“We all could be a little less selfish”Shy Averett Shy Averett, Global Sr. Community Program and Events Manager for Microsoft, shared the story behind her title with us on Saturday, April 3rd and Sunday, April 4th, 2021. A serial philanthropist and Detroit native, Shy Averett serves as the Global Sr. Community Program and Events Manager for Microsoft in Redmond, Washington where she leads EDU & D & I Programming. She is tasked with strategically creating opportunities for advancement in underrepresented communities, educating the masses, and bringing forth ground-breaking solutions to problems in communities often forgotten. At an early age, Shy found a passion for helping those less fortunate than herself. Her passion for justice led to her join the NAACP at the age of twelve. She spent fifteen years with the organization following her passion of lifting those up in need and trying to make a difference every day. During those fifteen years, she had the distinct honor of being elected as the President for Michigan at the age of fifteen, making her the youngest president to serve in Michigan for the NCAAP. Shy also had the privilege and opportunity to serve the NAACP community more when she became the youngest member elected to the NAACP National Board of Directors at the age of sixteen. A position she held and served for eight years. After high school, Shy attended the University of Toledo where she studied Project Management and African American Studies. After graduating, Shy had an opportunity to become the Regional Community Field Director for the Midwest Youth Advocacy Program where she directed and led over 15,000 youth and college students from across the country through community initiatives, education, social activism, and financial empowerment. In 2017, Shy created Microsoft’s MANCODE Program to help underrepresented minority boys grow a passion for STEM related careers. Over the next few years, MANCODE would grow and develop into a program that not only teaches boys basic coding in areas such as C+ or HTML, but to also bring African American male mentors to teach and inspire attendees everywhere. By the end of 2020, almost 70,000 young boys across the US have gone through MANCODE program. Working with youth is not only part of her career but it is ingrained in her life as well. Shy regularly volunteers for Big Brothers Big Sisters, Special Olympics, Boys and Girls Club, Christ Child House, VIP Mentoring, Urban Link Village, Detroit Impact, COTS, and Covenant House. Knowing the importance of a positive role model in a child’s upbringing, Shy has given countless kids the support and inspiration they need in order to be successful. With 20 years of service, Shy has been recognized for her many accomplishments and dedication to youth. She was awarded the Gloster B. Current Leadership award in 2015 due to her prominent leadership skills and dedication to her community. In 2016, Shy received the National Leadership Award from Pepsico. Other prominent awards that she has received include the Microsoft Rich Walker International Employee of the Year Award, BAM D&I Champion for 2020, the State of Michigan Youth of the Year Award, Microsoft Platinum & Founders Club Award 2020, the Presidential award for Community Excellence, the Top 40 under 40, and the highly esteemed Kentucky Colonel Leadership Award, a national award that is awarded yearly by the Governor of Kentucky for exemplary national leadership and service. Previous recipients are Muhammad Ali, former President Bill Clinton, and Tiger Woods. Sue Says Some of us go through life searching for our “calling.” Others find it early on, and spend their lives doing exactly that.  Shy is certainly one of those people. At age 15 she became the youngest President of the NAACP in Michigan, and has been working to help others rise up ever since.  Her story is a beautiful example of the power in being ” a little less selfish.”  

Women to Watch®

Shy Averett, Microsoft

Many of us under the Trump Administration were simply trying to keep the ship steady with regard to Counter Terrorism.Elizabeth Neumann Elizabeth Neumann, Former Deputy Chief of Staff and Assistant Secretary for The Department of Homeland Security and Counter Terrorism, shared the story behind her title with us on Saturday, March 27th and Sunday, March 28th, 2021. Elizabeth served in the Trump administration from 2017 to April 2020 as a senior advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to DHS Secretary John Kelly and Acting DHS Secretary Elaine Duke, and as DHS Assistant Secretary for Threat Prevention and Security Policy to DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, Acting DHS Secretary Kevin McAleenan, and Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf. Starting in 2003, she served on the Homeland Security Council in the George W. Bush administration. Sue Says As a young girl, Elizabeth’s parents told her she could do or be anything she wanted in the world.  This lesson was challenged when she heard a different message from some of her peers who felt that women were not meant to lead, but be in more supportive roles.  This was not something Elizabeth would buy into, or follow, as she set out to make her way in Washington.

