-0. Elif didn't plan to stay and start a business in the UK, and her only intention was to learn English at a great level and get back to her country to land a job that paid well.

Elif realized that financially independent women were stronger and had a say in society. She says, "I had no voice back at home, yet I found my voice here in the UK. Irony is that it is not even my own language! I always had this "other" girl feeling. I am that Turkish girl here. And had the same feeling when I went back home again to "the other" girl who lived away from home.”

The challenges in business doubled Elif's emotional obstacles that she faced. She didn't just learn the language www.insightssuccess.com

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“Confidence is the key to success; as a fashion designer and confidence coach I truly believe it's the most important step every leader should work on.” it has on one's feelings." Her mission is to help women reclaim their confidence and have the courage to live and lead the life they strive for.

Creating Her Own Style When Elif set up her business back in 2009 as a mobile alteration service, her vision was to offer a personalized service to all her clients and make them feel the best version of themselves in their outfits.

Creating one-of-a-kind designs has always been Elif's number one passion, but she realized that not everyone has the time or budget to get tailor-made or bespoke clothes.

With that in mind, she analyzed all her customers' requests for fit and style with her years of experience and started creating small capsule collections. These classic pieces can be altered and customized easily to cater to all women of shape, size, and style.

A Meticulous Business Approach Elif highly values returned customers and loyalty discounts and other enticements intended to build up a personal relationship with each customer. She goes to the lengths to understand customer needs, choices, and optimal styles

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rather than sell. She also offers a generous return customers discount scheme.

Elif wants her staff to feel like part of the business, so she willingly shares her experience, knowledge, and expertise in garment design and fabrication. She offers apprenticeships, especially to younger people, and she is pleased that some of them have progressed to launch their businesses.

The fashion industry contributes 10% of the world's entire carbon footprint. Elif is aware of this issue, which is why she produces the majority of her ready-to-wear collections in the UK and bespoke clothes in-house.

Weaving Up Various Aspects For the last three years on International Women's Day, Elif hosted sell-out day-long Fashion events publicized nationally, at which she attracted a few leading speakers.

These have been opportunities to launch new season products and raise the profile of her brand.

Owing to Covid restrictions, this year's event had to be held online, but Elif plans to resume the live event again next year. In her earliest years in the UK, to help build a network www.insightssuccess.com

of business contacts, she staged several local themed fashion events with sponsorship from cosmetics suppliers and companies complementary to hers. She rounded these events off at the end of the day with sell-out fashion-themed musical cabaret entertainment performed by artists from the West End. Currently, through her blogs, she gives sustained expression to her design expertise, eye for fashion, the attributes of quality, and the low-down on the Fashion Industry; she pulls no punches. It has attracted international business, and she has a following of dedicated customers and readers, especially in the USA. Fashion-Forward Future Talking about the future, Elif says, "Whilst I have some clear commercial targets, timescales depend on progress along the uncertain economic path of recovery from the pandemic. Also, the long-term effects of Brexit remain unclear. Suffice it to say that I turned the former to my advantage and I'm determined to react constructively to any disadvantages arising from the latter." Now, she looks at opening a store in Brighton, but Wimbledon is an interesting possibility too.

Elif is confident that her durable, versatile style and quality message must prevail over disposable, poorly made quantity in the long term and expects the Elif Köse brand to become synonymous with that evangelization.

Tailoring Thoughts of Budding Entrepreneurs In her advice to aspiring fashion designers, Elif says, "Be ambitious but be prepared to take small steps, always assessing your risks and identifying contingencies in advance.”

"If you don't mind my using a double negative, never have "no" in your vocabulary when faced with a daunting setback or problem; get into the habit of always saying "yes.”

"Think positively, seeking ways of turning bad events to your advantage. And listen to a sound, disinterested, experienced sources of advice," concludes Elif.

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Analyze, Revise, Decide

Evaluation One Step Towards Success

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hy there is a need to review our journey? What is the need and importance of it? Well, if we remember the weekly tests, or the term tests, being conducted at our school life, we'll get the answer of it. We now realize that it was being conducted to know our mistakes, shortcomings, and weaknesses and work on them to perform our best in the finals.

In the same way, it is important for business leaders to review and formulate their path so that there is a lesser possibility of failures and mistakes. Having said that, it

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does not mean that business leaders are forbidden from failures or risks in the business. Because as they always say, failures and mistakes are the initial steps towards success.

The point here is that if business leaders are aware of their strengths and weakness, achieving success becomes much easier.

