Core Values

January 31 2023

Community Nourishment: Growing An Online Space That Thrives

Lori-Lyn Hurley Boss Blog collaboration, community, Core Values, Elevate 0

In case you missed it (because you truly don’t want to miss it,) Rose Kaz wrote this week about the origins of the LBI Backstage Pass, what motivated her to grow this community and the dream she has for its cultivation.

Just like a garden, cultivating a community requires patience, dedication, and a love for growth.

Both require a delicate balance of providing the right conditions for growth, nurturing development, and pruning and removing obstacles.

In the short time I have been with LBI, I have dazzled by the colors of this garden.

Here is what Backstage pass member, singer, songwriter and producer Bridget Lyons has to say about her experience on the LBI platform:

Being able to create together in a community, and tell our stories, and be heard and support one another has been wonderful to be a part of. It’s been inspiring and mesmerizing at times.

Listen to Bridget’s full testimonial:

I keep coming back to this image of of a garden and of the gardener, tools in hand, dream in heart, sitting down with a blank page and drawing out the garden plan.

She must take into account the growing conditions, what type of plant is likely to flourish, what type would need extra care. She creates a design both pleasing to the eye and in harmony with the landscape.

She chooses a variety of flora and fauna

In different shapes, colors, heights.

Maybe she plans an herb garden where she will grow plants to harvest for her healing kitchen, or a cutting garden of bright blooms to make bouquets.

Maybe she will plant with the intention of attracting butterflies or hummingbirds or restoring native growth, bringing balance.

Soul Coach for transformational women leaders, Ber-Henda Williams says:

What sticks out the most to me about this particular platform is that in many cases when we have female identified or female-centric programming, it’s usually focused on patriarchy. In particular, white feminism has caused a detriment and harm to communities of color because it is singular focused. What I have found in being a part of Rose’s community is this it is intersectional in all the ways. It’s not only inclusive, but it is welcoming. It does not tokenize, but takes into consideration the entirety of the feminine experience.

Listen to Ber-Henda’s full testimonial:

After the dreaming and planning is done, the work begins – the work of tending the soil and planting seeds – watering, but not too much, shielding tender roots from the frost, pulling way the dead leaves.

As someone who loves a beautiful garden but really has to work at having a green thumb, I can say, growing a lush abundant garden is difficult but deeply rewarding work.

And that is how we grow a community.

Clare Ramírez, the Boxing Yogini, says:

The Backstage Pass connects me with a like-minded group of women in a world and land that can feel very lonely. Just trying to provide for yourself as a woman, and provide life and health for your business, can become a lonely space. It can become an anxiety ridden space, and it can become a vulnerable space. To be inspired by other women has really been useful, plus it’s a joy to work and speak and listen to women on their paths.

Listen to Clare’s full testimonial:

Growing a thriving online community means:

Planting the seeds. Just as in a garden, you carefully choose the right seeds for your climate and soil, a community requires the right mix of people to be the foundation. This can be a core group of people who share similar interests and values, and it can been a variety of different people who share a common goal or understanding, or who are open to sharing that understanding, but it is people who set the tone for the community.

Providing the right conditions. Just as a garden needs the right amount of sunlight, water, and nutrients to thrive, a community needs the right tools, resources, and communication channels to facilitate growth and engagement.

Nurturing growth. A gardener must continuously water, fertilize, and tend to their plants to ensure they grow healthy and strong. In a community, you must continually foster engagement, provide support and resources, and encourage members to participate and contribute.

Pruning and removing obstacles: In a garden, removing dead leaves and branches helps direct the plant’s energy towards growth. In a community, removing negativity, toxicity, and obstacles helps maintain a positive and productive environment for growth.

Celebrating milestones and victories: A gardener takes pride in watching her plants bloom, and in a community, it’s important to celebrate milestones, from a member’s first post to a community event.

Just like a garden, a community requires consistency and attention to flourish.

And by following this map, tending to this garden, you have helped this community grow into a thriving and vibrant space for members to connect and share.

This is what Therapeutic Image Consultant Marisol Colette says:

Of all the social media platforms, this is the one that has the most positive impact, because it’s about the sharing of valuable information around how to show up in the world as a better person with more support.

Listen to Marisol’s full testimonial:

The LBI Backstage Pass is your community. Rose is the gardener, but so are you.

You are the gardeners and the seeds and the beautiful blooms.

In my part of the world, it is icy and cold. The sky is grey. But deep beneath the frozen ground there is a glowing ember of warmth. There is life.

In a few short weeks, the first buds and signs of spring will arrive and if I am careful and consistent, I will cultivate the tiny piece of land outside my back door and create a sanctuary for the wild life, an environment where the flowers can flourish…where I can flourish.

Before I know what happened, it will be summer – lush and vibrant.

As Rose dreams into the lush and vibrant future of this community, she invites us to dream along with her, plant along with her, cultivate this space together, and grow.

Thank you for your presence in this process.

More About Lori-Lyn

Website | Instagram

Lori-Lyn Hurley is a writer and artist who wants her work to nourish the wild parts of you and inspire you to live creatively and be your true self in the world.

