It’s been a month and what a month it’s been.
I love August for many reasons, but mostly because it’s my birthday month, which means, for me, there is always a reason to celebrate. And this August has been a non-stop giver of gifts, especially for PrismWork. Here is some of the abundance we are celebrating:
- We Have A New Partner! The incomparable Daina Middleton has officially joined PrismWork as co-founder and partner. Daina brings a wealth of strategic operating, marketing and leadership experience. As our Chief Strategy Officer, she’ll be leading key initiatives including expanding our Culture360° into new channels and industries, driving the integration of HEARTI into our leadership initiatives, and launching our new Strategic Purpose initiative to help companies and leaders get to their WHY.?
- We launched Intentional Power - a landmark study to understand what men need today to become inclusive leaders.? As we all know, we are in the midst of a workplace revolution. BLM, #MeToo, generational differences, the pandemic have changed everything. Those in power - men - need to lead in transformational ways. PrismWork, with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, is sparking a movement for change by conducting a nationwide study to understand how men can and are stepping up to share their power with intention and become the leaders we ALL need.
- PrismWork has officially secured its WBENC Women’s Business Enterprise and Woman-Owned Small Business certifications—so when companies are looking to increase their supplier diversity solutions, we’re their (wo)man.
- We landed two new exciting engagements with global companies to help uplevel the inclusive leadership competencies of their senior executives. This means hundreds of leaders whose daily decisions impact tens of thousands of employees, customers, and communities at large will bring new insights, new skills and new self-awareness so they are better prepared to meet the realities of today’s world. We can’t wait to get started!
- We just completed a mid-cycle analysis of our business and I learned that 95% of our clients have returned to do more work with us. Let me say that again, 95% (!!!) of our clients are so satisfied with their experience, they’ve come back for more inclusive culture consulting, modern leadership development, and strategic, targeted engagements.?
If this keeps going - and there is little reason to think it won’t given the five new business calls I have coming up - we will not only be able to boast that we are that rare 10% of start-ups that DON’T fail, we are on track to becoming one of the few women-owned businesses that manage to pass $1 million in revenue.?
And, we’ve accomplished all of this with a small, but mighty team of passionate innovators in just 18 months with no outside funding. Now that is truly something to celebrate.
Here’s the thing: When I look at that list, I find there are no words to truly express the depths of my feelings. From pride to joy to awe - and yes, to late nights filled with self-doubt and anxiety. Truth be told, it’s hard to believe that I get to do what I do at 60. Let me repeat that in case you missed it:
At a time when ageism sidelines so many talented women (and men!), to be able to know I, and my team, are just beginning to have impact is a dream come true. The good news is, I am not alone. When I was researching my book, Work Pause Thrive, I noticed a trend that was rarely discussed: While men’s careers rise in a continual vertical trajectory until their 50s, women’s careers are non-linear, cyclical, and, for many, only truly blossom after the kids are gone and the multi-pronged pressures of caregiving, community manifesting, and, in some cases, coupledom have diminished.?
My generation of women are redefining what it means to be “a woman of a certain age.” The exciting news is the media and the advertising industry are finally beginning to pay attention to us and our deep pockets.
We are finally starting to see examples of women who shine in their 60s and beyond. Here are just a few who inspire me:
- Cindy Gallop (62): Of course! The multi-talented Gallop is an entrepreneur, thought-leader, advocate of sex-positivity, and role model who reminds me to “stop giving a damn what people think of your choices.” She is committed to redefining what it means to be a woman over 60 and made headlines with her #disruptaging campaign.?
- Wendy Ida (70): When Ida turned 57, she entered her first bodybuilding competition. Now 70, in addition to being a bestselling author, life coach, and television host, she is the winner of eight national bodybuilding and figure championships and the holder of two Guinness World Records in fitness.??
- Sallie Krawcheck (57): Ok, she’s not quite part of the 60s club yet, but Krawcheck’s passion for empowering women’s financial acumen and independence led her to found Ellevest in 2014. She’s also been a shining light as an advocate for female entrepreneurship. I’m a loyal Ellevest client and can personally attest that she is achieving her dream.?
- Thai Lee (64); Yeah, you probably haven’t heard of her either, but according to Forbes she is the 6th richest self-made business woman in the U.S. with a networth of over $4.1B. Lee is a model of HEARTI leadership. She is admired for her humility and her commitment to empowering her employees. Lee is quoted as believing her success is built from empowered employees with the autonomy to deal with customers.
- Diana Nyad (73): After four failed attempts, on the fifth try, at age 64, LGTBQ+ advocate Nyad completed the 110-mile swim from Havana to Key West, something no other swimmer has been able to accomplish. In her book, Find A Way, she shares three key lessons learned: 1) Never, ever give up. 2) You’re never too old to chase your dreams. 3) It looks like a solitary sport, but it’s a team. These are words to live by.
My new life mantra can be summed up best by Diana Nyad who said,?
“Today I’m walking around tall because I am that bold, fearless person, and I will be every day until it's time for these days to be done.”
May these days not be done for a long, long time.
Lisen Stromberg is CEO of PrismWork, a workplace culture and leadership consultancy. She and her team work with clients to help them build next-in-class, 21st century cultures with the future-forward leaders their companies need to succeed. Lisen is also a best-selling author, award-winning independent journalist, and in demand speaker who has been on stage at numerous high-profile conferences including SXSW, TEDx, and more. She earned her BA at Dartmouth College, has an MBA from UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, and an MFA from Mills College.
