Digital Sisterhood for DC Women Entrepreneurs

Digital Sisterhood for DC Women Entrepreneurs Ignite DC #8 Talk on 10/20/11 (updated with additional slides on 10/24/11) by Ananda Leeke Founder of Digital Sisterhood Network Excerpt from Leeke’s Digital Sisterhood, a memoir (2012) Follow @digitalsisterhd on Twitter. Like Digital Sisterhood on Facebook.

Presenter BioYoga + Creativity + Internet Geek = AnandaLeeke. Leeke is a lawyer turned “Jill of manytrades”: innerpreneur, author, artist, coach, andyoga teacher. She is also a speaker and thefounder of the Digital Sisterhood Network andDigital Sisterhood Month. Her mission is“Empowering U2BU through creativity coaching,Reiki, self-care, social media, volunteerism, andyoga.” Macys Heart of Haiti Campaign and theClinton Bush Haiti Fund selected her to travel toHaiti as a blogger ambassador with Willa Shalitof Fairwinds Trading and the Everywhere team inFebruary 2011. Black Enterprise named her asone of the Black Women in Tech You ShouldFollow on Twitter in July 2011. The BlogaliciousWeekend Conference chose her to serve as ablogger ambassador in August 2011. Leekeworks as an artist-in-residence for Smith Centerfor Healing and the Arts at Walter Reed NationalNavy Medical Center. She penned That Which Photo Credit: Leigh Mosley - www.LeighMosley.comAwakens Me: A Creative Woman’s Poetic Memoirof Self-Discovery (2009) and her debut novelLove’s Troubadours – Karma: Book One (2007).She is currently writing Digital Sisterhood, amemoir (2012) and Love’s Troubadours – Symon:Book Two (2014).

Got 5 minutes? Got 5 minutes?Walk with me on Story Road. Photo Credit: umjanedoans Flickr Photostream - "Story Road“ http://www.flickr.com/photos/umjanedoan/497411169/in/photostream

My story is simple.Photo Credit: craftybeaver’s Flickr Photostream - Amy Sedaris - Simple Times BLAD http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftybeaver/4755648250/in/photostream

When DC women entrepreneurs expresstheir power online and offline, they create a win-win situation for everyone.

How do they express their power? Photo Credit: Steve Snodgrass Flickr Photostream – “Power & Equality” http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevensnodgrass/4764673605/in/photostream

They do it with digital sisterhood.

What is digital sisterhood?The feminine currencywomen use to createrelationship wealth throughthe connections they make,conversations they have,communities they build,causes they support,collaborative partnershipsthey establish, andcommerce they engage inwith women they meetonline and offline.

How do DC women entrepreneurs cultivate and strengthen their digital sisterhood relationships?

AnswerFor the past severalyears I have watchedmy fellow DC womenentrepreneurs use 7ways to cultivate theirdigital sisterhoodrelationships.

They join groups and organizations.

Fabulous Women Business Owners D.C.

Examples of Other Groups and Organizations

They visit web sites and participate in onlineseminars, conferences, bootcamps, and meet ups.

They share best practices at Digital SisterhoodNetwork’s women in social media focus groups.

They have conversations and share information during weekly Facebook and Twitter chats. Women-Owned Business Wednesdays on Facebook #wgbiz Twitter Chats #DigitalSisterhood Wednesday Weekly Twitter Parties

They use social networking sites with DC-based groups to connect with local women.

They become involved in onlineprojects that support other women.

What happens when DC women entrepreneurs tap into the power of digital sisterhood in their businesses?

AnswerThey become atriple threat:energized,enlightened, andempowered.

How do DC women entrepreneurs use digital sisterhood as a business model?

AnswerMy research hastaught me thatDC womenentrepreneurs usedigital sisterhood as abusiness model in 11ways.

CollaborateThey collaboratewhen they use theirenergy, expertise, andresources on businessopportunities, causes,and events.

DonateThey donate theirtime and money tosupport businessprojects, causes, andfundraisingcampaigns.

MentorThey become mentorswhen they share whatthey have learned.

NetworkThey network andcultivate mutuallybeneficialrelationships.

NurtureThey nurture eachother when they offerpositive feedback onblogs, Facebook,Google Plus, LinkedIn,and Twitter.

ParticipateThey participate byshowing up onlineand offline towomen’s activities.

PromoteThey use email, socialmedia, and word ofmouth to promotewomen’s causes,events, products, andservices.

PurchaseThey purchasewomen’s productsand services forthemselves or as gifts.

RecognizeThey recognizewomen’s expertise byinviting them to serveas guest bloggers,Facebook and Twitterchat guests, podcastguests, panelists, andspeakers.

ShareThey shareprofessional contactsand resources witheach other.

SponsorThey sponsoractivities that offerbusiness, learning,social good, andnetworkingopportunities.

4 Lessons Learned by DC Women Entrepreneurs• Being a part of communities is an essential ingredient to success.• Practicing generosity and gratitude is the smart thing to do.• Asking for help and support from fellow entrepreneurs strengthens relationships.• Leveraging each others’ creativity, expertise, and resources generates an abundance of advocacy, business, and learning opportunities.

My story has a happy ending! Photo Credit: Elsie esq. Flickr Photostream – “Carousel on Brighton pier 1” http://www.flickr.com/photos/elsie/170685795

DC Women Entrepreneurs Rock! Photo Credit: Rubyblossom Flickr Photostream – “Rocks Stock” http://www.flickr.com/photos/rubyblossom/5908262287

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Digital Sisterhood for DC Women Entrepreneurs

by Ananda Leeke on Oct 24, 2011

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Digital Sisterhood for DC Women Entrepreneurs — Presentation Transcript