In this very special and moving episode, we speak with 3 women from Ukraine: Iryna Volnytska, Nataly Veremeeva, and Valeriia Kotsur.Iryna and Nataly live and work in a country at war and share with us how this has changed their life but also how this war is affecting men and women differently and how Ukraine is, despite it all, still pushing its Tech agenda with the women taking center stage. Valeriia shares her experience of support from abroad to help build a bright future for Ukraine after the war.In particular we discussed:- What it is to actually live in a country at war. Let's remember that the war is not just in the news but in real people's life.- The role of women in the war, particularly as, while some women have joined the army, still conscription only applies to men or people working in key sectors like hospitals. - This means that women are free to leave the country, and that's why they were able to move to other countries with the kids. But women abroad work tirelessly to support their country from abroad as ambassadors to raise awareness, raise funds, collect donations and much more- In the meantime, with all the traditional heavy industries being destroyed, Ukraine is investing in its Tech capabilities, with the tech industry still thriving despite the war. - Interestingly women are also changing jobs to respond to the destruction of some of the more traditional industries and they move to tech. In fact today in Ukraine, there are more women enrolling in STEM courses the men, a unique case in the world.- Iryina, Nataly, and Valeriia also share their positive outlook for a bright future for Ukraine and their hope for more support from Europe to help build together a future of peace for all.

In this episode, we talk with Kate Monserrate, co-founder and director of Simplify Consulting.Kate, together with her business partner Carl and their team decided to invest substantial resources, in terms of financial, personnel, and time resources, to create a seriously impressive whitepaper on a  topic that could make us wonder: gender equality. What does gender equality have to do with financial consulting? It turns up, a lot.Listen to Kate as she runs us through the 3 areas of their whitepaper:- Education and fighting stereotypes about gender roles from a very young age- Women's life stages (particularly the effects of motherhood and menopause on career)- Internal barriers like impostor syndrome.Kate shares very useful insights on how to address these matters, never expecting "women to fix themselves" but advocating for change inside companies like hers to foster a more inclusive future.Download read the whitepaper here: https://www.simplifyconsulting.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Gender-Gap-White-Paper.pdfDiscover Kate here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katemonserrate/

In this episode we talk with Mari Vasan,  CEO, Entrepreneur, Professional Hypnotist, Women´s Transformational Life Coach, and Founder of MindGift.org.But that's not all! Mary is a former Wall Street senior executive and Managing Director of US Equity Research who by her full will decided to walk away from a career that, in her own words, defined her exclusively by her job title and salary, to start a new career dedicated to helping others.Today, Mari is an over 10 years experienced coach, and her life mission is to help middle-aged women start living the best half of their lives.Her top tips to find our own magic are:-> Reconnect with your own body-> Believe in yourself. We have plenty of programs that almost automatically drive our lives. Stop. Reflect. Decide.-> Decide to add value, you will be noticed.-> Decide to believe you can, as supposed to can't.-> Decide to surround yourself with positive people.-> Decide to continue caring for others, but do not forget yourself  Find out more about Mari and her work here:Linkedin: MariVasanYoutube: @marivasanFacebook: Mari VasanWebsite: Mari Vasan and MindGift.org

"You too are a brand. Whether you know it or not. Whether you like it or not".Mark eckō, founder and chief creative officer of marc eckō enterprisesIn this episode, we discover what personal branding is, and what it is not. Why you should care about it and how you can develop a strong personal brand to support your career.The main takeaways are:- Personal branding is about optimising associations, feelings, and impressions. It is about building trust.- Personal branding is NOT about creating a fictional character that we bring to work.- Working on your personal brand can help you:-->Unlock your superpower--> Boost your confidence--> Differentiate you from the competition-->Develop effective communication--> Develop thought leadershipThere are 3 main steps in developing your personal brand:1. Define your brand2. Define your audience3 Communicate your brand.1. Define your brand:WHO you are in the context of work: clearly define what you do and what benefits you bring to whom. WHY you do what you do, WHAT you want to achieve career-wise, and HOW you are going to get there. Your VALUES and how they align with the values of the company you work for or planning to work for.REASONS to believe: list them, not to share them but for YOU to acknowledge and remember.2. Define your audience:->WHO do you want to target?->WHAT are their needs?->HOW you can fulfill these needs?3. COMMUNICATE YOUR BRANDCommunicating your personal brand is about finding venues, online and not, where to demonstrate your thought leadership. In a way that works for YOU.Find out more about these 3 steps and how to build a strong personal brand by listening to this episode and contact us if you need any help with your personal branding or how to communciate it (hi@knowthybrand.com, www.knowthybrand.com)

