Celebrating a Year of Empowering Change with Women Mean Business Book

Welcome to our anniversary podcast that celebrates a year of empowering change with our book, co-authored by Edie Fraser, Robin Freedman Spizman, and Andi Simon, PhD. This book, Women Mean Business: Over 500 Insights from Extraordinary Leaders to Spark Your Success,  has become an amazing experience. I have often said that every book has its unique signature. A book’s energy comes from the reader who opens the book and feels the power of the words, images, and ideas.

Celebrating a Year of Empowering Change with Women Mean Business

It’s hard to believe that it’s been a year since Edie Fraser and I launched Women Mean Business, a book that has become more than just a collection of stories; it’s a movement. Over the past year, the book has not only sold extremely well but has also been the catalyst for nearly 70 events. These have sparked meaningful conversations, inspired change, and built connections among women—and even some men—seeking to understand and harness the power of women’s leadership.

You can watch the video of our podcast here:

Celebrating and Elevating Women in Business

What has excited us is witnessing how the 500+ insights and wisdom from these remarkable 102 women transformed the lives of our readers. The stories of successful women in entrepreneurship, philanthropy, finance, media, and senior executive roles have resonated deeply, offering practical advice and profound inspiration. These women have shown that regardless of industry, success is not just about breaking barriers but building bridges, supporting others, and making a positive impact on communities. We truly believe that the women we write about are creating significance, not just success, and see their roles as elevating and celebrating other women.

The journey of Women Mean Business has only just begun. As we celebrate this milestone, we look forward to continuing to champion the stories and lessons of these incredible leaders, helping others find their own path to success and significance. Here’s to the next year and all the stories yet to be written. Thank you for being a part of this journey with us.

You can learn more about the book, its authors, and the 102 amazing women www.womenmeanbusinessbook.com

Some other podcasts to listen to with women in the book include:

383: Roseann and Clara Sunwoo—How Did Roseann And Clara Sunwoo Build A Successful Women’s Fashion Brand?

393: Sandra Quince—You Must Build More Inclusive Cultures If You Want Your Business To Thrive

394: Esther Aguilera: Finding Your Path as a Successful Woman

Additional resources for you:

To reach Edie Fraser: Eddiefraser@gmail.com

From Observation to Innovation,

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Women Mean Business® is a registered trademark of the National Association of Women Business Owners® (NAWBO)

The entire transcript is below:

Andi Simon

00:00:02

Welcome to a very special occasion for Ed Fraser, the other woman on the screen today, and myself, Andy Simon. Well, I do podcasts routinely. Today is a very special podcast because Eddie and I want to reflect on a year since we have launched our wonderful book, Women Mean Business Over 500 Insights from Extraordinary Leaders to Spark Your Success. And I’m putting this out as a special podcast because as we reflected on the year that’s been, we also started thinking about the year that’s coming. And so, Eddie, I can’t thank you enough for coming today for us to share what our experience has been and also to think about the impact of book has had on women and men in business all across the country. So I’m going to let Eddie start by reflecting on her own experiences here, and then I’ll share mine. And then we’re going to talk a little bit about what we hope to share with you, our audience, because you need to think about this for you, your organization, but even your own career as a woman who means business.

Andi Simon

00:01:08

Eddie, take it away…

Edie Fraser

00:01:10

Andy, first of all, thank you. Our partnership has been divine and has been so elevating. So, Andi Simon, as we’ve gotten to know all 102 women that were profiled who are serious about women, mean business and what they’ve done to scale in the different categories that they show us, from CEOs to the C-suite to the entrepreneurs to those in capital, nonprofit, media, financial. We picked all the right categories, but every one of them is elevating and celebrating other women. And we’ve learned that with their wisdom. So, Andy, as you and I kicked off the end of September last year, just a year ago with the female quotient, we got about 2000 people on that call, didn’t we?

Andi Simon

00:02:21

It was. And exciting, wasn’t it?

Edie Fraser

00:02:23

We just couldn’t believe the avalanche that poured in. Of those that were in the book of corporations, of women’s organizations that wanted to host events and distribute books so that as we grew through the year, we’ve done some 75 to 80 major events across America.

Edie Fraser

00:02:58

But, you know, and look ahead.

Edie Fraser

00:03:00

Think? What do you think? Because it’s still going. The enthusiasm. Sharing their wisdoms. Because as we ask everyone to give us their five wisdoms, it’s leaving such a legacy.

Andi Simon

00:03:21

Well, you know, from that opening on female caution, I remember people, Tina Clark, for example, wanting women to think big. And in one of our presentations, Sandra Quince said, “as we rise, we lift others.” Mia Mask said, “I am so tired of being the first or the only.” These are people who want to express their own journeys in ways that are really impactful. You’ll say, Johanna Zeilstra said: “I knew I had to build a network, but I wasn’t quite sure what kind of network. So I built the wrong network and then I had to find a new network.” The insights that the women presented have been absolutely wonderful. Gloria Bohan has given us. We did a podcast with her, and she talked about starting out small and then building the huge travel agency she’s created, one customer at a time.

But you start out small and slowly by giving back, she said. “It wasn’t about my clients asking for things, it was how much could I do for them?” And there’s a recurring theme here about this being very much a collaboration. You don’t hear competition; you want to hear authenticity. You want to hear women who want to share with other women how they meant business and in doing so, created enormous success in all kinds of different fields. So as you and I were talking, celebrating this, you had some interesting ideas on some of these events and what you heard share with them.