Elizabeth Neumann, Department of Homeland Security

I didn’t really have the support of my peers because I was doing things differently.Pavlina Osta Pavlina Osta, a vibrant compelling multi-media, social-media influencer, personality force, and Best-Selling Author of 20 Things Every Motivated 20 Something Should Know, shared the story behind her title with us on Saturday, March 20th and Sunday, March 21st, 2021. Pavlina, who is currently based in New York City, a Media Culture and the Arts graduate of King’s College, executes her dynamic abilities as a show content creator, host, and producer through the Salem Media Group and her own company’s projects, PAV Media LLC. Pavlina, a winner of many awards, has created, hosted, and produced shows since her first self-created radio talk show at age eleven when she was the winner of a five-time Gracie Award. Holding the Guinness World Record for “The Most Live Radio Interviews Conducted in 24 hours,” three hundred and forty- seven interviews to be exact. Pavlina has strong roots in speaking to Pop Culture and its plethora of newsmakers, having interviewed over six hundred celebrities to date, including Katie Couric, Shaquille O’Neal and Steve Forbes. Pavlina consistently appears on various TV, radio, podcast segments, and speaking engagement platforms such as Newsmax, NRB, and her recent podcast creation, “If God had a Podcast,” focused on “Improving You for a Better Us.” Pavlina also appears as the Host of “The Stand” TV show on BOLD TV. At age twenty-two, this groundbreaking millennial commentator, who enjoys traveling, exercising and healthy cooking, originally from Daytona Beach, Florida, continues to astound her elder industry counterparts with an enthusiastic vigor causing her to surmount barriers and make headway in the diverse media community for which she is an integral part. Sue Says At 23, Pavlina Osta has accomplished more in her life than many adults! She had her own radio show at 11, has written a book and has her own Podcast called “If God Had a Podcast.” With her interest in helping the younger generation get to know themselves better in order to alleviate anxiety and depression, she is well on her way to making a name for herself through curiosity, high energy and a deep understanding that every person should walk their own path.

Pavlina Osta, TV, Radio & Media Personality

“The most effective people have the ability to move back and forth between authoritative and approachable.”Gina Bianchini Gina Bianchini, Founder & CEO of Mighty Networks, shared the story behind her title with us on Saturday, March 13th and Sunday, March 14th, 2021. Gina ia an entrepreneur and investor. She is the Founder & CEO of Mighty Networks. Her mission at Mighty Networks is to usher in a new era of creative business built on community. Mighty Networks serves “creators with a purpose” selling experiences, relationships, and expertise to their members via community, content, online courses, and subscription commerce–all offered in one place under the creator’s brand. Before Mighty Networks, she was CEO of Ning, which she co-founded with Marc Andreessen. Under her leadership, Ning grew to 100 million people in 300,000 active social networks across subcultures, professional networks, entertainment, politics, and education. In addition to Mighty Networks, Gina serves as a board director of TEGNA (NYSE: TGNA), a $3 billion broadcast and digital media company, and served as a board director of Scripps Networks (NASDAQ: SNI), a $12 billion public company which owns HGTV, The Food Network, and The Travel Channel that merged with Discovery Communications in 2018. Gina has been featured on the cover of Fortune and Fast Company and in Wired, Vanity Fair, Bloomberg, and The New York Times. She has appeared on Charlie Rose, CNBC, and CNN. Sue Says Gina’s mission at Mighty Networks is to usher in a new era of creative business built on community-serving “creators and brands with a purpose.” She envisions a platform where a brand can house all of its offerings in one place without its members ever leaving because this is where they want to engage. What seemed to give Gina the confidence to launch something in a highly competitive market is that she “always looked at herself as a leader.” 

