In future, there will be no female leaders. There will be just leaders- Sheryl Sandberg 

Well, there is no hidden truth in this that women rule. Yes! You can see them working in high heels, sealing the big deals, and making that difference in the world with their vision.  

26^th August is celebrated as Women’s Equality Day and today this blog is purely dedicated to those boss ladies who fought the stereotype and are doing exceedingly well. We all get inspired by something. Sometimes a movie, sometimes a real-life incident, and sometimes a quote. 

We took interviews and learned what were the quotes that inspired these boss ladies to achieve this position in their lives. 

15 Quotes that inspired 15 boss ladies

On this women’s international day let us have a look at the 15 quotes that made difference in these women’s lives and also learn more about their motivation, driving force, and journey so far. 

1. Nicole Kearney 

Founder, Sip and Share Wines 

“It’s a marathon, not a sprint.” 

Nicole said that she faced a hard time getting people to recognize that black people make wine and that she is actually the winemaker of her wines. Bootstrapping the business led her to be creative in getting the Business off the ground. 

She got inspired to create a community with vegan wine for wine lovers who have been overlooked and underrepresented by the wine industry. She wanted to increase the diversity and inclusion of Black and Brown winemakers in the wine industry and to build a business that lasts generations. 

2. Jenine Lori 

Creator, SecretOfLifeInstitute 

“The best way to predict the future is to create it”. Peter Drucker   

Jenine always had a huge passion for helping others and doing her part to make a difference in the world. She said it brings her joy to be a part of something that brings happiness to others, yet in doing so, she also wanted her passion and ability to create and be limitless. 

She also told that she was never the kind of person who did well working at a job where she needs to get confined by certain structures. She also added, “Some people are the innovators, the visionaries, the ones meant to lead others. When I recognized I was one of those people, the decision to become an entrepreneur was simple and I haven’t looked back since”.   

3. Adrienne Lenhoff 

CEO, Buzzphoria 

“When we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present… we experience heaven on earth.” – Sarah Ban Breathnach 

This lady of passion and vision said that the key driving force of her journey to become an entrepreneur was a burning desire and an inner fire within. She had and still has a desire that leads her to do something beyond what she can see in her day-to-day life.  

She further added that her mantra through the inception of her businesses, and in her daily life is, “When I can do more, why do less.” I guess, she lives by two quotes!     

4. Luisa Zhou 

Founder, Luisa Zhou 

“You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”- Eleanor Roosevelt 

Inspired by this daring quote Luisa said that initially, she started her business when she realized just how limiting her 9-5 was.  

At the time, working as a manager at a tech startup in NYC. She had achieved everything she wanted, but at the same time, she didn’t feel fulfilled.  

She also talked about situations where her family went through different life-threatening illnesses, such as cancer, and she couldn’t be with them because she didn’t have enough vacation days and knew something needed to change.   

To talk more about her experience she said, “I wasn’t a born entrepreneur. In fact, I didn’t personally know any entrepreneurs, I was an introvert, and I didn’t know anything about selling or putting myself out there… I had to learn it all from scratch” 

5. Eloise Skinner 

Founder, eloiseskinner 

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” – Emerson 

She had a desire to make a real change in the world. Seeing a problem and then developing a solution felt like a really empowering process to her. 

Further, she added that her biggest challenge was staying focused!  As a founder, it’s easy to get distracted and overwhelmed by all the things that need to be done.  It’s a real skill to stay focused. 

6. Dayna Altman 

Advocate at Bake it Till You Make it LLC 

“It is ok to pivot.” 

When we asked why she chose this quote she said- I tend to be someone who works on several projects at once and I am learning it is ok to do this. It is also ok to prioritize what makes you come alive. If I am working on one thing and not feeling inspired, I tell myself “it’s ok to pivot” and work on what feels right at the moment.   

Talking about her vision she said that she liked to think I have been an entrepreneur since elementary school. 

She has always had a passion for creating and thus, entrepreneurship has felt like a natural fit for her. However, it was not until she really started struggling with her mental health that gave her inspiration to create organizations to help combat stigma and normalize mental health. Her organization has created two mental health books, one award-winning as well as a podcast and mental health bakery, all to work toward normalizing and educating the world on mental health through vulnerable storytelling and baking.   

7. Lori  

CEO, Cheek’d 

“You just can’t beat the person who never gives up.”- Babe Ruth 

In February of 2008, I was out to dinner with an architectural colleague. He’d spotted an attractive woman at a nearby table and scribbled, “Want to have dinner?” On the back of his business card and slipped it to her as we were leaving. He left with a date. I left with an idea. After over two years of brainstorming how to remove the “business” out of the business card, I launched Cheekd– a deck of ice-breaking dating cards with a unique code that leads the recipient to the privacy protected online dating profile of the mysterious stranger who slipped them the card where the two could start communicating online. It was like online dating but backward. We’ve since pivoted Cheekd into a hyper-speed app that gives singles the ability to never miss a real-life potential “love connection.” 

And this is how she built a successful app. Also, as a word of advice, she said that being an entrepreneur will take twice as long as you’d hoped, cost exceedingly more than you’d ever budgeted, and will be more challenging you’ll ever try but if you give it your all and refuse to give up, you can trust it will be the ride of a lifetime. 

