Enterprising Women of the Year 2022

WWW.THEENTERPRISEWORLD.COM | AMERICA EDITION | JANUARY 2022

SVP, Correspondent Mortgage Channel Manager

West Gate Bank

Enterprising

Women of the Year

DANA BRASHEAR

An Exceptional Mortgage Expert

From Editor’s Desk I

n the decades to follow, women have time and again proved why their decision matters the most in the board room. Be it leading a great company to greater heights, or even the smallest step as starting a small company and making it big in the market; women everywhere have proven to be a beacon to all those girls out there dreaming of starting a business, of asking for what they deserve and simply being the ambitious selves.

This issue of The Enterprise World of Enterprising Women of the Year is a tribute to all those women out there in the leading roles and taking on the world as they can, of taking over the board rooms and cracking the toughest of challenges.

For the cover story read about Dana Brashear started in finance as a bank teller almost 20 years ago. Dana Brashear took the traditional path of moving up through an organization within the mortgage department becoming a processor, originator and eventually management. Through her network, Dana Brashear had an opportunity present itself to aid a de novo correspondent channel grow.

“Through this avenue, I began building high performance teams and entered project management and I haven't looked back since.”

Coping with the rat race that the industry is, Dana Brashear says that she has chosen what to give her attention to and then prioritize her work accordingly. It can be extremely overwhelming with the amount of knowledge and changes that is being thrown at you daily.

Chartered in 1968, West Gate Bank is a family-owned community bank based out of Lincoln, Nebraska. WGB Correspondent has been helping community banks and credit unions provide home ownership to their customers across the nation. Offering Delegated, Non-Delegated, and “Full Service” Broker relationships, providing endto-end fulfilment, we offer the right products at the right price, in a fast and efficient manner.

Satellite services do sound extremely cool and interesting but in reality, are extremely complicated. It takes much more than knowledge and experience to understand, let alone lead a successful company that provides just that!

Anastasia Kuzmenko Currently holds the position of Vice President of Marketing & Communications at IEC Telecom Group. She is responsible for the global marketing strategy and management of brand communications across the Middle East, Asia, and Europe.

Anastasia is truly an inspiration and a beacon to all budding entrepreneurs and marketing enthusiasts. Her charismatic personality, exceptional leadership, and of course, vision, are undoubtedly worth honoring.

In a scintillating interview with Anastasia Kuzmenko. Let's hear about IEC Telecom Group, and get to know more about Anastasia and her professional journey.

IEC Telecom Group is one of the leading international satellite service operators. Renowned for supplying highquality satellite-based solutions to customers for more than 25 years, IEC Telecom Group delivers efficient endto-end voice and data services when and where it matters most. We enable digitalization for the maritime industry as well as remote units on land, where GSM coverage is not available.

Shalmali Shalmali W.

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This list is NOT a ranking. The companies on listed in magazine serve different aspects of the market, making ranking them in any order except revenue impossible and unfair.

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Leaders in Spotlight Dana Brashear started in finance as a bank teller almost 20 years ago. Dana Brashear took the traditional path of moving up through an organization within the mortgage department becoming a processor, originator and eventually management. Through her network, Dana Brashear had an opportunity present itself to aid a de novo correspondent channel grow.

“Through this avenue, I began building high performance teams and entered project management and I haven't looked back since.”

Coping with the rat race that the industry is, Dana Brashear says that she has chosen what to give her attention to and then prioritize her work accordingly. It can be extremely overwhelming with the amount of knowledge and changes that is being thrown at you daily.

Chartered in 1968, West Gate Bank is a family-owned community bank based out of Lincoln, Nebraska. WGB Correspondent has been helping community banks and credit unions provide home ownership to their customers across the nation. Offering Delegated, Non-Delegated, and “Full Service” Broker relationships, providing end-to-end fulfilment, we offer the right products at the right price, in a fast and efficient manner.

Satellite services do sound extremely cool and interesting but in reality, are extremely complicated. It takes much more than knowledge and experience to understand, let alone lead a successful company that provides just that!

Anastasia Kuzmenko Currently holds the position of Vice President of Marketing & Communications at IEC Telecom Group.

She is responsible for the global marketing strategy and management of brand

communications across the Middle East, Asia, and Europe.

Anastasia is truly an inspiration and a beacon to all budding entrepreneurs and marketing enthusiasts. Her charismatic personality, exceptional leadership, and of course, vision, are undoubtedly worth honoring.

In a scintillating interview with Anastasia Kuzmenko. Let's hear about IEC Telecom Group, and get to know more about Anastasia and her professional journey.

IEC Telecom Group is one of the leading international satellite service operators.

Renowned for supplying high-quality satellite-based solutions to customers for more than 25 years, IEC Telecom Group delivers efficient end-to-end voice and data services when and where it matters most. We enable digitalization for the maritime industry as well as remote units on land, where GSM coverage is not available.

In this interview with Elinor Stutz, find out more about Smooth Sale Smooth Sale stands for earning a returning and referring clientele that I teach via writing, speaking, and training.

Community Service is the centrepiece for the work. It began with teaching job seekers how to sell themselves in interviews. The many thank you notes for enabling people to secure their desired job led to the next book, 'HIRED! How To Use Sales Techniques To Sell Yourself On Interviews,' published by Career Press.

Social media was Elinor's lifesaver upon moving to a town where no one understood her purpose, passion, and perseverance in their unknown. A marketing guru taught me to be collaborative instead of being highly competitive. And she soon realized how to attract interest online vs. attempting to sell.

COVER STORY

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PDC Pharma Strategy

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IEC Telecom Group 38.

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EyeMail Inc.

What are the Inner Workings of Machine Learning?

Shaping the Next Generation of Women Leaders

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SVP, Correspondent Mortgage Channel Manager

West Gate Bank

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COVER STORY

DANA BRASHEAR An Exceptional Mortgage Expert

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he success of a correspondent lender relies mostly on the public image they create for themselves. The first thing important for a correspondent lender is his/her research. This gives you an upper hand on your customers, because the mortgage industry is and will always remain a competitive space for anyone entering.

Communication counts to everything when you are a correspondent lender. Good contacts with your lenders are bound to give you prospective new clients.

Featuring for the Cover Story of The Enterprise World's this issue of Enterprising Women of the Year is one such entrepreneur, who with her dedicated efforts has made mortgage look like a piece of cake to everyone. Dana Brashear, with her zeal to succeed is today recognized as one of the exceptional mortgage experts!

Unmatched Leadership of Dana Brashear“First and foremost an entrepreneur is responsible for leadership.”

An entrepreneur initiates and oversees almost all activities across business lines, creating jobs, fulfilling opportunities, and managing risk. Secondly, they must ensure the business is operating efficiently and taking care of their staff. Thirdly, they engage with the community, being a change agent and aiding in achieving their goals. Overall, improving lives while making a profit for everyone involved.

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Dana started in finance as a bank teller almost 20 years ago.

She took the traditional path of moving up through an organization within the mortgage department becoming a processor, originator and eventually management. Through her network, she had an opportunity present itself to aid a de novo correspondent channel grow.

“Through this avenue, I began building high performance teams and entered project management and I haven't looked back since.”

Coping with the rat race that the industry is, Dana says that she has chosen what to give her attention to and then prioritize her work accordingly. It can be extremely overwhelming with the amount of knowledge and changes that is being thrown at you daily.

“I stick to my strategy and if it doesn't align, I table it.”

Being a project manager helps me compartmentalize fortunately. However, there are times when Dana finds herself chasing the new shiny thing because it's intriguing.

But at the end of the day, where you put your knowledge and how it is capitalized matters the most!

West Gate Bank- Always Thriving for End-to-End FulfilmentChartered in 1968, West Gate Bank is a family-owned community bank based out of Lincoln, Nebraska. WGB Correspondent has been helping community banks and credit unions provide home ownership to their customers across the nation. Offering Delegated, Non-Delegated, and “Full Service” Broker relationships, providing end-to-end fulfilment, we offer the right products at the right price, in a fast and efficient manner.

“Our overriding philosophy is for our partners to keep their borrower/member relationship.”

To guarantee that philosophy, we institute a non-solicitation commitment clause in our contract. They retain servicing of nearly all mortgage loans in their Servicing Center located in Lincoln, Nebraska to ensure borrowers/members receive the best customer care available.

processes was and continues to be an obstacle, in some respects. As the industry moves to leverage more technology, archaic processes become obsolete, this causes a shift in moral as employees feel insecure and afraid of the unknown.

Cutting Through the Complexities-

Another hurdle the team had to overcome was securing the available resources and expertise to fill in gaps within their tech team and servicing. Over the past several years, they identified and hired some amazing talent helping to bring the company's goals to fruition.