Click here to come Backstage, meet Lori-Lyn and the entire community of femme forward leaders.

July 13 2022

We Value Collaboration

SayHiLBI@gmail.com Boss Blog collaboration, Core Values 0

We know being an entrepreneur is no joke. It’s a full-time job and then some, but we’re here to empower you out with the best tools, information and network, so that you can feel confident as you move forward and grow. A big part of that support springs from our core values, and you’ll hear us talk about them ALL the time.

We recently shared a bit of an overview – a brief introduction if you will – to our five main core values, but we want to dive into each of them a little further. Today we want to talk about collaboration.

There are so many ways to collaborate as an entrepreneur in this day and age – clubhouse, facebook, instagram, podcasts, blog swaps, influencer marketing, co-launching products and courses, and the list goes on and on!

Here at the LBI Backstage pass we believe that there is more to collaboration that just opportunities to join forces with others. When we took the time to get specific and intentional with what collaboration looks like inside of the LBI Backstage Pass, we came up with our own definition.

Inside the LBI Backstage Pass Collaboration is…

Expansive – pushing past out comfort zones, even when it’s a little scary. Builds connections. Creates a contagious energy and synergy that inspires and transforms. Momentum that becomes unstoppable.

Inclusive – We want a community/space/platform that includes all humans that are down for the feminine glow up. Collaboration includes accessibility, open programing, translates and welcomes globally. We are open to modalities and ideas.

A Variety of Perspectives – We want this aspect of collaboration to show up in how we create and run our community – you’re included and your voice/opinion matters! So we poll the audience, do market research, plan with intention and put the CO in community. This space allows people to be and feel seen and empowered.

Evolving – The collaborative community we aspire to create is a work in progress. Supports varying perspectives, doesn’t shy away from the opportunity to change and leans into exploring all opinions – even when we may not disagree. We’re ever changing and so is our opportunity to collaborate.

Community Driven – What we’re building is about more than just one person. We want to share our power collectively, as a community. And we definitely want to create “buzz” and excitement through community driven initiatives and ideas, with open hands and open hearts.

Ultra-Feminine – We are all about saying goodbye to the patriarchy and amplifying the feminine glow up! Looking at things with our unique view – soft, kind, supportive, divine and inviting.

Empowering – In the space we’re creating we believe in passing the mic, making room for all, sharing the stage, encouraging diverse opinions and and prioritizing diversity.

Inspiring – Our community is designed and being built to make sure that everyone feels seen, can feel and experience the change we’re making in the world, and that we embody hope. We’re leading by example.

This is just a small peek into our core value of collaboration and how we see our community being built on this piece of our foundation!

Collaboration, as it’s typically defined, is simply working together with others to achieve a common goal. But that definition isn’t nearly enough for the challenges we face today or the mission that the LBI Backstage Pass is on. We need more than just collaboration–we need community, and all that it entails, too.

So how do you collaborate? What does collaboration in action look like to you? Share your thoughts below!

June 22 2022

Belonging and Inclusivity: Our Founders Origin Story

Rose Kaz Boss Blog Core Values, Inclusivity 0

I never really felt I belonged. Anywhere. Until one day I began to notice why and how I could maybe, just maybe one day, find belonging.

Sure. Maybe as someone who appears to be ‘white’ and from a ‘nice family’ I ‘should’ have a sense of belonging, be grateful for my privilege and find somewhere to sit nicely and not complain about feeling included. But the truth was, I simply didn’t feel I had a place where I felt truly seen, as myself and ultimately, included.

I was born out of wedlock into a ‘nice’ and kind home of my mother’s Eastern European family who saw that I was fed, clothed and to school on time. Outside of those basic necessities, emotional support in the early 1980’s was to be found elsewhere. My mother was initially shamed by her father, my grandfather for having gotten pregnant and not being married. Eventually, my grandfather accepted my mother & me so we are allowed in the house to be raised by my mother’s mother and her mother.

I am effectively a matriarchal baby with much love from 3 amazing generations of women. Yet I still wasn’t sure I belonged with these kind folks. My father, for his small part, wasn’t available for child rearing nor did my mother want his ‘overbearing’ Italian/ Spanish family involved. To this day, I wish I could have had more time with those loud folks bc maybe, I would have felt more included in that tribe. And even more so, my mother wanted to raise me in the guit-light Luthern church and not in the seemingly domineering worship that was my dad’s Jewish / Catholic roots. Sure, there were certainly lots of options on where I could be included but not really any one space where I felt HOME or even really deeply connected.

I’ll pause here to insert the idea of INCLUSIVITY for femmes, thought leaders, industry disruptors and women in business that we aim to have established on the LBI Backstage Pass. Historically, we have been told to play small, be quiet and just allow the status quo to be, even if it has us feeling less than included, sitting on our hands and accepting that stupid af statement ‘it is what it is’!!