In this episode, we host an old friend of our podcast, Felicity Hassan.Not only Felicity is the found of The Find, a recruitment agency the focus on diverse recruiting, but she is also the co-author with Suki Sandhu of an incredibly inspiring book called 'How To Get Your Act Together: A Judgement-Free Guide to Diversity and Inclusion for Straight White Men'As the name implies, the book offers a very straightforward approach to diversity, providing clear explanations for concepts we might not be so familiar with (like gender identity vs sexual orientation just to cite one), real examples of changes companies implemented to support diversity, and practical suggestions for all of us to learn and become truly inclusive.During our conversation, we focused in particular on:- Diversity fatigue, why people are tired of hearing about the need for diversity and what we can do about it- The misleading concept of meritocracy- Motivators for the C suite and middle management to embrace and promote diversity that go beyond the business case.- Allies and the difference between being not discriminatory vs being against discrimination.- the importance of active curiosity to change and inspire change.Find out more about Felicity here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/felicitybt/Find her book here: https://www.amazon.com/How-Get-Your-Together-Judgement-Free/dp/0241485215

Today, Amy Anthony runs her private practice called NYC Aromatica and is the New York State representative for the Alliance of International Aromatherapists. But this has not been always her life.Amy used to have a corporate career and it was her love and knowledge of plants that became a bridge between her corporate past and her entrepreneurial future. In this episode, we discuss with Amy about:*The importance of taking opportunities that come our way*Finding the courage to talk about money*Changing our outlook to find confidence*The all-too-common issue of undercharging*Learning to acknowledge  our value.As host of the Essential Aromatica podcast, Amy has made a name for herself as an expert in how essential oils can support wellness and vitality while increasing outputs and promoting more positive work environments.Find out more about her work: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-n-anthony/Instagram: @nycaromatica nycaromatica.com

In this episode, we have the absolute honor and pleasure of hosting H.E. Fleur Thomas, His Majesty's ambassador to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.Despite the very important (and long!) job title, H.E. Thomas candidly opens up about her professional experiences and how she has found herself in several mostly male-dominated jobs.With a very practical approach and a quick-wit and a spontaneous sense of humor, H.E. Thomas navigates us through some of the challenges that she has faced as well as how she has dealt with them.Strongly passionate about empowering women, H.E. Thomas shares her tips for companies and individuals alike, from the importance of supporting the socializing process within a business to the necessity to finding your inner strength and voice. This and so much more in this not-to-be-missed episode.

In this episode, we talk with Annette Allen, Development Team Leader at WellData, an IT company based in the UK.Annette shares her journey to starting a career in IT, the challenges she has faced as well as the opportunities that working in IT brought to her.We discuss the societal pressure put on girls when they consider a career in STEM, how this translates into low numbers of women in tech, and the negative effects of low degrees of gender diversity on business efficiency.We share ideas on how to support a more inclusive work environment and the critical role of role models and mentors. Annette even offers to answer any listener who is considering a career in tech and is looking for a mentor!Find out more about Annette and/or reach out to her here

In this episode, we talk with Lisa Burke, the famous broadcaster, inspiring woman, and mum of 2 teenagers.During our conversation, Lisa tackles a very true, but often untold, part of the amazing journey of being a mother:  the toll it can take on your career. We all wish that we can have it all, a family, kids, career, healthy diet, time for the gym, time for friends, and even a hobby perhaps. The reality though is very different, and at some point, something, or some things, have to give. It doesn't really need to be this way, but this is the situation in which many women find themselves all too often. Unfortunately, as much as we mention it in our conversations, we hardly take a proper look at what it really means for women and what could be done to truly support women instead.Lisa offers her candid view on this subject and bravely shares her own experience in the hope of supporting other women and inspiring change-makers to embrace and address this challenge.A massive thank you to Lisa for giving voice to a struggle that too often is left to women to deal with in isolation.Find out more about Lisa:https://www.lisatoniburke.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-burke-4272276/?originalSubdomain=lu