There were a variety of challenges, especially when ramping up our strategic plan. One common challenge all the contemporaries share in this industry is how fast you pivot and adapt to the changing market. Being a small community bank, nimbleness was not an issue. However, employees shifting their paradigms and learning new

“We've built the necessary infrastructure that has allowed us to overhaul our servicing platform, creating a dynamic, paperless solution as well as create our own technology processes without relying on a third party. This has been invaluable to maintaining growth without the additional cost.”

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COVER STORY

The talent acquisition along with the technological abilities West Gate Bank now possesses allowed them to tweak their plans and realize what they, as a company, were truly able to accomplish. This was a major turning point and triggered new product and process development. They were also able to expand their product offering and execute more efficiently. In turn, they are able to compete with larger aggregators leading to an influx of partnerships and increased volume.

The Products and ServicesWest Gate Bank Correspondent Mortgage focuses on developing third party relationships with community banks and credit unions with a desire to grow their mortgage presence. They offer secondary market mortgage and portfolio products to enhance an institution's housing menu.

West Gate not only purchases secondary market loans, but also services these loans locally and offer a non-solicitation agreement. A few differentiators are their ability to implement new products quickly, a streamlined manufacturing process with minimal overlays, and access to all staff for a white glove approach.

The Changing Graphs and A Bright FutureInception occurred in 2011, however, let's go back to 2015.

For the past six years, the company has managed to increase their correspondent partnerships by 74% and triple the production volume. While 2020 was a bit of an anomaly, Dana is extremely proud of the team and what they have been able to accomplish in such a short period of time.

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COVER STORY

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“We continue to grow our network of relationships, create brand awareness across the nation and manage an increasing pipeline.”

Dana firmly believes that the long-standing success is due to the commitment the team has to the community banks and credit unions. West Gate prides themselves on maintaining service levels no matter the market environment and are also willing, as you can see in 2020, to slow growth where needed so that they do not sacrifice the relationships they have cultivated.

“WGBM believes in a true partnership, building communities together, and that's what we service.”

Currently, the company is weighing their pricing execution options to offer better margins on both agency and

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government products. This will be a key factor in their ability to complete over the next few years. With housing inventory drying up and mergers and acquisitions shrinking the current pool of investors, competition for community financial institutions will be fierce.

West Gate is also looking at a variety of affordable housing products that align with the current administration's goals.

As funding becomes available for various community grants and bonds, they are partnering with local housing agencies to help facilitate their secondary market loan opportunities.

COVER STORY

Team Work Makes the Dream Work“I build teams that have different skill sets and viewpoints.”

Dana wholeheartedly believes in collaboration. She feels that collaboration in diversity makes the team more rounded and facilitates an environment for learning of different viewpoints and also cultures. The staff need to always agree with the boss!

Dana encourages her team to challenge her thought process and offer better suggestions. She has also cultivated a habit of holding them accountable for their actions. There is no failure, only learning opportunities. This approach gives the staff the confidence to develop their own ideas and methods.

“I always ask to look beyond the job at hand and how this will improve their life in the future.”

These subtle changes and challenges of her leadership have presented Dana with tons of achievements throughout her entrepreneurial journey. The one that she recalls, which was probably her best achievement was her team receiving promotions and recognitions professionally. All her staff has elevated in their career, whether those on her current team or the past one. Witnessing their growth and seeing them achieve their goals has been the highlight of her career, says Dana.

Probably the best achievement, is when I experience my team receiving promotions and recognition professionally. All my staff have elevated in their career, whether those on my current team or past teams.

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Saviour of your Data and Privacy!

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ome entrepreneurs leave their mark in the world by introducing unique and unmatched products and services. In this special edition of The Enterprise World, Enterprising Women of the Year 2021, we celebrate and commemorate one of the most inspiring and dynamic women entrepreneurs of this era.

In today's world, having a digital presence is extremely crucial for a company's survival. The security of an organization's valuable data and information is also important.

Cybersecurity is not only important for organizations but also for everyone who uses a computer, laptop, etc.

In today's conversation, we learn more about McAfee, one of the most trusted and leading antivirus software companies.

been public, been acquired (by Intel Corp., in 2014), spun out to be private (2017), currently public, divested its Enterprise business (summer 2021), and recently entered into an agreement to be acquired by an investor group led

by Advent International Corporation (“Advent”) and Permira Advisers LLC (“Permira”). McAfee is a pure-play consumer online protection company and is led by Peter Leav, CEO and President. Throughout its evolution, McAfee products, technology, and people continue to be proven leaders in the cybersecurity industry.

What are the products or services the company focuses on? How are your services different from those in the market?

Tell us about the company

McAfee (NASDAQ: MCFE, “McAfee”), is a global leader in online protection for consumers. Over the years, it has enhanced its consumer product portfolio with McAfee® Web Advisor, Safe Family, Gamer Security, Secure VPN, and Total Protection, among many others. McAfee protects the digital lives of 20 million subscribers.

McAfee began in 1987 as an anti-virus software company. Throughout its long history, it has acquired companies,

Our services differ from those in the market due to the significant number of sensors across the globe. Using

In conversation with Celeste Fralick, Senior Principal Engineer and Chief Data Scientist, McAfee. Let's hear about her insights and professional journey.

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Machine Learning, Deep Learning, and AI, McAfee utilizes advanced technology for online protection, combined with humans-in-the-loop to achieve the best in security. Our products protect a customer's personal information an average of ten months earlier than similar monitoring services, detecting data breaches before they become an identify fraud issue.

Please tell us about your team Our AI research team investigates advanced analytics and seamlessly translates the results to products. Via a secured, layered approach, AI helps to augment the human to detect adversaries in sub-second time. Our team is mission-oriented to maximize detection accuracy, optimize performance for the consumer, and minimize false positives and false negatives of any online security threat.

Please brief us about your professional experience My professional experience began 41 years ago developing Statistical Process Control (SPC) in hardware. I continued to develop – both educationally via a Ph.D. and professionally – my statistical and data science prowess in 8 different markets.

Celeste Fralick, Senior Principal Engineer & Chief Data Scientist

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I have always worked with data, statistics, and technology. While I have skirted software in previous positions, this is my first time in a softwaresolution company, but my unique background brings a diversity of thought to our security innovations.

I am the Chief Data Scientist and Senior Principal Engineer for McAfee, beginning in 2015. I focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI) research in the Office of the CTO. What are the key achievements of your business journey?

I have been fortunate to work for excellent people in excellent companies, learning continuously in a field (e.g., statistics, AI) that was in the shadows for many years. Since about 1998, data science has exploded because of the Cloud, Moore's Law, Big Data, and our need to be continuously connected. I was very lucky to know the right thing at the right time in different domains, transferring my knowledge to the security space. Yet, there is still so much to learn, even after a long career.

I've had some intriguing accolades, but my favorite was being named to Forbes “Top 50 Women in Technology” (Dec 2018). Others include CDO Magazine's “Global Data Power Women” (2020, 2021) and, “10 Most Game-Changing Women Leaders of 2021”, Mirroreview (Oct 2021). I am incredibly humbled by these recognitions.

Technology-wise, I've collaborated on many patents and journal articles in security and AI. However, leading JEDEC's JC-13 consortium for developing global microcircuit test specifications was truly exciting. The group consisted of ~150 member companies, with only about 10 women.

I'm hoping that I have laid the

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groundwork for other technical women including minorities and the disabled, especially in cybersecurity where women are under-represented.

Cybersecurity impacts all of us and diversity is critical for innovative solutions.

Any client experience you would like to highlight?

I've been toe-to-toe with angry generals because I wouldn't release a chip product that failed a test. I've met

face to face with the FDA to convince them to develop medical software standards, and a welcomed advisor to NIST (US National Institute of Standards and Technology) to develop AI standards. In my AI security role, my favorite clients have been those that ask questions that are three years ahead of today so I can mitigate risks ahead of time using AI solutions.

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or all the damage and disruption, the pandemic had caused, to see the silver lining, it has also helped us look towards the next generation of work. This era has propelled us all to a new work environment, and has promoted remote work and has been able to fuse the professional and personal life of many employees. By striking the right balance, the average employee has been able to maintain a good personal life and also perform better at the office.

The leaders that have mastered the art of self-management while also navigating some unexpected frontiers have pushed themselves ahead during this challenging year. The striking qualities like that of a rigid emotional discipline, the unnerving resilience and an advanced sense of self-awareness, the qualities that are required the most in a crisis have been honed by women as they have worked their way to the corner offices and board rooms.

