A lot has happened in the world in the last few years. More women are climbing up through the ranks at work, there are more women in medical school than there are men, women make up about half of the overall workforce, and 36% of small businesses have female majority ownership.
However, there are struggles. Female-led startups traditionally get much less funding than their male counterparts, currently standing in at only 9% of VC funding within the tech space. The December 2020 jobs report showed that over 100,000 layoffs occurred, all of which were women. The need for support, for work/life balance, and for flexible, diverse ways to make money is more important than ever.
Often, though, we stand in our own way. Our self-doubts prevent us from starting a new venture, and the information we read and research doesn’t always translate into actionable items to help us move forward.
The Female Professional aims to change that. I am creating a virtual conference for women, by women, to show that what we think isn’t possible, is possible; that the things we only think or dream about, can come to fruition; that the barriers in front of us can be broken.
Breaking Barriers: What This Conference Is All About
I hope to make this an annual event where I can address the barriers women face, the hurdles climbed on a regular basis, and the issues that confront us on our paths to success. I want to break these problems down into something manageable and easy to overcome. I want to show everyone that moving forward is possible.
How It’s Set Up
First of all, attendance is FREE. The conference is all about bringing women together. Everyone has a different area of expertise, and I hope to gather that talent and knowledge into one place and share it.
I, as host, will interview different professionals and touch on a variety of topics as they relate to the theme of the event. In addition, I focus on ensuring that listeners come away with tangible, actionable steps that they can take. This will be in the form of actual recommendations, reading materials, or downloadable guides and checklists.
When you sign up for an event, you will have the opportunity to win free giveaways geared towards helping you with your own business. In addition, there will be the option to donate towards the International Rescue Committee project on girls’ education. Donations will be given towards funding for a year of school for one student.
Breaking Barriers 2021: Getting Started With Your Own Business
This year’s event is on March 7th from 8 am to 2 pm PST (so 11 am to 5 pm EST) and it is all about “Getting Started With Your Own Business”. Whether it’s a side hustle, an LLC, learning about promotion and social media, or the life decisions you may face such as how and when to leave your day job, or balancing everything as a mom, we bring all the information to you.
Interested in joining? Sign up here, for FREE!
Want To Know More? Here Are The Speakers
Check out these amazing women and see what they have to say! Learn about their backgrounds and what they have to offer.
In no particular order:
Sanjana @ The Female Professional
What You Need to Know For Startups
I’m a physician with an MBA and an entrepreneurial streak that led me to start my website. I aim to provide a community for professional women, to empower them and give them a voice. My website is a platform for those on any career path to share their stories, learn from each other and find resources to assist with their personal and professional growth.
I recently joined a startup as the CEO. This was a completely new venture for me and I had to learn everything from the ground up. This meant understanding how to build a team, leveraging my networking skills, and figuring out the nuts and bolts of getting a company off the ground.
Aside from producing a viable product you need to complete a lot of tasks in the background. As we all know, a product doesn’t make a company, and without a team and a plan forward it can be difficult to get anywhere.
There is no better teacher than experience, and I’m here to pass on what I’ve learned so that you can save time and money on your own venture! I’ll discuss the different steps to take as you get started, how to stay organized, and important must-do items to consider.
Daniella @ I like to dabble
Starting And Succeeding With Side Hustles
I am a software engineer, sidepreneur, and founder of iliketodabble.com where I help you create and build multiple streams of income and leverage them for success.
I created my blog and brand between back to back layoffs in 2017 and after I earned my first $1 with it, I vowed to never rely on one source of income again. Since then I Like to Dabble has helped us pay $40k of debt, go on to be featured in Business Insider, MSN, LA Times, CNBC, Bankrate, NBC, USA Today, has reached over 100,000 monthly users between the site and social media, and won a Plutus Award for Best Side Hustle Blog in Nov 2020.
However, I’m against hustle culture. You don’t have to wake up at 5 am every day, work all hours of the day, and burn yourself out to start a successful side hustle/small business. I’ll discuss simple ways to tackle that idea you’ve been wanting to start, how to find a side hustle that fits your lifestyle, where to start with a website, and legally covering your venture.
Link to free side hustle idea mind map – https://iliketodabble.com/side-hustle-idea-mind-map/
Tawnya @ Money Saved is Money Earned
Making Side Hustles Possible As a Teacher
In my day job, I work as a teacher. As a teacher, you often have limited time and resources to pursue side hustles. However, through my efforts, I’ve managed to pay off student debt, save for a down payment on a home, and much more.
