A4I Day 3 - Entrepreneurs of Purpose - Entrepreneurs, Driving Big Change

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And grateful. Welcome to our Entrepreneurs of Purpose from. From WBC and our panel from our leadership group of entrepreneurs that are driving big change. Thank you, Gwen Young. Thank you, wbc. And a big shout out to my sister, Sharon Reynolds, as she co chairs the Entrepreneurs of Purpose with me. I'm a founder and an honorary chair of wbc. And I appreciate, and we appreciate each of you because you're unique. You are driving with intention. You've been growing entrepreneurial enterprises all the way, helping others in communities local, national or international. You build trust with your stakeholders. We are founders that not only scale financially but give back in such major ways. We highlight such core values that are deep in troubling times. Let us start with you, Judy. What has been driving you and your big support of others. And we thank you for who you are and what you've done. Judy Shepherd. Miss it.

Well, thank you, Edea, and also thanks to WBC for having me. And I'm delighted to be with these fabulous panelists. And I'm so happy to share my story with all of you. You know, passion is really what drove me to launch Jazzercise way back in 1969. Yep. Today we're 56 years old this year and we have over 7,000 franchisees worldwide. Now, my passion was and still is dance and music and its contribution to health and well being. In other words, movement, people, purpose was twofold. Number one for our customers, the people in our classes, for those women to feel good about themselves physically, mentally and emotionally and to feel strong enough to just accomplish anything. And secondly, for our franchisees, I wanted those women to feel capable as business owners and to be able to give back to their communities through charity work, mentoring, volunteering, fundraising, whatever. And you know what? To date together, we have contributed over $36 million to hundreds of organizations.

Yay.

I am proud and grateful that these convictions also led to pioneering the fitness industry and laying the groundwork for group exercise and for an industry that was not yet well established. So, in addition, historians and sociologists have also credited us with helping to further the feminist movement. For heaven's sake. By giving women confidence in their bodies and therefore feeling strong enough to accomplish whatever they wish. In other words, on fire. One of my most important female heroes is Harriet Tubman. She was a civil rights worker during the Civil War, bringing 700 people through the Underground Railroad. And she said it right when she wrote this. When you're tired, keep going. When you're sick, keep going. And when you feel dejected, keep going. And when you finally achieve your Dream of freedom or whatever it is. Don't stop, keep going. Now I just add this. Keep moving so you can keep going. Thank you so much.

We all just say is keep moving and keep going. To Judy shepherd visit and at a very different industry.

Sue Watkins When I started in trucking and logistics, I was very aware that this is a very male dominated space. But I also was aware that profit alone would not set us apart. You can make a dollar moving freight from point A to point B, but it's purpose that builds something lasting. For me, that purpose is built on three things. Trust, safety and service. I built my business by saying yes to the hard jobs, yes to that expedited hazmat battery cleanup, yes to complex high value deliveries. And it's those jobs, or should I say those challenges that build reliability and reputation which keeps you in business. And now I want to talk about scaling, which you brought up, Edie, which is important to all of us. You cannot scale in isolation, especially as a woman in this industry. Collaboration is the key to growth. And that's where WBC and the entrepreneurs of purpose step in. Through entrepreneurs of purpose, this is where I've met women in manufacturing, finance, technology, nonprofits and all professions. Throughout this supply chain there are introductions that lead to real partnerships, resources and brainstorming. Such as the brainstorming I experienced in D.C. in March when we had our first summit. That was an eye opening event to me. It also changed my view on scaling and that I am not doing enough. And also partnerships are the fastest way to grow. They shorten your learning curve and get you on the right trajectory. Now what does purpose for me mean? That means using my seat at the table for other women. That means I champion equal pay. I champion something that is very important to all of us. Equal opportunity to credit cash flow and leadership representation. That's why the WBC and entrepreneurs of purpose matter. It's a network. It's a network where these conversations begin. It's a place for changing the trajectory. It has helped my business and I would like to share this opportunity to all business women owners personally.