The obstacles that many women have faced while making their way to the top have seasoned them to become leaders, as this next generation of work is taking shape. And to add to the magic of it all have been the unique challenges of the pandemic, forming a culture of its own.

Why Women in Leadership?

Naturally, women are the most powerful agents of change. Apart from that, the far-reaching benefits of gender parity and diversity in leadership and decision-making have had immense effects on the business and are being recognized in all the spheres. And even so, the women of the world continue to being under-represented in major decision-making in the fields of politics, businesses and communities.

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Why are Women Better in Leadership Roles?

To advance the gender justice and gender equality, women as leaders and decision makers are critical to the business environment. This will also help to further the economic, social and the political progress for everyone.

In a world that is changing rapidly, where the nature of work is shifting rapidly, there remains a shortage of skill and will continue to be so in the coming decade. At this time it is crucial for businesses to understand women's leadership potential to avoid them of their peril.

Creating a gender-balance, especially at decision-making levels, will not only help businesses make a good sense of the things that are happening, but will also help to pave way for a much more diverse and productive nature of enterprises which will in turn benefit the workers, employers and societies.

How to Promote Women in Leadership Roles?

Due to the pandemic, the world has seen a rapid shift from a traditional working environment to a digital working environment. As we step into this digital era, companies are required to be more proactive about breaking down the culture of constant availability.

To ensure this, the companies need to introduce policies like flexi-time, teleworking, maternity and paternity leave and return-to-work programmes.

Introducing such policies will ensure that working women are not deprived at work for handling both, the work and their responsibilities at home.

As a matter of fact, introducing these policies will not only benefit women,

but all the workers thereby helping reduce work-stress and burnout. And once these factors are eliminated, all the companies are left with is a sustainable productivity of workers in the long-term.

Even though policies may not fix everything, it can prove to be a great starting point to address and eradicate the gender problem that prevails in many businesses. Research has proven that the companies that have active equal opportunities and gender inclusive policies have seen more women in all levels of management.

Unless and until these policies get a buy-in from the managers, most of these policies sit there in drawers, gathering dust. To make these policies work, it is important that the managers are trained in that way.

Another important factor to take into consideration is the domino effect.

When there is a woman already working at some top level, she is bound to attract more women into the workplace, with a hope of reaching that point. And that is how women can be more involved in businesses and workplaces.

Shaping the next generation of women leaders is not a task, for which someone has to start from the scratch.

With the numerous movements across the world, businesses are already seeing a number of women take on the charge. But with some little changes to how we approach gender imparity can build the next generation of women entrepreneurs.

Shaping the Next Generation of

Women Leaders

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S

atellite services do sound extremely cool and interesting but in reality, are extremely complicated. It takes much more than knowledge and experience to understand, let alone lead a successful company that provides just that!

Anastasia Kuzmenko Currently holds the position of Vice President of Marketing & Communications at IEC Telecom Group. She is responsible for the global marketing strategy and management of brand communications across the Middle East, Asia, and Europe.

For urban networks, we provide a powerful satellite backup to ensure the business continuity of customer enterprises. Our portfolio includes a wide range of satellite products (from handsets to VSAT services), solutions, and value-added services. In addition, we offer 24/7 support for satellite-based solutions during their full lifecycle. IEC Telecom Group has offices across eight countries: Denmark, France, Kazakhstan, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, Turkey, and UAE. My motivation:

Anastasia is truly an inspiration and a beacon to all budding entrepreneurs and marketing enthusiasts. Her charismatic personality, exceptional leadership, and of course, vision, are undoubtedly worth honoring.

In a scintillating interview with Anastasia Kuzmenko. Let's hear about IEC Telecom Group, and get to know more about Anastasia and her professional journey.

Brief us about the company. What inspired you to join the company?

IEC Telecom Group is one of the leading international satellite service operators. Renowned for supplying high-quality satellite-based solutions to customers for more than 25 years, IEC Telecom delivers efficient end-to-end voice and data services when and where it matters most. We enable digitalization for the maritime industry as well as remote units on land, where GSM coverage is not available.

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I am a classic example of a millennial whose mindset was shaped by beautiful concepts of globalization enabled by the spread of connectivity. I have always wished to be more than a participant; an influencer in this process.

Choosing marketing as a profession was my way of joining the stream. Coming across an opening at IEC Telecom Group, I realized that I can bring my dream one level up.

What can be more inspiring than to connect those who are exempt or have limited access to this essential resource?

Today, connectivity is more than a means to send a message or call. It is a driver behind digitalization. From an economic point of view, it means bridging the opportunity divide by enabling the latest technologies such as telemedicine, remote maintenance, and e-learning from top to bottom of the income pyramid.

Anastasia Kuzmenko, Vice President of Marketing & Communications

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From the corporate perspective, digitalization creates efficient professional networks and improves internal processes, leading enterprises to more sustainable and future-ready operations. Lastly, from a social perspective, it brings families & friends closer who are otherwise physically far apart.

What are the products or services the company focuses on? How are your services different from those in the market?

Satcom is no longer about connectivity alone. It is about operational efficiency. By enabling a reliable network in areas with no GSM coverage, IEC Telecom Group secures business continuity for our customers regardless of the area of operation: over deep seas, high mountains, and vast deserts. In recent years, IEC Telecom has invested greatly in the development of various applications optimized for a low bandwidth environment. As such, videoconferencing, remote maintenance, and big data exchanges can now be achieved over a narrow satellite channel at a cost comparable with the charges of terrestrial operators.

“We keep you connected beyond limits” is more than our motto; it's a strategic vision that is deeply rooted in our corporate DNA. We are committed to going the extra mile and this is exactly what our customers need the most. Instead of offering “one size fit all” service packages, we take the time and effort to define technical requirements for each case, and subsequently, deliver cost-effective solutions that aim to resolve project-specific needs.

I believe that IEC Telecom is in a unique position to lead in the niche of a customized Satcom experience. Our integrated approach of in-house design and engineering expertise allows us to develop truly custom-made solutions. This is our forte and the direction to follow.

Please tell us about your team I am fortunate to work in an international environment with my team spread across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. I feel exceptionally privileged by this circumstance as this intercultural dialogue is one factor that makes me a better professional and person every day.

My team comprises both in-house and outsourced professionals. The former shape the core competencies and industry expertise behind our marketing efforts; the latter represent a “fast response” corps, which allows us to remain agile and responsive to newly emerging trends in the communications field.

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Please brief us about your professional experience I'm an ambitious senior marketing professional with 13+ years of experience across multiple industries, including Satcom, Oil&Gas, aviation, and more. I've managed and successfully delivered integrated marketing campaigns both for B2B and B2C sectors.

My leadership, project management skills, and proficiency in navigating teams across different regions towards the completion of their individual KPIs as well as common brand objectives have made it possible for me to be regularly recognized as a top performer who drives projects to new heights.

What are the key achievements of your business journey?

I am convinced that there are no small or large achievements. As a junior marketer at the beginning of my career journey, I felt privileged to be involved in key corporate projects and entrusted to serve as a meditator at international negotiations. As a mid-career specialist, I challenged myself to travel abroad and put my knowledge to the test in the international environment of the UAE. At the time, I had to start from square one; hence, I take much pride that from an Operational Executive in a local events agency, I grew into the role of a VP of Marketing & Communications with an international organization in less than nine years.

In my journey with IEC Telecom, there are quite a few accomplishments about which I feel excited. IEC Telecom used to have a diversified marketing communications system, whereby each office defined a strategy of its own.

Undertaking a global marketing role, I set an objective to centralize communications and develop a strong internationally recognized brand with unified positioning and a shared identity.

In four years, IEC Telecom's marketing infrastructure has undergone many changes, including rebranding, launching global PR campaigns, developing thought-leadership through exposure at leading conferences, and expanding our digital presence. IEC Telecom has received international appreciation within the satellite industry and we are especially honored to be awarded by Thuraya Telecommunications (one of the major global Satcom operators) for the “Best Marketing Campaign” twice: in 2021 and 2018.

“Helen” vessel – KAPE Caspian Sea

One person alone cannot win a battle. Such profound transformations may only be achieved as a team effort. I am extremely thankful to my team for their commitment & enthusiasm and I am exceptionally grateful to the IEC Telecom Group Board for their trust and support. Looking back, I can proudly say that much has been accomplished, yet many milestones lay ahead.

Any client experience you would like to highlight?

IEC Telecom does business across multiple markets both overland and in the maritime sector. As a marketer, I craft communications for every customer group. Due to the specific nature of our business, we are often bound to confidentiality, as many of our customers represent the government sector, humanitarian NGOs, and large-scale enterprises.

