IN HONOR OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S MONTH, LAW 17 SPOTLIGHTS 4 WOMEN WHO ARE TRAILBLAZERS AND LEADERS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE INDUSTRIES. THESE WOMEN HAVE ESTABLISHED THEMSELVES AS CHANGEMAKERS, INNOVATORS, AND ACHIEVERS WHO ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO IGNORE. FROM MEDIA MOGUL TO LUXURY REALTOR, THESE VISIONARIES SET A PACE THAT FORCES EVERYONE ELSE TO PICK UP THEIRS. 

WE ASKED EACH WOMAN A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CHALLENGES OF BEING A WOMAN IN THE WORKPLACE, AND HOW WE CAN BETTER SUPPORT.

MEET THE WOMEN

KAREN CIVIL
MEDIA TYCOON, AUTHOR, CEO
KARENCIVIL.COMWHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES YOU’VE FACED FROM BEING A WOMAN IN YOUR FIELD?

WHEN YOU ARE IN MALE DOMINATED SITUATIONS, COUNTERPARTS DON’T SEE YOU AS AN EQUAL, AND THEY TREAT YOU AS LESS THAN. THEY ARE DISMISSIVE OF YOUR OPINIONS AND THOUGHTS AS IF YOUR VOICE DOESN’T MATTER. 

HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THOSE CHALLENGES?

OBSTACLES AND CHALLENGES ARE A PART OF LIFE, THE THING IS DO YOU ALLOW THOSE THINGS TO DEFEAT YOU AND STOP YOU FROM YOUR GOALS? 

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHER WOMEN LOOKING TO EXCEL IN YOUR INDUSTRY?

DON’T ALLOW ANYONE TO BE THE NARRATOR OF YOUR STORY.

WHAT CAN MEN DO TO BETTER SUPPORT WOMEN IN YOUR INDUSTRY?

INCLUSION IS ALWAYS THE KEY MAKING SURE YOU ARE INVITING WOMEN TO THE TABLE AS WELL

JULIA LANG
CREATIVE STRATEGIST AND BRANDING SAVANT, ENTREPRENEUR
JULIA LANG WORLDWIDE
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES YOU’VE FACED FROM BEING A WOMAN IN YOUR FIELD?

I FEEL LIKE AS A FEMALE ENTREPRENEUR, I ALWAYS HAVE TO PROVE MYSELF OVER AND OVER AGAIN. I FEEL LIKE I HAVE TO WORK TWICE AS HARD AS MY MALE COMPETITORS IN MY FIELD, WHICH ISN'T NECESSARILY THEIR FAULT BUT AN OVERALL SOCIETAL ISSUE. IT'S OFTEN VERY MUCH FRUSTRATING AND DISCOURAGING. YET, I AM SOMEONE THAT LIKES A GOOD CHALLENGE. IT FUELS MY EAGERNESS TO SUCCEED EVEN MORE.

HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THOSE CHALLENGES?

FOR ME, THE KEY IS CONSISTENCY. I COULD HAVE QUIT  MILLIONS OF TIMES WHEN THINGS WERE STAGNANT OR WEREN'T MOVING IN THE DIRECTION THAT I AIMED THEM TOWARDS. MY MOTTO OFTEN IS, "EVERYONE IS QUITTING. BY NOT QUITTING, YOU ARE ALREADY AHEAD."

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHER WOMEN LOOKING TO EXCEL IN YOUR INDUSTRY?

AGAIN. CONSISTENCY. IT TAKES 10 YEARS FOR OVERNIGHT SUCCESS.

WHAT CAN MEN DO TO BETTER SUPPORT WOMEN IN YOUR INDUSTRY?

HIRE MORE FEMALES. GIVE US MORE POWER. MORE VOICES. FEMALES NEED EQUALITY TOO. I FEEL LIKE WE STILL HAVE AN EXTREMELY LONG WAY TO GO.

ASHLEY HENDERSON
EVENT PRODUCER
LEAGUETWENTYTWO.COMWHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES YOU’VE FACED FROM BEING A WOMAN IN YOUR FIELD?

I WOULD SAY I DON'T HAVE TOO MANY CHALLENGES BEING A BLACK WOMAN IN THIS INDUSTRY BECAUSE THE EVENTS INDUSTRY IS DOMINATED BY WOMEN AS A WHOLE, BUT SOMETIMES WE FAIL TO GET THE RESPECT OF EQUAL PAY AND OPPORTUNITY AS OUR MALE COUNTERPARTS. 

HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THOSE CHALLENGES? 

WORKING HARDER AND BEING MORE STRATEGIC WITH POSITIONING AND PROJECTS TO SHOW THAT WE CAN BE JUST AS COMPETITIVE AND EXECUTE ON A HIGH LEVEL AS WELL 

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHER WOMEN LOOKING TO EXCEL IN YOUR INDUSTRY?

DON'T TAKE ANY SHORTCUTS AND ALWAYS PROTECT YOUR REPUTATION AND CHARACTER. WORK HARD AND THE MONEY WILL COME. AND GET THE MOST EXPERIENCE YOU CAN- IT'S THE BEST TEACHER. 

WHAT CAN MEN DO TO BETTER SUPPORT WOMEN IN YOUR INDUSTRY? 

I WOULD SAY OVERALL, UPLIFT AND ACKNOWLEDGE HARD WORKING WOMEN AND SUPPORT WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES. IF YOU'RE IN THE POSITION TO HIRE US, DO SO. ALWAYS MAINTAIN PROFESSIONAL WORKING ENVIRONMENTS WHERE A WOMAN CAN FEEL COMFORTABLE AND AT EASE TO FOCUS ON JOB EXECUTION. 

LEE MINTZ
LUXURY REAL ESTATE AGENT
LEEMINTZ.COM 
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES YOU’VE FACED FROM BEING A WOMAN IN YOUR FIELD?

LET’S LOOK AT THE NUMBERS. I STARTED MY REAL ESTATE CAREER IN MY EARLY 20S SELLING LUXURY HOMES TO ATHLETES AND CELEBRITIES. 85% OF MY CLIENTS ARE MALE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 18 AND 40 AND THE MAJORITY ARE IN THEIR 20S. WITH THOSE DEMOGRAPHICS, I HAVE FACED MANY CHALLENGES THAT I HAVE OVERCOME AND MASTERED THROUGHOUT THE YEARS. THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE WAS LEARNING HOW TO DEAL WITH YOUNG MEN WITH EGOS, MONEY AND WHAT THEY THINK “POWER” IS.

HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THOSE CHALLENGES?

TIME AND EXPERIENCE HAVE BEEN MY BEST TEACHERS: THE MORE I FINE-TUNED DEALING WITH CLIENTS, THE EASIER IT GOT FOR ME. I ALSO LEARNED TO EMPOWER AND CHALLENGE MY CLIENTS BY EDUCATING THEM THROUGH KNOWLEDGE AND INFORMATION. KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE ARE WHAT CARRIES POWER, NOT EGO NOR MATERIALS ITEMS. GAINING MY CLIENT’S RESPECT HAS LED TO SOLID, LONG-TERM TRUSTING BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS THAT COME WITH ENDLESS REFERRALS.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHER WOMEN LOOKING TO EXCEL IN YOUR INDUSTRY?

NOT A DAY GOES BY WITHOUT A WOMAN ASKING ME HOW TO GET INTO REAL ESTATE. THE WOMEN WHO ARE ALREADY IN REAL ESTATE ASK ME FOR SITUATIONAL ADVICE ON COMPLEX CLIENT DYNAMICS. I TELL THEM ALL THE SAME THING: SHOW UP ON TIME, ACT AND LOOK PROFESSIONAL, AND KNOW YOUR SH*T! YOUR CLIENT WILL RECOGNIZE AND RESPECT YOUR EXPERTISE ONCE EXPOSED TO IT AND THEY WILL TREAT YOU HOW YOU TREAT THEM.

WHAT CAN MEN DO TO BETTER SUPPORT WOMEN IN YOUR INDUSTRY?

THERE IS ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT. IT WOULD BE VERY IMPACTFUL IF MEN TOOK WOMEN A BIT MORE SERIOUSLY IN MY INDUSTRY. IN A MAN’S EYES, A WOMAN SHOWING HIM A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR HOME IS “SEXY.” I GET IT. HOWEVER, IT’S WELL BEYOND THAT. THERE IS A LOT MORE TO REAL ESTATE THAN JUST SHOWING A HOUSE, IT’S A COMPLEX INDUSTRY THAT I NAVIGATE TO MAKE MY LIVING. SO, IT’S INSULTING WHEN IT’S MINIMIZED TO “SEXY”. I’VE BEEN SELLING LOS ANGELES REAL ESTATE FOR 19 YEARS AND I BELIEVE I’M AT THE HEIGHT OF MY CAREER FOR A REASON.