As Executive Director of the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs (FWE), Jill Earthy is responsible for overseeing the strategic growth of the organization. From what I’ve experienced in the last few weeks of joining, I’d say she, and her small team are doing a stellar job.
Formed in 2002, this non-profit organization is aimed at women building and leading high-growth companies. Through entrepreneurial expertise and collaboration, it’s their mission to mentor and educate women entrepreneurs and help them achieve greater success.
A successful entrepreneur herself, Jill created a national event staffing agency in 2001 while based in Toronto, which she sold in 2003.
Currently she runs her company momcafé Network Inc, which supports professional women who are balancing a stimulating career with raising a family. Jill is also a Mum to two young daughters. I’m not sure how she finds the time to do it all.
I got the inside scoop on the world of female entrepreneurs and how FWE works with them.
WomanzWorld: What is the greatest advantage of being a woman in the field of entrepreneurship today?
Jill Earthy: Recognition. The number of female entrepreneurs has increased, resulting in more recognition, resources and benefits out there for women now.
What are the most significant trends you’ve seen in the last 5 years with regards to female entrepreneurs?
This trend of recognition has heightened, especially in the last year. We’re seeing more members coming together for strategic partnerships, innovations and collaboration.
Also our collaborative nature and openness, and there’s less competitiveness between women. In the past it used to be focus on the goal and go for it. Many women didn’t ask for help and saw it as a sign of weakness.
Now it’s all about empowering, sharing, and engaging with each other. This is our strength.
An example of this is the Member forum we have, where up to 12 members at a time come together to share ideas, opportunities and challenges in an informal and supportive environment with different guest facilitators. Random entrepreneurs turn up and the connections they make are amazing, it gives me chills to see it in action. It’s a fresh perspective and a positive trend.
Social networking has definitely helped, these tools enable women to reach out in many new ways and connect. All the organizations we work with are collaborating more too.
Do you think there’s been a return to femininity in the way women work and deal in business?
Yes. Although I don’t think I would term it “femininity”. I think more women are embracing their strengths. I think it’s about being true to yourself and representing who you are.
In business I didn’t used to talk about being a Mum, but now I acknowledge and recognise that.
In your personal opinion, what are the key advantages that female entrepreneurs have in the business world?
- Communication – open communication is key, and women tend to do this well
- Collaboration – we work together to create strength
- Inclusion – we consider a lot of additional factors in business, which can be beneficial and can backfire sometimes. It’s not quite so black and white to us and I think overall, that is an advantage.
What stage of entrepreneur does the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs cater to the best?
We focus primarily on women who are through the start up stage and are looking to leverage high business growth. We have over 400 members now and this has grown and continues to grow in leaps and bounds.
As FWE is growing we’re looking to cater to all levels more – from students through to established entrepreneurs.
Our a-series program focuses on training for experienced entrepreneurs seeking enhanced education and networking to support the steady growth of their already established companies. It launched last fall and aims to support primarily graduates of some of our other programs who have been giving back to FWE as mentors, speakers and sponsors.
2009 e-series graduation event
However, we want to continue to support them as well, as their businesses continue to evolve.
Our latest initiative PAC stands for Peer Advisory Circle. This program will consist of groups of 8 women representing a variety of industries, who are at a similar stage of business in terms of revenue. They will meet monthly using a self-facilitated format. PAC provides a forum in which they can share ideas, opportunities and challenges in a unique and confidential environment.
How does the Leading Edge professional program set you apart from other organisations?
Our key distinction is that we focus on women of high growth businesses.
A lot of women choose lifestyle and hobby businesses which are the right fit for them. Some will set up their business to take it to the next level at a certain stage of their life which is a great way to do it.
We aim to provide the support and training to take them there. Our e-series class for example offers training sessions for women entrepreneurs of early-stage high-growth leveragable businesses. We’re seeing a lot more diversity in these programs from food companies through to technology, photography and beauty products.
Does FWE have sister organizations around the world that offer the same benefits, if yes, who are they?
We have a long list of organizations that we work with. We are primarily Vancouver focused and work with most of the women business networks here in British Columbia (there are over 35!) as well as other organizations supporting entrepreneurs and small business. They’re a mix of private and nonprofits.
We educate each other on what each group is doing so we can cross promote and refer people to the appropriate organization that caters to their needs.
We also discuss how to collaborate better on an ongoing basis and how we can support local charities collaboratively on a larger scale, such as Minerva or YWCA.
We’re loosely affiliated with Alberta Women Entrepreneurs and Women Entrepreneurs of Canada who we have good relationships with. FWE & E is based in San Francisco and they started FWE but we are separate entities. We also partner with the Women’s Enterprise Centre that’s focussed on start-ups.
Thanks to Jill and FWE. I highly suggest you get connected with an organization in your local area that will help to support and empower you and your business to grow.
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