Yet, I do have a case that might catch your interest. Back in 2018, we provided satellite communications to research vessels of the Kazakhstan Agency of Applied Ecology (KAPE), operating in the Caspian Sea with a mission to protect the ecosystem of the local waters. KAPE's scientific work in the Caspian Sea involves daily communication with clients and technical experts onshore. Projects generate a huge amount of raw data. An average client project involves the transfer via satellite of 30GB to 50GB from ship to shore each month.

The Thuraya Orion Edge system by IEC Telecom allowed KAPE to optimize bandwidth, control data usage with datacompression tools, and minimize the data needed to access and run research programs. In addition, we supplied the vessels with a crew welfare solution, which enabled seafarers - at times, separated from their families for a few weeks in a row - to use their own gadgets to stay in touch with loved ones over VoIP calls and popular messaging applications.

Which one is your favorite quote?

Success is painted in golden colors. Yet, it is often forgotten that underneath any masterpiece, there are many layers of desperate scratches in black and grey. In my life and work, I do have a few sayings that guide me on a daily basis.

One of my all-time favorites is the famous Latin expression “Per Aspera ad Astra”, which translates as “through hardships to the stars”. Hard work is the foundation of any achievement, no matter where you stand on the career ladder. A fresh graduate or a seasoned CEO, if you are not afraid to roll your sleeves up and pull the cart side-by-side with your fellow teammates, fortune will eventually smile on you.

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Penelope Przekop, CEO

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PDC Pharma Strategy A New Dawn for the Pharma industry!

his edition of The Enterprise World features some of the most prominent and innovative women entrepreneurs of 2022. In this magazine, some of the visionary, exceptionally talented, women leaders, who have established their presence as true business leaders!

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PDC Pharma Strategy is a consulting firm that offers services to the highly regulated pharmaceutical industry. We develop and execute risk-based strategies that support comprehensive global regulatory compliance throughout the drug development process and product lifecycle.

Today, we talk about Penelope Przekop. She is the CEO of PDC Pharma Strategy. She is also the Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) at Engrail Therapeutics. Penelope has showcased exceptional leadership, unleashing her expertise, and valuable experience in not only creating a successful company but also establishing a leading brand name!

I’m particularly interested in working with clients at the strategic level as early in the drug development as possible to start at the start, create regulatory compliance strategies that can smoothly scale and pivot with the trajectory, twists, and/or turns that come, as we all know they will. We also work with companies at various stages in the drug development process to determine gaps and recommend strategies for improving efficiency, documentation, and compliance.

In an exclusive interview with Penelope Przekop, CEO of PDC Pharma Strategy. Let’s get to know more about her company, its journey, and her professional journey.

Brief us about the company, what inspired you to start the company?

What are the products or services the company focuses on? How are your services different from those in the market?

Although I began my consulting career in 2008, my professional interests and consulting work took on a more focused form when I realized that I had developed the unique skill set required to help companies, and the industry, develop innovative regulatory compliance strategies to ensure compliance and be efficient and practical in the current pharma landscape, which is vastly different than it was when I joined the industry in the late 1980s.

A focus on innovative business and scientific strategies for drug development using technology has been a natural progression for most of the primary functional areas within pharma over the last 15 or so years. This includes finance, human resources, supply chain, clinical trial design, drug safety analysis, and operational processes. However, a critical area left behind in terms of strategic, innovative change has been how the industry documents and ensures regulatory compliance.

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Aside from going paperless, the quality and compliance approaches of the 1980s and 90s have remained constant.

PDC Pharma Strategy is different because we recognize and are fascinated with this gap, the possible reasons for it, and in developing both short- and long-term solutions.

We are doing this at a micro-level with our clients and through exploring and developing potential pharma-wide solutions.

Please tell us about your team?

I approach each pharma company as a unique entity in a regulated environment that has created industry-standard check-the-box activities that no longer fit our emerging business models. I seek to understand my clients on a personal level, proactively look for ways to be helpful, and give them honesty. Often, my work requires me to point out gaps and issues to clients, which is not always easy or comfortable.

I’ve established a culture of collaboration, learning, creativity, and efficiency. With that said, experience is golden when it comes to executing what’s required in the short to mid-term.

PDC has a large network of highly experienced industry consultants who can collaborate, as needed, to address our client’s needs. However, PDC values industry experience with a flash of innovation and a lot of common sense.

PDC is a boutique consulting firm with a team of less than ten. I love working with and mentoring bright, young people; they bring a fresh perspective and have the technical skills that complement my broad and deep industry knowledge. It’s a great partnership for developing innovative approaches to create long-term change.

Please brief us about your professional experience?

I offer a positive customer experience by helping clients visualize the future state. I build trust by being genuine and honest. They trust that although I may have a smile on my face, I will speak the truth, no matter how tough it may be to hear. They know that I’m on their team and ready to help them close gaps in a fit-for-purpose, practical way.

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I’ve had the opportunity to work in the pharmaceutical industry for over 30 years and began consulting 13 years ago.

I’ve worked with numerous top 100 pharma companies including Pfizer, Merck, & Co., Lilly, and Glaxo Smith Kline, and have held leadership positions at Novartis, Covance, Wyeth, and Johnson & Johnson. I have a BS degree in

biology and got my industry start working in pre-clinical research. I had been a pre-med student until late in my junior year of college when I decided to peruse a Ph.D. instead.

advancement. I thought I was on the best possible path, the one I wanted, when I was abruptly laid o ffalong with many others, in what felt like a devastating, personal, blow to my career.

I was accepted into a Ph.D. program in pharmacology but dropped out to work; I became a single parent just before starting graduate school and soon realized that the challenge I faced was much tougher than I had imagined. In many ways, I felt like a failure although I had no regrets about becoming a parent. I swore that I would continue my education as soon as I could.

While struggling to understand what happened, I fell into consulting by assuming a role that a long-time friend was vacating to accept an FDA (Food and Drug Administration) position. It took a couple of years, but I eventually realized that I loved consulting and was well-suited for it. I’m beyond thankful now for that crushing career disappointment. It forced me down the best possible authentic path on multiple levels. Since that time, I’ve worked incredibly hard to expand my expertise, grow my business, and make a positive impact on the industry I love.

While working in my first pharma position in a lab, I had the opportunity to complete a cross-training program in quality assurance. That paved the way for me to transition into that department a year or so later. I worked my way up through various research and development areas, all with a focus on quality assurance and management.

Learning about the science of quality management in the late 1990s inspired me to peruse and earn an MS degree in quality systems engineering. I grew increasingly passionate about what the science of quality management could bring to all areas of pharma, and my career began to take on a more distinct focus.

When the 2008 housing crisis struck, I was a global director at Johnson & Johnson managing sta ffand working with colleagues across the world. I was being groomed for

I wrote about both my personal and career experiences in my recent book, 5-Star Career: Define and Build Yours Using the Science of Quality Management (Productivity Press).

What is your favorite quote?

I’m a writer and quote addict so this is a tough question. I’ll share one of my long-time favorite quotes that have resonated through all the areas and stages of my life: “But he who dares not grasp the thorn should never crave the rose.” - Anne Bronte

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You Don't Have to Choose Between Business, Travel and Love Nicole Tabs Proves It

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wise woman once said that happiness –true contentment—is the key to enjoying life. Audrey Hepburn is famous for saying “the most important thing is to enjoy your life - to be happy - it's all that matters."

Women bear the tremendous brunt of many emotional tasks in their life, and they often struggle to balance a foreverfull plate of obligations, expectations, dreams, and realities.

Repositioning each item causes others to fall, creating a never-ending stream of wishing there was more time for the very projects and experiences that bring joy. After all, prioritizing one item over the other means that something goes farther down on the list. But, what if it didn't have to be that way?

Nicole Tabs, CEO and co-founder of business development agency Monarchy Media, co-founder of modern fitness brand Upliffs, and co-founder of Serendipity Group Inc, believes prioritizing and managing expectations and dreams doesn't have to come at the expense of sanity.

With a father who was a serial entrepreneur and an inspirational mother who is the other half of Serendipity Group Inc., Tabs effortlessly made the leap from influencer to business owner—and explained that as life constantly evolves, staying committed to 3 important elements is what has guided her success.

“My love of travel, my desire to lead businesses with purpose, and elevating the relationships in my life seemed to always be in conflict with one another," Tabs said. "I found the key to achieving success in all three isn't to recognize the inherent battle but to create strategic workarounds.”

Invest in Partnerships When building her closest relationships, Tabs learned it is vital to not settle, but instead, find someone to continuously create with. “Alignment is the recipe for success in close relationships,” she said. “The trick is finding a balance for that continuous creation and serving as a cheerleader for one another.”

