Women Leaders on the Move - by HerCsuite® Radio

In today's episode, special guest Stephanie Sims, founder of Finance-Ability®, sits down with host Natalie Benamou and gives her advice and strategies on moving from “shiny object syndrome” to prioritizing your growth strategies. Learn how to leverage your value and evaluate your business.

About Our Guest:

Stephanie Sims has more than two decades in finance, quality & IT management and valuation of public and private entities. Stephanie’s experience with large transactions and her knowledge of how due diligence works made it easy to spot one of the key reasons that entrepreneurs face such difficulty getting financing: they don’t understand the fundamentals of evaluating risks versus rewards. Developing this knowledge base led her to see that everyone has the ability to manage their finances successfully, but they don’t always realize it. And that’s where the notion of Finance-Ability was born.

Connect with Stephanie Sims:

• LinkedIn
• Website
• Podcast

Keep shining your light bright. The world needs you.

HerCsuite® is a leadership network where women build what's next. Our members land board roles, grow businesses, lead the AI conversation, and live their best portfolio career with our programs. Join us at HerCsuite.com, or connect with host Natalie Benamou on LinkedIn.

Are you looking for investors in your business and unsure where to start? Let’s take a walk with Stephanie Sims, founder of Finance-Ability®, former investment banker and finance expert. Stephanie gives her advice and strategies on moving from “shiny object syndrome” to prioritizing your growth strategies. This conversation with host Natalie Benamou and Stephanie Sims shows you how you can start leveraging your value today. 

Evaluate Your Business:

1. Take a step back and understand what you want the business to be. 

2. Develop your “credible milestone ask” based on what the next goal/objective is for your business. 

3. Focus on your strengths and recognize your weaknesses when expanding your team. Hire people who will balance you out. 

4. Think early about your path to profitability instead of only focusing on growth.

The Ask:

● Things don’t have to be perfect when asking for money for your business.

● Be open with investors about your experiments (what worked and what didn’t work). 

● Watch out for “shiny object syndrome”. Is it going to add value to your business? 

Know Your Worth

● Giving equity away for your business: If someone wants to invest in exchange for 5%, you need to know if that’s $50,000 or $500,000. It’s important to have a sense of the dollar value for what you’re giving away. 

● Receiving equity as partial payment at a new job opportunity: What does the deal look like if the equity doesn’t materialize vs. if it does happen.  Are you comfortable with the balance of risk and reward that you’ve agreed to take to make that deal work. 

Thank you, Stephanie Sims, for this conversation, your expertise and helping entrepreneurs understand how to leverage their value. 

Stephanie Sims has more than two decades in finance, quality & IT management and valuation of public and private entities. Stephanie’s experience with large transactions and her knowledge of how due diligence works made it easy to spot one of the key reasons that entrepreneurs face such difficulty getting financing: they don’t understand the fundamentals of evaluating risks versus rewards. Developing this knowledge base led her to see that everyone has the ability to manage their finances successfully, but they don’t always realize it. And that’s where the notion of Finance-Ability was born.

LinkedIn: Stephanie Sims  Website: stephaniesims.com  Podcast: What’s Your Ask? 

Natalie Benamou is the CEO of HerPower2 Lead and HerCsuite™ an online platform for Executive Women.

HerCsuite™ is an online membership platform transforming the way women meet, engage and thrive together. Close The Promotion Gap Inside Peer-to-Peer Curated Mentoring Circles and Level-Up Your Results. 

Reach out to Natalie Benamou at HerCsuite™.

LinkedIn: Natalie Benamou HerPower2 Lead HerCsuite™

This podcast is sponsored by Aaptiv, our favorite health and wellness app with over 4,000 videos. Listeners can get your free 30-day trial here

Credits: Thanks to Julie Deem and the Business Podcast Editor for editing our podcast!

In today's episode, special guest Debbie Vyskocil, neuroscience innovator, leadership coach, and global speaker. and host Natalie Benamou unlock the science behind treating yourself with self-compassion.

Connect with Debbie Vyskocil:

• LinkedIn
• Optimal Edge Performance website
• Website
• Optimal Edge Performance Facebook
• Optimal Edge Performance Instagram
• TEDx

Resources mentioned in this episode: The Secret

Keep shining your light bright. The world needs you.

HerCsuite® is a leadership network where women build what's next. Our members land board roles, grow businesses, lead the AI conversation, and live their best portfolio career with our programs. Join us at HerCsuite.com, or connect with host Natalie Benamou on LinkedIn.

