Martha Stewart and Martha Billes

Lesley Gillespie, the cofounder of Australia’s most successful bakery, Baker’s Delight, has shown many, if not all, of the traits required to be a successful entrepreneur, and is now on the BRW Rich Women 2015 list. In an equal partnership with husband Roger, her position as joint chief executive puts her on the list of a minority of business owned by women, especially in the 1980’s when Bakers Delight was opened. Though she has said that she has not faced many barriers to being a woman in business, apart from a few instances, a woman would likely not have made it to be so successful without focus, thinking of those around her, passion, self motivation and without being a hard worker, all of which are traits required to be an entrepreneur.

Martha Graham and Doris Humphrey are known as the founders, or the pioneers of modern dance. They were of the first to begin the modern dance era, after Isadora Duncan. Graham and Humphrey reshaped the way people looked at dance giving it new meaning. During the 1900’s they defined modern dance and gave it clear recognizable movements that distinguish it from many other dances created in the past.

However, C.J Walker was very different as she did not rely on her husband, but rather creating her own business becoming the first self-made African-American millionaire. Madam C.J Walker helped shaped America’s history and its future through her tireless commitment by creating a hair product industry, which would influenced other woman to become more

These women, although they lived in a third world country, have the skill and gumption to go into business for themselves, and “be their own boss”. In the United States, more women have the ability

Sarah Breedlove (Madam CJ Walker) did the unthinkable and became the first self-made female millionaires, during a time when women could not vote and African Americans were legally discriminated against in America. Madam CJ Walker survived countless boundaries which included being orphaned at seven, widowhood by age twenty, bad marriages, being a single parent, institutional racism, Jim Crow era, and low wages. How did Madam Walker achieve this incredible feat, facing such dire odds, and challenges in a time where she was thought of as less than a person? The following research in about the woman, the times, and her accomplishments during an era of hardship for all women especially for the African American women.

The death of her family at a young age prompted her to become independent, nearly immediately. She decided she would not be a victim and she asserted control over her life. She practically had the entire groundwork of her business established before graduating college, so all she had to do was step into the template of her new life. By 24, her supermarket was the heart of the city, providing her with enough cash to venture out in every conceivable avenue. In a few years, she had her hands in everything from farming to railroads to

Virtuous behavior is to experience emotions at the right time, toward the right object or people for the right reason in the right manner in accordance with the mean. – Aristotle

Like many children, Glueckel saw her parents as prime examples of what to do in order to have a prosperous business and be financially secure. Her father “left no debts and worked himself to the bone to provide decently for his family” (Glueckel, 11). With this role model, Glueckel saw how hard work is more representative of a person’s wealth than a large inheritance. She also witnessed how “the community prospered during the presidency of [her] father” (Glueckel, 21). As for her mother, Glueckel saw how a Jewish woman can break the mould and fend for herself. Her mother proved herself to be a fine businesswoman and knew how to make the goods she would sell. Overall, “when merchants found that she knew her business and was prompt in her deliveries, they trusted her without surety.” (Glueckel, 18). Even though she was a women, she was able to prove herself a good businessperson and therefore, was able to “provide a living for her mother and clean, decent clothes for herself” (Glueckel, 18). Glueckel’s mother is an example of a Jewish woman who strived to provide for her family and succeeded in her endeavor to do so. While her parents were prime examples of successful business people, they were not the only ones for Glueckel to model herself after. Glueckel recounts of stories of individuals from her life that worked for their living. More specifically, Glueckel often recounts of stories

She thrived in an industry which was predominantly male-operated, challenging the limits of what a women could pursue. With her knowledge of the family business, Frances was considered “as good a judge of credits as any banker in the country.” (74) Frances Harling proved herself to be just as capable as any male banker, much admired for her capabilities by both old and new generations of the time. Among the women of Black Hawk, Mrs. Gardener also challenges gender norms by running a business. She runs a hotel, with primarily male visitors, with the help of her husband. Although it was common at this time for men to be in charge of their family’s business, Mrs. Gardener took this position in her family’s dynamic. It was in fact “Mrs. Gardener who ran the business and looked after everything. [...] [Her husband] was a popular fellow, but no manager.” (89) Although men were usually the breadwinners of their families during this time period, Mrs. Gardener showed that women could be breadwinners as well. Her skills and ambition provided her with a successful business opportunity that she took pride in. Additionally, her husband appeared grateful for her skills as Mr. Gardener realized “that without [Mrs. Gardener] he would hardly be more than a clerk in some other man’s hotel.” (93) Mrs.

Women entered their chosen occupation at the bottom of the business ladder. A very small number of them became entrepreneurs; it took determination, even though they were already part of the workforce. The ones who did strive to become entrepreneurs were known as ‘go-getters’ (White, 104). ‘Go-getters’ were hard-working women who wanted a significant role in American society. Some of these women had a problem with being segregated from men in the workplace. Certain fields were then classified as a male, female, or a neutral occupation. The majority of successful women entered what could be described as neutral or predominantly female careers (White, 51). Most of the successful women had professional and vocational qualifications, having studied business administration. (See Appendix A). Women were then expected to enter one of these fields, if they were to pursue any career at

Given men are traditionally able to succeed at business, when a father is thinking about what to do with his own business his immediate thought for a son to take over. Mara Hvistendahl asks in her book Unnatural Selection, “what good is material wealth if you don’t have a son to inherit it?” (2011:20) If a business grew from a startup to a success, owners, who are predominately men, want to keep the success in the family. The fathers of the world begin to train their sons from a young age to follow in their footsteps. Whether those footsteps be the CEO of a fortune 500 corporation, or a family owned auto shop; sons are groomed to inherit the name that their father has made for himself. Rarely are daughters trained to take over control of their father’s business. They are groomed by the mother to be able to tend to their husband. The world is set up to have men as leaders and women as followers. Women being labeled as second place is one of the causes of so many missing women. Their lack of importance leads to a lack of motivation by parents to spend time and money raising a girl.

This essay will compare and contrast Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres based on their lives before fame, their talk shows, and their impact on society.

In fact, this same evidence points to how Jamaica’s businessman extraordinaire Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart became successful. It was not financial assets through a family heir loom or education; but, it was his continued zeal for creating an empire based upon innovative marketing ideas and expounding upon those ideas which made his chain of businesses into the success they are today. In addition to one’s drive to exceed, one’s moral and sociable character is a guaranteed pillar upon which success can be based. Indeed, a study from the Journal of Happiness Studies indicated that character strengths – especially zest, perseverance, hope, and curiosity – play a key role in ambitious work behaviour (Gander, Proyer, Ruch, & Wyss, 2012).

In this paper the history of women in the workforce will be outlined, as well as the challenges they face. The changing attitudes towards women taking over family businesses will be looked at briefly, how women lead in comparison to how men lead, and a comparison of their leadership style will also be discussed.

The most successful women entrepreneurs are those who "dream big"-they see themselves succeeding financially, managing large staffs and running businesses that have