My background is such that in a male dominant industry, similar to what sue is in, in the finance council culture for women, what that was a free. That was a thing before it was an actual popular phrase that we have now. It really was. And Edie, you know some of the story about how I actually had a contract that tried to be canceled and tried to be eliminated by a gentleman and I just stood up to him and so this is probably part of my Purpose in that. I want to teach others, other women, other, other families, other business owners out there that we need to stand up for what we believe in. And part of that is who are we, who are we as people and who are we helping? My passion is really driven by being able to help others, whether it is a family owned business or a woman owned business. And we are going through unprecedented times, as Edie mentioned. I can tell you that I have sisters who I call sisters and their friends in different businesses right now that are owned, owed millions by the government. They are stressing about making payroll. I can tell you that I have women calling in probably every week. I must have one, at least one calling in for a loan from their IRA, a 60 day loan. Then we go on, we move on. Hopefully sometimes they have to go to their husband's loan too. So there is a unprecedented time that we're living in where we just really need to put our heels together and our arms together. We need to stand together and stand up for supporting each other. And so this is what I love about entrepreneurs of purpose. We are here to learn. We are here to unite. We are here to expand our networks. Get the introductions which I love about eop. We are not just here to, you know, have a drink together and, and have some good food. We are here to talk. How can I support you? How can I help you grow? So thank you, Edie, for allowing me to be part.

Thank you for pushing stand up and stand up by yourself and stand up with others and a totally different industry. Brittany Cole. Brittany, you've helped so many build brands and think about their purpose of their business and their life through their brand.

Thank you so much, Edie. And thank you to these incredible women that I have the pleasure of sitting on this panel with. And thank you to all of you. We are here at the Action for Impact Summit and we know that I believe when women thrive, corporations, community companies and countries thrive. And so thank you for being here and taking action so that we do see that change and that we do stand up the way that Kathy said. I don't know about you, but I've been over here taking notes because these women are absolutely brilliant and it's such a pleasure. So Edie, thank you for the introduction. I am Brittany nco. I'm a keynote speaker and the CEO and founder of Career Thrivers. And we work with individuals and companies in the talent development and leadership branding space. What does that mean? Well, that means that we help leaders do two things. We help leaders build up the skill Set of emerging leaders within organizations and then we help leaders with storytelling because most organizations and most business leaders, most entrepreneurs, are under leveraging the power of their story to point back to your employer brand to continue to grow your business. And so we've been super fortunate to work with Fortune 500 companies like the Bridgestones, Amazons, UPS, Morgan Stanley's of the world. And at the core of what we do and at the core of really what branding means and what it's about, it's about belief. And so being in a position where we're helping leaders think about what are the beliefs of the people that work inside of their organization so that they can put out the best kind of work, so that they continue to continue to develop their skills. Especially in an age where today we are working as slowly as we will ever work. Let me say it a different way because of the way that artificial intelligence will change our life. Not just the workforce, not just the marketplace, but the same way that we kind of think about Wi fi and needing it in order to work, it is the way that we will think about AI even sooner. And so because of that.

Right, right.

Being very change agile, being flexible, being resilient are skill sets that are really needed. And so we work with organizations in order to do that. And a big part of that has to do with, you know, how you think about your ability to be flexible, your ability to be able to change and to think differently about how you're serving your customers and your clients. And so Edie, when it comes to kind of this work of branding, you know, as I think about even the emerging leaders that we get to work with, some advice that I would share with, you know, emerging women entrepreneurs, emerging leaders around how do you build a purpose driven brand? And I'll say one thing as a baseline and I'll share four quick tips with you. Number one, your brand is not your social media, it's not your LinkedIn, it's not your Instagram. Those are mediums for you to scale your brand. Your brand is about belief. So it starts with an understanding of what is your purpose. So tip number one is right, anchor your brand in purpose, right? Not just products, not just the perception of your aesthetic online, but really, who are you? What is it that you're trying to drive? I love the way that Kathy asked these two questions. Who are we? And who are we helping? That's a great purpose question, right? To anchor into, to really build your brand around that. The second tip that I would tell you is to tell your story before Someone else does. I often like to give this analogy of if we were all in a room together, I'd ask, who in the.

Room has a brand?

And I always love posing that question in a room where I can see people kind of look around and they're like, you know, some people kind of.

Raise their hand when we're like, I.

