The inclusion of women leaders in businesses is a long-waited change, but now it has become necessary. Women leaders are compassionate, creative, humble, and straightforward, and these qualities of women often cultivate a work culture where the opinions of their team matter.

1. Dr. Kathaleen
Reid-Martinez
Analyze, Revise, Decide
Evaluation:
One Step Towards
Success
MOST INSPIRING
VOL 10 I ISSUE 06 I 2021
Impacting
Business World
Instrument Of
Inspiration

4. Creating a
Strong
Foundation for
Next-Generation
of
Difference-Makers
hat does it mean to be a difference-maker? I
Wbelieve a difference-maker is the one who can
always come up with new ideas, drive a
transformational change, and lead an organization towards
the path of success.
We look up to certain people in our lives, consider and set
them as our role models or idols, and we aspire to become
like them. However, what we see is the tip of the iceberg.
We don't know the hardships and struggles they have gone
through to be in their position or role today.
Currently, the modernization of the business world has
drastically changed the landscape of the traditional business
workings for the past few years. With the adaption of newer
technological changes and innovative strategies, the
difference makers are making efforts to cultivate a
streamlined work process in any given sector.
Modern business is often challenged with unseen hurdles,
and leaders are often responsible for overcoming these
difficulties while also coming up with ways to prevent
mishaps in the future. Business leaders, especially women,
have a knack for solving problems with an innovative
approach. They often work as a team to lead by example for
the aspiring next generations.
The inclusion of women leaders in businesses is a long-
waited change, but now it has become necessary. Women
leaders are compassionate, creative, humble, and
straightforward, and these qualities of women often
cultivate a work culture where the opinions of their team
Editor’s Desk

5. matter. This approach has opened the business world
to include diverse groups of people from various
ethnicity to understand multiple perspectives, which
will garner the business offerings at a ground level
connecting people to the company.
Therefore, Insights Success embarked on a journey
to find leaders who made the most with their
proficient knowledge and expertise. In this edition of
" The 10 Most Inspiring Businesswomen Making a
Difference, 2021," we are cherishing the leaders who
created their success tales with dedicated efforts,
courage, and fortitude.
Featured on the cover of this edition is Dr.
Kathaleen Reid-Martinez. She serves as the
Provost and Chief Academic Officer at Oral
Roberts University, Tulsa, Oklahoma. She led an
exceptional academic COVID response team and
continues to direct dynamic colleges with a global
impact.
Dive into more alike and inspiring stories of such
inspiring leaders and spread the word about their
contribution to make this world a better place.
While flipping through the pages, make sure to scroll
through the articles written by our in-house editorial
team and CxO standpoints of some of the leading
industry experts to have the know-how about the
industry.
Delve in!
aditya.gaikar@insightssuccess.com
Aditya Gaikar

6. COVER STORY
Dr. Kathaleen
Reid-Martinez
Leading Change in
Higher Education
08
ARTICLES
C O N T E N T S
Analyze, Revise,
Decide
Evaluation
One Step Towards Success
26
Impacting
Business World
Instrument Of
Inspiration
46

7. Carol Stewart
A Pioneer in the Research
Park World
18
Ilana Devillers
A Trailblazer Preserving the
Environment
by Reducing Food Wastage
30
Kimberly Stuck
Educating and Spreading
Awareness About Cannabis
38
Lauren Kriner
An Unmatched Sales and
Marketing Professional
48
Elif Köse
Empowering Women
Through Fashion
22
Kc Rossi
Supporting Holistic Entrepreneurs
Scale a Profitable and
Soul-Aligned Business
34
Lanette Richardson
Helping Individuals Become More
Innovative, Ambitious, and
Well-Connected
42
Ronda Landa
A Trailblazer Enabling Various
Aspects of Business
52

8. sales@insightssuccess.com
October, 2021
Editor-in-Chief
Senior Sales Manager Business Development Manager
Marketing Manager
Technical Head
Technical Specialist Digital Marketing Manager
Research Analyst
Database Management Technology Consultant
Hitesh Dhamani
Managing Editor
Anish Miller
Executive Editor
Aditya Gaikar
Assistant Editors
Jenny Fernandes
Visualizer
David King
Art & Design Director
Priyanka Rajage
Associate Designer
Kartik Balapurkar
Kshitij S Peter Collins
John Matthew
Sales Executives
David, Martin, Sagar
Business Development Executives
Steve, Joe, Dharmendra
Jacob Smile
Aditya Marry D'Souza
SME-SMO Executive
Amol Wadekar Frank Adams
Circulation Manager
Robert Brown Stella Andrew David Stokes
Shubham Dali
Co-designer
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9. Brief
Company Name
Allay Consulting LLC
allayconsulting.com
Kimberly Stuck
CEO and Founder
Allay Consulting serves the hemp and cannabis industries to
ensure regulatory compliance across all operations.
The University of
Arizona
arizona.edu
Carol A. Stewart
Associate Vice President
Tech Parks Arizona
The University of Arizona is the leading public research
university in the American Southwest.
Kc Rossi
Mindset &
Self-Leadership Coach
Kc Rossi Inc.
kcrossi.com
Kc Rossi, Inc. offers one-on-one business coaching and group
coaching.
Elif Köse
Founder
Elif Köse
Fashion House
elifkose.co.uk
Elif Köse is for every woman who wears her designs is to feel
empowered and beautiful, knowing they have the confidence to
do and achieve anything.
Capitol Construction
Services Inc.
capitolconstruct.com
Lauren Kriner
Vice President (Business
Development)
Capitol Construction Services, Inc. has been one of the most
professional general contractors and has followed many clients
all over the United States.
Lanette Richardson
Founder and President
Utah Women in Sales
utahwomeninsales.com
Utah Women in Sales helps individuals become more
innovative, ambitious and well-connected.
Cherene Kambeitz
Marketing &
Communications Director
Levvel
levvel.ca
Levvel Inc. help businesses find the balance they need to
succeed.
Dr. Kathaleen
Reid-Martinez
Provost and Chief
Academic Officer
Oral Roberts University
Tulsa, Oklahoma
oru.edu
ORU is an interdenominational Christian liberal arts university.
Ronda Landa
Sales Director
First American
Title Insurance
firstam.com
First American Title Insurance Company facilitates and
streamlines real estate transactions by providing comprehensive
title insurance protection and professional settlement services.
Ilana Devillers
CEO and Founder
F4A allow its partners to generate profit out of their losses,
enable customers to have access to best before-date products at
reduced prices on a larger scale.
Food4All (F4A)
f4a.com
Featured Person

10. Dr. Kathaleen Reid-Mar nez
Provost and Chief Academic Officer
Oral Roberts University,
Tulsa, Oklahoma

11. Dr. Kathaleen
Reid-Martinez
Leading Change in Higher Education
We went to significant
lengths to build a safety net
around our students to
ensure that every student
had the support they
needed to make the
transition.
‘‘ ‘‘
Cover Story

12. ndoubtedly, the education sector was one of the
Umost affected by COVID-19, not disregarding the
impact on the healthcare community, industries,
and the public worldwide. Higher education institutions,
which are historically slow to evolve, were forced to adapt
practically overnight or face indefinite closure.
Executive administrators at universities everywhere rapidly
and strategically responded to secure the well-being of their
students. At the same time, they had to undertake the
monumental task of helping students make the critical
transition from face-to-face learning to online/virtual, and
manage the myriad processes that entailed. The degree to
which universities succeeded in meeting the significant
challenges depended—and continue to depend—on the
professional experiences and abilities of dynamic leaders.
In this edition of Insights Success, we have endeavored to
find such leaders from across a variety of industries and
disciplines, to present to you the Most Inspiring
Businesswomen Making a Difference. On this journey, we
met Dr. Kathaleen Reid-Martinez at Oral Roberts
University. As Provost and Chief Academic Officer
(CAO), she led an exceptional academic COVID response
team and continues to direct dynamic colleges that have
global impact.
‘‘ ‘‘
Interestingly, before the
pandemic, technology had
been the leading
disruption to higher
education; now
technology has become
one of the saving graces
of the pandemic.

