Women. What an extraordinary group of people! We are so good at so many things. If you want to get something done, have a woman do it. We love a challenge. We love showing people we can accomplish so much. We also care deeply about others. We just can't help ourselves. It is part of who we are. We love helping people. We love making a difference. We love laughing and being a part. We love contributing. The bottom line is...WE LOVE LIFE.
We live in a time where people of all backgrounds have a chance to build a great team in business regardless of gender. However, it's not uncommon for women to hit a glass ceiling and never see any blue sky. When I was working as a flight attendant, early in my career, you would think I saw blue sky all the time. What I saw, unfortunately, was a system that was seniority based, not performance based, and I realized my options were limited. I made a decision then and there to become an entrepreneur. In ten short years, at World Financial Group, we have built a great team of thousands around the country using the timeless principles I am going to share with you in this book.
As Peggy Anderson said, "Great women are not considered so because of personal achievements, but for the effect their efforts have had on the lives of countless others. From daring feats of bravery to the understated ways of a compassionate heart, great women possess a common strength of character. Through their passion and persistence, they have advanced womanhood and the world."
I remember early on in my career, I was told by several people, "Don't hire any women. They have too many responsibilities. They have children and husbands and charities, etcetera. They will not be able to put in the time it takes to really make their business work."
I listened to that for a brief time and then I accidentally hired some women. I was ready for all the excuses, but I never heard any. I was also blown away by how much they could get done, and how they were performing better than everyone else in the office. I realized we had a secret weapon. You want your business to grow - HIRE MORE WOMEN!
There have been many "ceilings" in the past pertaining to women. A lot has changed in the last couple of years. Consider these facts based on reports by the U.S. Department of Labor and the Center for Women's Business Research in 2003:
Women-owned businesses are growing at twice the rate of all U.S. firms.
One in every 11 adult women owns a business.
Women entrepreneurs generate nearly $2.3 trillion in revenues to the U.S. economy.
More than 18 million workers are employed by a women business owner.
What does all this mean? WOMEN RULE!