Now that we know the importance of reviewing, let's take a look at the steps involved in reviewing and formulating the policies for any business leader:

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Identifying and developing the aim: The first basic step involves identifying and developing the business leadership aim and objective. Questions should arise like what was the reason that we started the journey, where do we stand now, and are we still on the right track? With these questions, one may evaluate the past, current, and plan the future. Developing a sound mind of evaluating with the start of these questions will give you a clear understanding of your aim and purpose. All the business leaders need to do is take out some time to do so.

Refine your leadership goal: Remove the unnecessary things, which can become a hurdle for you in the defined aim. There are many such unnecessary things as staying away from unwanted debates and discussions, the narrow-minded approach, and many others.

Build expertise in the field: Now that the goal is decided with clearing unwanted things, becoming an expert in the particular field is the next step. This can be possible by gathering the maximum and right information about the field through reading, watching, attending business conferences, and meeting industry

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experts. By having a learning approach, it is possible for everyone to be the expertise in any field.

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Organize the process: Keeping things aligned helps to be ahead in competitive fields. There are many advanced technological tools that help to keep things organized.

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Determine your Success: Once you are through with all these steps, you can determine your success journey, but more often, business leaders will have to repeat these evaluative steps. Once you complete all the evaluation steps, a business leader becomes selfindependent to explore his or her entrepreneurial journey in the industry.

Final word To sum up, evaluation is crucial as it makes the path clear and keeps us on the right track of the business journey. The business leader will become the more reliable and organized person in his/her professional career. These are the productive steps that results in high output for the leaders in all types of industry.

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Ilana Devillers CEO & Founder of F4A (Food4All)

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The 10 Most Inspiring Businesswomen Making a Difference, 2021

Ilana Devillers A Trailblazer Preserving the Environment

by Reducing Food Wastage

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ur planet has been in shambles for several years, several factors affect the environment's sustainability, and now food waste is also becoming a concerning issue globally. Daily tons of food is wasted, and unfortunately, it affects the social and economic ladder. It is a must to deal with this crisis, which is why Ilana Devillers, the CEO & Founder of F4A (Food4All), has come up with a brilliant solution to tackle this issue on a certain level.

Ilana had a shocking realization when she uncovered the scandals of food waste in the retail sector. She saw an opportunity and started her venture, F4A. She has connected consumers and distributors to market the unsold products of the day on a free and user-friendly app. Her dream to save green is having positive results, which helps to preserve the environment.

At F4A, Ilana is responsible for the strategy, development of the business, administrative tasks as well as fundraising.

In an interview with Insights Success, Ilana Devillers shares her entrepreneurial journey and her initiative in reducing food wastage through F4A. Below are the highlights of the interview: What were the challenges you came across prior to and after founding the organization in 2017?

Challenges are part of daily business. While I generated the idea at the end of 2015, beginning of 2016, data was a crucial part of the research and lacking.

After founding the organization in 2017, several challenges came across, such as fundraising, convincing prospects of www.insightssuccess.com

our solutions since we were slightly early in the process, maintaining and retaining talents. Being my first company, building and driving a company built from scratch is also a challenge.

Being an experienced business leader, what is your opinion regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Food Production Industry? And how has F4A managed to overcome this significant challenge?

COVID-19 also had impacts on the Food Production Industry. Between food shortages, countries closing their borders forcing each country to promote local food and maintaining prices acceptable for local consumers, unpredictable consumer behaviors impacting the internal processes of food distributors, high employees' turnover, horeca sector forced to close from the day to the other having a very negative impact on food waste and so on.

So many direct and indirect impacts that it would take more than a few sentences to resume and explain. Facing this pandemic from one day to the other has pushed the topic of food waste down the priority list, thus slowing business development dramatically. We managed to overcome those significant challenges by focusing on our internal processes and R&D. What truth does everyone need to know about the environmental impact due to food waste?

Food waste happens all along the food value chain, and we all have our part of liability in the process. To overcome this food waste issue, we need to all change our behaviors.

It needs to be a top-down and bottom-up process.

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What is your thought on the necessity of a positive work culture? In what ways do you implement it at your organization?

Positive work culture is the heart of a company. It allows employees to feel great in the business, and as I love to say, "happy employees, happy clients." At F4A, we are very flexible regarding work schedules. As long as the work is done, there is no need to be by the minute close. Everyone has their word to say, and the diversity of our team makes the dream work.