13. ‘‘
‘‘
Most of the people who
have influenced my life
are people who possess a
big vision or who have
great capacity to tackle
big challenges.
Kindly give us some insight into your executive
leadership path in higher education and what prepared
you to make a difference in your profession.
I have been serving in leadership as a Chief Academic
Officer (CAO) and Provost since 2010. My journey
includes additional years rising in responsibilities from
professorships to fulfilling a variety of leadership positions
including Executive Director, Dean, Vice President, CAO,
and Provost. These advancements are a traditional pathway
through the academic ranks, but obviously they do not
come automatically. For me, leadership has come as a result
of stepping-up to help address specific challenges impacting
the institutions where I worked. In many cases, these
challenges had no probable solutions at the time. This
aspect of my work and profession continuously fuel my
intellectual and personal interests.
Does “stepping-up” to a challenge, as you say, come
naturally to you or is it something you have learned?
A little of both. I have always had a natural capacity for
problem-solving—a willingness to look at challenges from
a variety of perspectives until you discover a workable or
preferable solution. Beyond a natural capacity, I have
developed a disciplined approach to problem-solving over
the years that has served institutions and organizations well.
What types of organizations have you assisted?
I have worked on projects sponsored by the United Nations,
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Partnership
for Peace Consortium, and the Geneva Institute for
Leadership and Public Policy (Switzerland). I lead training
initiatives on values-based leadership, innovation,
technology, as well as change processes to impact society in
the areas of education, business, government, the military,
and non-profit sectors.
My work in higher education also gives me the opportunity
to bring academic insights to the business community.
Before the pandemic, I presented at the CES Consumer
Technology Association on Personalizing Blockchain for
Higher Education; I was a panelist on a Deloitte-sponsored
presentation on Building Smart Cities; and I was a featured
speaker at Blockchain in Education—West, on the Microsoft
Campus in San Jose, CA.
What people and factors have influenced and impacted
your life?

14. My faith in Jesus Christ has had the greatest impact and
influences every aspect of my life. I was raised by humble
parents who, though financially disadvantaged, refused to
let that be viewed as an obstacle to achieving personal
goals. I am so grateful for their influence and for the values
and faith they cultivated in me, such as service, honesty,
responsibility, and integrity. These and other values shape
everything I do.
Professionally speaking, most of the people who have
influenced my life are people who possess a big vision or
who have great capacity to tackle big challenges. I perform
best when I’m working with others who are not afraid of
the big issues or of doing what must be done to successfully
address them.
With all you do, how do you maintain a balance between
your professional and personal life?
Every leader must determine their own values and priorities
and then stick with them. However, it’s not easy. It takes
countless choices made one at a time. Like most things in
life, we have to try, fail, learn, assess, try again, and re-
assess until we find a balance that works for all involved.
How do you take your university’s mission into the real
world and what impact are you having?
Our mission is To develop Spirit-empowered leaders
through whole-person education to impact the world. We
do this by partnering with local, national, and international
organizations who give our students real-world internships
and hands-on work experiences in their desired professional
fields.
One way we measure our impact is through external
sources such as US News and World Report College
Rankings. For instance, in the 2021 edition, ORU placed #1
in Best Undergraduate Teaching, #3 in Best Value Schools,
and #7 in Regional Colleges West, among others. As these
rankings suggest, we are doing a great job in teaching and
preparing our students for the real world reflected by our
university job placement rate of well-over 90%. As ORU
graduates take their place in the workforce they are on their
way to fulfilling their dreams.

15. What is your opinion regarding the impact of the
COVID-19 pandemic on higher education and how did
ORU overcome this significant challenge?
COVID-19 was a tragedy for students everywhere. It
disrupted the status quo of the traditional college student
experience—whether it was academic pursuit, student life,
social life, or sports.
Up until the pandemic, many universities thought they
would never get involved with online education, just like
many companies thought they would always deliver goods
and services in person. So, if anything positive has come
out of the pandemic, it is that universities and
companies alike have grown to better understand and to
respond to the needs of their customers.
At ORU, we had been offering online programs for years
and already had faculty and systems in place that were
easily adapted when COVID struck. Like other universities,
ORU had a two-fold challenge that we had to respond to
within a very short window of time.
First, institutions had to meet the emotional and physical
demands of students while learning continued. This meant
ensuring student safety, monitoring the spread of the
disease—nationally, internationally, as well as locally.
Simultaneously, administrators and faculty had to continue
the learning process through new modalities and
technologies. For the first time, many universities had to
wrestle with the concept of student engagement. At ORU,
we were very fortunate that our faculty had a very high
commitment to student engagement. Our situation was
more a matter of modifying practices than having to create
new ones which allowed us to adapt in a week’s time in the
midst of the crisis. This contributed greatly to our
university’s success.
The entire educational experience for universities was
extremely challenging. Virtually overnight, schools went
from having thousands of residential students to having
thousands of virtual learners. We had to determine quickly
how we would support each of these students through this
incredible shift. In the ORU Academic area, we went to
significant lengths to build a safety net around our students
to ensure that each had the support they needed to make the
transition.
Second, one of the most interesting aspects of adapting to
the pandemic was realizing that the workforce, for which
we were preparing our students, had become a moving
target. Universities were preparing students for one kind of
professional environment, when a completely new reality
was unfolding within workplaces right before our eyes. The
world of business—all types of industries—were
simultaneously re-envisioning themselves. Some failed and
new ones arose. One of my “go-to” people immediately
recognized that we could no longer just be tracking “the
jobs of the future” alone, but how those jobs were adapting
to COVID-19 and the workplace—and our learning
outcomes had to be adapted as well.
Interestingly, before the pandemic, technology had been the
leading disruption to higher education; now technology has
become one of the saving graces of the pandemic.
Don’t let fear stand in
your way, especially in
areas of interest
where you can apply
your skill set to solve
problems.
‘‘ ‘‘

16. What do you consider the biggest challenges for
educational leaders today?
The biggest challenges for administrators are dealing with
multiple ways of learning and distribution of education. We
were already moving headfirst into these challenges and the
pandemic accelerated the situation. The pandemic has
brought about more personalized and individualized modes
of learning and multiple distribution methods. Students are
migrating among the modes of learning: learning online,
virtually, and face-to-face, and they can also engage in a
variety of combinations of these modalities at any given
point.
To effectively manage this diversity of learning approaches,
higher education requires better integration of systems. We
need to be data informed and not just data driven. In the
middle of these very complex interactions, leaders must be
aware of the ever-changing market demands. You cannot do
just one of these variables well and succeed—you must do
them all well.
How do you sustain your creative leadership spirit in
this changing technological era?
For me, technology fuels my creative leadership spirit. I
cannot imagine ever losing my love for technology or
desire to find dynamic applications. I was an early adopter
and promoter of online/virtual education and enjoy
engaging with a variety of industries and revealing how
technology is revolutionizing higher education. At ORU, I
am very excited about what we are doing with AI in some
of our programs and how we are using immersive
technologies to facilitate learning.
Furthermore, like most administrators, I also attend
conferences, read studies and reports, and talk to others
outside of academia who understand the underlying
implications for educational development and demand. I
keep up with individuals who are tracking the trends and
shifts within the professional fields of greatest interest to
the university. Changes within industries can demand rapid
adjustments to academic programs—or can mean that we
must create altogether new initiatives.
I have developed a network of individuals who I can count
on to have fresh insights on what is happening in areas
critical to our students and to advancing our academic
goals. We all need this kind of insight to push our thinking.
Otherwise, gravity and time limits will create inertia that
holds us back and that tempts us to apply old thinking to
new problems.
What advice would you give to emerging women
leaders?
I encourage emerging leaders to take advantage of new
opportunities as they present themselves. If you like
challenging yourself, there will be no end to what you can
do. Don’t let fear stand in your way, especially in your
areas of interest where you can apply your skill sets to solve
problems. I tell emerging leaders to not overthink
opportunities too much. It is important to know yourself, to
hone your capacities, and then turn off your “fear switch.”

