By Roger Gorman, CEO and Founder of ProFinda
Building our company journey has spanned 15 years, multiple sleepless nights and a huge amount of hard work. But building a company isn’t a solo task – and throughout the journey I have sought advice and guidance from many.
Today is International Women’s Day – and to mark the day I wanted to highlight and share pieces of advice, motivation and lessons from some incredibly inspiring and influential women that I have had the honour to meet and work with. I hope that these insights will inspire others – like they have me…
Hilary Thomas, Partner at KPMG Advisory
“My big lesson has been the importance of men who understand the importance of diversity and support women in achieving a better world where we can all be our authentic selves”
Lynn Gorman, wife, mum and general hero
“It is essential that International Women’s Day, a mere babe in a historical context, will keep persistently chipping away at a worldwide Great Wall constructed from traditional and archaic institutions and thinking.
We know throughout history that strong women have been vilified and swept away. We know that a veil has been silently drawn across generations of talented and gifted women leaving only shadows and whispers of their creativity.
Today we are fortunate, the modern woman has the technological ability to shout out our triumphs as well as the wrongs done to them.
By securing a better future for women we will also ensure a better future for our children and their families.”
Katie Leith, Head of Operations at ProFinda
“I’m a mum of two and the best advice I would give to other professional women would be to choose the right environment – that is challenging but also flexible, adaptable and gives you the options to choose the right work life balance for you. Coming back from maternity leave is daunting, but if you’re working for the right company, with the right structures and processes in place and surrounded by positive and vibrant people – you enjoy the job so much more and it gives you the space to be able to flourish!”
Louise Huterstein, Director Solo Holdings
“Don’t be afraid to explore an entire area or subject matter that makes you feel rather silly. The knowledge and confidence that comes from putting yourself out there is totally worth the momentary wtf feeling.”
Rania Marandos, Deputy Chief Executive Step Up To Serve
“I was lucky to get involved in my community from a young age and owe much of my development to my social action experiences. They helped me build a sense of possibility, purpose and responsibility. What motivates me? Knowing what I’m fighting for – and making sure it connects to my core beliefs and values. Spending time with people who challenge me – and having fun with it. Going into every conversation ready to learn.”
To finish, I just wanted to highlight a great quote shared today by one of the ProFinda team – our Senior Product Specialist – Spela Cedilnik – as a quote that has inspired her…
“It is not in the shallow physical imitation of men that women will assert first their equality and later their superiority, but in the awakening of the intellect of women” by Nikola Tesla, 1926