8. Alexandra Chu 

Executive director, MedCreate 

“Maybe I made a mistake yesterday, but yesterday’s me is still me. I am who I am today, with all my faults. Tomorrow I might be a tiny bit wiser, and that’s me, too. These faults and mistakes are what I am, making up the brightest stars in the constellation of my life. I have come to love myself for who I was, who I am, and who I hope to become.” – Kim Namjoon 

When talked what were her main motivation to be an entrepreneur, she replied to become an entrepreneur was a childhood question. Like most people, I was always asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I could never answer because there were so many things I wanted to be. When I grew older, I began thinking of ways to merge the things I liked to do so that I wouldn’t have to make a choice between them. Eventually, this led to me starting a nonprofit organization. 

9. Stephanie Dalfonzo 

Founder, StephanieDalfonzo 

“A rising tide raises all ships.” We don’t have to do it alone!   

Her career took a turn when her career as a Celebrity Radio DJ came to an end. She was a stay-at-home mom when her husband went into liver failure and was told he needed a transplant, or he would die.  

This gave her a calling to reinvent herself and began training as a life coach because she could do it online (this was 2001, so “cutting edge technology!”) She went on to train as a hypnotist and that’s when she found her path.   

10. Emily Johnson 

Founder, StrongerU Senior Fitness 

“Today will be an exceptional day”.   

Working for the last 10 years in the senior living industry as her recent role, she supported 49 Directors of Recreation each responsible for enhancing the lives of the seniors living in their retirement community.  

She realized that her team aimed to offer high-quality fitness classes to their residents, but many lacked the training, tools, and resources to teach high-quality, engaging, and effective classes.  

Since the solution that would help them didn’t exist, Emily founded StrongerU Senior Fitness – the first senior fitness education company globally to offer online instructor certification and 30 minutes of brand-new class content monthly in four formats – Cardio, Strength, Stretch, and Balance. 

Well, a true definition of a leader. 

11. Eden Cheng 

Co-founder, PeopleFinderFree 

“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.”- Henry David Thoreau 

Highly motivated to take charge of her own path and be successful doing it, and while the journey so far has not been an easy one, so far it has been quite fulfilling, she still continues to steadily work her way up the business ladder. 

Mentioning her initial days, she said- I have personally faced as a business owner and entrepreneur is the challenge of putting together a reliable and cohesive team of professionals. In fact, when you start out as a business owner, this is probably one of the most intimidating experiences, to be honest. I found it to be very stressful and difficult because it’s never enough to just find candidates that can help you fill certain job roles in your organization, as it often goes beyond just that. You also have to take into consideration their cost to the business, how they would fit within the company culture, and also how they’ll work as part of your overall team. However, new making such considerations can be exhausting, because even if they fit in one bracket, chances are they don’t fit in another, which often leads to having to find new replacements soon after. This then makes things exceptionally difficult, especially when you are under the pressure of needing to fill up those open positions as soon as possible. 

But today as a piece of advice she tells new entrepreneurs to consider finding themselves as a mentor because there are a number of experienced people in the industry that have tons of experience and knowledge to impart that could prove helpful in making your startup journey a bit easier and less mistake-filled. 

12. Sophie Biggerstaff 

Founder, BYRCOLLECTIVE 

“Opportunities don’t just come to you, you have to create them”   

And she learned this from her mistakes. She said I had always worked in product-based businesses, and knew exactly how to sell physical things, but when it comes to selling yourself as a service provider it is a whole different ball game. I had to learn new marketing tactics very quickly to build brand awareness, and I had to learn how to sell myself and my skills in a new way to make sure I secured clients and kept the money coming in. One mistake I made was not being consistent with my marketing and this led to a scary period of low income. 

Learn from the challenges, capitalize on the opportunities, and pivot on your losses and you will always be on route to success. 

13. Shyla Day 

Founder, Shyladay 

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Gandhi. 

Her mission to help people made her reach this position. Shyla said, I’d love to pass on an anecdote from my mother, that has stuck with me since I was a young girl. Find a way, to find a way. Everything you can possibly think up or imagine is possible, you just have to simply find a way, to find the way! 

An entrepreneur bringing love and humanity to the world

14. Dani Bowman 

CEO, DaniMation Entertainment 

“If I can do it, you can do it!” 

When we asked why she had this quote as her inspiration. She said- I was diagnosed with autism at age three. I didn’t speak until I was six. The doctors told my family that I wouldn’t amount to anything. Luckily, I and my family didn’t listen. I am the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of DaniMation Entertainment, a female, minority, and disability-owned social enterprise. I have a B.F.A. in Animation, an M.B.A in Global Strategy and Leadership, and I am a nationally recognized motivational speaker on Autism and Employment. Through hard work, commitment, and the dedication of my supporters like theNational Center for Disability Entrepreneurship at The Viscardi Center, I’ve proved that anything is possible. As I always tell myself, my team, my co-workers, and my customers, when we need some motivation: “If I can do it, you can do it!” 

Her company has grown to serve more than 2,000 consumers from across North America and Europe, expanded to an office in the UK, employs young people with autism and other abilities, and seeks to change the facts about what it means to have autism. 

15. Joy Cheriel Brown 

Founder, Third Person Omniscient Productions 

“Everything happens in my favor and for my highest good.” 

This talented entrepreneur started writing screenplays at age of 10 after her parents refused to get her an agent when she expressed interest in becoming an actress. From day 1, the plan was to produce her own movies from the screenplays she wrote. 

Well she was definitely a lady with vision. 

Conclusion 

Women are as strong and capable men are and definitely, the battle should never be of gender but of the vision and talent one has. Women have equal intellect and passion to lead a team and that is why they are making their name established not as a female leader but as a leader. 

Happy Women’s Equality Day!