17. This will allow you to learn from new experiences, to really
enjoy what you do, and be successful.
What endeavors would you like to see in the near
future?
I’d like to see academics be more engaged with smaller
learning communities solving some of the world’s greatest
problems, through competency-based and personalized
learning. It would be exciting to dive into these challenges
firsthand.
Kathaleen Reid-Martinez, PhD
Educational Background
Dr. Reid-Martinez received her B.A. in English from the
University of Maryland, European Division; an M.A. in
Mass Communication from the University of Denver; and a
Ph.D. in Speech Communication from the University of
Denver. She is ordained by the Church of God, Cleveland,
Tennessee.
Professional Background
Dr. Reid-Martinez has more than 25 years of experience in
education, including a strong background in leadership
development and virtual and online education. Her
accomplishments include transforming quality control of
academic programs, spearheading rapid enrollment, and
leading in the acquisition, application, and integration of
technology to advance learning.
Speaking and Advising
Dr. Reid-Martinez has spoken at global and regional
leadership development initiatives on values-based
leadership, innovation, and change processes to impact
society in education, business, government, the military,
and non-profit sectors. She has spoken in China, Singapore,
India, Papua New Guinea, South America, the Middle East,
Western and Eastern Europe, and Central Asia.

20. Carol A. Stewart
Associate Vice President
Tech Parks Arizona,
The University of Arizona
18 | October 2021 www.insightssuccess.com

21. Carol
Stewart
A Pioneer in the Research Park World
With an enriching experience of working with
research parks, technology commercialization,
business incubation, governmental relations,
and business development, proactive leader Carol Stewart
leads by example. Currently, Carol is steering the ship of
Tech Parks Arizona as Associate Vice President at the
University of Arizona, bringing her knowledge and
experience after serving as a champion of Canadian
innovation and entrepreneurship.
Carol is at the leading edge of innovation, willing to jump
in and bring others along for the ride. Her diplomacy,
political acuity, and steadfast leadership provide focus,
stewardship, and vision to the networks she leads and which
she is part of. She not only serves as a role model, but is a
friend to this community, eager to collaborate and serve the
University of Arizona, Tucson, and the international
community.
Supporting and Mentoring the Community
Building on decades of experience in the research park
world, Carol landed in Tucson, Arizona to elevate the
success of the University of Arizona (UA) Tech Park and to
build a second park – The UA Tech Park at The Bridges
which is located closer to the main UA Campus. It was also
Carol’s vision to transform the UA Center for Innovation
into a business incubator network that not only serves as a
vital part of the Southern Arizona entrepreneurial
ecosystem but also as a key soft landings location for
international businesses. Her commitment to the region is to
advance the community and make a real impact through
university-based economic development.
Leading-Edge Innovation
Tech Parks Arizona creates the place, environment, and
interactive ground that generates, attracts, and retains
technology companies and talent in alignment with the
research, mission, and goals of the University of Arizona. It
directs the UA Tech Park at The Bridges, and the University
of Arizona Center for Innovation with the highest priority
of recruiting companies seeking connections to the UA to
locate at these facilities.
For over 25 years, Tech Parks Arizona has significantly
contributed to regional economic development by
advancing the University of Arizona’s impact in many
ways:
Ÿ Supporting technology innovation and
commercialization
Ÿ Generating economic impact through the UA Tech Park
Ÿ Advancing new technology
Ÿ Enhancing R&D efforts of industry
Leads by Example
In the opinion of Carol, the pandemic has motivated
educational institutions and businesses to push beyond
traditional activities and take new creative approaches.
Carol and her team have seen the University of Arizona
mobilize as an agent of change to support COVID-19
research, testing, and vacation site. The University of
Arizona mobilized quickly and has continued to inform the
public through weekly briefings and lead the region as a
Point of Distribution (POD).
19
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The 10 Most Inspiring Businesswomen Making a Difference, 2021

22. Lis ng- 1
The institution also took the opportunity to be proactive and
review all of its assets and opportunities. The acquisition of
the Ashford University, now UA Global Campus, is an
example of being disruptive in these business unusual
times.
Much More than Buildings and Conference Rooms
When asked, what is the one thing you would change in
advancing knowledge worldwide, Carol highlights what
has been achieved by scientists all over the world by
collaborating on a vaccine solution and stresses that what
can be learned and achieved with such concentrated
endeavors. Carol states that we can collectively streamline
the process to support businesses to not duplicate efforts.
Ideally, there would be a worldwide database for businesses
around the world to plug into. By showcasing organizations
and their unique offerings, she believes startups would have
more valuable resources which would supercharge their
path to market.
The Best Workplace
Carol notes that culture is king. Employees and employers
thrive in environments where networking and spontaneous
discussions unfold. UA Tech Parks serves as the campus
where community thrives, where emerging businesses and
tech giants work side by side. The company has
reimagined what the new workplace looks like post-
pandemic.
It is building flexible environments and developing
programming that is highly adaptative to meet the
growth trajectory of each business, including the nearly
60 startups that are currently in its UA Center for the
Innovation incubator program.
Looking Forward
Prosperous businesses equal a prospering community.
Carol listens to the needs of companies and connects
them with the resources necessary. The business that
connects with the collective expertise of the University
can solve grand challenges to the problems society faces.
She has never settled for mediocre and believes this has
served her well. Carol sees many opportunities for
collaboration and growth in Southern. Arizona, and
works tenaciously toward those goals.
Find your tribe and
use your network.
Business is about
relationships. Each
relationship you build
is foundational to
success.
‘‘
‘‘
20 | October 2021 www.insightssuccess.com