A fantastic episode packed with research, information, and insights about financial inclusion, why it matters, how it affects women, and what we can do about it.Our guest is Mary Ellen Iskenderian, the President and CEO of Women’s World Banking, a passionate advocate for women’s economic empowerment, and the author of the incredibly important book "There’s Nothing Micro About a Billion Women: Making Finance Work for Women"With Mary Ellen we discuss: - What financial inclusion is and how it relates to gender inclusion.- The3 pillars of financial inclusion: ability to save, ability to borrow, and insurance- Why microfinance, as much as it is critically important, alone is not the answer to the gender inclusion problem- Digitalisation of finance, how it is helping close the gender financial gap, and the potential role of fintech companies- Practical recommendations that we can all implement to have an impact.Find out more about Mary Ellen here: https://www.womensworldbanking.org/about-us/our-team/mary-ellen-iskenderian/

It is a well-known fact that a diverse workforce brings greater creativity, social justice, and financial returns. And yet, all too often effectively recruiting diverse candidates seems a challenge for most companies.Felicity Hassan, Board member, book author, and co-founder of The Find, shares with us how to effectively hire for diversity.Felicity founded her company precisely with the intention of helping companies look beyond the sea of traditional candidates to spot diverse leaders. In this episode, she tells her journey from being on the receiving end of horrific hiring experiences to driving inclusive recruitment. She explains how diversity is not only the right thing to do but also a competitive advantage that can take your business to the next level.With Felicity, we talk about gender diversity in the context of intersectional diversity and how different types of diversity (gender, race, sexual orientation, etc.) build and intersect with each other. We discussed why it matters for companies to truly understand diverse target audiences and why having a diverse workforce helps with that.Finally, Felicity shares her pro tips when it comes to authentically seeking diverse talent: from clearly defining the company's values and mission, to ensuring that talent research is truly inclusive, all the way to the interviewing and onboarding process, listen to Felicity to find out how you can effectively create a more diverse workforce for your business.Find out more about Felicity and her business:https://www.linkedin.com/in/felicitybt/https://www.thefindpartners.com/

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Ingrid Murra. In her own words, Ingrid is a mission-driven entrepreneur and orthodontist passionate about democratizing access to confidence by way of smiles. Her business, TwoFront, helps individuals get the best care for their smiles while helping small practices grow.In a world where women founders only received 2.3% of all VC funding in 2021 and latino women are a very small minority in this group, Ingrid has managed to secure $5 million for her startup.Ingrid shares with us her experience in starting a business, getting the first employees, and securing VC funds even despite the challenges that women have to face.In particular, Ingrid talks about the importance of celebrating wins and failures every single day, because we don't need to forget our achievements and we don't need to be afraid of failure.The key for Ingrid is to be prepared, determined to find solutions and to fix problems, and to stay calm and clear-minded without forgetting to accept vulnerability.Find out more about Ingrid and her business here:www.mytwofront.comIG: @mytwofront IG: @dringridmurra

What does it take to become an entrepreneur? What are the main challenges and why is it worth starting such a journey?Kasia Krzyzanowski is the founder of Neighbour Magazine, a magazine dedicated to sustainable living.  From slow living to sustainability, from circular economy to regenerative practices, Neighbour Magazine brings to its readers the stories of the people around us who are making and doing, creating places, spaces, products, and ideas that make our world a better place.Kasia shares with us how she came up with the idea for her magazine, her passion for providing practical solutions to the current environmental crisis, and her determination to keep a positive outlook.Kasia talks about the perks and the challenges of being an entrepreneur, the importance of having a clear vision and defined goals, as well the crucial importance of finding people different from us that can help us grow our business beyond what we could do on our own.A very honest and down-to-earth conversation about what it means to be an entrepreneur, this episode is ideal for people who are considering starting their entrepreneurial journey.

In this episode, we speak with Fiona Murden, psychologist, podcast host, and author of the book Mirror Thinking.Fiona explains to us how mirror thinking is not only the process of observational learning but also the key to social understanding and emotional intelligence.From there, we expand the conversation to a variety of  complex yet critical topics including:Mirroring and counter mirroring, how we choose them and how they shape usThe difference between meritocracy and mirrorcrazy, are we being really objective when we promote or recruit talent?The importance of attainable and relatable role models to inspire real changeMentorship as growth and support and the responsibilities that come with being a mentorVulnerability, what it means for leaders, and the concept of insightful vulnerabilityEmpathy, it is a good skill but can be counterproductive when unmanagedSo much to learn from Fiona!Find out more https://fionamurden.com/

In this episode we talk with Flo Williams, an elite rugby player both for premiership clubs (currently Wasps) & internationally capped with Wales, as well as the Women's Sports Lead with MATTA, a marketing sports agency.With Flo we discussed her journey as a female sportswoman in a traditionally male sport like rugby, the challenges she faces but also the amazing opportunities that come with playing in a team at an elite level.We discussed what kept her going when the challenges kept on coming and how these experiences have shaped her as a professional woman.Finally, we talked about the importance of role models and what an impact sports marketing is having in showcasing inspiring women.Find out more about Flo here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/flo-williams/And about MATTA here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/matta/