What if you could be kinder to yourself?  It turns out that there is science behind the messages we tell ourselves.  Does this sound familiar-you encourage others but have trouble being self-compassionate when it comes to your own inner voice? Let’s take a walk with Debbie Vyskocil, neuroscience innovator, leadership coach, and global speaker and change the messages we are telling ourselves. Listen to this conversation with HerCsuite™ Radio host Natalie Benamou and Debbie Vyskocil as they unlock the science behind treating yourself with self-compassion.

Are You Doing This?

● Setting the bar for yourself, then getting close to it, only to raise it higher?
● Pushing yourself to be the best at every single thing you do?
● When you create a to-do list, no matter how many things you complete, your focus is drawn to the uncompleted item?

Start Here:
● Write down your strengths, remember that you’ve got special gifts and don’t have to be perfect at everything.
● What you know is unique and should be shared-others think it is pretty amazing too-let that idea soak in a minute.
● Think about the negative phrase you beat yourself up with; you may not even be aware of saying it.
● Once you’re aware of this phrase, replace it with a positive phrase instead.

“You can’t be creative. You can’t be innovative, if you’re beating yourself up, it’s impossible.”-Debbie Vyskocil

Data and Your Brain:

● Debbie shares how using EEG testing equipment can show what negative self-talk is doing to your brain.

Thank you Debbie Vyskocil for being on the show today! Debbie is also a member of HerCsuite™ and will be speaking August 14th on Speaker Saturday. Find out how you can hear that event for free as a member of HerCsuite™

LinkedIn: Debbie Vyskocil
Website: Optimal Edge Performance
Speaking Website: debbievyskocil.com
Facebook: Optimal Edge Performance
Instagram: Optimal Edge Performance
Debbie Vyskocil TEDx: Using Science To Take Control of Physical and Emotional Health
Resources mentioned in this episode: The Secret

Natalie Benamou is the CEO of HerPower2 Lead and Founder of HerCsuite™ a professional social network platform that is transforming the way executive women and rising female leaders meet, engage and thrive together. If you have any questions about this episode, HerPower2 or HerCsuite™ reach out to Natalie at HerCsuite™

Show Sponsor This podcast is sponsored by Aaptiv, our favorite health and wellness app with over 4,000 videos. Listeners can get your free 30-day trial here

Credits: Thanks to Julie Deem and the Business Podcast Editor for editing our podcast!

In today's episode, special guest Judy Robinett and host Natalie Benamou discuss how to make connections. They offer a list of "golden questions" to ask to truly make an impression.

About Our Guest:

Judy Robinett is the author of How to be a Power Connector: the 5-50-150 Rule for Turning Your Business Network into Profits which was named the #1 Business Book of 2014 by Inc. Magazine. In addition, Judy is also the author of “Crack The Funding Code”, she is an angel investor, is an advisor to multiple boards and is the former CEO of a Biotech company.

Connect with Judy Robinett:

• How to Be a Power Connector: The 5+50+100 Rule for Turning Your Business Network into Profits
• Crack the Funding Code: How Investors Think and What They Need to Hear to Fund Your Startup
• LinkedIn
• Website
• Twitter
• TEDx

Keep shining your light bright. The world needs you.

HerCsuite® is a leadership network where women build what's next. Our members land board roles, grow businesses, lead the AI conversation, and live their best portfolio career with our programs. Join us at HerCsuite.com, or connect with host Natalie Benamou on LinkedIn.

Have you been feeling stuck trying to make the right connections? Take a walk and listen to Startup Funding Expert, Speaker, and National Media Guest Judy Robinett. Judy is the author of "How to be a Power Connector: the 5-50-150 Rule for Turning Your Business Network into Profits" which was named the #1 Business Book of 2014 by Inc. magazine. In addition, Judy is also the author of “Crack The Funding Code”, she is an angel investor, is an Advisor to multiple boards and is the former CEO of a Biotech company. Judy is an advisor and member of HerCsuite™, an online platform that is transforming the way women leaders meet, engage, and thrive and create real lasting change. 