24. Elif Köse
Founder
Elif Köse
Fashion House
22 | October 2021 www.insightssuccess.com

25. People talk about clothing, new trends, or celebrities
at the MET gala whenever the word fashion comes
up in a conversation. Most of the time, people
undermine the importance of clothing that makes them feel
confident about themselves. In today's world, it is essential
to be confident individuals, and they say the first impression
is the last impression, which is why clothing can be one
factor that makes one feel confident. Elif Köse, the
Founder of Elif Köse Fashion House, understands this
and has created a clothing line dedicated to empowering
women through fashion.
Being a non-native in the UK, she faced a hurdle of
problems and overcame them to find her venture. She
believes that every woman deserves to have the best look,
personalized according to their taste and preferences.
The Journey of Becoming Haute Couture
Imagine arriving in a country with only £265 pocket money
with shaky English, no family or friends, and the education
which wasn't even recognized by the authorities that makes
you feel like you start the game 5-0. Elif didn't plan to stay
and start a business in the UK, and her only intention was to
learn English at a great level and get back to her country to
land a job that paid well.
Elif realized that financially independent women were
stronger and had a say in society. She says, "I had no voice
back at home, yet I found my voice here in the UK. Irony is
that it is not even my own language! I always had this
"other" girl feeling. I am that Turkish girl here. And had the
same feeling when I went back home again to "the other"
girl who lived away from home.”
The challenges in business doubled Elif's emotional
obstacles that she faced. She didn't just learn the language
but also learned the way of living, speaking the culture,
which helped her better understand her venture. She built
her business with intentional networking to get a sense of
belonging. Belonging and being part of a bigger picture is
one of the greatest challenges that she faced.
Changing the World
Elif says, "Fashion is the most empowering way to tell the
world whom we are without speaking, and I know the effect
Empowering Women Through Fashion
The 10 Most Inspiring Businesswomen Making a Difference, 2021
23
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26. it has on one's feelings." Her mission is to help women
reclaim their confidence and have the courage to live and
lead the life they strive for.
Creating Her Own Style
When Elif set up her business back in 2009 as a mobile
alteration service, her vision was to offer a personalized
service to all her clients and make them feel the best
version of themselves in their outfits.
Creating one-of-a-kind designs has always been Elif's
number one passion, but she realized that not everyone has
the time or budget to get tailor-made or bespoke clothes.
With that in mind, she analyzed all her customers' requests
for fit and style with her years of experience and started
creating small capsule collections. These classic pieces can
be altered and customized easily to cater to all women of
shape, size, and style.
A Meticulous Business Approach
Elif highly values returned customers and loyalty discounts
and other enticements intended to build up a personal
relationship with each customer. She goes to the lengths to
understand customer needs, choices, and optimal styles
rather than sell. She also offers a generous return customers
discount scheme.
Elif wants her staff to feel like part of the business, so she
willingly shares her experience, knowledge, and expertise
in garment design and fabrication. She offers
apprenticeships, especially to younger people, and she is
pleased that some of them have progressed to launch their
businesses.
The fashion industry contributes 10% of the world's entire
carbon footprint. Elif is aware of this issue, which is why
she produces the majority of her ready-to-wear collections
in the UK and bespoke clothes in-house.
Weaving Up Various Aspects
For the last three years on International Women's Day, Elif
hosted sell-out day-long Fashion events publicized
nationally, at which she attracted a few leading speakers.
These have been opportunities to launch new season
products and raise the profile of her brand.
Owing to Covid restrictions, this year's event had to be held
online, but Elif plans to resume the live event again next
year. In her earliest years in the UK, to help build a network
“Confidence is
the key to
success; as a
fashion designer
and confidence
coach I truly
believe it's the
most important
step every
leader should
work on.”
24 | October 2021 www.insightssuccess.com