This episode is packed with incredible knowledge, information, and insights on gender inclusion. Kristen, Vice-Chair at European Women on Boards and Former Chief DEI Officer at Barilla, shares her experience as a woman in STEM as well as a champion for gender inclusion. Kristen talks about some horror stories women face in a highly man-dominated field like STEM, like being asked to take additional tests for the same job while male candidates aren't. She also covers unintentional bias, particularly affinity bias and proximity bias.Most importantly, Kristen revolutionises the concept of quotas: moving away from the idea that quotas work with women being promoted on the pure basis of their gender regardless of their abilities, Kristen defines quotas as KPIs: it is a fact that gender inclusion brings benefits to businesses, so like any other project in business we need KPIs to define clear goals and track results. This concept involves a real commitment to seek and grow female talent within the organization and to ensure that we move from diversity to real inclusion.Find out more:About Kristen here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristen-anderson-aaa44a8/About European Women on Boards http://europeanwomenonboards.eu/

In this episode, Georges shares his insights into supporting a more inclusive society; Georges talks about his experience as a father, as a CEO, and as an entrepreneur who works in a traditionally male-dominated industry such as the Fintech area.Covering topics from the role of AI in gender equalit  to unconscious  bias, from self confidence to promotions at work, Georges provides practical tips to women on how to overcome some common self-limiting habits to increase their chances to succeed in business.At the same time, Georges encourages companies and the society at large to address the lack of equal opportunities and to work all together towards a more gender-inclusive future.Find out more about Georges and his company herehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/georges-bock-882ba418https://www.linkedin.com/mwlite/company/investre

In this episode, we talk with Brian Ballantyne, co-founder of Men for Inclusion and author of the book 'Confessions of a working father'.Brian explains how the idea of Men for Inclusion came about and his personal journey from being a female ally to becoming actively involved in gender inclusion.With him, we discuss the challenges that men might face in recognising the disparities that still exist between women and men at work and the risk of not recognising those biases and sense of entitlement that might cloud our assessment of work-related situations.We also talk about the importance of becoming role models to normalise gender equality, to show what women can do in a professional environment and what men can do at work and outside work to support them. Finally, Brian shares his favourite brand, C&A: an inclusive brand that makes him feel good.Find out more about Brian's multiple projects here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-ballantyne-336754/https://www.amazon.co.uk/Confessions-Working-Father-Brian-Ballantyne/dp/1729107281/https://www.e2w.co/men-for-inclusion/https://wide.lu/

In this episode, Sara Kaiser, Program Director at Luxembourg Tech School, shares her experience of working with the next generation and the challenges - and possible solutions/steps -  to attract and retain more girls in STEM courses.A few key points include gender stereotypes and most importantly the stereotype threat -> the risk of confirming negative stereotypes that creates high cognitive load and stress to the point of reducing effective performance.Sara also covers the importance of a positive social environment where peers are diverse and welcoming and where role models are visible and inspiring (both for girls and boys)Other topics we covered include:How important it is to have people from diverse backgrounds, experiences and education in the tech sectorHow tech companies can profit from people coming from fields like the arts, humanities, etcCareer changes and how to find your way to the broad field of techThis episode is part of a series dedicated to the campaign "The power of Gender Equality" a campaign that KnowThyBrand and the LhOFT have launched to champion women in finance and technologyFind our more about Sara here https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-kaiser-94384821/ and more about Luxembourg Tech School here https://www.techschool.lu/

With his incredibly vast experience in recruitment, in this episode Darren covers some very critical aspects of gender inclusion in business:The critical role of men in supporting gender equalityThe broken rung number 1: at the start of the career -> why do the entry levels have a similar number of women and men but already the first step of the carer progression sees more men than women being promotedThe broken run number 2: women dropping off after starting a family and the consequences on their financial dependency during retirement.The unexpected downsides of the newly found flexibility at work and the risk of women to become 'invisible'The necessity for a more inclusive leadership style.This episode is part of a series dedicated to the campaign "The power of Gender Equality" a campaign that KnowThyBrand and the LhOFT have launched to champion women in finance and technology Sound (unfortunately) unseen for this episode.Find out more about Darren Robinson here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinsond/https://www.linkedin.com/company/andersonwise/