Today we’d like to introduce you to Hillary Gadsby and Wendi Boyden.
Hi Hillary and Wendi, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
Hillary: When I started my first business, I had absolutely no clue what I was doing. I had always wanted to start my own business but I really didn’t know all the components that go into putting a business together, let alone a successful business. I truly learned from trial and error until I asked for help. I was unable to find any woman mentors to help me so I ended up working with two successful men. Men have great business sense and truly know how to build a profitable business, but women just do business differently. My mindset was always very masculine and all I did was hustle. I burned out and closed my business after ten years. I knew that my next endeavor would be more heart-centered.
Wendi: I began my career in 1998 as a trial attorney handling employment matters for a number of years and subsequently as a senior corporate executive in the insurance industry until 2020 when I made the jump to entrepreneurship in 2019.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Hillary: Nothing is ever smooth with entrepreneurship. It is a constant rollercoaster of both physical and mental stress, but the rewards are astronomical. I have had business partners who didn’t align, vendors who have stolen money from me, technology failures, and everything in between. It is important to be resilient as an entrepreneur and try not to take anything personally and know that tomorrow will be another day. You flow with the ups and downs as much as you can.
Wendi: I had to learn how to navigate the sexist attitudes carried by men (and sadly, women too) that women face in a male-dominated industry (yes, both in insurance and law). Female mentors in positions of power were few and far between, and those women I did work for unfortunately made it harder, not easier, for me. I was passionate about changing this dynamic by making my way to the top and being that mentor to up-and-coming women both to neutralize the toxic culture and to level the playing field with men to make it easier for other women to achieve the success they want.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Hillary: I set out to create a platform to give successful women a stage to tell their stories of the trials and tribulations that comes with entrepreneurship and give back to the next generation of women entrepreneurs and business leaders. What started as a speaker series here in Los Angeles in 2014, is now a global mentorship platform for women in 10 cities across the US and Canada.
We bring together trailblazing women bosses from various industries to share their goldmine of information and insights in our live events and virtual communities.
We are mentoring the smart queens of tomorrow and giving them the tools, resources, and connections to be successful and unleash their #unicornpotential
Boss Talks will help you meet and connect with women bosses through live events and virtual communities. You get mentored by strong women who will take a special interest in you and tell you where you need improvements.
In our live events, be ready to network with like-minded queens. It’s not just about sharing your business cards but dreams and ambitions! Leverage the collective strength of our boss founders and see your business scale to unbelievable heights.
We genuinely want you to succeed. We don’t simply hold your hand but push you to move ahead.
We take out all the guesswork in trying to find a mentor. We created a platform that provides that and more under one roof.
Boss Talks is on its way to making a million women walk the talk in business.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Hillary: Finding a mentor hasn’t always been easy. People are very busy with their own lives and businesses. I also feel that most people are too afraid to ask for help. In networking, it is so important to go into an event or a meeting wanting to support others. Never go into a networking event thinking about yourself. Take the sale out of the networking and build the relationships. The business eventually comes.
I have developed more business by getting to know someone and their needs before my own. Boss Talks takes the time and the guesswork out of finding a mentor and building strong connections with others. Gone are the days, when you have to scour LinkedIn or the internet for help.
Wendi: Great question. Being part of a community is the most powerful thing you can do for yourself professionally and personally. My co-founder and I created Boss Talks to provide women with the community and connections that men have had for years (the “Old Boys Network”) that have provided them with the mentorship and connections to secure lucrative opportunities. Our members are women who are both business owners or corporate executives with valuable connections and expertise who act as mentors and want to use their power to send the elevator back down to other women to start their own businesses or help their corporate careers flourish.
Pricing:
- Only $79.99 per month
- Only $799.99 per year
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bosstalks.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bosstalksnetwork/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bosstalksnetwork
Image Credits
Sabrina Hill and Angel Pardue Photography