27. of business contacts, she staged several local themed
fashion events with sponsorship from cosmetics suppliers
and companies complementary to hers. She rounded these
events off at the end of the day with sell-out fashion-themed
musical cabaret entertainment performed by artists from the
West End.
Currently, through her blogs, she gives sustained expression
to her design expertise, eye for fashion, the attributes of
quality, and the low-down on the Fashion Industry; she
pulls no punches. It has attracted international business, and
she has a following of dedicated customers and readers,
especially in the USA.
Fashion-Forward Future
Talking about the future, Elif says, "Whilst I have some
clear commercial targets, timescales depend on progress
along the uncertain economic path of recovery from the
pandemic. Also, the long-term effects of Brexit remain
unclear. Suffice it to say that I turned the former to my
advantage and I'm determined to react constructively to any
disadvantages arising from the latter." Now, she looks at
opening a store in Brighton, but Wimbledon is an
interesting possibility too.
Elif is confident that her durable, versatile style and quality
message must prevail over disposable, poorly made
quantity in the long term and expects the Elif Köse brand to
become synonymous with that evangelization.
Tailoring Thoughts of Budding Entrepreneurs
In her advice to aspiring fashion designers, Elif says, "Be
ambitious but be prepared to take small steps, always
assessing your risks and identifying contingencies in
advance.”
"If you don't mind my using a double negative, never have
"no" in your vocabulary when faced with a daunting
setback or problem; get into the habit of always saying
"yes.”
"Think positively, seeking ways of turning bad events to
your advantage. And listen to a sound, disinterested,
experienced sources of advice," concludes Elif.
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28. Evaluation
One Step Towards Success
Why there is a need to review our journey? What
is the need and importance of it? Well, if we
remember the weekly tests, or the term tests,
being conducted at our school life, we'll get the answer of
it. We now realize that it was being conducted to know our
mistakes, shortcomings, and weaknesses and work on them
to perform our best in the finals.
In the same way, it is important for business leaders to
review and formulate their path so that there is a lesser
possibility of failures and mistakes. Having said that, it
does not mean that business leaders are forbidden from
failures or risks in the business. Because as they always say,
failures and mistakes are the initial steps towards success.
The point here is that if business leaders are aware of their
strengths and weakness, achieving success becomes much
easier.
Now that we know the importance of reviewing, let's take a
look at the steps involved in reviewing and formulating the
policies for any business leader:
Analyze, Revise, Decide
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29. • Identifying and developing the aim: The first basic step
involves identifying and developing the business
leadership aim and objective. Questions should arise
like what was the reason that we started the journey,
where do we stand now, and are we still on the right
track? With these questions, one may evaluate the past,
current, and plan the future. Developing a sound mind
of evaluating with the start of these questions will give
you a clear understanding of your aim and purpose. All
the business leaders need to do is take out some time to
do so.
• Refine your leadership goal: Remove the unnecessary
things, which can become a hurdle for you in the
defined aim. There are many such unnecessary things
as staying away from unwanted debates and
discussions, the narrow-minded approach, and many
others.
• Build expertise in the field: Now that the goal is
decided with clearing unwanted things, becoming an
expert in the particular field is the next step. This can
be possible by gathering the maximum and right
information about the field through reading, watching,
attending business conferences, and meeting industry
experts. By having a learning approach, it is possible
for everyone to be the expertise in any field.
• Organize the process: Keeping things aligned helps to
be ahead in competitive fields. There are many
advanced technological tools that help to keep things
organized.
• Determine your Success: Once you are through with all
these steps, you can determine your success journey,
but more often, business leaders will have to repeat
these evaluative steps. Once you complete all the
evaluation steps, a business leader becomes self-
independent to explore his or her entrepreneurial
journey in the industry.
Final word
To sum up, evaluation is crucial as it makes the path clear
and keeps us on the right track of the business journey. The
business leader will become the more reliable and
organized person in his/her professional career. These are
the productive steps that results in high output for the
leaders in all types of industry.
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32. Ilana Devillers
CEO & Founder of
F4A (Food4All)
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33. Ilana Devillers
A Trailblazer Preserving the Environment
by Reducing Food Wastage
O
ur planet has been in shambles for several years,
several factors affect the environment's
sustainability, and now food waste is also
becoming a concerning issue globally. Daily tons of food is
wasted, and unfortunately, it affects the social and economic
ladder. It is a must to deal with this crisis, which is why
Ilana Devillers, the CEO & Founder of F4A (Food4All),
has come up with a brilliant solution to tackle this issue on
a certain level.
Ilana had a shocking realization when she uncovered the
scandals of food waste in the retail sector. She saw an
opportunity and started her venture, F4A. She has
connected consumers and distributors to market the unsold
products of the day on a free and user-friendly app. Her
dream to save green is having positive results, which helps
to preserve the environment.
At F4A, Ilana is responsible for the strategy, development
of the business, administrative tasks as well as fundraising.
In an interview with Insights Success, Ilana Devillers shares
her entrepreneurial journey and her initiative in reducing
food wastage through F4A.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
What were the challenges you came across prior to and
after founding the organization in 2017?
Challenges are part of daily business. While I generated the
idea at the end of 2015, beginning of 2016, data was a
crucial part of the research and lacking.
After founding the organization in 2017, several challenges
came across, such as fundraising, convincing prospects of
our solutions since we were slightly early in the process,
maintaining and retaining talents. Being my first company,
building and driving a company built from scratch is also a
challenge.
Being an experienced business leader, what is your
opinion regarding the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic on the Food Production Industry? And how
has F4A managed to overcome this significant
challenge?
COVID-19 also had impacts on the Food Production
Industry. Between food shortages, countries closing their
borders forcing each country to promote local food and
maintaining prices acceptable for local consumers,
unpredictable consumer behaviors impacting the internal
processes of food distributors, high employees' turnover,
horeca sector forced to close from the day to the other
having a very negative impact on food waste and so on.
So many direct and indirect impacts that it would take more
than a few sentences to resume and explain. Facing this
pandemic from one day to the other has pushed the topic of
food waste down the priority list, thus slowing business
development dramatically. We managed to overcome those
significant challenges by focusing on our internal processes
and R&D.
What truth does everyone need to know about the
environmental impact due to food waste?
Food waste happens all along the food value chain, and we
all have our part of liability in the process. To overcome
this food waste issue, we need to all change our behaviors.
It needs to be a top-down and bottom-up process.
The 10 Most Inspiring Businesswomen Making a Difference, 2021
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34. What is your thought on the necessity of a positive work
culture? In what ways do you implement it at your
organization?
Positive work culture is the heart of a company. It allows
employees to feel great in the business, and as I love to say,
"happy employees, happy clients." At F4A, we are very
flexible regarding work schedules. As long as the work is
done, there is no need to be by the minute close. Everyone
has their word to say, and the diversity of our team makes
the dream work.
We are a Startup with this particular spirit that we will
maintain all along with the life of this company. Our
mission, by essence, is very positive, facilitating this vibe
and maintaining this awesome environment.
In what ways have you or F4A contributed to the
community? If given a chance, what change would you
bring in a sustainable approach to food waste?
F4A brings a totally new eye and way of fighting food
waste by incrementally changing our food habits. We are
not there to point fingers but rather create and develop a
community further, making them aware of this topic and
showing that our daily habits can and will reverse the
tendency of food waste. If given the opportunity to change
the current approach, I would say that mentality and mind-
openness regarding food waste need to change. As an
example, and really striking to me looking at practices of
certain "Startups" in this area: competition regarding Food
waste is ridiculous, and it would be rather more impactful
to join forces than to compete in an area that doesn't need
this competitive spirit. The more diverse and
complementary solutions there are on the market, the higher
the decrease of food waste will be. This topic is already
very complex and believing as a company that you have a
unique solution fighting this issue is utopic.
“F4A makes eco-
friendly grocery
shopping easier. Get
access to high quality,
close-to-expiry
products on the app at
a price that will suit
your pocket.”
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35. Also, the Food Industry should not be ashamed to speak up.
A lot of actors believe they are not wasting even though the
truth is that they are (as small as the quantities are, pilling
up small percentages leads to a higher number of food
waste).
As a leading company in fighting food waste, what
advanced technologies are you leveraging to make your
services more productive and approachable?
We are using preventive and consequential tools to fight
food waste. We have three different levels of onboarding,
allowing every actor to use our services in just a few
minutes.
Our technologies allow incremental innovation, enabling all
actors to fight food waste thanks to existing processes and
technologies that we improved for a better result.
What would be your advice for aspiring and emerging
women entrepreneurs in the Food & Production
Industry? Have you in any way contributed towards the
cause of women empowerment?
I would advise women to just trust their guts and go for it if
they believe they have a solution worth growing on the
market no matter the industry.
As a women entrepreneur, I do my best to contribute to
women empowerment.
What are your future aspirations with the company?
What strategies are you undertaking to achieve those
goals?
We have an international vision as food waste is an
international issue arriving everywhere. We would like to
develop more solutions adaptable to each different country
in our sector.
In order to achieve those goals, we are increasing R&D and
developing in different countries to adapt quicker.
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36. Kc Rossi
Mindset &
Self-Leadership
Coach
Kc Rossi, Inc.
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37. Supporting Holistic Entrepreneurs Scale
a Profitable and Soul-Aligned Business
When you start your journey as an entrepreneur,
many things do not go your way. You are
challenged continuously at every step of your
entrepreneurial journey, and there are chances where you
might lose focus on your goal. All you need at this stage is
guidance and someone who can give you the right advice to
achieve your goal.
Meet Kc Rossi, who has been an entrepreneur for 30 years
and knows what it takes to scale a profitable & soul-aligned
business. She is the Mindset & Self-Leadership Coach at
Kc Rossi, Inc., who encourages people to grow their
business and attains the goals for entrepreneurs.
At Insights Success, we caught up with Kc Rossi to know
more about her journey and how she is helping women
level up, lead, and leave a legacy.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Brief our audience about your journey as a business
leader until your current position at Kc Rossi, Inc. What
challenges did you have to overcome to reach where you
are today?
Statistics show that 90% of all start-ups fail. I’ve been an
entrepreneur for over 30 years. Spanning 3 decades takes an
undying belief system and perseverance. My business
partner and I created 9 businesses in 4 years, lived in our
car, invested our life savings, and worked at McDonald’s
before our 10th business took off; a confection
manufacturing company that we operated for 17 years
hitting the 7+ figure mark annually.
Later in the journey, I decided to branch out on my own to
explore other creative endeavors. I quickly learned how
unique it was being a part of a dynamic duo. The challenge
of cultivating confidence and attaching my self-worth to my