Tabs also encourages open and honest discussions with your partner about one-year, five-year, and work-related goals. At the same time, she added, it's important to celebrate your interests that aren't alike.

For example, while one of her husband's passions is Dungeon and Dragons, it's not her thing. Yet, she supported his interests through participation and hosting events while he played up her love of all things Disney, even though it's not his favorite.

"Be supportive and stay connected," she said. "Don't take away from the other--increase and enhance instead."

Move Your Ventures - and Yourself - Forward Tabs mindfully looked for partnerships where alignment and creative synergy existed as a key to her business success.

Whether that's starting as an Instagram influencer, marketing media management, or film producer, she sought to find people to work with that share her passion and attention to detail.

With the ability to work remotely, many are fleeing corporate America for an opportunity to create wealth and grow on their own.

“Taking your work on the road can be daunting if time management isn't your forte, but it's absolutely worth every sacrifice,” said Tabs. "My ambitious spirit and desire to see all the continents gave me new experiences that led to my business' growth.”

One important element Tabs said needed its own moment was strategically aligning your relationship with yourself and your partner with the work you're doing.

"When everyone has the same vision, they move towards the horizon together," mentioned Tabs. "My success comes from having a partner who looks ahead with me, prioritizes our goals, and gives me the freedom to be creative. We travel together and learn together, and that experience has been a gift."

Exploring passions, solidifying relationships, and creating 7figure businesses are what Tabs does best. "People tend to believe they can only do one thing at a time, which is wildly untrue," she mused. "Just as a human brain can multitask, human professionals can do a multitude of tasks that light up each part of their life; it's for important women not to settle for less."

About Nicole Tabs Nicole Tabs is a serial entrepreneur and humanitarian born and raised in Beverly Hills, CA. She is the CEO and Co-founder of Monarchy, a highly successful business development agency, and Serendipity Group Inc, launched their new TV series on ABC, as announced on Deadline. To view her website, visit http://nicoletabs.com/.

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WHAT ARE TH INNER WORKIN OF MACHINE LEARNING? 40

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D

uring the very early stages of machine learning there were many experiments involving the theories of computers in order to recognize the patterns in data and thus learning from them. After several experiments, today, machine learning is built upon those foundational experiments.

But the entirety of machine learning is more than that.

The machine learning algorithms have been around for a long time now, but this ability to apply those complex algorithms to the big data applications in a rapid and an effective manner has been a more recent development. And when an organization achieves this, it can set it apart and ahead of its competitors.

How does Machine Learning Work?

Machine Learning is nothing but a form of Artificial Intelligence technology which teaches the computers to think in a way that is similar to the way humans think- like learning and improving from the past experiences. This technology of machine learning explores data and identifies the patterns in it to process it further, thus requiring minimal human intervention.

With a data defined pattern and a fix set of rules, almost any kind of task can be completed, which can be fully automated with the help of machine learning.

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This technology has thus allowed companies to transform their processes to automation, which were previously only possible for humans to perform, like receiving customer service calls, book-keeping and reviewing resumes.

Machine learning is a process that uses two main techniquesSupervised Learning, & Unsupervised Machine Learning Supervised LearningSupervised learning is the technique which allows one to collect data or even produce data output from a previous ML deployment. Supervised learning is much more exciting and builds curiosity because it is a technique that works in a much similar manner humans actually learn new things.

In the tasks that are supervised, the computer is presented with a collection of labelled data points, also called as a training set.

Unsupervised LearningUnsupervised learning is a technique of machine learning that helps you find all kinds of unknown

patterns in your data. In unsupervised learning technique, the algorithm learns some of the inherent structure to the data with only unlabelled examples.

Clustering and dimensionality reduction are two of the most common unsupervised learning tasks.

suggestions by Amazon or even Spotify's playlist algorithms. The internal applications of machine learning inside an organization are helping them speed up the process and also reduce most of their manual work.

Out of the two tasks, clustering is one where one attempts to group the data points into meaningful clusters so that the elements within that given cluster are similar to each other but different to those from other clusters. This comes in useful for tasks like market segmentation.

One of the major reasons why machine learning is so valuable is that this technology has the ability to detect what is missed by the human eye. These models are programmed to catch the complex patterns which are generally overlooked during human analysis.

The other model of unsupervised learning, the reduction model the number of datasets is reduced by grouping the similar or correlated attributes which help in better interpretation, thereby producing a more effective model training.

How Machine Learning is Used?

From simple but some of the most tedious tasks like manual data entry, to some of the more complex use cases like the insurance risk assessments to other use cases like fraud detection, machine learning has many applications in the every day life. These applications also include client-facing functions like customer service, product recommendations- like the product

With the help of cognitive technology like natural language processing, machine vision, and deep learning, this technology of machine learning is liberating human workers from the tedious manuals tasks thereby helping them focus more on other factors like product innovation, and perfecting the service quality and efficiency.

Yes, of course, as humans you might be have the ability to sift through a massive but organized spreadsheet and identify a pattern there, but thanks to machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies, these advanced algorithms can examine much larger sets of data and understand the patterns within them much more quickly.

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Tania (Riahi) Amar, Founder & CEO

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CXP Consulting Coursing your company's future!

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he consulting space is growing with many experts and established leaders providing exceptional offerings. The companies face fierce competition, making it all about which one has the edge and the trust in the market to become indomitable.

In this competition, many companies and their leaders find themselves overwhelmed with the changing trends, practices, and how quickly the competition adapts and provides exceptional services for it.

This may seem cruel, but it showcases the best players because, in the end, the market is the best judge of any product/service. But what makes a company successful despite its offerings is its leadership.

In our search for enthralling and extremely talented women entrepreneurs, we found Tania (Riahi) Amar, Founder, and CEO of CXP Consulting.

In an exclusive interview with Tania (Riahi) Amar. Let's learn more about her company and her professional journey.

What does CXP Consulting do and what inspired you to create the company?

At CXP consulting, the team works mostly with CEOs who want to take their company to the next business level, whether they need to raise funding, expand into new geographies or new vertical markets, or launch a new product. These executives understand that to lead a successful leap ahead they need to delineate a strong

business strategy and implement it effectively.

CXP is based in Israel, one of the most vibrant technology ecosystems often named the “Startup Nation”, where unique high-quality innovative solutions have the potential to revolutionize the world and even save lives (through hundreds of MedTech companies).

Unfortunately, too often they don't succeed at making the outstanding impact they deserve. This is why we felt the call to do something about it and to work with these companies to help them reach their maximum potential and make a difference in the World.

What unique services does CXP Consulting offer?

The typical intervention mode of CXP Consulting is by taking the executive team on an exciting journey.

The first step of the journey, called Assessment Benchmark, consists in reaching full awareness of where the company stands with regards to market dynamics, competing or alternative solutions, and, most importantly, to what's most pressing for their target customers.

The outcome of this deep-dive analysis is a complete 360degree view of the organization from its go-to-market strategy and execution, lead generation and conversion, sales execution, product, customer support, and more. At first step completion, the client gets a very detailed set of strategic recommendations of where the Company should focus its business efforts for maximum impact.

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Step 2 focuses on how to translate the strategic recommendations into concrete and practical proactive actions that will drive the company forward. The tools that are used here come from the areas of expertise of the two CXP founders - Me and Alon Laor.

We bring decades of experience in the fields of storytelling and persuasion.

We bring creativity and unique business acumen to generate a full messaging book that will allow our clients to stand out in its busy markets with amazing narratives.

And then Step 3 kicks in, which is all about execution, and is led

by Alon. A key mission of his is to integrate the book of strategic messages into customer-facing teams and equip them with tools and techniques so they can use it to drive desirable decisions through their customer interactions.

In Alon's words, "I take the power of this 'Content Engine' down to the ground to meet reality and race forward at maximum efficiency and speed to reach the target". It is all about putting together the most effective “sales machine” and equipping the team with the right ammunition.

The methodology Alon is using here was exclusively created by CXP and is called T.O.P. which stands for Technics of Persuasion.

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T.O.P.TM – Engineering of Persuasion: Brain Power technics at the service of Persuasion People “sell” and “negotiate” all the time: with prospects, customers, colleagues, management.

Scholar studies attest that Persuasion is a 'Science' with well-proven methods and tactics, yet – most people keep using their 'gut-feeling' and intuition in their business negotiations.

The frustration of people is very common when they try to figure out why their message failed to reach the intended audience - and their counterparts opted for a different approach.