We are a Startup with this particular spirit that we will maintain all along with the life of this company. Our mission, by essence, is very positive, facilitating this vibe and maintaining this awesome environment.

In what ways have you or F4A contributed to the community? If given a chance, what change would you bring in a sustainable approach to food waste?

F4A brings a totally new eye and way of fighting food waste by incrementally changing our food habits. We are not there to point fingers but rather create and develop a community further, making them aware of this topic and showing that our daily habits can and will reverse the tendency of food waste. If given the opportunity to change the current approach, I would say that mentality and mindopenness regarding food waste need to change. As an example, and really striking to me looking at practices of certain "Startups" in this area: competition regarding Food waste is ridiculous, and it would be rather more impactful to join forces than to compete in an area that doesn't need this competitive spirit. The more diverse and complementary solutions there are on the market, the higher the decrease of food waste will be. This topic is already very complex and believing as a company that you have a unique solution fighting this issue is utopic.

“F4A makes ecofriendly grocery shopping easier. Get access to high quality, close-to-expiry products on the app at a price that will suit your pocket.”

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www.insightssuccess.com

Also, the Food Industry should not be ashamed to speak up.

A lot of actors believe they are not wasting even though the truth is that they are (as small as the quantities are, pilling up small percentages leads to a higher number of food waste).

As a leading company in fighting food waste, what advanced technologies are you leveraging to make your services more productive and approachable?

We are using preventive and consequential tools to fight food waste. We have three different levels of onboarding, allowing every actor to use our services in just a few minutes.

Industry? Have you in any way contributed towards the cause of women empowerment?

I would advise women to just trust their guts and go for it if they believe they have a solution worth growing on the market no matter the industry.

As a women entrepreneur, I do my best to contribute to women empowerment.

What are your future aspirations with the company?

What strategies are you undertaking to achieve those goals?

Our technologies allow incremental innovation, enabling all actors to fight food waste thanks to existing processes and technologies that we improved for a better result.

We have an international vision as food waste is an international issue arriving everywhere. We would like to develop more solutions adaptable to each different country in our sector.

What would be your advice for aspiring and emerging women entrepreneurs in the Food & Production

In order to achieve those goals, we are increasing R&D and developing in different countries to adapt quicker.

www.insightssuccess.com

October 2021 | 33

Kc Rossi

Mindset & Self-Leadership Coach

Kc Rossi, Inc.

34 | October 2021

www.insightssuccess.com

The 10 Most Inspiring Businesswomen Making a Difference, 2021

Supporting Holistic Entrepreneurs Scale a Profitable and Soul-Aligned Business hen you start your journey as an entrepreneur, many things do not go your way. You are challenged continuously at every step of your entrepreneurial journey, and there are chances where you might lose focus on your goal. All you need at this stage is guidance and someone who can give you the right advice to achieve your goal.

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of cultivating confidence and attaching my self-worth to my services as a solopreneur arose. It took a couple of years of an “identity wobble” to establish a solid foundation that felt comfortable to stand on alone. Traversing all terrains was a necessary part of the process that allowed me to intimately learn all the jigs and jags it takes to build the life of your dreams.

Meet Kc Rossi, who has been an entrepreneur for 30 years and knows what it takes to scale a profitable & soul-aligned business. She is the Mindset & Self-Leadership Coach at Kc Rossi, Inc., who encourages people to grow their business and attains the goals for entrepreneurs.

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

At Insights Success, we caught up with Kc Rossi to know more about her journey and how she is helping women level up, lead, and leave a legacy.

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

Statistics show that 90% of all start-ups fail. I’ve been an entrepreneur for over 30 years. Spanning 3 decades takes an undying belief system and perseverance. My business partner and I created 9 businesses in 4 years, lived in our car, invested our life savings, and worked at McDonald’s before our 10th business took off; a confection manufacturing company that we operated for 17 years hitting the 7+ figure mark annually.

Later in the journey, I decided to branch out on my own to explore other creative endeavors. I quickly learned how unique it was being a part of a dynamic duo. The challenge

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It’s my mission to foster women’s empowerment. I’m driven to help high-achieving female entrepreneurs go from people-pleasing, burned-out perfectionists to profitable powerhouses. My coaching company is dedicated to dissolving limiting beliefs, shapeshifting to a growth mindset, and contributing to feminine elevation through courageous visibility. I see a future world that respects all voices where souls support each other because collectively we rise higher. I’m committed to teaching that wealth extends beyond just financial success — it is the combination of physical, emotional, spiritual, financial, connection, and collective affluence.