services as a solopreneur arose. It took a couple of years of
an “identity wobble” to establish a solid foundation that felt
comfortable to stand on alone. Traversing all terrains was a
necessary part of the process that allowed me to intimately
learn all the jigs and jags it takes to build the life of your
dreams.
Tell us something more about your company and its
mission and vision.
It’s my mission to foster women’s empowerment. I’m
driven to help high-achieving female entrepreneurs go from
people-pleasing, burned-out perfectionists to profitable
powerhouses. My coaching company is dedicated to
dissolving limiting beliefs, shapeshifting to a growth
mindset, and contributing to feminine elevation through
courageous visibility. I see a future world that respects all
voices where souls support each other because collectively
we rise higher. I’m committed to teaching that wealth
extends beyond just financial success — it is the
combination of physical, emotional, spiritual, financial,
connection, and collective affluence.
Enlighten us on how you have made an impact in the
soul-aligned business niche through your expertise in
the market.
Through my Women Developing Brilliance® — The Spirit
of Business podcast I’ve been able to connect with
powerful female leaders on a mission to serve. Our deep,
unedited conversations on women in business, integrating
spirituality into our work, and what it takes to have a soul-
aligned business have touched listeners throughout the
world. Our real talk allows women to catch a spark of
inspiration so they can bust out of their comfort zone and
bravely share their gifts.
The 10 Most Inspiring Businesswomen Making a Difference, 2021
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38. Describe in detail the values and the work culture that
drives your organization.
At the heart of my organization are integrity and alignment.
The work culture rotates around self-leadership, autonomy,
and the Kaizen philosophy of never-ending improvement.
In order to achieve this goal, being mindful of purpose, joy,
and hope for the future is necessary. Our work as
entrepreneurs is a direct reflection of how we live our lives.
In that, it takes walking our talk and implementing the
teachings to truly be a radiant exemplar to others.
Undeniably, technology is playing a significant role in
almost every sector. How are you leveraging
technological advancements to make your solutions
resourceful?
With the click of a button, I can publish a podcast episode
and have it almost instantly broadcast on major networks
including Apple Podcasts, Pandora, and Audible. The
listeners can tune in anytime, anyplace, and enjoy the latest
episode or one in the library.
It’s never been easier to harness the power of advanced
social media and website analytics to understand how my
content is being received. Having this data at my fingertips
allows the opportunity to tweak material so it has the most
impact and reach.
If given a chance, what change would you like to bring
to the industry?
Leaders and teams are thirsty for the opportunity to let their
guard down, authentic connection, and a genuine work-life
balance. I would love to see hustle culture squashed. The
incessant messaging to push harder and grind in order to be
successful is toxic on multiple fronts. It’s my goal to help
people shift from overworking to a holistic balance of
productivity and restoration for a sustainable career.
What, according to you, could be the next big change in
holistic entrepreneurship? How is your company
preparing to be a part of that change?
The next big change that I see in holistic entrepreneurship is
not being afraid to bring all facets of ourselves to work. To
be brave enough to openly speak about topics that are close
to our hearts despite the current cancel culture. It starts by
approaching our work as if we are client zero. Modeling
authentic, unapologetic communication is a top priority for
my business. This will pave the way for others to do the
same.
Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run
and what are your future goals for Kc Rossi, Inc.?
I’m a forever entrepreneur; it’s in my DNA. I love creating
something from nothing and seeing the positive ripple
effects of the work. My future goal is to keep showing up
for myself and for other women who desire to be self-
actualized — to cultivate a sacred space for all voices to be
heard and embody the “we are stronger together” phrase as
an active philosophy vs. a trendy hashtag.
What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs
who aspire to venture into the industry?
Take the time to turn within and get in touch with your core
values, belief system, and emotional drivers. Build your
boundaries in the beginning so that you are creating a
framework that will serve your holistic well-being. And
lastly, learn to tune in to your intuition so that you develop
the habit of self-trust — this alone will give you a major
success advantage.
Know
Thyself
First.
‘
‘
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40. Kimberly Stuck
CEO and Founder
Allay Consulting LLC
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41. The 10 Most Inspiring Businesswomen Making a Difference, 2021
Kimberly
Stuck Educating and Spreading
Awareness About Cannabis
here have been several misconceptions about
Tcannabis and psilocybin in the past few years.
However, some states have legalized the use of
these by studying and having reliable knowledge about
them. Many individuals in the health care and public safety
industry have taken a step forward to spread the awareness
and utilization of cannabis. Kimberly Stuck, the Founder
and CEO of Allay Consulting, is one such individual who
guides companies through the hazards of budding cannabis
and psilocybin industries by navigating compliance pitfalls.
With years of experience in the public health industry,
Kimberly, through her venture, ensures best practices
according to the new rules and standards as they evolve and
enables organizations to focus on a bigger picture. She
brings a regulator's keen eye and wide-reaching knowledge
on evolving compliance and safety mandates to support
businesses in tightly regulated industries.
The Overview of Journey
Kimberly's career started as a restaurant and wholesale food
investigator for the Denver Department of Public Health
and Environment (DDPHE). In 2014, when Colorado
legalized cannabis for adult use, she began inspecting
cannabis facilities for health and safety, educating herself
about the processes and products involved. The industry
was complicated, and coupled with her innate curiosity and
passion, she was quickly named the first cannabis industry-
specific public health investigator.
Over the next three years, Kimberly immersed herself in the
industry. She soon realized she could have a more
significant positive impact if she were a consultant rather
than a regulator. She started Allay Consulting in 2017 with
the goal of making the industry a safer space, so consumers
were protected and businesses could thrive. Currently, her
team works in all 50 states and internationally, focused on
operational compliance such as state-specific regulations,
FDA, OSHA, cGMP, ISO 9001/22000, Organic, and
GAP/GACP.
The Mission
Allay's mission is to assist the cannabis industry in
providing consumers with safe cannabis. To do this, it
advises on regulations and train regulators, encouraging
normalization and destigmatization. Allay is allied to
companies that want to invest in consumer and worker
safety.
Standing Strong
Cannabis is a unique and emerging market, and many states
and governing bodies need help regulating the creation,
production, and sale to ensure consumer safety.
Allay acts as advisors to its clients and regulatory
workgroups in various states, ensuring the nuances and
risks associated with cannabis products are understood and
considered. Kimberly's team educates government officials
and regulators to end the stigma around cannabis,
promoting safe yet fair regulations.
Building Up the Work Culture
What made Kimberly start the company and bond her team
together is the core value of Allay – Passion. Her team
believes in the power of the plant and knows it can and
should be regulated in the same manner as any other
industry.
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42. Allay is a team of certified CP-FS, CQA, and ex-cannabis
regulators who function at the highest quality of
professionalism and ethical standards. Kimberly believes
that customer service is paramount, and she prides herself
in distilling complicated regulatory subjects into digestible
information that companies can put action behind.
Kimberly and her team genuinely care for their clients and
want them to be as successful as possible.
Client Friendly Approach
Allay has always been a mobile company, which allows it
to provide its services remotely, saving its clients' money on
travel. It can securely share documentation and conduct
video audits suiting the needs of its clients regardless of
budget.
Getting Ready for the Change
Kimberly states that there was much debate over what
instrumentation and approach should be used for specific
analyses in the early stages of regulations; however,
multiple states didn't address these issues.
Currently, states are taking safety and quality seriously by
implementing parameters for testing. What Allay does is
help companies understand these new standards while
supporting newly legalized states to lessen the likelihood of
contaminated products on the market.
What Comes Next?
While expressing thoughts about the future, Kimberly says
that Federal legalization is on the table. Allay's goal is to
implore companies to begin preparation by aligning with
basic FDA and OSHA regulations. This will ensure
compliant operations and minimal facilities shut down
when these regulatory bodies make surprise visits.
Additionally, she recently started a psychedelic plant
medicine division of Allay.
Bequeathing Up-and-Coming Entrepreneurs
Kimberly says, "Whether you are a plant-touching or an
ancillary business like Allay, be prepared for lack of access
to banking, funding, and payment processing. This is rooted
in bias against the industry that we're trying to change.”
"If you're passionate about cannabis, you will find a way to
make it work, and as we inch closer to normalization, more
and more opportunities open up. For Allay, it hasn't been
easy, but it has been worth it," concludes Kimberly.
Cannabis
compliance
made simple.
“
“
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44. Lanette
Richardson
Helping Individuals Become More Innovative, Ambitious, and Well-Connected
The leaders who set an inspiring example in front of
others are the ones who lead by example. With just
their actions and ability to deliver results, they
serve as an example for upcoming leaders to follow. Such
inspiring business leaders are able to make a tremendous
difference in the lives of people and the businesses they are
leading. One such inspiring leader, we at Insights Success,
came across is Lanette Richardson.
Lanette is the Founder and President of Utah Women in
Sales, where she provides opportunities for women to
connect, learn about new opportunities, network with sales
professionals, and gain skills that will be valuable in the
workplace.
Lanette likes to empower women to stand strong for
themselves and help them being an inspiring example for
future generations of women.
We caught up with Lanette to know more about her journey
and how she is helping individuals become more
innovative, ambitious, and well-connected.
Bringing More Opportunities to Women in Sales
Leadership
Lanette has been in sales for most of her career except a
few years in her early career when she was a small business
owner. Over the years, Lanette has worked hard to bring
equality for women in opportunity, pay, sales, and
leadership.
Utah Women in Sales is an organization focused on serving
women who are in sales or are interested in pursuing a
career in sales. She switched to Tech Sales about 12 years
ago and realized that the number of women on the sales
teams was dismal; there was a time that she was the only
woman on a team of 200 sales reps. Every time there were
women on the sales teams, they were the top sales
producers on the floor, and she made a commitment that she
would do everything she could to bring more women to
sales teams and bring more opportunities to women in sales
leadership.
In 2017, after a sales conference, Lanette and a few of her
co-workers at the time decided to hold their own Women in
Sales meeting and see if there really was a group of women
that would benefit from this type of group. They had 350
women show up to their first event, and the rest is history.
Educating, Empowering and Supporting Women
The mission of Utah Women in Sales is to open the door for
men and women to learn how they can support each other
on the sales floor. Moreover, it also aims at helping
companies become more diverse in their hiring and set
goals for pay equity and diversity. The organization is
dedicated to creating opportunities for women to succeed
and partner them with great companies. It helps women
return to the workforce after a career gap.
Utah Women in Sales helps them find their first sales
position and elevate their careers and skills. The only way it
makes a change is to educate leadership and educate
women. It provides a collaborative community where
women will be educated, empowered, and supported.
Focusing on Skills and Personal Development of Women
Utah Women in Sales partners with many of the best sales
trainers, speakers, authors, and bring in women who are
successful in their careers, who teach and train its group of
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45. Lane e Richardson
Founder and President
Utah Women in Sales
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The 10 Most Inspiring Businesswomen Making a Difference, 2021

