She Shines Worldwide

Day 1 of the Beijing+30 Youth Discussions Focusing on youth action, especially women and girls in the 12 different thematic areas of the #Beijingdeclaration. It was a pleasure to listen to women leaders from the #AU , UN Women , FEMNET - African Women's Development and Communication Network as well as other incredible women across #Africa. It was an incredible experience, listening to the Beijing pioneers speak and listening to the story and history of women's revival across Africa. Together with the older and younger generations, it is an #intergenerational journey filled with hope. It's been 30 years and are we still ready to wait another 30 years for more results? We have a role to play. It was an exciting experience with #WOSSOFELLOWS2024 and deep insightful conversations with #CentralAfricanYouths. #Beijing30 #consultations #womenempowerment

?????? [REPORTING FROM HONG KONG] WHAT IS THE NUMBER ONE "TRAP" TO AVOID WHEN SCALING A STARTUP? ?????? What's the number one trap to avoid when scaling the startup? That's the question I posed to Pocket Sun, Co-founder and Managing Partner ar SoGal Ventures. SoGal Ventures, for context, focuses on undervalued founders, undercapitalised geographies and underserved problems. In particular, it looks at supporting pre-seed and seed founders in the US and Canada involved in areas such as the future of living, working and staying healthy. It has invested in about 47 companies across two funds, with about 30 of them still in business right now. I spoke with Pocket earlier on the actionable strategies startups can take to navigate the challenging operating environment.?But first - hear more from Pocket on the number one "trap" to avoid when scaling up a business! Many thanks to Karen King and Janice Chan (RICE Communications) for arranging this! And do tune in to our report (coming out now), as well as the full report from Hong Kong! Elizabeth Galbut Tracey Amara Thompson Julie Ying Baron Summer Song Kelly An Deborah Im Julia Raimbault Gormand (KVP) Kay V. Carman Chan Jennifer C. Maya Kashlan Robecta Ma Huiqin Greta Hu Michael Goossens Serena Wong Danielle Canty Cristina Bernardo Kullberg Menka Patel Stephanie Jin Laura Craig Angie Carrillo R. Shuang Liang Ian C. Mandy Mao Erin Chen Pats M. Laura Atkinson

In Canada, we observe Person's Day honouring the landmark moment of the "Persons Case," when women were legally recognized as "persons" and gained the right to sit in the Senate. While progress was made, barriers to gender equality still persist. Microaggressions—subtle, biased comments or actions—often go unnoticed in the workplace, but research shows they significantly impact women's careers and well-being. ???? Gender Disparity: Women are twice as likely as men to experience microaggressions creating a toxic environment that undermines their mental health, self-esteem, and career growth. ?? ?? Compounding Inequalities: Women of color experience these biases more frequently, compounding the emotional strain of both gender and racial bias and further alienating them in the workplace. ?? Impact on Psychological Safety: Women facing subtle biases often feel less safe at work, limiting their ability to take risks, propose ideas, or advocate for themselves. To combat microaggressions and foster inclusivity, companies need to: ?? Start by acknowledging that microaggressions exist! ?? A comprehensive JEDI training should go beyond the surface. ?? Establish clear, safe channels for reporting microaggressions, without fear of retaliation.? Microaggressions may seem small, but their cumulative impact is significant. By addressing these acts of discrimination, organizations can foster a more inclusive environment where women—and all employees—thrive.? When everyone feels valued, businesses grow stronger together ??

And here are 6 tips on how to get better at public speaking (just to balance things out.) 1. Judging yourself for being nervous won't help you feel less nervous. Try encouraging yourself with this affirmation. "It's okay if I'm nervous, accepting how I feel is better than fighting how I feel." Or - instead of saying "OMG I'm so nervous!!!!" when you feel sensations like shaky hands, your face turning red, or your heart racing - try this. Say to yourself "my body feels very alive right now!" Aliveness is good! 2. Remember, public speaking is not about you. Focus on helping your audience. When creating your presentation, ask yourself, what keeps them up at night? 3. Short sentences are your friend. They're easier to say and your audience will have an easier time absorbing them. 4. Whenever possible - keep your slides simple, not cluttered with so much text. Your audience will have an easier time focusing on what you're saying if you give them less to look at. And a well-chosen image can do a lot of heavy lifting for you. (And can bring some humor.) 5. "I just want to get this over with" is an intention that will lead you to rush. Try this one instead: "I'm excited to bring my audience on an intellectual and emotional journey - one moment at a time." 6. If you're hungry to transform how you feel - and your audience feels - when you present, my Speak BOLDLY Course is waiting for you! You can learn about it here: https://lnkd.in/gvSGJ4QV FROM A FAN: "This course is perfectly set up for someone like me who wants to improve my speaking skills and who also has a very busy schedule. I loved having the ability to work through her video modules on my own time and to be able to hit pause and take notes as I went along. For every topic, Amanda gave us multiple tools and tips that could be directly put into practice. I now have a note on my phone with 15 bullet points that I can review every time I am getting ready to speak in public. It’s amazing and I actually look forward to putting all my learnings into practice!" Kimya - Start-Up Founder #PUBLICSPEAKING #presenting

A big thank you to She Shines Worldwide in partnership with Open Dreams Educational NGO for giving me the opportunity to journey through my life with more #selfcompassion and #kindness. Often, we want to be there for our loved ones but tend to #neglect ourselves. This program has been incredibly helpful to me, especially during the past couple of months, which have presented their own challenges. I cannot thank my coach, Aleesha Patel enough for pouring her heart and mind into helping me navigate life with greater #compassion and #confidence. I’ll always cherish our #MangoTreeInspiration as I continue to learn more about myself. She Shines Worldwide is raising the next generation of women leaders who understand they can achieve more, regardless of what their #innercritic says. A big shout out to my buddy, Asanda Mbotho for all her support during this journey. Keep shining, girl! I can’t wait to see you on our screens soon. Meeting Susane Mensiy for the first time and forming that connection was truly special. It was a pleasure learning from Gwanyama Noella, Guilian Asongtia, Christy Nguimbous, Petra Chui, Nga Ebode Serena-Axelle, Blessing Lum, Kenyaupli Lucien Ndimongang, Akem Aurelia Njang, and all the incredible women who were part of this experience. #Remember to keep winning, ladies! ?? Thank you, Cristina Bernardo Kullberg for this amazing platform and for being an incredible #Mom to many of us. #selfdevelopment #Selfcompassion #SheShines #Leadership