Enlighten us on how you have made an impact in the soul-aligned business niche through your expertise in the market.

Through my Women Developing Brilliance® — The Spirit of Business podcast I’ve been able to connect with powerful female leaders on a mission to serve. Our deep, unedited conversations on women in business, integrating spirituality into our work, and what it takes to have a soulaligned business have touched listeners throughout the world. Our real talk allows women to catch a spark of inspiration so they can bust out of their comfort zone and bravely share their gifts.

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incessant messaging to push harder and grind in order to be successful is toxic on multiple fronts. It’s my goal to help people shift from overworking to a holistic balance of productivity and restoration for a sustainable career.

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

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

At the heart of my organization are integrity and alignment.

The work culture rotates around self-leadership, autonomy, and the Kaizen philosophy of never-ending improvement.

In order to achieve this goal, being mindful of purpose, joy, and hope for the future is necessary. Our work as entrepreneurs is a direct reflection of how we live our lives.

In that, it takes walking our talk and implementing the teachings to truly be a radiant exemplar to others.

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

With the click of a button, I can publish a podcast episode and have it almost instantly broadcast on major networks including Apple Podcasts, Pandora, and Audible. The listeners can tune in anytime, anyplace, and enjoy the latest episode or one in the library.

It’s never been easier to harness the power of advanced social media and website analytics to understand how my content is being received. Having this data at my fingertips allows the opportunity to tweak material so it has the most impact and reach.

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

Leaders and teams are thirsty for the opportunity to let their guard down, authentic connection, and a genuine work-life balance. I would love to see hustle culture squashed. The

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The next big change that I see in holistic entrepreneurship is not being afraid to bring all facets of ourselves to work. To be brave enough to openly speak about topics that are close to our hearts despite the current cancel culture. It starts by approaching our work as if we are client zero. Modeling authentic, unapologetic communication is a top priority for my business. This will pave the way for others to do the same.

Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run and what are your future goals for Kc Rossi, Inc.?

I’m a forever entrepreneur; it’s in my DNA. I love creating something from nothing and seeing the positive ripple effects of the work. My future goal is to keep showing up for myself and for other women who desire to be selfactualized — to cultivate a sacred space for all voices to be heard and embody the “we are stronger together” phrase as an active philosophy vs. a trendy hashtag.

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

Take the time to turn within and get in touch with your core values, belief system, and emotional drivers. Build your boundaries in the beginning so that you are creating a framework that will serve your holistic well-being. And lastly, learn to tune in to your intuition so that you develop the habit of self-trust — this alone will give you a major success advantage.

‘‘

Know Thyself First.

www.insightssuccess.com

Kimberly Stuck

CEO and Founder Allay Consulting LLC

38 | October 2021

www.insightssuccess.com

The 10 Most Inspiring Businesswomen Making a Difference, 2021

Kimberly Stuck

Educating and Spreading Awareness About Cannabis

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here have been several misconceptions about cannabis and psilocybin in the past few years.

However, some states have legalized the use of these by studying and having reliable knowledge about them. Many individuals in the health care and public safety industry have taken a step forward to spread the awareness and utilization of cannabis. Kimberly Stuck, the Founder and CEO of Allay Consulting, is one such individual who guides companies through the hazards of budding cannabis and psilocybin industries by navigating compliance pitfalls.

With years of experience in the public health industry, Kimberly, through her venture, ensures best practices according to the new rules and standards as they evolve and enables organizations to focus on a bigger picture. She brings a regulator's keen eye and wide-reaching knowledge on evolving compliance and safety mandates to support businesses in tightly regulated industries.

The Overview of Journey Kimberly's career started as a restaurant and wholesale food investigator for the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment (DDPHE). In 2014, when Colorado legalized cannabis for adult use, she began inspecting cannabis facilities for health and safety, educating herself about the processes and products involved. The industry was complicated, and coupled with her innate curiosity and passion, she was quickly named the first cannabis industryspecific public health investigator.

Over the next three years, Kimberly immersed herself in the industry. She soon realized she could have a more significant positive impact if she were a consultant rather than a regulator. She started Allay Consulting in 2017 with www.insightssuccess.com

the goal of making the industry a safer space, so consumers were protected and businesses could thrive. Currently, her team works in all 50 states and internationally, focused on operational compliance such as state-specific regulations, FDA, OSHA, cGMP, ISO 9001/22000, Organic, and GAP/GACP. The Mission Allay's mission is to assist the cannabis industry in providing consumers with safe cannabis. To do this, it advises on regulations and train regulators, encouraging normalization and destigmatization. Allay is allied to companies that want to invest in consumer and worker safety.