I’m here to speak with Daniella and share how I did it with the resources I have, and the lessons I have learned. I’ll also discuss the things that have helped me along the way, along with those that didn’t. I’m a prime example of finding a way to making the impossible, possible, and I know that you can too!
Rebecca Hunter @ The Loaded Pig
Making A Business Plan
I am the co-founder of The Loaded Pig, a personal finance website with the goal of helping people achieve their financial goals. I earned my MBA from the University of Florida and my BA from the University of Miami and am excited to begin teaching in the business department at a local college this upcoming semester. I have worked in digital marketing for 5 years and have always been passionate about entrepreneurship.
I have been fortunate to lead several internal startups from the ground up at two of my previous employers and an integral part of my success was forming a business plan. These experiences provided the foundation for forming my own marketing company and personal finance site. Since developing a solid business plan is so important to start your own company, I’m here to talk about building your business plan.
A business plan is an important early step to take so that you can clearly define your vision for your business and take the time to research and brainstorm before jumping in. The research you do up front can go a long way toward preparing for your company’s future. You’ll be able to identify your unique value proposition, customer segment, potential roadblocks, competitors, necessary resources, and more. We’ll go over the different aspects of a business model canvas, how to best utilize it, and translate it to a full business plan if desired.
Monica @ Planner at Heart
Insights Into PR And Media Presence
I’m a former Fortune 50 Public Relations leader turned PR Consultant, PR Adjunct Professor and now a blogger! As a happy timeshare owner of 15 years, I use my years of experience in this travel niche to help my fellow 22 million timeshare owners around the world. Looking for a timeshare “best buy”? Want to hack your timeshare ownership to snowbird for an entire season in Florida? No longer want your timeshare and looking for proven ways to end your ownership? I got you!
For me, it’s all about the power of storytelling. How can you write with your audience in mind? How can you develop media relations documents that drive editorial coverage, backlinks, and elevate your presence?
I’ll teach you how to package your story to the media. Cliff Notes: It’s all about pretending you are the journalist’s assistant! You’ll receive templates and content checklists for press releases and pitch emails so you can hit the ground running.
Jessica Bishop @ TheBudgetSavvyBride
Personal And Professional Branding
I’m an author, speaker, and founder of The Budget Savvy Bride, the internet’s premier budget bridal website. I’ve created a lucrative business helping engaged couples plan their perfect day. I’ve grown my brand over the years to be the go-to place for savvy spending and still creating beautiful memories.
I can help you with your branding, both personal and professional, and all the aspects that go into creating it. I’ll speak to understanding your value, creating a mission statement, and building a brand that embodies those values and mission.
In addition, everything you do must align with your brand mission. We’ll discuss creating a shared “language” with your users/followers/fans, and tips for strengthening your connection with your audience. I can share my experience in growing my brand in different ways, including writing a book and creating online videos.
Susie Q @ Financial IQ by Susie Q
Protecting Yourself And Your Business
I’m the primary author and founder of Financial IQ by Susie Q, a personal finance website with the mission of providing unbiased information to improve financial literacy and decision making. Before I retired, I was a property-casualty actuary. I spent a significant portion of my career building statistical models of all of the financial risks of insurance companies and interpreting their findings to help senior management make better financial decisions.
No matter if you’re starting a primary business, a side hustle, a part-time gig, or an at-home bootstrapped business venture, you must protect yourself and your business. This means insurance.
With my expertise in property-casualty insurance for small businesses and side hustles, I will go over what you need to know, what you should consider, and what may be required for you and your business idea.
Regina @ Frugal Pharmacist
Balancing Career And Life, Building An Online Community
I am a pharmacist, artist, and mother to a son with cancer. I started my blog to deal with some of the burnout I was feeling in trying to be a mom and the full time (or more) breadwinner in my household. Right before my son was diagnosed with cancer I was (basically) unemployed, and since my son’s cancer and the pandemic, I have worked one day a week or less on average.
But in the process, I’ve really learned how much I already had and try to focus on what matters most in life – which is not my day job. I realized that my pursuit of early retirement was leaving me feeling behind, instead of realizing how ahead I already was, and how much flexibility I had already earned. Thanks to a paid-off home and heavy early savings, I’ve been able to back off the extreme financial goals and am always learning to better take life as it comes. I’d like to help talk about putting life in perspective, deciding “what’s enough,” knowing that you ARE enough, and the value of online community in your personal and professional life.