Gina Bianchini, Mighty Networks

The control money had on our family led me to work I’d have to do as an adult to unshackle myself from these stories.JJ DiGeronimo JJ DiGeronimo, Founder of Tech Savvy Women, shared the story behind her title with us on Saturday, March 6th and Sunday, March 7th, 2021. She is a featured columnist for Smart Business Magazine, a regular guest on TV and radio shows, and a preferred keynote speaker for many corporate events including Amazon, Symantec, Ingram Micro, Cisco, RIT, VMware, Nestle, WITI, Progressive, and KeyBank. JJ began her career designing computer infrastructures for Fortune 500 companies after graduating with a computer information systems degree in 1995. She stays involved with emerging technologies, as she is a strategic advisor to venture capitalists (VC), investment teams and executives as it relates to routes-to-market and repeatable revenue streams. With 20 years of experience in high tech, JJ advanced from entry-level technology positions into leadership positions within Silicon Valley-based technology companies. Recently she completed eight years at VMware, where JJ focused on Datacenter Technologies: Cloud Computing, Virtualization, and SDDC. Sue Says JJ DiGeronimo is recognized as a thought-leader for women and girls in tech & STEM. Even with this recognition, her numerous requests to speak and after authoring two books, JJ shares she still has moments of questioning herself and her ability. We spoke about what it might take for women to be able to once and for all have a consistent belief in themselves.  Great topic! 

JJ DiGeronimo, Founder of Tech Savvy Women

“I always felt compelled to do something to help with racism, bias and D&I. It’s been a core calling.”Mandy Price Mandy Price, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Kanarys, shared the story behind her title with us on Saturday, February 27th, and Sunday, February 28th 2021! Kanarys is a technology platform that fosters collaboration between companies and employees to improve Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in the workplace and bring about lasting change. We help companies get the specific data and insights they need to diagnose, prioritize, and optimize DEI efforts by facilitating transparency and providing a safe, anonymous way for employees to let their voices be heard. SUE SAYS Growing up in DeSoto TX and being one of only two black students at her school, Mandy recognized early on that there was a different perception of her because she looked different. After a 12 year career in law, Mandy decided it was time to do something actionable so she launched a company that helps organizations question the biases they’ve held, whether consciously or unconsciously, and commit to structurally change their systems.   Listen (and subscribe!) below or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Radio.com or iHeartRadio!

Mandy Price, Kanarys

“I am surrounded by a tremendous network of family and friends whose love is so true and with the grace of their support, I live in peace and have the courage to push myself.”Sheba Fideler Sheba Fideler, Principal at Sheba Concept & Design, shared the story behind her title with us on Saturday, February 20th and Sunday, February 21st, 2021. In 1993 Sheba founded her graphic design, branding and marketing agency, Sheba Concept & Design. She has lead and executed successful branding efforts for clients including the Minnesota Children’s Museum, Abbott Northwestern Hospital Foundation, University of MN, 3M and Pepsi-Co. Sheba and her husband, Darren Ennis, launched their event production company, Sheba Productions, in 1996. Known for creating high-end, meticulous, creative and unexpected events that surprise and delight guests, including the ASID Showcase Home Tours, the Skyway Open (architect designed mini golf event through the Minneapolis skyways), the Taste! wine and food event at the TCF Stadium, the Magic 8 Ball fundraising event to name a few. Fideler and Ennis also created The Sample Room, a long-standing iconic restaurant in NE Minneapolis in 2002. Their vision of local, from-scratch small plate dining and flights of wine and spirits was ahead of it’s time and became a forerunner of other restaurants in the Twin Cities, heralded by Anthony Bourdain, Andrew Zimmern and many others. Seeking to develop a company built on compassion and connections, Sheba partnered with Rosie DeSimone to launch BIG LOViE in May of 2019. SUE SAYS The definition of courage is the ability to do something that frightens you. When I speak with entrepreneurs, I often see this quality. This was certainly the case with Sheba Fideler. From walking away from a job that she knew was not for her, to launching her own business, to partnering with a friend to create a new product that would help others who might be suffering; All of these moves were risky, but what Sheba said she’s always had was a “knowing” that if you follow what’s in your heart, you’re always taking the right step. Listen (and subscribe!) below or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Radio.com or iHeartRadio!

