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Women Leaders Ignite a Spark of Success in Greenwich

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By Michelle Moskowitz
Sentinel Contributor

Women are empowering other women on the path to success.

According to the National Association of Women Business Owners, more than 9.1 million companies are owned by women, generating $1.4 trillion in sales, employing nearly 7.9 million people in 2015.

By 2018, women owned small businesses are expected to create almost 60% of a projected 18 million new jobs.

Last Tuesday, approximately 65 women gathered for an informative and inspirational panel discussion, “Empowered Women Empower Women: A Conversation on Being the CEO of Your Life,” held at the Greenwich Equinox private club.

Jane Lesley Seymour, magazine connoisseur and former editor-in-chief at MORE Magazine. (contributed photo)

Key-note speakers included Jane Lesley Seymour, magazine connoisseur and former editor-in-chief at MORE Magazine, and Fran Pastore, CEO of the Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC), the leading entrepreneurial and financial training center for women in Connecticut.

Host of the event was Toni DeMauro, president of YOU!, a Greenwich-based women’s networking organization, dedicated to helping women ‘become their best selves’ through health, wellness, business, and social networking events.

DeMauro welcomed participants with an ear-to-ear smile and enthusiastically introduced the panelists, both leaders in their respective fields who were eager to share their journeys of pushing boundaries as well as helping others to reach success.

Before the luncheon began, DeMauro shared her own motivational mantra – discussing the importance of fitness in women over the age of 35, and its impact on one’s energy level, physical and mental strength and clarity of mind, all vital in achieving one’s life goals.

Ladies nibbled on mini cucumber and salmon sandwiches, homemade potato chips with dipping sauce and imbibed a shot of Nitro coffee, provided by local vendor, Rise Brewing Co.

The first panelist to speak was Pastore, founder and CEO of the WBDC, the leading non-profit resource and advocacy group, focused on empowering women (and men) to thrive in their economic potential as entrepreneurs through one-one coaching, training programs, financial education and access to capital.

Fran Pastore, Chief Executive Officer of the Women’s Business Development Council. (contributed photo)

Formed in 1997, the WBDC serves over 1000 women in CT each year, helping them reach beyond their current economic level and grow their business reach.

Pastore, who exudes a quiet, reserved power, has more than 20 years of experience in the women-owned business movement, both in Connecticut and Washington, D.C.

She served for three years as a member of President Obama’s National Women’s Business Council and has a long history working with CT’s Department of Economic and Community Development.

Highly trained WBDC business advisors work with clients one-one-one, and free of charge, offering multi-week business-planning programs including marketing, finance, certification and procurement of capital.

The organization has four offices in the state, with its headquarters at 184 Bedford Street in Stamford.

Pastore mentioned the possibility of opening a satellite office in Greenwich which drew a few cheers from audience members.

The WBDC also offers a plethora of courses, workshops and networking events such as “Start Smart: Jump Starting Your Business Plan,” “Finding Funding for Your Business,” “Money Tips to Help Women Thrive,” “Business Finance Boot Camp,” “Developing Results-Oriented Communications,” and “Email Marketing Made Easy.”

In addition to its training programs, they also offer access to capital, which in the past has been quite difficult for women-owned businesses to obtain without a male co-signer.

The WBDC offers microloan opportunities and assistance with access to affordable capital, and has recently incorporated a Connecticut Small Business Express Grant and Loan program, wherein small businesses can receive a grant of up to $100,000 or a loan up to $300,000 from Connecticut’s Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD).

Next on the panel was the effervescent, Lesley Jane Seymour, an accomplished magazine veteran and editor-in-chief at some of the most iconic women’s lifestyle titles in magazine publishing.

Seymour served as editor-in-chief of MORE, the go-to magazine for women ages 30-60, for eight years until its recent closing.

She also served as the editor-in-chief at Marie Claire, Redbook, YM, as beauty director at Glamour, and a contributing editor for Vogue after launching her journalism career at WWD.  

She led MORE to a 2009 National Magazine Award nomination and a nomination for general excellence in 2010.  She was also ranked fourth on Forbes’ list of most powerful fashion magazine editors in 2009.

 The crowd was in awe of Seymour’s impressive line-up of experience.   She herself, looking back on the glitz and glamour of her career in the magazine world, described it as “Hollywood for non-actors.”

After MORE shut its doors, Seymour made a significant shift in her life and enrolled in the Columbia School of Professional Studies, pursuing a degree in sustainability.

Seymour revealed that ‘going back to school was the perfect mid-life problem solver.’

While enjoying her coursework immensely and nesting at her home in Westchester, Seymour’s loyal readership base continued to reach out to her.

And then the inspiration to develop her own media platform hit.

Thus began her new upcoming business venture, Covey Club, a high-level curated weekly newsletter featuring premium content, focusing on fashion, beauty, and health.

“My goal is to create a whole new model of publishing with stories about women’s internal lives, in a sophisticated, yet quiet way,” said Seymour.

The membership-driven platform will feature top journalists, artists, and illustrators whom she has hand-picked and will provide access to interactive events nationwide.

Covey Club is slated to launch at the end of April.

Because it’s a membership-driven site, users will be able to experience the site free of pop-up ads, which Seymour said was a big distraction for her audience.

After a Q&A, many guests lined up to personally thank the panelists for sharing their paths and insights, and perhaps exchange business cards to ignite some future ideas.

Visit ctwbdc.org for more information on assistance with a small business in Connecticut.

Visit coveyclub.com to sign up for the newsletter.

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