The attested fact is that the brain of Humans has many activation points and endless 'short-cuts'. Negotiators (and Mentalists...) use that knowledge to convince others to think and act along the lines they 'draw' to dramatically increase the success ratio of their influence on others.

T.O.P.TM covers the whole array of persuasion techniques: from Neurolinguistics patterns of using "power/magic words and phrases" to unique and

effective negotiation tactics (including “planting thoughts”), body language analysis to behavioral 'cold'-reading - and, of course, effectively handling resistance.

Using T.O.P.TM technics, every person can significantly increase her/his communicational effectiveness and influential power – for every (ethical) purpose.

The overall down-to-earth approach with a commitment to concrete results is certainly what makes CXP consulting well recognized in the market and recurrently called in for more projects by its clients.

Tell us about the team of CXP Consulting I founded CXP Consulting after more than two decades of executive experience in the Corporate and Venture Capital worlds as the CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) of global multibillion-dollar high-tech corporations such as NICE Systems (#1 high-tech company in Israel - valued at $17B), Click Software (bought by Salesforce in 2019 at $1.5B) and JVP Venture Capital (managing $1.4B of funding) to name just a few.

One of the most inspiring clients in 2021 was a company in the field of cancer diagnosis. Probably the most impressive aspect of this project was, as a start, the management team's humility to realize it was time to seek external support after they had already achieved outstanding success.

Due to their personal experiences with cancer, I and Alon felt particularly compelled to support this company's international expansion. The focus here was mostly around the benchmark assessment and branding strategy. These kinds of projects fill us with such a great sense of purpose and passion to continue our business journey.

Another inspiring client was Setoo—an Insurtech startup that emerged from the European-based Kamet startup studio—offering parametric insurance products to ecommerce players. CXP had the opportunity to first create the foundations of their strategic marketing toolkit: Branding (including creating their name!

Alon Laor is an executive sales leader, specializing in promoting technological solutions and services to complex, international environments via direct, remote, and channel sales.

Setoo is inspired by the French word C'est tout! to evoke simplicity), digital presence, sales presentations, and the seed-round investor kit. After Setoo raised their first investment round from the well-known Insurance company, AXA, CXP continued to be called in for special projects. In 2021 Setoo merged with Pattern Insurance to create the world leader in embedded insurance. Together they raised 25M$.

Alon held senior executive positions both at global Hi-Tech giants (DEC/Compaq/HP/Comverse/Infosys) as well as startups (leading some to IPO and acquisitions). Alon acquired a unique experience in Enterprise sales both F2F and Remote and has led strategic sales to fortune 100 companies as well as SMBs.

CXP was called in again by Setoo's CEO to lead the merger from branding and joint value proposition standpoint.

“Until very recently, we were still involved with Setoo. We love working with this team and are happy to have gained their loyalty, and to come back every time they need us in key milestones of the company's life cycle,” adds Tania.

Alon has created the T.O.P. TM (Technics Of Persuasion) method to help customer-facing professionals to better communicate their messages, effectively persuade, successfully 'close', and achieve their goals.

What is your favorite quote?

Please share some key achievements and any client experience Developing a methodology that, with time, has proven to support a large number of companies on their business transformation pathway (spin-off, IPO, raising funds, penetrating a new market, launching new products, after or before M&As, pivoting..) whatever the domain might be, allowing them to make an even greater impact in the world.

It simply WORKS!

“You have to start with the customer experience and then work backwards to the technology.” By Steve Jobs. The company's name was inspired by this powerful sentence. I and Alon believe any technology leader or tech company entrepreneur should follow this amazing and proven insight.

It certainly drives us to empower their clients around the world.

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Elinor Stutz, CEO 50

JANUARY 2022

Smooth Sale A powerhouse of Sales and Networking!

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n our search for some of the most remarkable and charismatic women entrepreneurs, we came across Elinor Stutz. She is not only an inspiration to budding entrepreneurs but also existing, established businessmen/women.

Elinor has not only accomplished a remarkable feat, and created a mark in the world of business. We’re sure you want to know more about who she is, and what she does!

Without further ado, let’s jump towards an exclusive interview with Elinor Stutz, CEO of Smooth Sale. Ÿ Ÿ

Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ

Brief us about the company, what inspired you to start the company?

What are the products or services the company focuses on? How are your services different from those in the market?

Please tell us about your team.

Please brief us about your professional experience.

What are the key achievements of your business journey?

Any client experience you would like to highlight?

Which one is your favorite quote?

I refer to my sales career approach as ‘Bottoms Up!’ Therefore, I’m answering the questions by beginning with your last, and as the experience reveals itself, you will understand ‘my why!’

My favorite quote is: “Believe, Become, Empower.”

Believe you can, Become that person, Empower others to rise similarly!

As I lay on a stretcher with an ‘irreparable broken neck’, two visions came to me via a near-death experience. As the first vision appeared of a generic figure standing on a mound appearing to speak to audiences globally, I immediately and fervently said Yes! A brilliant gold light then encased my entire body, signaling that I would recover.

The first vision faded, and a second appeared in the form of a life report card. I had high marks on the left-hand side, but the right-hand side was an embarrassment as it was completely blank and entitled, ‘Community Service.’ At the moment, I vowed to give back to communities any way I may. With that, the gold light blinked, signaling again that I would be well, and then slowly faded.

The following day, I was heavily medicated for surgery.

Expecting the surgeon to give me words of encouragement, I was dumbfounded to hear, ‘Mrs. Stutz, when you wake up, most likely, you will be paralyzed.’

‘Most likely?!’ He didn’t expect me to make it at all. I responded by using some of his vocabulary – Doctor, when I wake up, I FULLY Expect to be Well! Hours later, he was standing over me as I heard him say, ‘there is no rhyme or reason for what transpired, but in four days, you will walk out of this hospital on your own! During that time, the entire staff on duty came to visit me, ‘the walking miracle.’

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Sales skills and speaking up saved my life!

It took me years to sort out ‘what just happened!’ But I never forgot my promise to help communities.

Client Experience in the Sales Arena Long ago, I was the only sales representative I knew who treated the guards at companies and the people in the basement with respect. Every person I encountered referred to me as ‘A breath of fresh air.’

book was declared Evergreen. It will always remain in print – to be among the classics! You may visit my author page here: https://www.amazon.com/Elinor-Stutz/e/B001JS1P8S Smooth Sale stands for earning a returning and referring clientele that I teach via writing, speaking, and training.

Community Service is the centerpiece for the work. It began with teaching job seekers how to sell themselves in interviews. The many thank you notes for enabling people to secure their desired job led to the next book, ‘HIRED! How To Use Sales Techniques To Sell Yourself On Interviews,’ published by Career Press.

Accordingly, they were the ones who got me into the CSuite for Fortune 500 and 100 Corporations. Each year, as the top producer, I proved to be an embarrassment to the men. Management tripled my quota for the following year as they handed my new accounts to the salesmen. So year after year, I had to interview for a new job; it wasn’t long before I realized that the interviewing process follows the sales cycle.

Social media was my lifesaver upon moving to a town where no one understood my purpose, passion, and perseverance in their unknown. A marketing guru taught me to be collaborative instead of being highly competitive. I soon realized how to attract interest online vs. attempting to sell.

I was at the bottom of the pyramid on otherwise all-male teams to prove. It was up to me to prove, ‘Yes, women Can sell – and do it well!’

Deliberately adhering to the sage advice, Kred declared me to be a Top 1% Influencer and dedicated a page to my work: https://elinorstutz.kred/

What are the key achievements of your business journey?

Moreover, before the pandemic, I tweaked my near-death story as it applies to business for me to provide inspiring keynotes that receive standing ovations every time.

Upon beginning my entrepreneurship and moving to a new city, I went to a networking gathering of about 200 people.

As I announced that I was a sales trainer (already successful in my previous hometown), the entire room burst into laughter, believing that a woman could not possibly know enough to train. Worse, the women ran away shrieking, thinking that I was highly manipulative.

I came to learn that the 3 P’s make all the difference: Passion, Purpose, and Perseverance.

Thankfully, one person came over to relay that to establish credibility, I needed to write a book. I’ve come to learn that our worst experiences are our gifts in disguise as they guide us to the better next steps.

My manuscript transformed into ‘Nice Girls D.O. Get The Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results’ was published by Sourcebooks.

TIME Magazine almost immediately featured the book; ABC-TV News interviewed me, and it soon became known as an International Best-Seller. Toward the end of 2021, the

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My life dots now align via social media as I meet people globally (travel has always been a part of my life) and provide the opportunity to collaborate with those who seek out a similar purpose ~ this leads to the next question.

Please Tell Us About Your Team Without passion, purpose, and perseverance, I would never have made the advances I did. Why? Being an older female, I was scorned and predicted to fail, given I have nothing of value to offer.

