This week we talked with Dr. Donna Marie Cozine, Founder and CEO of Renaissance Academy Charter School of the Arts. Donna is an educational leader and the author of So You Want to Be a Superintendent: Become the Leader you Were Meant to Be! You can visit her online at www.consultdmc.com.

Tell me about yourself!
I am the founder and CEO of Renaissance Academy Charter School of the Arts. Although people don't usually associate entrepreneurship with education, that is exactly what charter schools are about. We create an innovative school environment from scratch that empowers and changes the lives of children who otherwise would have poor educational options.  I have been a teacher, assistant principal, principal, adjunct college professor, curriculum writer, author and now CEO/superintendent.  I have two beautiful children who attend my school and an incredibly supportive husband. 

What made you decide to start your own school?
I was an executive coach for leaders in the Rochester City School District, the school district with the worst outcomes in the nation, when I realized that parents needed better options for their children's education. I was also thinking about school for my then 3-year-old and 10-month-old. I decided that I would use my skills and talents to architect an elementary school for children that used the arts to grow other competencies. That school, Renaissance Academy Charter School of the Arts, is in its 7th year of operation with over 500 students and 93 staff members. We consistently have hundreds of children on our wait list each year.  

What's the hardest part about being an entrepreneur?
Being the "head cook and bottle washer" can be trying at times! Also, it is a truly a 24/7 proposition. You need to be available to address concerns whenever they arise. 

What's your favorite part?
Knowing that what I am doing is improving the lives of thousands of children and their families. 

What advice would you give to women either working in business or starting their own?
Align your mission to your position and be true to yourself in all that you do. Don't compromise or sacrifice what you want to do. It will come. 

What is your favorite quote?
What doesn't challenge you doesn't change you!

This week we talked with Caitlin Brookes of MyPropella. Caitlin is the Founder and CEO of MyPropella, an online platform creating a community of solo female travelers to connect and travel together. Caitlin holds a UNSW Bachelor of Social Science and a UNSW Masters in Planning. In addition to the demands of her CEO role with MyPropella, Caitlin provides consultation services in relation to social media communications strategy, community and stakeholder engagement and community engagement events. You can visit Caitlin online at mypropella.com.au/.

Tell me about your business!
Many women travel solo due to circumstance, not choice. We match women travelers so they can travel safely, in comfort and with ease to their chosen destination. 

How did you business come about?
I’m an avid traveler having traveled to 35 countries. I experienced this problem first hand when travelling solo to Africa. I found it hard to connect and meet with like minded female travelers to share my travel experience with. I started researching by interviewing and surveying over 200 women and discovered women were experiencing the same issue as me. This was mainly felt by women aged 50 years and over. 

What's the hardest part about being an entrepreneur?
Stamina and the persistence to keep going when you have a health setback. 

What's your favorite part?
Continually learning new skills like web development, financial management, people management and working on my passion project. 

What advice would you give to women either working in business or starting their own?
Find supportive women who can mentor and encourage you.

What's your favorite quote?
Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever. ​

This week we talked with Alice Mabin of Al Mabin Pty Ltd. Al is a 10 times best-selling author and BEFA Asia Pacific Female Entrepreneur of the Year. Her record-breaking publications, The Drover, The Driver and The Grower Series are iconic. More than just stunning books, these masterpieces reconnect people to the outback way of life, celebrate the essence of the Aussie bush and stir solidarity. Recently, she released her memoir, detailing the winding road that brought her from traumatic brain injury survivor to award-winning author. The Winding Road: Secrets of an Outback Entrepreneur reminds us that our potential is limitless. You can visit Alice online at www.almabin.com.
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Tell me about yourself!
I like to think of myself as just a country woman, living my dream, not taking no for an answer, creating magic and making the impossible possible. I have a limitless mindset and get so much joy out of seeing other people succeed. I am just as comfortable with my own company in remote outback locations as I am wining and dining in the cities. But I would choose the country over the city any day, however love the best of both worlds. 

Tell me about your business!
I dedicate my life to sharing the heart and spirit of our rural communities with the world. I spent many years working on the land before an accident that left me physically unable to farm again. Determined to preserve my contribution to our agricultural industry, I sold my working dogs, bought a camera and turned Australia’s self-publishing industry on its head. 