This conversation was recorded during a recent HerCsuite™ PowHer 30 event and HerCsuite™ Radio host Natalie Benamou and Judy Robinett discuss the secrets to being a Power Connector.
3 Golden Questions to Ask When Making a New Connection
1. How can I help you? Start with the other person’s needs first.
2. What other ideas do you have for me? This question should be asked after you share your goal, project, and story with the other person.
3. Who else do you know that I should talk to? This is one of the most important things to remember.
The 5+50+100 Rule
● Write down the 25 most important people that you’re connected to right now. Do they have the power to make things happen?
● The first 5 are your close family and friends.
● The quantity of connections is not what matters-it is the people on the short list who can make referrals that count.
● Share how you have added value to your organization.
Thank you, Judy Robinett, for this conversation and for being a valued advisor, for generously helping others and for providing the foundation for us all to create Power Connections.
You can get Judy’s Ten Tips to Being a Power Connector at HerCsuite™

Natalie Benamou is the CEO of HerPower2 Lead and Founder of HerCsuite™ a professional social network platform that is transforming the way executive women and rising female leaders meet, engage and thrive together.
If you have any questions about this episode, HerPower2 or HerCsuite™ reach out to Natalie at HerCsuite™
Resources mentioned in this episode:
How to Be a Power Connector: The 5+50+100 Rule for Turning Your Business Network into Profits and Crack the Funding Code: How Investors Think and What They Need to Hear to Fund Your Startup by Judy Robinett
Judy Robinett is Featured In: • Forbes • Washington Post • Wall Street Journal • Huffington Post
LinkedIn: Judy Robinett Website: JudyRobinett.com Twitter: Judy Robinett Judy Robinett TEDx How to Be A Power Connector

Show Sponsor This podcast is sponsored by Aaptiv, our favorite health and wellness app with over 4,000 videos. Listeners can get your free 30-day trial here

Credits: Thanks to Julie Deem and the Business Podcast Editor for editing our podcast!

In today's episode, special guest Sheryl Chamberlain shares her insights and experience creating alliances with host Natalie Benamou. Learn the value of paying it forward, regardless of your age.

About Our Guest:

In addition to her board roles, Sheryl Chamberlain has earned many industry awards and recognition including Tribute to Women, (TWIN), Women in Technology from Dallas Business Journal, and Global Innovation Partner of the Year from EMC. Sheryl leveraged her broad experience in strategic partnerships, business process improvement, SaaS, enterprise software, program management, business development, and solution selling for companies as diverse as Medidata Solutions, Dell EMC, Capgemini, and The Linux Foundation.

Connect with Sheryl Chamberlain:

• LinkedIn
• Innovation Station blog
• Twitter

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Coupa Empower: Creating a Community of Women Program
• Hult Prize website
• Hult Prize 2021 Challenge (YouTube video)

Keep shining your light bright. The world needs you.

HerCsuite® is a leadership network where women build what's next. Our members land board roles, grow businesses, lead the AI conversation, and live their best portfolio career with our programs. Join us at HerCsuite.com, or connect with host Natalie Benamou on LinkedIn.

Are you ready to feel inspired to pay it forward? You are invited to take a walk and listen to this interview with Sheryl Chamberlain, Board Chair of Empower (Coupa Women’s Program, Director of Alliances Coupa Software and Chair Hult Prize Council. Sheryl shares her insights and experience creating alliances. This conversation with host Natalie Benamou and Sheryl Chamberlain unlocks the power of paying it forward whether we’re 18 or 95.

How to Get Started with Paying it Forward

● Become an open-ended listener

● Look for ways to bring people together

● Put your hand up and never put it down

● Be open to innovation and new ideas

● Get outside the four walls of your company

● Share best practices

● Be a mentor

● Master the concept that community is the foundation to creating change

The Hult Prize

● The Hult Prize foundation brings together students from 3,000 Universities around the world to solve the same problem.

● The 2021 challenge is about food not only insecurity but what it means to change the way we access food.

● This project is an example of the ultimate diversity and inclusion of people from different countries coming together to solve a big problem.

Creating an Impact

● Take your experience and share it with someone else.

● “It takes one conversation that can create something that's unbelievable that inspires you each and every day and creates the smile that you want to have in life.”-Sheryl Chamberlain

Thank you, Sheryl Chamberlain, for this conversation, your advocacy and starting discussions that create impact and continue to pay it forward.