But I’m one who never quits; instead, I find a better way to proceed. Due to the ill-treatment in the corporate sales environment, I was determined to make it on my own in the entrepreneurial journey.

As time moved onward and everyone told me to quit, I became more motivated than ever to continue. Moving across the country sadly did not help with acceptance in person. However, I found my support online – better than ever expected.

Community service grew into a blog growing in popularity. As a solo entrepreneur, a collaborative effort for posting business-related content continues to aid the exponential growth. However, via the Twitter platform, I met my remote team that dedicates itself to the same topics that I hold near and dear, that of #diversity, #equity, and #inclusion. I am now on the Social Media Committee for Inclusion Allies Coalition.

Greg Jenkins leads the committees today and invited me to join; his brief description is, ‘Helping leaders understand the value of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion to enhance team & organizational outcomes.’ His LinkedIn profile reads as follows: Helping leaders understand the value of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion to enhance team & organizational outcomes talks about ##equality, ##veterans, ##diversity, ##inclusion, and ##leadership.

Greg got his start in the field upon being stationed overseas via the Military.

Shortly after joining the committee, we were fortunate to have Nirupa Netram, Lotus Solutions LLC, join us.

Nirupa was born in Guyana and immigrated to the U.S. at a young age with her parents. Her dedication to studying and the legal field is impressive, including working as a Magistrate in the early stage of her career. Her LinkedIn profile reveals a commitment to Executive Leadership | Global Certified Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (JEDI) Consultant, Trainer, Speaker | Attorney Nirupa talks about #business, #diversity, #inclusion, and #leadership Nirupa’s story below is highly compelling and gives reason for us to consider being JEDI Ready. As we take in her experiences, we can apply the lessons to all business endeavors and society in general. You may read, ‘Are You JEDI Ready?’ Here: https://smoothsale.net/are-you-jediready/ Creativity and humor aside, the JEDI acronym stands for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. According to Nirupa, It’s almost ironic that a substantial portion of the population feels excluded. When we strive to understand the history of one another, more ideas come forth for improvement. May you consider becoming JEDI Ready!

Although our individual experiences are almost 180 degrees apart, they bring us to the same place and time.

We dedicate ourselves to the work of the Inclusion Allies Coalition, that of diversity, equity, and inclusion, with the desire of a better tomorrow for all.

What are the products or services the company focuses on? How are your services different from those in the market?

The Smooth Sale products and services differ from most others. They embrace transparency, revealing the poor early experiences and how I overcame the barriers to advance and achieve what is most important to me. Accordingly, in the books, speeches, and training, I encourage being authentic to oneself to build an admired brand and, with more ease, attract the clientele one desires.

While experiencing difficulties, I became philosophical to create a Quotes Booklet. Examples include, “Integrity is the soul of sales and all else that you do.

Tomorrow is a blank canvas, begin painting your future today.

We each have one life to live; it’s our duty to live life without regret.”

My stance on selling is not to sell but to listen for a deeper understanding and ask as many questions as necessary to uncover everything on the prospect’s mind to earn respect and trust. Smooth Sale refers to earning a returning and referring clientele.

Brief us about the company, what inspired you to start the company?

The treatment in the corporate environment was unfathomable and downright shameful. After my near-death experience, I held the commitment to begin benefitting communities at large. And the commitment to myself was to conduct business on my terms with integrity, teach the best of what I know, and encourage younger people to lead in their unique style. My promise has been with me ever since, and as of today, I have accordingly enjoyed almost 20 extra years of life.

A smile always comes over me as people inquire about my team and corporate standing, given that I remain a solo entrepreneur. Although the learning curve for entrepreneurship is steep and ongoing, the results appear to me as a Smooth Sale! In giving my best to communities at large, the receiving invitations and collaborative efforts come my way.

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Jennifer Barnes,Founder & CEO

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All Your Resources at one Place!

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stablishing a business is no easy feat. It requires much more than just a good business model, capital, business plan, etc. At its core, it requires a talented and indomitable leadership that fuels the company and runs its products/services in the market effectively and progressively.

A lot of things come to mind when the word entrepreneur pops up. But despite the definitions, aspiration, and motivation attached to it, it becomes a different word when one steps out in the market.

In this edition of The Enterprise World, we feature and commend some of the most enterprising women of the year.

In conversation with Jennifer Barnes, Founder, and CEO of Optima Office. Let's hear more about the company, her professional journey, and much more!

Tell us about Optima Office, and what inspired you to start your company?

I started Optima in October of 2018 after my expartners did a hostile takeover of my first company. I made the mistake of being in a situation with my first company where I only owned 45% of the organization. I brought in over 90% of all the revenue and most of the employees.

We were the 5th fastest growing company in San Diego our 4th year in business and things seemed

to be going extremely well, until- well- they weren't. In year 6, after a couple of years of being in a bad relationship with my partners, they found a way to do a hostile takeover of the company. I was walked out with security and had everything taken from me.

Within three days, however, I started company #2 and within three weeks, I moved across the street from them. 27 of the employees came with me and I ended up prevailing pretty quickly in court by being allowed to compete against the other company I owned. Fast forward 3 and a half years later, Optima is twice the size. It turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me!

What are the products or services the company focuses on?

Optima provides an entire accounting and HR team to businesses in all industries and of all sizes. We can also fill the gaps at any level, from the bookkeeping role to the CFO or HR Director.

Our main focus is on providing our clients with strategic advice, financial statements they can rely on and human resource services that keep them out of trouble and their employees happy.

How are your services different from those in the market?

We personalize our services to every client. We always have availability at every level and never squeeze square pegs into round holes. We are also one of the only female-run accounting firms around.

Please tell us about your team?

We have 85 employees and are 65% women currently. Half of our team are Controller level and above and we have some of the most talented professionals in the market. We promote worklife balance and take exceptional care of our team. Retention is our biggest focus and we do everything we can to live by the theme that happy staff equals happy clients.

Tell us about your professional experience?

I started my career in the accounting department at Petco after I graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, and Marketing. I moved my way up the ladder quickly and a few years after graduating ended up in a consulting role as a Controller for numerous companies and nonprofits throughout San Diego.

Learning quickly that I needed to further my education I earned an MBA from San Diego State University in 2008 (EMBA 17) and completed the Becker CPA courses in 2011. After consulting for two of our current competitors for almost 5 years, I started my first company and the rest is history.

Please share some of the key achievements of your business journey?

I was placed in the top 40 under 40 business leaders in San Diego County and earned the spot in the SDBJ's Women who Mean Business for 5 years in a row. I was featured in the woman of the year for San Diego Magazine for the past two years in a row, a finalist for CEO of the year in 2017 as well as being named the 2017 Young Entrepreneur of the year for the San Diego Chamber of Commerce.

I was also awarded the most influential leader in 2016 by the Connected Women of Influence and

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in the same year was a semi-finalist in EY's Entrepreneur of the year. At Optima, I have been bestowed with another 22 awards. The latest ones are: ● CEO of the year Winner in Medium Business - Issued by SDBJ ● Enterprising Women of the year- over $5 million - Issued by Enterprising ● San Diego 500 Top Influential People in San Diego -Issued by SDBJ ● Top 20 Workplaces 2021- Issued by SD Union-Tribune ● Finalist for Women of the Year - Issued by San Diego Magazine ● Corporate Citizen Award - Issued by SDBJ ● Industry Leader- Celebrating Women Issued by San Diego Magazine ● Inspirational Women Finalist- Issued by LA Times ● Resilience AwardResilience Award Issued by Connected Women of Influence In their 4th year of business, Optima is going to do over $9 million in revenue, up from 6.3 million in year 3.

Any client experience you would like to highlight?

We have a bunch of amazing testimonials on our website. We currently serve well over 200 companies and are growing.

What is your favorite quote?

Happy Staff=Happy Clients.

Lisa S. Jones, Founder & CEO

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Communication, Creativity, Innovation, and Immersion

I

n this Enterprise World's special edition, we commend and showcase some of the enterprising women of the year 2022.

In this search, we crossed paths with Lisa S. Jones. Lisa has not only established herself as a successful entrepreneur but also a remarkable and inspiring leader. Her company EyeMail Inc. with its unique focus and innovative service offerings is highly commendable and sought-after in the market.

Now, without further wait, let's get on with our conversation with Lisa S. Jones, Founder, and Chief EyeMail Officer (CEO) of EyeMail Inc. Let's get to know more about the company, her professional journey, and her valuable insights!

Brief us about the company, what inspired you to start the company?