46. women to help them find what works for them. It holds in-
person and virtual events monthly that focus on skills and
personal development. It has full-day sales kick off every
year and ends the year with a recognition dinner celebrating
the best women of the year.
Encouraging Open Discussions, Learning, and Growing
Utah Women in Sales’ culture is of friendship, support, and
mentorship. It has a no judgment philosophy among its
group. There are a lot of hard topics that need to be
discussed and covered, it doesn’t condemn anyone, but
Utah Women in Sales encourages open discussions,
learning, and growing.
Educating Women on Different Companies and
Technologies
We asked Lanette how her organization is leveraging
technological advancements to make its offerings
resourceful, to which she answered, “Our group is made up
of 80% sales reps selling technology. We educate on the
different companies and technologies available in the
industry. As a group, we leverage a CRM, a workflow
platform, Video meetings, websites, recordings, podcasts,
virtual event platform, and more.”
Besides, Utah Women in Sales is also using continual
learning; there is no set time or criteria that is all-inclusive
and continual shorter training sessions that are very specific
to a skill set to enable quicker adoption and
implementation. The organization uses three different
platforms: in-person, virtual, and self-paced training,
followed by mentorship and application.
Empowering Women to Stand Up and Make a Positive
Change
Through Utah Women in Sales, Lanette has a goal for
companies to have a 50/50 split between men and women
on their sales teams. She would like to see expansion with
diversity and opportunity. She wants to end the wage gap so
that all people are paid based on their skills and not based
on whether they are male or female or any of the other
diversity gaps present. She would like to see its training and
its communities expand to include all professional women
or women seeking a good job with flexibility so that they
can provide for their families, not only financially but also
have the flexibility of work/life balance so they can
continue to be a primary focus in the lives of their children.
Lanette wants to empower women to stand up and make a
positive change for the next generation of women.
Seeing Women Perform on Both Local and National
Levels
Taking about the future, Lanette mentions that she would
like to expand Utah Women in Sales group from a local
group to a national group. It has already begun that
movement and has pockets of members in several states.
Lanette believes that actual learning that comes from
leaders that are hiring is more impactful, which is why she
is working on getting more of Utah Women in Sales’
sponsors involved in its group to help lead the direction
they are heading. Lanette would like to see Utah Women in
Sales has national events held every year in different parts
of the country to enable more women to be involved in their
local communities and at a larger national level as well.
Pursuing Goals to Make a Difference
In her advice to budding entrepreneurs who aspire to
venture into the Professional Training & Coaching sector,
Lanette says, “Make sure you understand the why of what
you are teaching. Teaching and coaching are powerful in
shaping lives and careers; make sure you are leading with
the right intent and in the right direction. Don’t do it only to
make money, do it to make a difference.”
We are committed to increasing
the number of women on sales
teams across the country and
putting an end to the gender
wage gap.
,,
,
,
44 | October 2021 www.insightssuccess.com