The notion of making space to include ALL of us is truly radical. It’s honoring each person as we are, not as we could be if we were different. It may seem simple but as it turns out implementing inclusivity for one self or for the many is a hard job because it actually means leaning into community but first that community needs to be welcoming. It’s kind of a classic example of chicken vs egg, cart vs horse. As business activists, I suggest that we can do this together AND first we need to understand our own roots of being, feeling and having an included sense of self in order to find, share and make space for others.

I wanted to be open with my own upbringing to share that it may be possible that many folks, like myself, didn’t know what inclusivity realy meant until I found it for myself. As I began to discover for myself, I decided I wanted to make space, build bigger stages and bust open doors for ANY and ALL folks who have ever felt the same about their own sense of belonging.

I know that there remain many, many reasons for the lack of inclusivity which include but are not limited to racism, misogyny, bigotry and a whole list of -isms that one can spend their entire life attempting to dismantle. Please know that in no way do I consider my not being included the same as yours. The point I’d like to make is that we can find empathy through our own experiences, albeit the experiences are different but similar in the feelings they can create.

As I entered grade school and on into high school, my identity was stewed in a variety of places that really never felt like me. My mother sent my sister and I to a Christian day school that was essentially free if we were members of the church. Not exactly church going Jews, I found a lot of the teachings of this school to be really archaic and confusing when taught just before science class. As a result, I often found myself in trouble at school because I would ask many questions that would ultimately land me in the principal’s office. I saw the ‘trouble’ I was causing to not be problematic as asking questions shouldn’t be a crime, right? The questions were viewed as disruptions & asking why the status quo was the status quo wasn’t the sort of thing teachers appreciated.

High school wasn’t much better with its express lane socialization and mean girl groupies around every corner. Though I was social in many groups, my peers on the soccer team didn’t really embrace me for the mash up of ethnic convergence I was beginning to see myself as. Becky always asked me why my dad never came to the games. Back off Becky!

I did feel somewhat accepted by my theater nerd friends as my quirky self but not entirely the slightly queer, bi sexual I was blooming into. And my fella student council members saw my outgoing nature as helpful but sometimes too loud and often asked if I could tone it down some!! I’m tiiiiiiring but it was and still is generally a futile attempt. PS that loud voice got me elected as Student Council president, sorry not sorry.

Then I got to college and learned about learning. I came to understand that the small world I was raised in with limited emotional bandwidth and paid for on food stamps could be changed for access to more information, more community and even more sense of belonging. I began to see inclusivity as a feeling and not a destination . I began to understand my early days as a ‘problem child’ were really just training grounds to be a thought leader, industry disruptor, and ultimately, a business activist.

And now as a woman in business, particularly in the business of helping to dismantle oppressive systems by building better ways of doing things, I recognize this ongoing process of finding belonging with oneself so I can continue to build welcoming spaces for others. We as human beings are social creatures that require community and the inherent sense of belonging that I would argue is in our souls’ longing. I’ve felt the lack of this much of my life and am eager to find abundance of it as we build more inclusive ways of doing business as the change makers we are! After all, we all deserve to be here.

So I leave this entry with a question for the reader: Do you live more quietly than you’d secretly wish to? What have you done today to question the status quo? How can we together see each other as value add to this incredible world we get to live in AND also fulfill our own wildest dreams without excluding? I have some theoretical answers to these questions and I would love to keep the conversation going with you, dear reader.

If you are interested in talking more about your feelings of belonging, of being included and advocating for inclusivity for our world, I want to talk to you. I mean it. Please join our larger coverations happening 24/7 on the LBI Backstage Pass by sharing your thought leading insights on this social media platform built by women for women. I want to connect with you directly so once on the platform, please send me an DM and let’s keep this conversation going.

Love, Rose Kaz

Our Founder, Rose Kaz

Bio:

Rose Kaz is the Fem Founder and she’s done this a time or two. Her photo & video production company has taken her around the world but her new app allows her female clients & even women she hasn’t met yet to lean into each other, learn about our opportunity as business activists to support, grow & shop directly from one another. We are building a new economy, globally. WOW!

And the app we are talking about is that which Rose + the LBI Crew has launched where the ask for women is to: ‘ take center stage in their lives; to stand up, speak out & get GLOWING like never before’ Think activism meets B school meets super hip, online resource center! Sprinkle in some new school networking and POW The LBI Backstage Pass is #trending!

Click here to come Backstage, meet Rose and the entire community of femme forward leaders.

May 4 2022

Diversity in Action: How our community members engage in diveristy

SayHiLBI@gmail.com Boss Blog, Core Values Core Values, Diversity, Women in Business 0

When we talk about our core values, we don’t want to just highlight them from the LBI team side of things. We also want to share and include the perspective of our community members and how each value shows up and impacts their business.

Recently we shared a definition of diversity that we really resonated with and asked for feedback from our community with a few specific questions.

The definition we shared was this:

A mix of differences in any particular setting to include but not necessarily limited to race, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, age, or generation, and job function.
from Inclusive Conversations by Mary Frances Winters

The first question we asked is if our community members had any additions to this definition and what they might change based on how they do business.