Sheba Fideler, Sheba Concept & Design

 Sheba Fideler, Principal at Sheba Concept & Design, was featured on the February 20, 2021 episode of our Coaches Corner Podcast, along with BJ Gray, the founder of GrayMatter Coaching, who discussed Change 1 Behavior. Sheba is a savvy brand strategist, a seasoned graphic designer and uncannily intuitive visual translator. The W2W Coaches Corner is a weekly episodic podcast during which our team of experts bring you valuable insights and inspiration from their work with executives and entrepreneurs from across the country! Our coaches include BJ Gray, whose experience as a top executive with Fortune 500 companies gives her a unique understanding of what both employees and companies need to be successful. She started GrayMatter Coaching to help leaders improve their inner game. Listen (and subscribe!) to this episode below or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Radio.com or iHeartRadio!

Coaches Corner Featuring Sheba Fideler

“As a leader, we are always balancing our values and those of the people we work with.”Esther Kestenbaum Esther Kestenbaum, President & COO of Ruby Has, shared the story behind her title with us on Saturday, February 13th and Sunday, February 14th, 2021. Esther has held leadership and C-Suite roles within venture-backed ecommerce and retail technology companies for 20 years, including several exits – both acquisitions and IPOs. Prior to Ruby Has, Esther was CEO of DayOne, a baby and prenatal ecommerce, retail and B2B services company. Prior to that, she was founder and CEO of TheShops.TV, an ecommerce company leveraging QVC-style video. Esther has also held SVP and VP roles with retail marketing technology companies specializing in mobile, ad tech and data analytics. She has a strong background in fundraising, corporate governance, and media relations, along with significant supply chain background and certifications such as Six Sigma Black Belt and the APICS CPIM certification. SUE SAYS It was clear from early on that Esther would be someone others would follow as evidenced by the 20 high school girls who followed her on a spontaneous trip to Coney Island during the school day! Perhaps because she lost her Mom at age 8 and was a single child to a Dad that encouraged her to aim high, she developed a confidence to continually take advantage of opportunities. Either way, Esther is a prime example of a woman who embraced challenges and found excitement in finding solutions in times of crises Listen (and subscribe!) below or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Radio.com or iHeartRadio!

Esther Kestenbaum, Ruby Has

Emma Isaacs, Founder and Global CEO of Business Chicks, and Summer Watson, British Classical Crossover Artist, shared the stories behind their titles with us on January 30th and January 31st, 2021 for our monthly Double Dose of Inspiration show. As a leader I prefer to spend my time dreaming up the next big idea, and getting everyone on board to make it happenEmma Isaacs Emma is a career entrepreneur, a home birthing CEO, a prankster and a fierce friend. For 15 years now, she has been talking to women about their lives and their challenges. Emma has been lucky enough to work with some extraordinary people like Sir Richard Branson, Elizabeth Gilbert, Diane von Furstenberg, Seth Godin, Arianna Huffington, Kate Hudson and many more. As a Global CEO and mother of six children under the age of 11, Emma is most happy in “the busy.”  Hearing her describe a story of being 8 years old and taking a train without her parents permission also speaks to her adventurous side. I would say one of Emma’s greatest life lessons is that taking action will outweigh planning every time, and always lead to success. If we lead and live our life from a place of love, kindness and compassion, everything flows exactly as it’s meant to.Summer Watson A big voice with an even bigger heart, soprano Summer is a singer on a mission. The chart-topping international vocalist aims to inspire as well as entertain. “Go for your dreams and never give up” is the message of this world class classical crossover artist. Having beaten breast cancer and survived a deadly train crash she knows all too well the setbacks that challenge us in life. Many of us have challenges in life-some more than others. In Summer’s case, she faced two challenges that drastically impacted her perspective and cemented her awareness of just how fragile life is. In 2002 she was in a severe train derailment in England and in 2014 was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. Summer’s greatest gift now, outside of her music, is to help others wake up to what truly matters in life, and to encourage people to live their lives authentically Listen (and subscribe!) below or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Radio.com or iHeartRadio!