EyeMail Inc. was founded in 2004, headquartered in Atlanta, GA. Our core focus is the continual advancement of email communications and how to inspire action in the email inbox, mobile, and beyond.

We at EyeMail, believe your messages deserve to be Seen, Heard, and Felt. Studies have identified on average we receive approx. 120 emails a day, yet 73% remain unread.

The question becomes for all of us and our brands, how will our email communications be different for our intended audience in the inbox and mobile?

Video provides a way to show emotion, tone and to personalize a communication experience to increase engagement.

EyeMail as a patent-pending marketing communications technology enables full video (up to 60 seconds) to play automatically inside the email & mobile, to increase customer engagement. EyeMail breaks through the inbox clutter, as a competitive differentiator. The technology

instantly plays high-quality video inside the email to increase open rates and keeps the action buttons next to the video to increase click-through rates.

We have an iconic formula that helps brands to extend their video storytelling to the email inbox to capture attention, engage audiences and inspire action to increase open and click-thru rates and build a stronger bond to brand offerings.

Clients include: PepsiCo, Delta Air Lines, Porsche North America, Microsoft, Harvard Business School, WarnerMedia, The Coca-Cola Company, Make-a-Wish Organization, and a host of Enterprise, non-profit and midtier brands.

I was inspired to start EyeMail out of a desire to live my life to its fullest potential, to embrace the discovery and journey of entrepreneurship, and to honor the memory of my Mom. I have learned that sometimes in life, situations will help you to see or redefine your direction or path forward.

As a corporate executive for several years, I thought my career path was set, but I made a pivot. One summer morning at 8:24 am, I received a phone call that changed my life. My Sister called to advise me that our Mother has passed away, at home, alone at the age of 61. I remember the profound effect that one communication had on my life.

I decided to start a company that would be inspiring, global, and deliver value and my commitment to honoring my Mothers name became and remains the driver, purpose, and motivation for me starting and continuing to grow the EyeMail brand.

I thought about how 1 communication has changed my life, so I said maybe I will start a communications business.

When we think about communications, we think about verbal, not verbal, in writing and then I thought about Email.

In one click, a message can be delivered anywhere in the world and with no inventory. I said well maybe I will start an Email business.

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I began my research by signing up for 150 Enterprise and various brands' email marketing newsletters and marketing communications. I was fascinated to find out that they all had something in common. Either the email communication was a graphic, a hyperlink, or a static image with a play button. I did not feel special, I was not inspired to click or take action.

along with the words as the video content is playing. Closed captioning is not only the right thing to do to engage a broader audience, it also yields higher returns on investment.

EyeCon delivers an interactive engaging logo experience for your brand's email signature line to come to life, as part of a brand 360 touchpoint experience. This could be to celebrate a company milestone or to personalize the email communication.

My motivations kept accelerating with my belief system, I said “what if I could give Email a personality, what if email could be brought to life with automatic play video directly in the email inbox?” And with this shift in purpose and motivation the global brand of EyeMail was born and this was the foundation.

EyeMail Software as a Service platform This offering will enable customers in minutes to create EyeMail experiences in minutes. Our Video in Text platform is anticipated for release Q2, 2022. It's an exciting season in motion!

What are the products or services the company focuses on? How are your services different from those in the market?

Video in Text solution will allow video content to play directly in the text message string with no download required. Anticipated release Q3, 2022.

We partner with forward-thinking progressive brands who are early adopters and market leaders who embrace the need to elevate their customers' communication experience.

These brands understand the importance of immediate and advanced communications and constantly seek new and innovative solutions to engage and reach internal and external audiences quickly.

Future Plans The roadmap for EyeMail also includes expanding to additional countries, more strategic partnerships, and collaborations to continue to innovate and learn from our customers in terms of how we can best continue to support their communication needs. We are also into additional industry sectors for entertainment, hospitality, and retail.

Company products include:

Please tell us about your team?

EyeMail is a patent-pending marketing communications technology, that enables full video (up to 60 seconds) to play automatically inside the email & mobile, to increase customer engagement. Delivers the video in 15K in size with no downloads, thumbnails, five-second animated gifs, or hyperlinks required to play the video in the inbox.

Honored to work daily with such dynamic thought-leadership on the EyeMail Team. The team makes every day an adventure of discovery and learning. We have a globally diverse team of innovative professionals from the ages of 2178 years old, who are focused on delivering their best on every project.

Key focus areas include customer communications, event marketing, and employee engagement initiatives. This is a unique and compelling media that is customer-centric. With EyeMail, video in email campaigns yields an average of 60% unique views and an average of 38% click-through rate compared to industry-standard email rates of 20% and 4% respectively.

We believe in embracing our diverse backgrounds, experiences, and cultures with a strong belief in integrity to best collaborate and deliver global value to our customers.

We also take the time to learn from each other at every stage of the journey.

Closed Captioning Feature: EyeMail believes in the importance of inclusiveness and accessibility in enabling communication experiences. According to the World Health Organization, over 466 million people worldwide have disabling hearing loss. In consideration of reaching a larger (untapped) audience, EyeMail has added a closed captioning feature to enable viewers to engage and follow

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Innovation is a core part of our DNA at EyeMail Inc. As a cohesive team, we collectively brainstorm, categorize and test new ideas in our roadmap to further advance communication in the inbox, mobile, and text messaging. We constantly research and monitor industry trends and predictions and we focus on how we can help customers elevate the email effectiveness and inspire action and deliver the best Email engagement experience on the Planet.

I believe it is important as a leader to remember the importance of human connection and to ensure that it exists for open communication at all levels of an organization.

Please brief us about your professional experience My career started at NASA as a Logistics Specialist managing shuttle payloads and inventory levels and validation of mission-critical shuttle initiatives. As a Corporate Executive, I gained in-depth knowledge and expertise in the area of infrastructure management, product management, and Supplier Diversity. Serving in the Office of Supplier Diversity enabled me to develop an in-depth understanding of corporate initiatives to ensure an inclusive supply base, the importance of supplier partnerships, and advancing support for diverse and women-owned business enterprises to facilitate access to equal contract opportunities and introductions. All of my career roles and responsibilities over the years have helped to expand and shape my vision, outreach, focus, understanding, and determination to see EyeMail Inc. continue to grow globally.

Originally from Montgomery, Alabama received my B.S. in Logistics and Procurement and my MBA in Marketing Management from Alabama A&M University, advanced certification from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, and currently attending Harvard Business School.

What are the key achievements of your business journey?

I am humbled and grateful for all the experiences over the years, including the ups, downs, and curves, lol to celebrate and reach key milestones in the journey. I am inspired to know that I started EyeMail in 2004 and have sustained over the years to pursue my dream and execute my vision for a global product and company.

Key achievements include: Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ

Launch of Super Bowl email communications to millions, via EyeMail technology.

Pre-launch of Microsoft Windows 11, to millions of inboxes via EyeMail technology.

Delta Air Lines 'Catalyst of the Year' award for impact on digital email strategy.

Stevie Award for 'Innovator of Year'.

Microsoft Mentor Protégé Company and to have worked with Senior Architect in the Microsoft Innovation

Center on EyeMail's Roadmap.

Forbes Magazine featured an article on EyeMail and building a global team with compassionate leadership. Ÿ 1 of 10 businesswomen to admire in 2021 Ÿ Honored to have built and worked with such a talented global team. Ÿ Most importantly, I am proud to have created a successful company, in honor of the memory of my Mother, Gladys D. Jones. This was a core goal that inspired me to keep going and to keep reaching for excellence. Ÿ

Any client experience you would like to highlight?

I would like to highlight one of our most recent customer partners: PepsiCo. PepsiCo is one of the world's leading food and beverage companies serving more than 200 countries and territories around the world. Additionally, they have an initiative named, the Stacy's Rise Project. The program is dedicated to helping women grow their businesses through mentorship, funding, and support. As CEO & Founder, EyeMail in 2020 was selected as 1 of 10 women businesses nationwide to participate in this signature program.

As a result of the advocacy and support of PepsiCo and Stacy's Rise, providing EyeMail a platform to showcase our technology and offerings, we officially became a Supplier Partner to PepsiCo in 2021! In one of our most recent projects, we helped support the launch of PepsiCo Super Bowl Tasty Rewards email communications, via EyeMail technology.

Thrilled for this partnership is an understatement, as this reminds us all of the importance of taking time to learn more about emerging businesses and the potential value they can deliver globally. I just want to thank PepsiCo for their commitment to excellence and for believing in me, our global team, and the EyeMail brand. It's a joy and an honor to work with the PepsiCo team.

“ Greatness can be born from anywhere in the world and Significance is not geographically defined

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