Pamela Jarrin, from Bien Box, had this to say: “I think diversity should include the varieties of neurodivergent women, if they are introverted or extroverted since that affects how people show up in their business.”

When we asked what diversity looks like in their businesses, the women who responded had this to say:

Martine Stefanovic shared “I have the amazing opportunity to serve businesses with a beautiful mix of backgrounds and experiences. This has allowed me to learn so much from each business and it has really helped shape the businesswoman I am becoming.”

And Lakeisha Muhummad said, “In my business diversity looks like attracting who I am seeking and it’s not a limited thought connected to their color, race, creed, sexuality, or religion. Being able to service those who seek what I have to offer them.”

Pamela added, “I am a Latina owned business that welcomes everybody as a client. My main focus is to bring diversity with my vendors since I find that many small business are misrepresented or lack representation in other companies. Hence, I have chosen to purchase my products from Latinx, BIPOC, women owned businesses.”

When we asked about a time that they advocated for diversity, our community members had this to share –

Lakeshia: “I speak about diversity through my own personal story and how me and my siblings were raised, but also through other experiences I’ve had in life with other people. Including speaking about systems and how they look different for people.”

Martine added: “2020 was the year where many faced the relating that diversity was not always a top priority for many businesses. In the summer of 2020, I was involved in creating a Black Caucus for the Black women in the company I worked for. It was wonderful to work with a company that was willing to listen, learn and implement plans to make a space for their Black publishers to be heard and seen.”

We continued on with the conversation to ask who our community members integrate diverse perspectives into their businesses.

Pam shared: “Making sure that people know my business is Latina owned and bringing a mix of entrepreneurs from different backgrounds.”

Lakeshia had this to say: “By being open minded and also being honest that no we don’t all have to look alike sound alike or do things alike to share space or even potentially work together. I focus on purpose and intentions which have aligned me with meeting all kinds of people.”

And Martine added, “As a community manager, I often have the opportunity to help plan content with my clients. As a content creator, I believe there is a responsibility to help bring forth diversity wherever I see it may be lacking. Everyone deserves to be seen and recognized.”

We absolutely loved hearing from the members of our LBI Backstage Pass community about their thoughts and perspectives on diversity and how it shows up in their businesses. We can’t wait to continue our community conversations and sharing insights as we continue to share more about our core values and how they impact the community we’re building and the mission we’re on!

Find Pamela here: website | instagram

Find Lakeshia here: published articles on our LBI Boss Blog | instagram

Find Martine here: website | instagram

May 2 2022

At Ladyboss International We Value Diversity

SayHiLBI@gmail.com Boss Blog, Core Values Core Values, Diversity, Women in Business 0

At the LBI Backstage Pass, we believe diversity is key component to success. It’s important for us not only in the community we’re creating, but also when it comes to who we partner with. We value differences of opinion and welcome new perspectives that will allow us to grow as a platform.

The team behind the LBI Backstage Pass is 100% dedicated to making sure that our community and platform is diverse and welcoming to all womxn from every walks of life!

Inside the LBI Backstage Pass Diversity Means…

True story telling – We desire that the BsP is a place where all are welcome to share their authentic stories. We want this to be an inclusive space that honors cultural backgrounds, prioritizes open communication, active listening and showing humanity to all.

Passing the Mic – Diversity means “passing the mic”, a favorite term of our founder Rose Kaz, and means that we are actively co-creating access to a platform that amplifies all voices. We’re creating curiosity about other’s stories and empowering each other to share, to listen and to practice compassion through empathy. We are collaborating and inspiring others to have the courage to speak up. All stories matter in our community and we want to mirror that to the world at large.

Access – A warm welcome is waiting for you inside the BSP. We want all to feel seen, heard and empowered. And then have the courage to mirror that energy back into their own world. We believe in practicing what we preach, and have seen the ripple effect that happens when we as leaders set the tone. There is a magnetic alignment and open accessibility in our community that is unlike any other!

Making the door bigger – We envision a platform and community that is constantly expanding. We’re creating more seats at the table, and paving the way for all. When we throw the door wide open, and then make the door(s) even bigger, we create infinite possibilities for all to grow, expand and achieve our dreams. This inclusive and diverse energy becomes magnetic and allows us to create even more opportunities for others.

Careful and mindful – Integrity and Intentionality are important factors in our view of diversity. We are specifically creating a space that is open, encouraging and conscious of the need for leadership in this arena.

Asking for accountability – Recognizing that we’re human and fallible, we openly ask to be held accountable. We are beholden to the community that we are serving and supporting. Honest feedback is vital to creating the collaborative community we dream of. We practice active listening when feedback is given and examine where we can grow and improve as a team.

Cultural awareness – The LBI Backstage Pass is to be a global movement and an experience that isn’t restricted by location or time zones. This is a space for all to tell the stories relevant to their culture and experience. Through education and edutainment, we welcome all and invite you to show up, share, and change the “gold standard” of female entrepreneurship.