48. IMPACTING BUSINESS WORLD
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49. Leadership is an amazing opportunity to make a
difference in the lives of people. The only way to
make an impact in the lives of people is by setting
the right example in front of others. Women leaders with
remarkable qualities become the source of inspiration to
many others in the business world. They set exemplary
standards with their impeccable leadership skills. They
understand that it is important to be an agent of inspiration
to others for bringing out the best in everyone for the
overall growth and development of their businesses in the
right direction.
Women leaders lead from the front. They demonstrate
courage and proactiveness for taking the most important
initiatives that will make a difference in the lives of many
people. Their positive and inspiring energy is contagious.
That energy gets imprinted on whoever they come in
contact with, and that really inspires others to do their best
for the cause of business.
Today, women leaders have made their marks in numerous
sectors. They lead with inspiring attitudes and approaches.
They play the most important role in the business world
with their business intelligence. They nurture their business
intelligence every day so that they can make an amazing
difference in the lives of many people. They are lifelong
learners. They keep on increasing their talents and abilities
so that they will be able to lead more effectively in the
business world.
Business intelligence is paramount to success in the
business world. The women leaders in the business develop
their business intelligence so that they will be able to play
an inspiring role in leading their businesses most
appropriately. Being calculative, logical, and analytical is
important for business leaders as this helps them make the
right decisions and avoid many mistakes in the process.
Successful business leaders don't take haphazard decisions,
but they choose to act on the right information. Based on
the right information, they take thoughtful decisions that
will lead to the profitability of the businesses.
Women leaders have to be more assertive and confident in
themselves to generate confidence in others. They should
have high moral competence to lead their business
flawlessly. They should lead in such a way that naturally,
people will be inspired to do their best for the cause of
organization. Great leaders bring out the best in the people
by leading with high moral and ethical competence. They
lead with dignity, morality, ethics, and high sense of moral
integrity. They set the most exemplary standards, and
because of their exceptional standards, they become the
most inspiring example for others in the business world.
Amazing attributes always make a positive impact on
people. The finer qualities in the women leaders help them
to make a more valuable contribution to their organizations'
goals.
Morality is the foundation of victory in any field. Great
women leaders in business lead with morality and profound
clarity. They have a great approach towards business and
overall life. They see the bigger picture. They see the world
with an abundant mindset. They think in terms of
possibilities. They think in terms of opportunities. They
don't see the world with scarcity mentality. They think
innovative and unprecedented solutions to deal with
unforeseen challenges. They think in terms of win-win
solutions, and with their inspiring qualities and approach,
they make more difference in the lives of many people they
come in contact with.
Women leaders in the business world promote the attitude
of transforming obstacles into opportunities. They support
an inclusive culture and are able to inspire other women
leaders to be their best version. They guide, train, and
mentor others to bring out the best in others. They lead with
exceptional talents and remarkable temperament, and that is
the reason they become the most inspiring example for
others to follow in their lives.
INSTRUMENTOF
INSPIRATION
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50. Lauren Kriner
Vice President
(Business Development)
Capitol Construction
Services, Inc.
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51. An Unmatched Sales and Marketing Professional
Lauren Kriner
The 10 Most Inspiring Businesswomen Making a Difference, 2021
henever an opportunity stands ahead of women,
Wthey take it to great heights. They always bring
a new perspective, a problem-solving approach,
and an innovative mindset to the table.
Today, with their exemplary leadership skills and
unwavering passion for their work, they are shining in
almost every sector, the construction industry being one of
them.
Meet Lauren Kriner, the Vice President of Business
Development at Capitol Construction Services Inc.
Lauren is a striking example in today's construction market.
Blending her passion for construction with her experience,
she is driving the marketing efforts of the company.
So, if you want to have a new drive-thru, grand park, or
condominium, then you got your deal from Lauren.
We at Insights Success interviewed Lauren to know more
about her journey in the construction industry and how
Capitol Construction has managed to stay one of the most
professional general contractors in the Indianapolis market.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Brief our audience about your journey as a business
leader until your current position at Capitol
Construction. What challenges you had to overcome to
reach where you are today?
I started my career out of college with a marketing degree
from Indiana University, working for Pulte Homes. I sold
new home construction for nearly six years and moved into
commercial real estate. As I made a personal move across
the country and returned to Indiana, I went back to my
"construction roots", establishing a new role in Business
Development with Capitol Construction.
Tell us something more about your company and its
mission and vision.
Since 1998, our team has grown through repeat and referral
business, treating people right and creating lasting
relationships. The majority of our team members have been
with us for a long time, and continue to thrive because we
work hard and play hard. We also believe it's important to
give back to the community, and are involved in charitable
giving of time and treasure with several area not-for-profits.
Enlighten us on how you have made an impact in the
Construction niche through your expertise in the
market.
There are not many women in construction, and to be able
to work in the industry, create true relationships, and talk
intelligently about the work we do is rare. Not only am I a
woman in the industry, but I am involved in organizations
whose mission is to make an impact for other women in the
industry. I am a Past President of IndyCREW (CREW is an
international organization that promotes the roles of women
in commercial real estate) and continue to be involved in
real estate and construction organizations.
Describe in detail the values and the work culture that
drives your organization.
We are truly a team. We all have different strengths and
work together to leverage them as a collective group. It is
enforced from the top down that we must take the best care
of the client. Quick, accurate communication is key,
especially in the in-flux world of today.
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52. Undeniably, technology is playing a significant role in
almost every sector. How are you leveraging
technological advancements to make your solutions
resourceful?
We are ensuring that our field team is equipped with the
technology to make their job easier and more efficient. They
are able to utilize apps for their timecards, client reports,
and photos.
What, according to you, could be the next big change in
the construction industry? How is your company
preparing to be a part of that change?
I think the biggest change will be how space is utilized.
From office to retail, end-users are reimagining what their
spaces look like, which indeed means changes on the
construction side. I think we'll be doing a lot of remodelling
of existing spaces to make them work better for users in the
future. We will be a teammate of both the design
community and end users to work with them on
implementing those changes.
Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run
and what are your future goals for Capitol
Construction?
I see myself being on the Capitol Construction team for a
long time. I've already been here 8.5 years, and while I love
what I do, I love my team more and the support they give
me in both my professional and personal life. As a working
mother, that's very important to me.
What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs
who aspire to venture into business development in the
construction sector?
If you're a people person and relationship-builder, business
development is such a fun role within a growing company.
You can directly impact the bottom line by bringing in new
opportunities, you help with the strategic direction of the
firm, and you represent your firm's brand in the community.
You become a big part of the firm's "face", so it's an
important role. You can never know enough people, so it's
critical to enjoy networking and making connections. You
have to put yourself out there and be willing to put in the
time to develop long-term relationships and pipelines.
“Hey, we built
that!”
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54. Ronda Landa
Sales Director
First American Title
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55. Ronda Landa
Agreat business leader is sculpted by their
unconventional methods of handling hurdles,
distinct approach, adaptability to the situations,
and zeal to transform with the changing times. Success and
failure are like a pendulum, where every decision is always
on the verge of going either way. However, a good leader
always strategizes and makes the pendulum leaning towards
success than failure.
Ronda Landa is one such leader who, with her excellent
skills, has managed to impact the real estate industry by
supporting her clients in creating best practice to assist
them in reaching their CRE transactional goals. She
successfully defines her role as the Sales Director at First
American Title National Commercial Services division by
using her local and national commercial real estate
expertise to help close clients' transactions as efficiently as
possible.
Before becoming a Sales Director, Ronda had managed
different roles in her professional career and gained
excellent communication skills running committees,
departments, and teams. She is also socially engaged in
enhancing brands she is involved in.
Up Until Now
Ronda was raised by her grandparents in a subjugated
Hispanic neighborhood. The Federal Grant assisted her
interior design school. She later went on to work as a
commercial interior designer. She was chaired on the board
of ASID and became the national student president.
Ronda also sat on the panel for IIDA as a judge for new
furnishings and trends in Los Angeles. She moved to Utah
and became Sales Director for an interior design and
furnishing company. She decided to venture into
entrepreneurship following her sales career and was a solo
practitioner for a decade.
At the same time, Ronda was going through a divorce. It
gave her the flexibility to be involved in her child's
education, make a living, and keep a roof over her head.
Ronda used her transferable skills to land herself as the
Sales Director for First American Title in Salt Lake City.
Mission and Vision
Ronda expresses that First American Title likes to say;
when the stakes are high, you need accuracy, experience,
and easy-to-reach commercial experts you can rely on.
First American Titles covers its clients' risks, provides
expert guidance, and tailors solutions every step of the way.
Its stability, tenure in the business, depth of services, and
breather of experience are the traits the company is proud
of.
A Social Impact
Ronda's involvement in CRE organization and leadership,
CREW, CCIM, ULI, WEN, and UCRE highlights her best
practices to the network. She promotes various programs
through her and UCRE network to set up meetings and
create events for interested parties and bring them together
to connect internal and external teams. She also created the
Women's Council for female MRED students from the
University of Utah.
Ronda looks to develop her niche in energy transactions and
create events on sustainability for UCRE and ULI. She has
joined the Energy Practice Group and promotes her
strengths through this network.
Ronda has founded and chaired CCIM excellence awards
for six years to elevate and celebrate excellence in CRE.
She was the CREW president, headed up the Strategic
Planning Committee, and worked with the U of U professor
A Trailblazer Enabling Various Aspects of Business
The 10 Most Inspiring Businesswomen Making A Difference, 2021
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56. for two years to create and implement the strategic plan.
She also has spoken and moderated multiple panels in CRE.
A Century of Leveraging Technologies
For the last 132 years, First American Title has managed to
stay ahead of its competitors through technology. It has
invested in automation of the title and closing process for a
faster response. It has created an innovating team, a think
tank to develop innovative ideas to explore.
What If?
A change that Ronda would like to bring into financial
services is to create 'relationship' opportunities to stay
connected. She asserts humans are social and need the
connection as much as technology, so business relationships
should balance between the company and the client.
The Revamp
The Data and Technology Solutions industry is preparing
for its following significant change. Ronda believes that
there will be abundant apps to conduct the business from,
and the industry will use automation for entire transactions
from opening and closing orders and everything in between.
Forecasting the Future
Ronda loves her role as a Sales Director and Account
Manager. She looks forward to adding energy sector clients
to her portfolio. It is exciting and key to her future success,
a critical move in her career both important and rewarding.
A Shining Hope
Over the course of Ronda's career, she learned that no
matter the field, education is important. In her advice to
budding entrepreneurs, she says, "Be tenacious and enjoy
what you do. Make it your career and not just a job. Believe
in yourself, build partnerships and networks. Get good
mentors and sponsors and make sure your company value
matches your values. Most importantly, Say YES to
challenges.”
First American Title
National Commercial
Services is leading
the digital evolution
within the
commercial title
insurance industry,
streamlining and
securing the closing
process, and
enhancing the overall
transactional
experience.
,,
,,
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