So with that invisible weight on my shoulders (self imposed as always), when considering my options for this month’s article, I got to thinking about what it actually is to be a “woman in business”.
I spent some time reflecting on modern day examples of successful, inspirational women the Oprah’s and Beyonce’s, the Trinny’s and Carla Zampatti’s but it got me thinking, what about the women whose entrepreneurial spirit has impacted our lives without us even knowing about it.
Exploring that rabbit hole was so addictive! For some reason when I think of women in business, I really only think of the modern day women.
Whether it be the “stay at home Mum” killing it in the online business world with what started out as a side hustle, but is now a multi-million dollar brand, or the successful, highly educated, well travelled business woman who heads up one of the biggest companies in the country.
But what about the entrepreneurial women, whose ideas and ingenuity impact our daily lives, without us even knowing it?
Take Marion Donovan for example. Marion was born in 1917 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She began her working career as an assistant beauty editor with Vogue in New York City in 1939, but it wasn’t long before she fell in love, resigned from her job and as the cliche goes became a dutiful housewife and mother. Marion was the daughter of an inventor, so creative thinking and ingenuity was part of her life from childhood. Following the birth of her first child, Marion became frustrated with the cloth nappies available to her, the mess, the clean up, you know what I mean.
Convinced there must be a better way, Marion set out to find it. Like so many of history’s good ideas, she discovered it in the shower. But this time, it was the actual shower curtain that solved her problem! Taking the curtain off the rails, she cut and sewed the waterproof pieces together to form a nappy cover… and so began her prototype of the disposable nappies many cannot live without today.
Interestingly, even after refinement, Marion’s attempts to sell her concept to manufacturers was unsuccessful so she ended up doing what all good business women do, making them herself. In a short period of time her products were being sold on Saks Fifth Avenue and soon after she sold the company and associated patents for $1M.
Now that’s a savvy business woman!
By now I was intrigued, and wanted to know “who is Australia’s youngest female entrepreneur”? It wasn’t long before I was reading about young Bella Tipping from Dubbo. A couple of years back, at the tender age of 12, Bella went on holidays with her parents.
When she saw her Mum writing a positive Tripadvisor review for a hotel that she didn’t think rated very well from a child’s perspective, (think uncomfortable roll out beds and an uninspiring kids menu of chicken nuggets and chips), she came up with a concept of online holiday ratings from a child’s perspective.
Bella’s parents, business owners themselves were interested in her concept and bankrolled what is now known as Kidzcationz, a website where children can register and safely suggest and review holiday locations based on their point of view.
This untapped area of the market is sure to be a fabulous reference point for families, and I can’t wait to see the name Bella Tipping pop up in the future.
Who knows what she’ll do next!
So as I contemplate the concept of women in business one final time for today, it really does make us stop and think, what is next?
The sky, as they say, is truly the limit!
Until next time, Lusanna x
