— women entrepreneurs urged, as WeLead2018 conference concludes

AFTER two days of intense discussion, some of Guyana’s female entrepreneurs and potential businesswomen are now better equipped with the knowledge needed to effectively compete in the business world.

On Tuesday, as the curtains of the Empowered Leadership Conference (WeLead2018) came down at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, the participants, the majority of them women were taught the importance of believing in themselves, networking and establishing core values.

Fashion Designer, Entrepreneur and Author Sonia Noel, said the lack of a high self-esteem is often a factor that hinders women from launching their own business or better positioning themselves. It is time to break down the barriers, she said, as she praised overseas-based Guyanese Michelle A. Nicholas, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nico Consulting Inc., and Jacquelyn Shipe, the CEO of Global Ties Alabama.

“I find that as I interact with women, the lack of self-confidence keep them from really fulfilling their potential, so I would love for women to really believe more in themselves, and know their worth,” Noel told the Guyana Chronicle on the sideline of the event.
Nicholas, who was recently named one of Westchester’s “40 Under 40” Rising Stars by the Business Council of Westchester in the US, for her work on bridging the gap between available resources and those who need them, said she was once an introvert but in order to succeed there was need for her to step out of the box.

In the world of business there is no room for isolation, Nicholas said as she underscored the importance of networking and building partnership.

“I used to always keep things to the vest. I wanted to work things out on my own and not include others. I believed that I could do it all on my own and didn’t need anyone. Not true! After a while it all felt like a burden to carry. I was experiencing losses which broke my heart, and I was experiencing joys that I had no one to share them with.

I had to change that way of thinking. I had to learn to be more open and gather the support from others who may have been in the space before, or who can provide some objective thoughts. I can’t do it alone. You can’t do it alone,” Nicholas said on Monday, when she delivered the keynote address.

During the breakout session – “She Means Business” – with Noel and Shipe, Nicholas’ message was no different.
Meanwhile, Shipe underscored the importance of establishing clear values and standards in the establishment of a business.

KEY VALUES
Honesty, integrity and transparency were among values, Shipe said, businesses must have in this competitive business environment.
“I think it is really important that we always talk about having a design or a product that we want to sell in our business, but I think having the foundation of values and ensuring that there are standards for both ourselves and anyone who works in our business is incredibly important for them to think about, to consider and for them to put into action,” the Global Ties Alabama CEO said.

Failure to clearly state core values and standards could result in breaches that could have a negative effect on a business.
For the women participants, the Empowered Leadership Conference was an inspiring and motivational event that stimulated their interest to either establish their own business or build on the existing one.

Co-founder of Winedays Michelle Howard, said she is ready to take on new challenges and overcome her fears. “I am an introvert, extrovert, at moments when I know I have to do something I usually push my husband to do it, and so from this experience I have learnt that pushing myself to go out and not stuck in the idea that I don’t like to do it is important,” she told this newspaper.

Sophia Dolphin, Sales Manager at Gizmos and Gadgets and CEO of GLOSEESALES, said the forum created a platform for women to further develop themselves in the field of business, in particular single parent mothers.
“For women, especially single parent mothers who are working so hard to get by and maintain their independence, the connection, the networking and having the support system is very important,” she posited.

Hafeeza Mustafa, who was among the youngest potential female entrepreneurs in the audience, said the forum renewed her enthusiasm to expand her family’s business – New Step Boutique GY, in Linden to Georgetown.

“The main thing that got me is that you should find a niche, a market niche, what differentiates you from the others in the field and how you can get your values out from your customers and what you can give them,” she said.

The Empowered Leadership Conference, held under the theme “When Women Prosper, We all Prosper”, was the brainchild of the CEO of Community Health Care, Abbigale Loncke. It attracted a diverse set of women from not only Guyana but from the U.S and other parts of the Region.