January 2021 Double Dose of Inspiration

“My Grandmother was an amazing woman who encouraged me to be a strong independent woman and was herself a living example.”Suzanne Yoon Suzanne Yoon, the Founder and Managing Partner of Kinzie Capital Partners, share the story behind her title with us on Saturday, January 23rd, and Sunday, January 24th, 2021. Suzanne oversees the firm’s investments and operational activities. Suzanne’s philosophy of combining operational excellence with technological innovation separates Kinzie from other capital providers and seeks impactful and sustained growth for investors. Prior to founding Kinzie Suzanne was a Managing Director at Versa Capital Management, LLC, where she led transaction development throughout North America. In 2013, she received the “40 Under 40 Dealmakers Award” from The M&A Advisor for her work. Prior to Versa, Suzanne was a Senior Vice President at CIT Group, co-founded LaSalle Bank/ABN AMRO’s Corporate Restructuring Group and held positions in distressed loan portfolio management and turnaround advisory at LaSalle Bank and Ernst and Young’s Restructuring Advisory Group, respectively. SUE SAYS Growing up with parents who immigrated from South Korea and were determined to provide a better life for their children was one of the greatest experiences Suzanne had as a young girl. Tragically, Suzannes father, a successful entrepreneur was murdered during a robbery when she was 10 years old. How did that experience shape your view of the world, I asked her. To fully understand we have no control over many things in life, but can always move forward. Listen (and subscribe!) below or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Radio.com or iHeartRadio!

Suzanne Yoon, Kinzie Capital Partners

“When I’m working with my clients, I stay in the space of solutions.”Cherie Burton Cherie Burton, Speaker, Author, Host of Women Seeking Wholeness,  shared the story behind her title with us on Sunday, January 17, 2021. For decades, Cherie battled feelings of shame, insignificance & depression. She has a family pedigree riddled with addiction & mental illness. As a 20-something new mom, Cherie said goodbye to her firstborn—a girl—when she was 4 days old, which launched her into a major depressive episode that could have ended my life. Cherie later earned a psych degree and became a counselor at a behavioral facility, a psychiatric hospital, and an addiction recovery center. She would also visit siblings who were patients in these places; places that it became abundantly clear to her didn’t hold the big healing picture. SUE SAYS Cherie describes herself as a Divine Feminine Scholar. She has come to this place of “knowing” through her own life experience dealing with trauma, mental illness, and loss. Those who suffer loss Cherie believes are the ones who heal more easily because they become more connected to the balance of the feminine male balance that the planet has been missing. A fascinating conversation with a very intuitive woman! Listen (and subscribe!) below or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Radio.com or iHeartRadio!

Cherie Burton, Women Seeking Wholeness

When I think of my childhood, I remember walking the same streets as George Floyd. There were drugs, poverty, and despair all around me, but I felt I was predestined to be a light.Myoshia Boykin-Anderson Myoshia Boykin Anderson, CEO & President of AndTech Solutions, LLC., shared the story behind her title with us on Sunday, January 10, 2021. Myoshia is an IT Professional with over 17 years of experience as a Project Manager and Business (Systems) Analyst with an emphasis on Healthcare: Plan Administration, Healthcare Informatics, Medical Management, Risk Adjustment, Business Intelligence (reporting, query and analysis, dashboards and visualization) and Information Management (data analysis, data integration, data quality management, metadata management). SUE SAYS Listening to the wisdom of Myoshia is like listening to that small voice inside that we don’t always pay attention to. Fortunately, she did. Myoshia is a perfect example of the power in knowing that our life can truly be what we decide it will be. She came from very little and created a life of abundance, both financially and spiritually, for the sake of her daughter.  Listen (and subscribe!) below or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Radio.com or iHeartRadio! 