Edie Fraser

00:04:46

It was amazing because as we think about the word soul joy, we picked up on that as what so many of the women were seeking as they thought about their wisdoms and what brought them joy to the workplace, to their families, to their communities, and clearly to what it meant to give back to philanthropy and to other women. So the word that we use all the time collaboration, communications, commitment. Yeah, it’s just outstanding.

Edie Fraser

00:05:33

And we cannot thank enough when you think that the WBENC took a thousand copies, kicked it off, they did a function in Philadelphia. But organization by organization, the corporations, the universities you and I went to from IBM to JPMorgan Chase to so many others. We are. And we have Andi five more companies scheduling events and distributing.

Andi Simon

00:06:09

And the most interesting thing I kept hearing were how the women in the audiences wanted to share their wisdom. And you and I really got excited by the sharing part. You know, the people who are in the book could present, and they were wonderful and brilliant. But then the audience rose up and had profound comments and thoughts and ideas and experiences they wanted to share. So the multiplier kept multiplying. I kept learning from the audience as much as anything. And you and I both said, wow, there’s something very different here. You know, every book has a signature, but it comes alive when the people read it and they open a page, and they change their life.

Andi Simon

00:06:52

Right.

Edie Fraser

00:06:54

And as you and we said, take a wisdom every day and look at that wisdom and apply it to your life and to giving back to others. And we lift as we rise. But remember, so many of our women said, you put one hand up and the other hand back and pull others along and learn to celebrate others. So as you and I look ahead, Andy, we’re working on certain efforts. Even with WBC, the entrepreneurs of purpose, with the enterprising women were saluting those entrepreneurs that are so focused and are scaling their business, giving back to their community and thinking and acting about their legacy. What will be their legacy? You know, you and I have talked about this. Recently, we found ten women that are giving over $1 million back to either entrepreneur schools or to efforts that are philanthropic in nature. Most of them do it very quietly. We celebrate to know as they lift, and so proud to work with the Enterprising Women Foundation, who is probably helping 5000 young STEM girls make it, that we could name a thousand efforts that we know of that are truly making the difference, because these women mean business.

Edie Fraser

00:08:47

Yes, but we’re seeing it for their business and for their life.

Andi Simon

00:08:54

One thing that the audience should pay attention to is, how do you mean business?

Edie Fraser

00:09:00

What are you.

Andi Simon

00:09:01

Doing? How is it helping your career? Open the book and take a quote every day and begin to see how one woman left us a note on LinkedIn and said, I started my year by opening the book and inspiring me and my organization to think bigger. I had a wonderful client who had yellow marked the book. She said, I’m changed the way I’m managing my company. So for you, our audience, whether you’re listening or you’re watching Edie and me, we are excited about how women mean business and how it can help you do even better. As you grow your career, start your business and scale it. Give back as you succeed. But think about this as part of your own career wisdom, because it isn’t simply a book. It’s something that’s here to inspire, elevate and celebrate you. So as we look forward, we’re ready to help you do the same thing all these others have done.

Andi Simon

00:09:57

Last thoughts, Eddie, shall we wrap us up?

Edie Fraser

00:10:01

We still want you to work with us and to let us know. It’s over 10,000 books. We do owe gratitude because now NAWBO has the trademark. Women mean business: Women Mean Business® is a registered trademark of the National Association of Women Business Owners® (NAWBO). Every one of us are focusing on the voices of women in business and in life, in politics, and in every non-profit. We’re looking to move  more women on boards. So Andi and I would love you to keep getting this book, to keep sharing your wisdom, to do your own roundtables. So, Andi what’s your thought?

Andi Simon

00:10:53

I am so excited that year two is starting sometimes. I mean, I’ve written several books. Some have won awards as Eddie has as well. And sometimes they run their course. This book hasn’t stopped. It’s generating so much enthusiasm out in the market that we want to share it with you and help you really rise and lift others together. So I’m going to wrap us up by saying thank you for those of you who have been part of our experience and thank you for those who are going to be part of our experience.

Andi Simon

00:11:25

And Eddie and I get great joy out of helping others rise. And I’m watching her smile and I’m smiling because this has been absolutely an extraordinary transformation where both of us are very different than we were a year ago as we launched and hoped. And now, now we really have taken the hope and turned it into success. And now we’re going to scale it, right, Eddie?

Edie Fraser

00:11:48

Absolutely, Andy, and thank you for helping us rethink our lives with women, mean business and help us to make sure that our legacy is one to live today. And thank you to all that are helping other women, be it in the big corporations, be it in the financial investment firms. Change the numbers and celebrate each other. So hopefully you’ll get more books. You want more events? I think we could say all 102 women in this book are willing to speak, to write, because the joy is about our community of a sisterhood.

Andi Simon

00:12:42

And on that note, I’m going to thank you all who have come and watch this.

Andi Simon

00:12:46

Share it. Don’t forget to reach out to us. Info at Simon Associates dot net is a great place to reach out. And there’s a website, www.womenmeanbusinessbook.com.

Edie Fraser

00:12:54

Eddie fraser@gmail.com. I’ll take it and I’m proud to be the chair of the Women Business Collaborative, which I helped found five and a half years ago. And so with all that we can do to make sure that we are elevating, this is not a time for negativity. With all the pressures in our life. Let’s focus on the wisdoms. Focus on the positives because as we know, we can drive change together and we’re there behind each other. So tell us what you’re going to do and your wisdoms. Andy and I will continue not only to listen, but to activate as we elevate and celebrate.

Andi Simon

00:13:53

On that note and have a great day. Don’t forget to take your observations, turn them into innovations, and enjoy your journey. Bye now.