I’ll discuss how it’s ok to define your own version of success and how it’s ok if that definition changes over time. I’ll also discuss how a “semi-retired” lifestyle can help women, in particular, to maintain a sense of professional self while allowing for the changing needs of life. And, I’d love to discuss how taking your life online and building a brand or business can help to give a sense of achievement and purpose that you have control over, regardless of the scale.
Laura Gariepy @ Before You Go Freelance
What You Need To Know To Work Freelance
I’m a full-time freelance writer and business coach to new and aspiring freelancers. I ditched my cubicle because the 9-5 wasn’t letting me show up for my own life. In 2018, I launched Every Day by the Lake, LLC to provide custom written content to other businesses and online publications. Within one year of earning my first freelance dollars, I replaced my previous corporate salary.
In 2020, I decided I wanted to pay it forward because freelancing has done so much for me. Coaching and mentorship helped me get established, avoid pitfalls, and find the right path — sooner rather than later. I now want to help other people enjoy the same freedom and flexibility so that they can work around their life — rather than live around their work.
Mid last year, Before You Go Freelance was born. It’s an online resource hub for folks thinking about going freelance or who are new to freelancing and need some guidance. As part of my new brand, I offer private coaching to fast track your freelancing success. If you attend The Female Professional’s Breaking Barriers conference, you’ll get entered to win a FREE hour-long coaching session with me to talk freelancing/self-employment!
Chihee @ Finny
Building An App; Making It In a Male-Dominated Space
From a wall street executive to a co-founder of a new startup, I have extensive experience working as a woman in a male-dominated industry. I went from creating some of the most well-known Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) to following my passion to starting a personal finance education start-up.
Join me for a conversation on things to consider when advancing or pivoting your career, how to enter the start-up space, and generally navigating your career as a woman and a mom! Many of the hurdles we experience in our respective industries are the same, but the path to success may be different.
Finny is a game-based personal finance education start-up. We’re a personal finance space that offers a fun and easy way to learn all about money. And we’re a community on a mission to help you save more, make more, and be your own boss.
Melanie @ Partners in FIRE
How To Prepare To Leave Your Day Job
I’m a government employee who is tired of the bureaucracy and drudergy of working on projects that I’m not passionate about. Therefore, I decided to start my own projects in fields that I love, and I’m less than a year away from being able to quit my boring but profitable career in government and pursue projects that I’m passionate about.
It’s not an easy decision. The golden handcuffs are real. It’s scary to give up a steady paycheck and jump into a world rife with unknowns. That’s why I started three years ago, building a website, building a brand, and deciding what niche I wanted to pursue. I had no experience in any of these things, and keeping my day job while I worked to figure was an excellent safety net.
This is my story on where I am, how I got here, and where I’m heading. Understand that this is a decision that you can make for yourself with a little planning, preparation, and sacrifice. Learn from my experiences, the barriers I’ve faced, the hurdles I’ve overcome, the sacrifices I’ve made, and see how I’ve learned that you can be successful while following your dreams.
Passion Fire: https://partnersinfire.com/finance/passion-fire/
Robyn @ A Dime Saved
Making It All Work As A Mom
I am a full-time working mom of 3, and I also run my blog as a side hustle. I received my MBA in 2013 and a few years later found myself unemployed. I had one child, I was pregnant, and I quickly realized that much of the financial advice out there just wasn’t for me. Even though I did all the “right” things, it was a few months before I finally found a job and a long time after until we finally started getting our financial life back on track.
As a mother who is still raising my kids on a tight budget, I try to help other mothers out with ideas, tips, and inspiration to help them make it work. Life is not easy, and I get that! Whether it’s free things for your kids or help budgeting when you are pregnant and facing an unpaid maternity leave-I am the mom who can try to help you make it work. I am all about MAKING IT WORK for you and your family!
About The FREE Giveaways:
By signing up you have a chance to win! See below for the awesome giveaways we have planned.
1 – FREE hour-long coaching session to talk freelancing/self-employment! by Before You Go Freelance
2 – FREE One Year Masterclass membership (worth $180) by The Female Professional
3 – FREE hour-long coaching session to hone your negotiation skills and a copy of her ebook on finances (saving/investing/retirement) by Radical FIRE
If you’d like to take part in the giveaways, sign up below (its FREE)!
First enter your name and email, then complete the Event Sign up. Once that’s done you’ll have a chance to complete the locked tasks. The more you share, the more entries you gain for the giveaway.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Sanjana is a physician anesthesiologist and also has an MBA. When she is not running around the hospital or blogging, she likes to escape into her next travel destination, read, work out, listen to music, or hang out with her friends.