Empower, Celebrate, and Support #WED

Women's Entrepreneurship Day, founded by American Author and Entrepreneur Wendy Diamond, is celebrated annually on November 19th. WED is a movement that I feel strongly about, as the quest includes goals that I have been working toward for years. The?WED movement , which is now observed in 144 countries, aims to empower, celebrate, and support women in business. After first-hand witnessing the benefits of female collaboration and entrepreneurship, I do all that I can to support this movement.

As Women's Entrepreneurship Day was coming about in 2013, I was a wife and new mother with a demanding professional career, trying to fathom how to balance everything. But I dreamt of more for my professional life, and like so many brave women before me, I worked hard and followed my vision. It was not a clear-cut or easy venture; however, I persisted and planned for three long, dedicated years before I made the scariest decision in my life - I left corporate America to start my own business.??

Throughout my personal life and corporate career, I have had the opportunity to work amongst some of the most amazing, talented, and supportive women. These women fueled my understanding of the strength that comes with supporting each other versus competing against one another. Unfortunately, these (and any) women were scarce in the transportation industry. I was often one of the only females in a meeting room, at times feeling like a novelty. I quickly realized that not everyone, women included, shared my views on normalizing gender equity. Because of this, I have made a conscious effort to uplift the equality and inclusion movement. I wanted to do my part to encourage and inspire as many women in business as possible.

Today, I am the mother of two daughters, still trying to find balance, but thankfully within a more flexible framework. I am on my second business venture and finally living my entrepreneurial dream with Wholesale Sugar Flowers, which proudly supports women around the globe. Wholesale Sugar Flowers and the incredible team behind it have allowed me to widen my support for women in business. Most of the WSF team are women, the majority of our business partnerships are women-owned/managed, and our client base is also predominately women-owned. To say that I am grateful for taking that chance in 2016 would be a massive understatement.

So, on this Women's Entrepreneurship Day, let us remember that we are not against the smart, talented men that we work alongside. We are instead equally supportive of the smart, talented women in business. As Sara Blakely recently pointed out in her her?now-viral Instagram post , "While 50% of entrepreneurs are women, they only receive 2.3% of venture capital." We are getting there but still have work to do, so today, we continue to stand for this movement, encouraging and inspiring women entrepreneurs across the globe.

Cheers to all the women Wholesale Sugar Flowers has the pleasure to work with - we are both privileged and humbled to partner and serve with you; may you continue to thrive, prosper, and always inspire!