Sheryl Chamberlain

In addition to her board roles, Sheryl Chamberlain has earned many industry awards and recognition including Tribute to Women, (TWIN), Women in Technology from Dallas Business Journal, and Global Innovation Partner of the Year from EMC. Sheryl leveraged her broad experience in strategic partnerships, business process improvement, SaaS, enterprise software, program management, business development, and solution selling for companies as diverse as Medidata Solutions, Dell EMC, Capgemini, and The Linux Foundation.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Coupa Empower: Creating a Community of Women Program

Hult Prize website

Hult Prize 2021 Challenge (YouTube video)

LinkedIn: Sheryl Chamberlain

Website: Innovation Station blog

Twitter: Sheryl Chamberlain

Natalie Benamou is the CEO of HerPower2 Lead and HerCsuite™ an online platform for transforming the way women meet, engage and thrive together.

HerCsuite™ offers women the ability to be surrounded by a personalized curated board of directors inside advisory circles.

If you have any questions about this episode, HerPower2 or HerCsuite™ reach out to Natalie at HerCsuite™

This podcast is sponsored by Aaptiv, our favorite health and wellness app with over 4,000 videos. Listeners can get your free 30-day trial here

Credits: Thanks to Julie Deem and the Business Podcast Editor for editing our podcast!

In today’s episode, special guest Claire Wasserman discusses her book Ladies Get Paid with host Natalie Benamou. This conversation with host Natalie Benamou and Claire Wasserman opens the door and shows you how to start talking about money and knowing your worth. 

About Our Guest:

Claire Wasserman champions the advancement of women and is a highly sought-after expert for Fortune 500 companies. She’s taught thousands of women how to negotiate millions of dollars in raises, start businesses, and advocate for themselves. Motivated by a friend’s experience uncovering a serious difference between men and women’s salaries, Claire is an educator and an advocate for women everywhere, teaching them how to advocate for themselves. Claire was named one of Entrepreneur Magazine’s 100 Most Powerful Women.

Connect with Claire Wasserman:

• LinkedIn
• Ladies Get Paid
• Website
• Instagram

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Harvard Business Review article

Thank you, Claire Wasserman, for this conversation, your advocacy and for opening the doors to talking about money in a way to help women achieve gender parity.

Keep shining your light bright. The world needs you.

HerCsuite® is a leadership network where women build what's next. Our members land board roles, grow businesses, lead the AI conversation, and live their best portfolio career with our programs. Join us at HerCsuite.com, or connect with host Natalie Benamou on LinkedIn.

In today’s episode, founder and author, Claire Wasserman, shares her insights and wisdom described in her book and platform, Ladies Get Paid. Claire champions the advancement of women and is a highly sought-after expert for Fortune 500 companies. She’s taught thousands of women how to negotiate millions of dollars in raises, start businesses, and advocate for themselves. Motivated by a friend’s experience uncovering a serious difference between men and women’s salaries, Claire is an educator and an advocate for women everywhere, teaching them how to advocate for themselves. Named one of Entrepreneur Magazine’s 100 Most Powerful Women, Claire is sharing with us how to know what to ask and get paid. 

As women, conversations about money have been hiding behind closed doors. This conversation with host Natalie Benamou and Claire Wasserman opens the door and shows you how to start talking about money and knowing your worth. 

What to Ask:

Claire recommends getting the conversations started:

• What’s your salary range?
• If you work for an agency-ask about the value or your contribution to the company. For example, ask how much was the campaign worth they signed for?
• Include your contribution value when negotiating your salary

Stop

• Hiding from conversations about money; it’s a disservice to yourself and everyone
• Questioning your work and your value
• Equating self-worth to net-worth

Start

• Being a self-advocate
• Thinking big
• Combining activism with doing well for yourself and other women

Thank you, Claire Wasserman, for this conversation, your advocacy and for opening the doors to talking about money in a way to help women achieve gender parity.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Harvard Business Review article: The Average Mid-Forties Male College Graduate Earns 55% More Than His Female Counterparts

Claire Wasserman Founder and Author Ladies Get Paid

LinkedIn: Claire Wasserman

Website: Ladies Get Paid & Claire Wasserman

Instagram: Claire Wasserman

Natalie Benamou is the CEO of HerPower2 Lead and HerCsuite™ an online platform for Executive Women.

HerCsuite™ is an online membership platform where executive women meet, engage and thrive together in personalized board of directors advisory circles.

If you have any questions about this episode, reach out to Natalie at HerCsuite™.

LinkedIn: Natalie Benamou HerPower2 Lead HerCsuite™

This podcast is sponsored by Aaptiv, our favorite health and wellness app with over 4,000 videos. Listeners can get your free 30 day trial here

Credits: Thanks to Julie Deem and the Business Podcast Editor for editing our podcast!