Non-violent communication – Our space is meant to be a platform that allows us to facilitate hard conversations, in a safe environment. We fully recognize that HOW you say something is just as important what you are saying and we open the floor to all who can participate with kindness, actively listening and honor the safe space we’re creating. We want to show up and create change in the world from a place of softness and femininity.

The word diversity is thrown around a lot these days. But what does it mean to us? By now you should have a pretty good idea about what our team believes diversity looks like in our community and how we are committed to creating access for all. We believe that by asking for accountability from ourselves as well as others, you can create a safe space where anyone has the opportunity to share their story without fear of judgment or retribution.

What does diversity look like in your business?

April 25 2022

How to Remain Inspired as a Woman in Business

Rose Kaz Boss Blog, Business, Inspiration Core Values, Inspiration, Inspire, Leadership, Women in Business 0

From the desk of our Founder, Rose Kaz

I usually toggle between being super inspired and feeling wildly anxious. This could be just my general make up of optimism when it clashes with realism or maaaaaybe it’s just another manic Monday! In either case, after a full week away from technology and ‘work’, I’ve emerged more inspired by….myself. Can I even say that? Is that selfish, ladyboss? YES! I can say that because a) it’s true and b) we are doing things differently here at LBI!!

I do tend to see the world as very malleable, adventurous even in its challenges and I often maneuver easily into creative solutions whilst simultaneously noticing how chaotic our ‘systems’ can be for those of us women in business who really want to see the world change. And lately, I have even inspired myself in being able to maintain this outlook amidst a lot of setbacks.

If you’re in business for yourself, you know success is not a straight line and can feel downright evasive at times. Another call for finding safe spaces that truly feel collaborative, elevate us as natural leaders and leave us feeling inspired to continue doing business differently. ( Have you been Backstage , yet??) And how can we be inspired outwardly if we aren’t totally inspired by ourselves anyways??

Inspiration can be found everywhere…blah blah blah!!

“Take a look outside your window!’ ‘Stop and smell the flowers!!” – they say.

“Look up from your smartphone and be in the now.” – they also say. And sure, yes all these little life hacks can be great, tiny suggestions to experience the grand world around us as inspiration instead of chaotic. AND I’ve very recently discovered that in order to really remain inspired and not allow for anxiety to take control of the unknowns of my day to day in running an online business that is now emerging again into the real world, I have to slow down tremendously.

The old way of doing business was to grind hard,faster, stronger and longer. To essentially burn ourselves out for the ultimate goal of ….what exactly?

If I am to remain inspired in my life; both personally and professionally, then I want to actually enjoy the process of where and how I spend my time. If I am to be actively engaged in making inspired choices, I need to then take stock in how I spend my energy, with whom and for what purpose.

If the last two years on this planet have taught me anything, it’s that I am a powerful resource for this world and it needs me. AND I also must have this daily inspiration surging through me as I build better ways of doing business with women globally. It’s imperative actually and I implore you to make the same inspired choices for yourself in how you show up to work, in your personal life and shoot, even at the grocery store.

What if each of slowed down just 5% so we could care 5% more about something we want to care about instead of what we think we should care about!?

That week away was good for many reasons and quite honestly somewhat unplanned or rather outside of what I thought our schedule was to be. My inspiration meter was running on fumes and I needed a reset. PERIOD. And here I am reporting back with inspo for myself, our collective platform that supports more badass women to show up in their business authentically so that we can change the world and for the crazy, chaotic world we are living in.

If I don’t tend to my inspiration like a freshly sprouted plant or like one that has outgrown it’s original container, then what kind of garden am I growing? Am I living within?

For the record, in the past I had made some time to stop and smell the flowers but often I am doing that whilst simultaneously replying to a message on Slack, sharing production notes, reviewing a run of show for a huge online event we are hosting or other sort of ‘multi tasking’ hack!! But that’s not being honest to inspiration or fully open to those subtle miracles that happen every minute we are busy grinding. That’s performance inspiration that makes us think we are slowing down but aren’t truly engaging in the stunning world around us.

I am absolutely a work in progress and this bit of slowing down, so that inspiration can find me, is relatively new for me. I’d come from the patriarchy camp of the busier you are, the more inspired you can be, could be, even should be! But now I am actually beginning to see the joys of slow living.

I can still do business with purpose and even swiftly, at times, but I now much prefer the occasion to enjoy my precious time on earth and hopefully serve as inspiration to others as we collaborate, elevate and inspire each other as frequently as possible.

How often are you slowing down to let inspiration find you? Sound off in the comments!

March 21 2022

Being a BOSS as a Woman in Business

SayHiLBI@gmail.com Boss Blog, Pass Her The Mic Core Values, Elevate, Pass Her the Mic, Women in Business 0

Article written by Sybriea Lundy

Being a “boss” isn’t a goal or a life choice, it’s your birthright.

Women are hardly the weaker sex as previously branded. You are the creators, the providers, the nurturers, the backbones, and the glue. You are the bosses. And you always have been. The divine feminine energy that you each possess is the seed of badassness. You are strong. You are adaptable. You are a survivor. You’re a boss wherever you are. No matter the circumstance.