Standing Strong Cannabis is a unique and emerging market, and many states and governing bodies need help regulating the creation, production, and sale to ensure consumer safety.

Allay acts as advisors to its clients and regulatory workgroups in various states, ensuring the nuances and risks associated with cannabis products are understood and considered. Kimberly's team educates government officials and regulators to end the stigma around cannabis, promoting safe yet fair regulations.

Building Up the Work Culture What made Kimberly start the company and bond her team together is the core value of Allay – Passion. Her team believes in the power of the plant and knows it can and should be regulated in the same manner as any other industry.

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Allay is a team of certified CP-FS, CQA, and ex-cannabis regulators who function at the highest quality of professionalism and ethical standards. Kimberly believes that customer service is paramount, and she prides herself in distilling complicated regulatory subjects into digestible information that companies can put action behind.

Kimberly and her team genuinely care for their clients and want them to be as successful as possible.

Client Friendly Approach Allay has always been a mobile company, which allows it to provide its services remotely, saving its clients' money on travel. It can securely share documentation and conduct video audits suiting the needs of its clients regardless of budget.

Getting Ready for the Change Kimberly states that there was much debate over what instrumentation and approach should be used for specific analyses in the early stages of regulations; however, multiple states didn't address these issues.

Currently, states are taking safety and quality seriously by implementing parameters for testing. What Allay does is

help companies understand these new standards while supporting newly legalized states to lessen the likelihood of contaminated products on the market.

What Comes Next?

While expressing thoughts about the future, Kimberly says that Federal legalization is on the table. Allay's goal is to implore companies to begin preparation by aligning with basic FDA and OSHA regulations. This will ensure compliant operations and minimal facilities shut down when these regulatory bodies make surprise visits.

Additionally, she recently started a psychedelic plant medicine division of Allay.

Bequeathing Up-and-Coming Entrepreneurs Kimberly says, "Whether you are a plant-touching or an ancillary business like Allay, be prepared for lack of access to banking, funding, and payment processing. This is rooted in bias against the industry that we're trying to change.”

"If you're passionate about cannabis, you will find a way to make it work, and as we inch closer to normalization, more and more opportunities open up. For Allay, it hasn't been easy, but it has been worth it," concludes Kimberly.

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Cannabis compliance made simple.

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www.insightssuccess.com

Lanette

Richardson

Helping Individuals Become More Innovative, Ambitious, and Well-Connected

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he leaders who set an inspiring example in front of others are the ones who lead by example. With just their actions and ability to deliver results, they serve as an example for upcoming leaders to follow. Such inspiring business leaders are able to make a tremendous difference in the lives of people and the businesses they are leading. One such inspiring leader, we at Insights Success, came across is Lanette Richardson.

Lanette is the Founder and President of Utah Women in Sales, where she provides opportunities for women to connect, learn about new opportunities, network with sales professionals, and gain skills that will be valuable in the workplace.

teams was dismal; there was a time that she was the only woman on a team of 200 sales reps. Every time there were women on the sales teams, they were the top sales producers on the floor, and she made a commitment that she would do everything she could to bring more women to sales teams and bring more opportunities to women in sales leadership.

In 2017, after a sales conference, Lanette and a few of her co-workers at the time decided to hold their own Women in Sales meeting and see if there really was a group of women that would benefit from this type of group. They had 350 women show up to their first event, and the rest is history.

Educating, Empowering and Supporting Women

Lanette likes to empower women to stand strong for themselves and help them being an inspiring example for future generations of women.

We caught up with Lanette to know more about her journey and how she is helping individuals become more innovative, ambitious, and well-connected.

Bringing More Opportunities to Women in Sales Leadership Lanette has been in sales for most of her career except a few years in her early career when she was a small business owner. Over the years, Lanette has worked hard to bring equality for women in opportunity, pay, sales, and leadership.

The mission of Utah Women in Sales is to open the door for men and women to learn how they can support each other on the sales floor. Moreover, it also aims at helping companies become more diverse in their hiring and set goals for pay equity and diversity. The organization is dedicated to creating opportunities for women to succeed and partner them with great companies. It helps women return to the workforce after a career gap.

Utah Women in Sales helps them find their first sales position and elevate their careers and skills. The only way it makes a change is to educate leadership and educate women. It provides a collaborative community where women will be educated, empowered, and supported.

