International Women’s Day is close to our hearts as female founders at Edible Blooms.
We’re all about celebrating wins and, like you, we’d like to see the gap close sooner than later. This year the 2023 International Women’s Day theme of DigitALL encourages us to highlight women making advancements in technology and innovation. Technology, and our confidence to leverage it’s capability, are critical for women to leap forward in a complex age.
How can we close the gap?
Collaboration, Education, and Courage.
Collaboration is key when talking about innovation and technology. Together we achieve so much more than as individuals and the ripple of small steps being taken by many creates big leaps forward.
Educating young women with technology and STEM emphasis within our schools, having the courage to ask questions (even when we think the question is the silly one), and delving into our curiosity to continually learn and push the boundaries.
What’s important to us as women in business?
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Celebrating one another’s wins. Giving high fives when they’re due and sharing the good stories far and wide.
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Sustainable living. Consciously thinking about how to treat our planet well. We’ve made huge inroads in reducing waste and recycling and we still have some big ideas to come!
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Collaborations and partnerships. One of our favourites was working with an incredible indigenous artist to bring in 2023, Kenita-Lee McCartney. This woman is a powerhouse in her community and incredibly talented. It is a privilege.
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Connecting others. Kelly actively mentors many other female founders and champions their success. She is also co-founder of the Fearless Female movement which will host more than 200 women this Wednesday to celebrate International Women’s Day.
When to say Yes, and When to say No?
In today’s busy lifestyle, we’re all juggling family, work, and personal care and not always getting them in balance. Personal learning we have had as women in business, we’re a minority which means we get asked to do a lot, is the ability to make quick decisions. We’re often asked to give our time to mentor others, take active roles on boards and care for those around us in addition to succeeding in our own careers. The power we have is making confident decisions quickly and this means it’s important to assess our ability to say ‘Yes’ AND ‘No’.
How do we do that well?
Assess the opportunity to determine how much impact you will have by saying Yes. As role models for the next generation, say yes to the opportunities that create the biggest ripple. Mentoring a group or recording a video rather than a small conversation has a greater impact and uses your time well. When we say Yes to too many things, we’re also saying No to our families and that’s a balance we need to get more right than wrong.
Some of our favourite feminist inspiration …
“To the women who are labeled…
Strong : Keep being assertive
Bossy : Keep on Leading
Difficult : Keep telling the truth
Too Much: Keep taking up space
Awkward : Keep asking hard questions.
"Please don’t shrink yourself to make people happy. Be yourself, you’re beautiful that way” @myhealingcircle
"I don’t regret having regrets. I don’t see them as things I should be ashamed of; they are things that make me work on decisions I make in the future." Celeste Barber
"Women are always saying, 'We can do anything that men can do.' But men should be saying, 'We can do anything that women can do." Gloria Steinem