Unfortunately, strengths can become weakness. Loyalty has the power tie you to unhealthy business relationships, among other things. I came to this realization sitting on a prison bunk with a considerable span of years ahead of me. Questionable lifestyle choices and business decisions had turned a former High School Valedictorian into inmate #1008183. And I thought my entire life was over.

Turned out, I was still a boss. I just couldn’t see it at the time. I learned some very important lessons in my time at “rock‐bottom” and I’d like to share those with you now:

1) To pivot is priceless – you can change your direction whenever you choose.

2) It is never too late to elevate – you can step your game up and take it to the next level at any time.

3) You are ALWAYS networking – being a kind and professional individual is universal. It has the power to transcend all kinds of barriers, both physical and perceived. Your soft skills are one of your most valuable assets and nobody can take them from you.

What I had thought was the end of my story just ended up being the start of the next chapter. I walked out of Swannanoa Women’s Prison with a job as a paralegal and a job writing web content. Both of these positions arose from networking I’d done in a most unlikely place. Because sometimes, being a boss is all about making the best in a bad situation.

I came home ready to elevate; but life still wanted to teach me flexibility. My five‐year plan had me graduating college and securing a career.

But what I’ve achieved in six years has been:

2 Children
2 Degrees
1 Certificate
Homeowner
Successful Career in Non‐Profit
I actively advocate for incarcerated women
And I even sit on a board for one of the yoga/wellness programs that helped me survive incarceration

I’m not sure what life plans to throw at me next, but I’m here for it.

As women, we are even more powerful than we can comprehend. And it’s shocking how much we can survive and overcome. The biggest limits to our potential are the ones we place on ourselves. The self‐defeating narratives of by‐ gone eras no longer hold sway. Groups like LBI are here to level the playing field and change the game. Because when women come together, we become a force of nature.

Find Sybriea here:

mountainbizworks.org

March 16 2022

Elevate? or ELEVATE?

SayHiLBI@gmail.com Boss Blog, Core Values Core Values, Elevate, LBI Backstage Pass Events, Women in Business 0

From the desk of our Founder, Rose Kaz

To elevate or not to elevate?? THAT is the question, ladies!!!

And what does it really mean to truly elevate oneself and the people around you ??

I’m going to approach these questions both from an internal, individual perspective and that which I see to be helpful for women in business at large.

Having started my career in photo + video production almost 15 years ago now, I realized that in order for me to elevate my own vision and my own work in the world, I had to have a certain amount of chutzpah; in many circles known as BALLS. However, what I quickly noticed was whilst I do have a fair amount of gall, I do not have any balls. Good news though, I do have a courageous and large chest; in many circles known as BREASTS.

The bummer of this realization is that when I began to work in my respective field, my big chest wasn’t lauded for its courage, boldness or even business chutzpah. It was instead ogled at and then also diminished as being ‘just how it is’ for women in business and if I really wanted to level up, I need to grow some….balls, cover up my cleavage and keep my nose to the grindstone.

“Be more professional !’ ’ they said. As they oggled and touched inappropriately. Hmmmm ok.

#metoo

So I tried. I kept trying. And tried again still to elevate my own mission by growing some, by grinding and by playing masculine af so I could get to the ‘top’ of my career. And guess what?? I just couldn’t…. grow any, grind any harder or pull myself up in the systems that consistently oppressed me for being ….me. And guess what else?? I also noticed that the courage I had didn’t come from my physical anatomy even though, yes I still have that large and glorious chest.

Again, this is not a boo hoo cry for sad little women. Instead it is a call to myself, of myself and from myself to: Stand tall, chest proud and elevate myself, even when the structures of sexism, racism, xenophobia and all the other ‘ isms’ I can make an entire blog entry about want to keep women in business playing small. But guess what Patriarchy?? I’m not scared of you any more!!

I’m just not. I’m here to elevate my own, friggn bad ass self so that I can elevate other women, globally. No small task right? OK so my next assignment for myself, once I’ve taken a walk outside to stop and smell the flowers, is to share this elevation of self with YOU, good reader and fella ladyboss!

Spoiler alert: we cannot lift each other up until we have truly raised our own chin, chest and yea…say it with me…TITS UP !! ( love you Mrs. Maisel! ) So with my own courageous tits up and my ugly cries set to occasional, I am HERE FOR YOU LADYBOSS. You know why?

Because I fully see how tricky this business betch of leaning into new systems of operating can be as we still navigate the old, oppressive and moldy ways of making commerce happen in sustainable ways; both for ourselves and the world around us. With that acknowledgement, let’s talk about how we can truly elevate one another and swipe left on that competition bullshit that those old ways have tricked us to believe are necessary for our survival. It’s simply not true.

When we build a community of support around women doing business differently, we can learn from each other and see that yes this shit if really f*cking hard AND we are not going at it alone. We can talk about ‘having her back’ and ‘community over competition’ though if we do not actually activate the actions to match the words, we are simply putting pink on the patriarchy. And f*ck that shiz. We need new ways to support ourselves, our communities and support this world.