Myoshia Boykin-Anderson, AndTech Solutions

I am turning a nightmare into a celebration of life and will make my front yard the most healing, therapeutic and healthy garden you’ve ever seen.Judy Guido Judith Guido, Chairwoman and Founder of Guido & Associates, shared the story behind her title with us on Sunday, January 3, 2021. Guido & Associates, a Business Management company working in the areas of Strategy, Processes/Systems, Research, Sales, Marketing/PR, Branding, Social Media, Mergers/Acquisitions, Green and Sustainable Markets, Women and Boomer Markets, focuses on helping organization grow their people and profits. Prior to founding her own business management practice, Guido was the Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President of Valley Crest, the nations largest privately held landscape management and development company, whose brands include Valley Crest Landscape, Valley Crest Land Development, Valley Crest Golf, Valley Crest Tree and Nursery and the 125 U.S. Lawns franchises. Guido was chief marketing officer and senior vice president, of business development and strategic alliances for Cirqit, a New Jersey-based e-commerce technology and consulting company. She also served as the Senior Marketing, Sales and Strategy executive with ServiceMaster ($6.5 billion in revenues), some of whose brands include TruGreen-Landcare, TruGreen –Chemlawn (including both the exterior and interior business) and Terminix. Judy is an advisor and board of director for the Yellowstone Landscape Group. SUE SAYS On July 5, 2017, Judy Guido was randomly attacked by a psychotic landscaper who was working at her home at the time. He chased and struck her multiple times with an axe. She survived the horrific incident through what she describes as spontaneously using her strategic and execution abilities as an advisor, and has since recovered from a brain injury. Judy is remarkable in many ways, but what I see in her is a mental and emotional toughness that we all could use. Listen (and subscribe!) below or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Radio.com or iHeartRadio! 

Judith Guido, Guido & Associates

I think it’s our responsibility as leaders to do the hard things so that we are representative of all women leaders in the best way possible.Heather Kernahan Heather Kernahan, CEO, North America at Hotwire Global, shared the story behind her title with us on Sunday, December 27, 2020. Heather has spent her entire career immersed in technology, and moved over to Hotwire from Eastwick Communications after its acquisition in 2016. She is now President, North America for Hotwire and as well as agency experience she have a wide range of in-house knowledge. At Autodesk, Heather focused on integrated brand communications and led the development of the company’s first sustainability report. As Enphase Energy’s global marketing director, she played an integral role in Enphase’s successful IPO and aggressive expansion into Europe. Heather is a fierce advocate and practitioner of integrated marketing and believe deeply that customers are at the heart of successful communications strategies. A published author, she also holds an MBA from Dominican University. This episode also features an exciting update on our previous guest Mary Cantando! Learn all about what she’s been up to since our interview with her. SUE SAYS My conversation with Heather was like sitting down with a friend talking about life. Heather shared candidly the story of growing up without her Dad in her life, and how watching her Mom do what she needed to do to take care of her, was the greatest lesson in how to be independent.  Heather is the finest example of what comes when you set goals for yourself, and stay dedicated to what brings you joy. Listen (and subscribe!) below or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Radio.com or iHeartRadio! 

Heather Kernahan, Hotwire Global

Women to Watch® Media is the premier global media platform for women leaders. We tell the real story behind the titles of some of the most accomplished women worldwide. Our mission is to inspire and encourage more women to pursue leadership roles worldwide.

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