Don'T know, maybe everyone's hand should be up, right? Because brand just means belief. There is a belief about you in the marketplace. There was a belief about you in your community, right? And so everyone has a brand. The question is, where are you? So if you think of your brand as a car, the question isn't do you have a car? The question is, where are you in proximity to, to the car? You can be one of a few places, right? And this is a self question I'd ask you, are you in the front seat of the car? Are you in the back seat of the car? Or you're not even in the car, you're standing on the side of the road watching your car get, go, go down the street, right? So I want to encourage you to get in the car, tell your story before someone else does, own your narrative. And then last but not least, right? Tips to really help you own your brand in a purposeful way is to build your leadership brand. Right? So after you have clarity around that story, then how are you communicating that? How are you sharing that? I love what sue says. You can't scale in isolation. Collaboration is the key to growth. So if we're going to, as Judy told us, keep moving and keep growing, keep growing and keep going, then it requires us to really own that leadership brand.

I know the thought is around the future and what the future of legacy looks like for businesses. And personally, I always look towards the future. You know, I use the example of not being blockbuster, right? They had an opportunity to innovate, to change, don't be afraid to change. I think even in industries, it's all about systems and sometimes systems need change, right. I find even in my own business, we recently acquired a software company to help scale and grow and provide our clients with a more immersive experience in the financial management, which my company does. So I personally see the future is taking on the new term AI, Right. I know that's the buzz of everything right now, learning about it, collaborating, partnering. I've gotten so many great ideas through entrepreneurs of purpose and WBC and all the different ways. I just recently joined YPO as well, and it's been a global environment to connect with Businesses across the country, you're only going to get ideas, like sue said, not in isolation. You cannot figure it out alone. And if there's other CEOs who have gone down that road before, why not talk to them so you don't run into those same potholes. Right? So I think that has been the key to our growth, is really aligning with people who are willing to support and help you grow, which is right here with the wbc. I have had times where members have picked up the phone and made. Made a call and made a warm introduction. Those doors open with collaboration, so you truly cannot do any of it alone. The future is change. The future is innovation and definitely finding the right rooms to be in. Because sometimes you're not in the right room, you're not going to grow. Right. If your company is a shark and you're at a fish tank, you don't have the opportunity to grow because you don't have those ideas. So that's my number one tip that I've learned. How we've scaled tremendously in 2025 is because we got in the right rooms. Thank you.

Well, thank you for focusing, being a door opener, because you're a consummate one. And with that, we'd like everybody to just end with one sentence of what this innovation and purpose means to you and to us. So we'll go very quickly. Judy Shepherd. Miss it.

Right. I would say it's about mind, body, spirit. Improve your mind by being a part of groups like wbc. It's so important. And of course, get out there, like I said before, and move, move that body. And last but not least, fill your spirit with great things by making a difference in other people's lives.

Right. And let's move to Sue Watkins.

Thank you, Edie. To me, one sentence. Entrepreneurs of purpose is about building a business that not only drives results, but. But opens doors for other women. Because success is sweeter when we rise and scale together.

I can only think of one word which is something that Marjorie Krause, our chairperson of the wpo, has made a quote, which I think we all should know, if we don't already underestimate it. Never underestimate the underestimated, and that's us. We are underestimated, not just by men, but by other women as to what we can do and what we can accomplish.

Thank you. And Brittany.

Yeah, well, Simone said it best. As we are focused on the future. With that future in mind, my sentence would be, ladies, it is time for us to get out of survival mode. And to recognize that we were born to thrive. And that thriving starts with you owning your narrative, owning your story as you build your business and owning your power to thrive.

It's beautiful. Everybody except thrive. Drive to thrive. Now that we've used that word drive.

And Simone shepherd, yes, I heard this long ago and it motivated me. There is enough sky for all of us, right? So let's just all reach for the sky and pull each other up because it's no lack of, it's only abundance and it's enough for all of us.

And for you and all of us as entrepreneurs of purpose. We are so grateful for each other for what the sisterhood is to innovate, survive and to push up and to pull back and to help others. There's no greater group or mission in life for our legacy than all of us together as entrepreneurs of purpose. Thank you so much.