So as we talk about our third core value of ELEVATE on the LBI Backstage Pass this month with our incredible community of women from all over the world, we are digging into raising our:

Our economic impact through our businesses
Our access to additional training & education
Our access to business funding
Our ability to share tools & resources globally
Our bank account balance
Our circle of influence
Our health personally & for that of the planet
Our wealth template
Our overall well being

And we know this is both an INSIDE job AND a collective project to help us be a sustainable force that significantly shifts the old paradigm into this new age of digital renaissance where we buy back the internet and all its resources because when women are at the helm of more roles of leadership, business, driving commerce and turn our attention from only bottom line focused to heart lead organization, this world will be able to evolve to a more hospitable place for everyone !!

If you feel me on this ELEVATION sensation, join us on the BsP for 24/7 collaboration, inspiration and yea you got it, ELEVATION !!

OH! And you do not want to miss our upcoming MARCH events on all things Money Honey

Click here to come Backstage, Boss!

Upcoming events you don’t want to miss!

March 24 Show ME the money, Honey!! – BsP Exclusive virtual event on how to not leave money on the table, Ladyboss.

March 31 GO FUND YOURSELF – Live, IN person event on FUNDING your business, Boss!

March 9 2022

Using Growth Mindset to Elevate Your Business

SayHiLBI@gmail.com Boss Blog, Core Values Core Values, Elevate, Women in Business 0

How having a growth mindset is crucial to the success of your business as an entrepreneur by Kelly Harris

You finally decided to create a business and you are so excited.

Go you! You rock!

Question though. Are you ready for the biggest challenge yet?

Entrepreneurship is the biggest course in personal development that you will ever take. Did you know that your mindset will dictate the success or failure of your business endeavors? Mindset is the single biggest indicator of the success inside your business. It is crucial to your success that you adopt a growth mindset, be open to opportunities, fail to succeed, and take action.

Why Adopt a Growth Mindset

Growth mindset allows you to elevate your business in ways that many cannot imagine. Growth mindset allows you to develop, expand your viewpoints, and see the opportunities and potential around you at every moment. Every failure becomes an opportunity to progress your business and your brand. It opens your eyes and allows you to look at all aspects of your life through the lens of potential. Keep in mind that life is a journey. Be intentional with your thoughts and actions.

Be open to Opportunities

Opportunities are everywhere. Have you ever bought or know someone who has bought a car? You pick out the car that you like and buy it. Then suddenly you see your car everywhere. Dodge Journeys are in every parking lot. Conveniently enough, they are all the same color as yours. Here’s the thing.

If you focus on a type of car, you will find it. If you focus and expect bad things, you will find them.. If you believe that people are generally good and want to help each other, then that is what you will find. What we focus on, grows. Would it not then stand to reason that having a growth mindset and being open to opportunities would then give the universe permission to put opportunities in our path. We need only to recognize them as opportunities and act upon them.

Fail to Succeed

“If you fail, never give up because F.A.I.L. means “first Attempt In Learning”
― A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

Let us take a moment to clarify something. Failure is a verb. By definition, it simply means lack of success. It is not, nor was it ever meant to be a label. Someone told me long ago that F.A.I.L. is an acronym and stands for First Attempt In Learning. It is imperative to understand that failure is simply a lack of success. It does not mean that YOU are a failure. It just means that you were not successful, THIS TIME.

It is a well known fact that Thomas Edison attempted to create the lightbulb a thousand times. He was successful on his one thousandth time. When a reporter asked him what it felt like to FAIL a thousand times, he replied, “I didn’t fail a thousand times. I simply found nine hundred and ninety nine ways NOT to create a lightbulb.

We must adopt the adage that every failure moves us closer to the business that we want to have, to being the business owner that we are meant to be. If that is the case, then we must fail faster because each failure is a step in the direction of success.

Take Action

Understanding and adopting a growth mindset is crucial for your entrepreneurial success. The single most important thing though, is ACTION. Use your growth mindset to see the opportunities. Find the potential. Take messy action. Nothing will ever be perfect. No launch, no email, no relationship. So we learn from them and grow. Make a plan. Don’t overthink and go. Put it out there for the world to see. Take the feedback and the criticism and use it to fuel tweaks and changes to make it amazing. Not just amazing. A – Maze – Ing! Tweak it and test it until it resonates with your tribe nd memberships.

Use your growth mindset to see the opportunities within feedback and use your client’s words to make it better. Make it an experience and build the relationships.

With Growth Mindset, You Got This!

Having a growth mindset is so important. It is super beneficial to adopt the growth mindset and surround yourself with other people who will help support your mindset. Consider hiring a mindset coach. Pay attention to your triggers and when you slip, notice it and make a note. You will learn quickly what things support your mindset and when you slip. Have a care not to adopt a false growth mindset which supports you only in times of growth. This happens when you have a growth mindset only when things are going your way, but you immediately go back to catastrophe mode when things are going your way. A true growth mindset will see the opportunities in your moments that were then successful.