Focusing on Skills and Personal Development of Women

Utah Women in Sales is an organization focused on serving women who are in sales or are interested in pursuing a career in sales. She switched to Tech Sales about 12 years ago and realized that the number of women on the sales

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Utah Women in Sales partners with many of the best sales trainers, speakers, authors, and bring in women who are successful in their careers, who teach and train its group of

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The 10 Most Inspiring Businesswomen Making a Difference, 2021

Lane e Richardson Founder and President Utah Women in Sales

www.insightssuccess.com

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,,

,,

We are committed to increasing the number of women on sales teams across the country and putting an end to the gender wage gap.

women to help them find what works for them. It holds inperson and virtual events monthly that focus on skills and personal development. It has full-day sales kick off every year and ends the year with a recognition dinner celebrating the best women of the year.

Encouraging Open Discussions, Learning, and Growing

Utah Women in Sales’ culture is of friendship, support, and mentorship. It has a no judgment philosophy among its group. There are a lot of hard topics that need to be discussed and covered, it doesn’t condemn anyone, but Utah Women in Sales encourages open discussions, learning, and growing.

Educating Women on Different Companies and Technologies We asked Lanette how her organization is leveraging technological advancements to make its offerings resourceful, to which she answered, “Our group is made up of 80% sales reps selling technology. We educate on the different companies and technologies available in the industry. As a group, we leverage a CRM, a workflow platform, Video meetings, websites, recordings, podcasts, virtual event platform, and more.”

Besides, Utah Women in Sales is also using continual learning; there is no set time or criteria that is all-inclusive and continual shorter training sessions that are very specific to a skill set to enable quicker adoption and implementation. The organization uses three different platforms: in-person, virtual, and self-paced training, followed by mentorship and application.

Empowering Women to Stand Up and Make a Positive Change Through Utah Women in Sales, Lanette has a goal for companies to have a 50/50 split between men and women on their sales teams. She would like to see expansion with

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diversity and opportunity. She wants to end the wage gap so that all people are paid based on their skills and not based on whether they are male or female or any of the other diversity gaps present. She would like to see its training and its communities expand to include all professional women or women seeking a good job with flexibility so that they can provide for their families, not only financially but also have the flexibility of work/life balance so they can continue to be a primary focus in the lives of their children.

Lanette wants to empower women to stand up and make a positive change for the next generation of women.

Seeing Women Perform on Both Local and National Levels Taking about the future, Lanette mentions that she would like to expand Utah Women in Sales group from a local group to a national group. It has already begun that movement and has pockets of members in several states.

Lanette believes that actual learning that comes from leaders that are hiring is more impactful, which is why she is working on getting more of Utah Women in Sales’ sponsors involved in its group to help lead the direction they are heading. Lanette would like to see Utah Women in Sales has national events held every year in different parts of the country to enable more women to be involved in their local communities and at a larger national level as well.

Pursuing Goals to Make a Difference In her advice to budding entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the Professional Training & Coaching sector, Lanette says, “Make sure you understand the why of what you are teaching. Teaching and coaching are powerful in shaping lives and careers; make sure you are leading with the right intent and in the right direction. Don’t do it only to make money, do it to make a difference.” www.insightssuccess.com

IMPACTING BUSINESS WORLD

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INSTRUMENTOF

INSPIRATION

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eadership is an amazing opportunity to make a difference in the lives of people. The only way to make an impact in the lives of people is by setting the right example in front of others. Women leaders with remarkable qualities become the source of inspiration to many others in the business world. They set exemplary standards with their impeccable leadership skills. They understand that it is important to be an agent of inspiration to others for bringing out the best in everyone for the overall growth and development of their businesses in the right direction.

Women leaders lead from the front. They demonstrate courage and proactiveness for taking the most important initiatives that will make a difference in the lives of many people. Their positive and inspiring energy is contagious.

That energy gets imprinted on whoever they come in contact with, and that really inspires others to do their best for the cause of business.

Today, women leaders have made their marks in numerous sectors. They lead with inspiring attitudes and approaches.

They play the most important role in the business world with their business intelligence. They nurture their business intelligence every day so that they can make an amazing difference in the lives of many people. They are lifelong learners. They keep on increasing their talents and abilities so that they will be able to lead more effectively in the business world.

