In honour of International Women's Day, we reached out to some amazing women in the Threads community to hear advice that they would give to other females in the workforce. Yes, IWD has passed, but we'll continue to amplify the voices of working women indefinitely. 

What does success mean to you?

"For me success is measured in the quality of my relationships and having the time to do the things I love to do with the people I love most." - Lara Smith, Founder of Lusome and Co-Founder of SheWorth

"I'm trying to reprogram my mind to understand that success means just enjoying the everyday. I think of success as enjoying the present moment now after realizing constant goal chasing doesn't necessarily make you arrive at happiness - especially once you hit your goals and you start thinking, now what? What's the next one? It never ends and you'll always be chasing if you think of success as a goal to be reached." - Istiana Bestari, Co-Founder of Monday Girl

"Having enough money to live a comfortable, peaceful, happy life. One where I'm healthy, happy, and so are the people in my immediate circle. Peace above all." - Kelly Samuel, Founder of Let's Snack Toronto, Forbes Contributor and Monday Girl Mentor 

"To me success means doing something that you love everyday."- Richa Gupta, Founder of Good Food For Good

"Success means taking one step toward my next goal each day. Even though we often celebrate the big leaps and milestones, it's those small steps that are crucial. I try to celebrate the small successes and daily wins. When I think about the big picture, success is using the lessons and skills I've learned to help others; to see someone else benefitting from my knowledge and experience brings me more joy than anything else." - Priya Sam Podcaster, Keynote Speaker and Panel Facilitator

What is a quote you live by?

"We promote what we permit." - Lara Smith, Founder of Lusome and Co-Founder of SheWorth

"How we spend our days is of course how we spend our lives" - Istiana Bestari, Co-Founder of Monday Girl

"Just because you can, doesn't mean you should." - Kelly Samuel, Founder of Let's Snack Toronto, Forbes Contributor and Monday Girl Mentor 

"Be the change you wish to see. - Ghandi" - Richa Gupta, Founder of Good Food For Good

“For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone. - Audrey Hepburn" - Stacey Kasdorf, SAHM and Content Creator

"Challenges are gifts that force us to search for a new center of gravity. Don't fight them. Just find a new way to stand. - Oprah Winfrey" - Priya Sam Podcaster, Keynote Speaker and Panel Facilitator

What advice would you give to women looking to join your industry?

"If you aspire to be an entrepreneur, find a problem that needs solving and find a unique and beautiful way to solve it.  There is no short cut to hard work, you must have patience and take a long view, and surround yourself with people smarter than you in different ways and listen." - Lara Smith, Founder of Lusome and Co-Founder of SheWorth

"I think no matter what industry you're in, but especially if you want to become a business owner, you have to learn to become resourceful. Being resourceful and just figuring stuff out as they come along will push you farther everyday. Everyday as an entrepreneur, some new problem comes along and you have to just accept it and find a solution knowing that there's not always a perfect answer or someone to help you out and tell you how to do this." - Istiana Bestari, Co-Founder of Monday Girl

"Don't accept a position at a company where no one in management or adjacent to management looks like you. Good company culture comes from good leadership, and if they have no women in those spaces, that's a massive red flag." - Kelly Samuel, Founder of Let's Snack Toronto, Forbes Contributor and Monday Girl Mentor

"Food CPG is a fun industry because everyone is a consumer and you can relate well to the products. Be ready to get your hands dirty." - Richa Gupta, Founder of Good Food For Good

"Be prepared to work 24/7 and wear a lot of hats. It's hard to work set hours when social media never sleeps, and you're an entrepreneur so you are the CEO, head of marketing, CFO, photographer, editor, etc." - Stacey Kasdorf, SAHM and Content Creator

"I would say don't give up and believe in the process. With podcasting, one of the biggest deterrents is not seeing the download numbers you want to see when you first start. It takes time to build up loyal listeners and if you're looking for brand partners, that also takes time. My advice is to be consistent and to always keep your target audience in mind as you look for guests and sponsors. Also, talk to others who are in the same boat. There's such an incredible and supportive network of women podcasters out there!" - Priya Sam Podcaster, Keynote Speaker and Panel Facilitator

 

What was your first job?

"My first job was teaching Tennis." - Lara Smith, Founder of Lusome and Co-Founder of SheWorth

"My first job was coaching gymnastics!" - Istiana Bestari, Co-Founder of Monday Girl

"My very first job was as a photographer. I shot my first wedding at 15 years old, and after I calculated my hours spent shooting and editing, I had paid myself a mere $1.20/hour." - Kelly Samuel, Founder of Let's Snack Toronto, Forbes Contributor and Monday Girl Mentor

"My first job was working as a Fashion Designer at an Export House." - Richa Gupta, Founder of Good Food For Good

"My first job was at Moxie's Classic Grill." - Stacey Kasdorf, SAHM and Content Creator

"My very first job was delivering newspapers." - Priya Sam Podcaster, Keynote Speaker and Panel Facilitator