You can do hard things! Afterall, you choose the journey of entrepreneurship. You got this. You always have!

Find Kelly Here:

Website | Facebook | Instagram

References:

Adopting a Growth Mindset to Drive Business. Written 2021. Accessed on December 8, 2021. Retrieved from https://www.emotivebrand.com/growth-mindset-drives-business/

Defeo, Matha. Leveraging a Growth Mindset for Business Growth. Written 2018. Accessed on December 8, 2021. Retrieved from https://www.growthforce.com/blog/how-to-leverage-growth-mindset-for-small-business-growth

Mariama – Arthur, Karima. Why Mindset Mastery is Vital to Your Success. Written February 24, 2017. Accessed on December 8, 2021. Retrieved from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/285466

Watkins, Benjamin. Thomas Edison’s Theorem for Success. Written Mar 12 2019. Accessed on December 8, 2021. Retrieved from https://medium.com/cry-mag/thomas-edisons-theorem-for-success-b96591bf7dd1

February 14 2022

Women in Bizz build a flywheel of Collabs

SayHiLBI@gmail.com Boss Blog, Business, Core Values Collaborate, Core Values 0

OK let’s start this one off with a little visualization, shall we??

Close your eyes – yes doooo it!! Ok ok, first read the passage below and then close your eyes!!

Think of a wheel, specifically a bike wheel. It spins graciously when it is built correctly, maintained over time with good, kind attention, regular pressure checks and the occasional pump of air. Maybe this wheel is even a fly wheel that needs the momentum of its surroundings to gain great speed. Ok close your eyes and just see this with me for a minute.

Ok, no open now ‘em!

This wheel of fortune we are collectively visualizing is flying! And it’s gaining momentum by building concentric circles with women in business in a global way; using social media built by women for women as it’s expressway to cruise at optimal speed. How this wheel is built is particularly important because it relies on the internal spokes of the wheel to be strong & supported, tended to and caressed, massaged with extra care, the kind you give your most cherished relationships.

And collaboration is just that: deeply tended to relationships that have the same goal in mind. As I like to call it: same mission, different copy.

A note on those parts of the circle that are called to be strong & supported arms to keep the mission rolling are also relying on other spokes to hold the weight of the wheel’s momentum together, so each spoke has a moment of reprieve from carrying the full weight of the wheel. The spokes, as you can guess, are the people who make the mission come alive & keep us collectively moving forward.

The women we feature on the LBI Backstage Pass are really the integral part of collaboration held together by the hub, the smaller yet incredibly important concentric circle that energizes the larger, exterior circle. Currently, I am the hub and there is absolutely no way on earth I could keep the wheel spinning without all the strong spokes aka women in business in our community and on our LBI crew!

It is my personal goal to collaborate from a place of integrity & kindness as I lead our internal LBI crew ( 9 and growing strong!) and as we share externally with our network on the LBI Backstage Pass.

The wheel itself has to have these various components to allow for the circle to really spin in a balanced, fluid way and so does a circular model of business leadership through collaboration.

Woman standing with hands on hips. Text overlay says "Collaboration: The heart of the LBI Backstage Pass

Community is the wheel and each of our individual roles are the spokes that keep the collab flywheel spinning. This visual is really what inspires me to build, grow and lead our community on the LBI Backstage Pass to be truly collaborative. Knowledge I gained from personal experience of opening & running a community bike program during my undergraduate studies at Warren Wilson College taught me that each of the spokes need to also be tended to regularly to ensure the wheel aka the community’s overall health & growth.

As individuals, we have super important roles on our own that support the mission at large. In true collaboration, the mission is shared by all the folks aka spokes to help the wheel keep spinning. This is something that my alma matter WWC had us eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.

Now where this gets really juicy: how we as women in business flex on our own personal strengths AND reflect them fully back into communities that not only support our individual goals but also those of the greater good for our shared humanity. See business activism, putting our money where our mouth is, walking the talk and talking the walk! Studies overwhelmingly show that when women have more money, we invest that money not only in our inner circles but also within our communities, too. Again, women are true collaborators!!

In other models of business, commerce and even simply said, power structures, there is a more top down model that serves the few leaders of the organization first and the rest trickles down to the worker bees. I’m here to flip that script, to truly do business differently in a more collaborative fashion and as such, we end up sharing more of our tools & resources with our community; which in turn allows us more seats at the table & to see more women in roles of leadership.

The reason I love to collaborate with women who are industry disruptors and thought leaders is because we not only naturally collaborate, we can take these collaborations to the next level and actually elevate each other !! Be sure to stay tuned for next month’s theme on the LBI Backstage Pass where we elevate all month long.

Looking forward to a collaboration with you soon, Boss!

How can YOU Collaborate with US?? Get your Boss butt to the LBI Backstage Pass !!!

Send us an email to be featured here on the #BossBlog SayHiLBI@gmail.com

& if you really wanna GLOW up this place, let’s #GoBackstage Boss!

Love,

Rose Kaz