Business intelligence is paramount to success in the business world. The women leaders in the business develop their business intelligence so that they will be able to play an inspiring role in leading their businesses most appropriately. Being calculative, logical, and analytical is important for business leaders as this helps them make the right decisions and avoid many mistakes in the process.

Successful business leaders don't take haphazard decisions, but they choose to act on the right information. Based on the right information, they take thoughtful decisions that will lead to the profitability of the businesses. www.insightssuccess.com

Women leaders have to be more assertive and confident in themselves to generate confidence in others. They should have high moral competence to lead their business flawlessly. They should lead in such a way that naturally, people will be inspired to do their best for the cause of organization. Great leaders bring out the best in the people by leading with high moral and ethical competence. They lead with dignity, morality, ethics, and high sense of moral integrity. They set the most exemplary standards, and because of their exceptional standards, they become the most inspiring example for others in the business world.

Amazing attributes always make a positive impact on people. The finer qualities in the women leaders help them to make a more valuable contribution to their organizations' goals.

Morality is the foundation of victory in any field. Great women leaders in business lead with morality and profound clarity. They have a great approach towards business and overall life. They see the bigger picture. They see the world with an abundant mindset. They think in terms of possibilities. They think in terms of opportunities. They don't see the world with scarcity mentality. They think innovative and unprecedented solutions to deal with unforeseen challenges. They think in terms of win-win solutions, and with their inspiring qualities and approach, they make more difference in the lives of many people they come in contact with.

Women leaders in the business world promote the attitude of transforming obstacles into opportunities. They support an inclusive culture and are able to inspire other women leaders to be their best version. They guide, train, and mentor others to bring out the best in others. They lead with exceptional talents and remarkable temperament, and that is the reason they become the most inspiring example for others to follow in their lives.

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Lauren Kriner

Vice President (Business Development) Capitol Construction Services, Inc.

48 | October 2021

www.insightssuccess.com

The 10 Most Inspiring Businesswomen Making a Difference, 2021

Lauren Kriner An Unmatched Sales and Marketing Professional

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henever an opportunity stands ahead of women, they take it to great heights. They always bring a new perspective, a problem-solving approach, and an innovative mindset to the table.

Today, with their exemplary leadership skills and unwavering passion for their work, they are shining in almost every sector, the construction industry being one of them.

Meet Lauren Kriner, the Vice President of Business Development at Capitol Construction Services Inc. Lauren is a striking example in today's construction market.

Blending her passion for construction with her experience, she is driving the marketing efforts of the company.

So, if you want to have a new drive-thru, grand park, or condominium, then you got your deal from Lauren.

We at Insights Success interviewed Lauren to know more about her journey in the construction industry and how Capitol Construction has managed to stay one of the most professional general contractors in the Indianapolis market.

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

I started my career out of college with a marketing degree from Indiana University, working for Pulte Homes. I sold new home construction for nearly six years and moved into commercial real estate. As I made a personal move across the country and returned to Indiana, I went back to my

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"construction roots", establishing a new role in Business Development with Capitol Construction.

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

Since 1998, our team has grown through repeat and referral business, treating people right and creating lasting relationships. The majority of our team members have been with us for a long time, and continue to thrive because we work hard and play hard. We also believe it's important to give back to the community, and are involved in charitable giving of time and treasure with several area not-for-profits.

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

There are not many women in construction, and to be able to work in the industry, create true relationships, and talk intelligently about the work we do is rare. Not only am I a woman in the industry, but I am involved in organizations whose mission is to make an impact for other women in the industry. I am a Past President of IndyCREW (CREW is an international organization that promotes the roles of women in commercial real estate) and continue to be involved in real estate and construction organizations.

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

We are truly a team. We all have different strengths and work together to leverage them as a collective group. It is enforced from the top down that we must take the best care of the client. Quick, accurate communication is key, especially in the in-flux world of today.

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“Hey, we built that!” construction side. I think we'll be doing a lot of remodelling of existing spaces to make them work better for users in the future. We will be a teammate of both the design community and end users to work with them on implementing those changes.

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

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

We are ensuring that our field team is equipped with the technology to make their job easier and more efficient. They are able to utilize apps for their timecards, client reports, and photos.

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

I think the biggest change will be how space is utilized.

From office to retail, end-users are reimagining what their spaces look like, which indeed means changes on the

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I see myself being on the Capitol Construction team for a long time. I've already been here 8.5 years, and while I love what I do, I love my team more and the support they give me in both my professional and personal life. As a working mother, that's very important to me.

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

If you're a people person and relationship-builder, business development is such a fun role within a growing company.

You can directly impact the bottom line by bringing in new opportunities, you help with the strategic direction of the firm, and you represent your firm's brand in the community.

You become a big part of the firm's "face", so it's an important role. You can never know enough people, so it's critical to enjoy networking and making connections. You have to put yourself out there and be willing to put in the time to develop long-term relationships and pipelines.

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Ronda Landa Sales Director First American Title

52 | October 2021

www.insightssuccess.com

The 10 Most Inspiring Businesswomen Making A Difference, 2021

Ronda Landa A Trailblazer Enabling Various Aspects of Business

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great business leader is sculpted by their unconventional methods of handling hurdles, distinct approach, adaptability to the situations, and zeal to transform with the changing times. Success and failure are like a pendulum, where every decision is always on the verge of going either way. However, a good leader always strategizes and makes the pendulum leaning towards success than failure.

Ronda Landa is one such leader who, with her excellent skills, has managed to impact the real estate industry by supporting her clients in creating best practice to assist them in reaching their CRE transactional goals. She successfully defines her role as the Sales Director at First American Title National Commercial Services division by using her local and national commercial real estate expertise to help close clients' transactions as efficiently as possible.

Before becoming a Sales Director, Ronda had managed different roles in her professional career and gained excellent communication skills running committees, departments, and teams. She is also socially engaged in enhancing brands she is involved in.

Up Until Now Ronda was raised by her grandparents in a subjugated Hispanic neighborhood. The Federal Grant assisted her interior design school. She later went on to work as a commercial interior designer. She was chaired on the board of ASID and became the national student president.

Ronda also sat on the panel for IIDA as a judge for new furnishings and trends in Los Angeles. She moved to Utah and became Sales Director for an interior design and furnishing company. She decided to venture into entrepreneurship following her sales career and was a solo practitioner for a decade.

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At the same time, Ronda was going through a divorce. It gave her the flexibility to be involved in her child's education, make a living, and keep a roof over her head.

Ronda used her transferable skills to land herself as the Sales Director for First American Title in Salt Lake City.

Mission and Vision Ronda expresses that First American Title likes to say; when the stakes are high, you need accuracy, experience, and easy-to-reach commercial experts you can rely on.

First American Titles covers its clients' risks, provides expert guidance, and tailors solutions every step of the way.

Its stability, tenure in the business, depth of services, and breather of experience are the traits the company is proud of.

A Social Impact Ronda's involvement in CRE organization and leadership, CREW, CCIM, ULI, WEN, and UCRE highlights her best practices to the network. She promotes various programs through her and UCRE network to set up meetings and create events for interested parties and bring them together to connect internal and external teams. She also created the Women's Council for female MRED students from the University of Utah.

Ronda looks to develop her niche in energy transactions and create events on sustainability for UCRE and ULI. She has joined the Energy Practice Group and promotes her strengths through this network.

Ronda has founded and chaired CCIM excellence awards for six years to elevate and celebrate excellence in CRE. She was the CREW president, headed up the Strategic Planning Committee, and worked with the U of U professor

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for two years to create and implement the strategic plan.

She also has spoken and moderated multiple panels in CRE. A Century of Leveraging Technologies

What If? A change that Ronda would like to bring into financial services is to create 'relationship' opportunities to stay connected. She asserts humans are social and need the connection as much as technology, so business relationships should balance between the company and the client.

The Revamp The Data and Technology Solutions industry is preparing for its following significant change. Ronda believes that there will be abundant apps to conduct the business from, and the industry will use automation for entire transactions from opening and closing orders and everything in between.

Forecasting the Future Ronda loves her role as a Sales Director and Account Manager. She looks forward to adding energy sector clients to her portfolio. It is exciting and key to her future success, a critical move in her career both important and rewarding.

A Shining Hope Over the course of Ronda's career, she learned that no matter the field, education is important. In her advice to budding entrepreneurs, she says, "Be tenacious and enjoy what you do. Make it your career and not just a job. Believe in yourself, build partnerships and networks. Get good mentors and sponsors and make sure your company value matches your values. Most importantly, Say YES to challenges.”

54 | October 2021

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For the last 132 years, First American Title has managed to stay ahead of its competitors through technology. It has invested in automation of the title and closing process for a faster response. It has created an innovating team, a think tank to develop innovative ideas to explore.

First American Title National Commercial Services is leading the digital evolution within the commercial title insurance industry, streamlining and securing the closing process, and enhancing the overall transactional experience.

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