Now well-known for commanding keynotes, I harnesses the power of storytelling to inspire change, challenge mindsets and create brilliance. My Outback yarns will change the way you think. 

How did you business come about?
My identity was tied to working on the land in agriculture, but due to a major head injury I had to change my path. I ended up in the corporate world, still involved in agriculture, and my corporate career blossomed. My life started to resemble a conventional existence: 9-5, secure job, heath insurance, company car, travel, tech gadgets, ladder rungs, bottom lines. But there was something missing. The supposed peace and security associated with that prototypical existence unsettled me. That inherent conflict between my heart and mind reappeared, and I began to question if what I was doing with my life was right for me. The conflict was palpable. I began to ask myself, Who creates the unwritten rules of how we should live our lives, and why do we so willingly follow them? Who defines how we should behave? What would I do if I had six months to live?

It was the six-month question that got me.  It took me a while to face up to my worry and apprehension, but I knew enough about myself to recognize that my well-being was connected to my ability to face fear. I missed having the freedom to grow and explore. I missed buzzing with anticipation and searching the undiscovered. So, I chose to leave my career—my six-figure salary security. I brought a camera, ended up on the worlds biggest cattle drive, and started my own business.

What's the hardest part about being an entrepreneur?
Being in the lime light all the time, always having to have my game face on.  Balancing the 'pusher' and 'inner critic' in me to not chew myself up and spit myself out or work 24/7. 

What's your favorite part?
My favorite part is seeing the impact my products have on people. Seeing them connect in the moment and stir emotion inside. The flow on effect from this is long lasting and exponentially shared.

What advice would you give to women either working in business or starting their own?
There is no right or wrong way to do business. The biggest barrier to success is our own minds, so the more work we can do on ourselves and understanding our own psychology, the more we can be present and create magic in our worlds.

What's your favorite quote?
I learnt early on that life is the fruit of our own doing: we have no one to blame but ourselves for the life we cultivate. Life is too short not to do what you love. 

This week we talked with the inspiring Claudia Mangeac. Claudia is a multi-passionate entrepreneur who chose early on that she will live an inspired and extraordinary life, no matter the circumstances. You can find her online at www.claudiamangeac.com.

Tell me about yourself!
I was born & raised in Romania. However, at age 18, I got on a plane for the first time and left Romania with £800 in my pocket and the goal of moving to the UK to study film. Since then, I've been through several career changes, moves, hit rock bottom and went through a divorce. Despite all this, I've persevered. I'm a huge believer in female entrepreneurship & generally I have very high energy & love motivating others. 

I've often been described as "too young" for things. I left Romania at 18, I got married at 21 and divorced at 25, started my first company at 23, got my first leadership role at 26. I went from terrible debt in my early 20's to now running a profitable business and helping others discover how they can run a business & not let it run their life.

What made you decide to start your own business?
The reality is that until about the age of 25, I struggled with imposter syndrome, comparison, feeling inspired often but never taking action, being overwhelmed by too many choices, starting projects and not finishing them. Oh, and so much self-doubt. I felt that if I wasn't good at something already, there was no point even trying.

That was until 2016 when I discovered self-development. I've always been curious about how our mind works but in typical me fashion, I never took any further. That same year, I shut down my e-commerce business and I started working for a startup that aligned with my values. In 2017, I took 17 trips and visited 13 countries. I soon discovered I was great at brainstorming with people, I felt my best when I was motivating others and slowly started building a vision for my life where I could help other entrepreneurs. I started taking online courses, reading everything I could find, surrounding myself with inspiring people and doing a lot of self-discovery work.
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Today I'm on a mission to empower entrepreneurs to build authentic & profitable businesses alongside an inspired and joyful life. I did for years I did HR in tech startups, so I spent a large part of my career helping others and understanding what motivates them. I always believed that us women have to deal with a lot of crap, so I wanted to do my bit and help women build businesses and help them feel less overwhelmed.

What's the hardest part about being an entrepreneur?
Juggling everything, doing it all alone, the doubts, and the comparison. Generally the mindset challenges!

What's your favorite part?
The freedom I have and the impact I get to have.

What advice would you give to women either working in business or starting their own?
Soooo much! If I had to choose one, it would be never do work for free. Know your value & don't be afraid to add tax to it.

This week we talked with Chelsie Tamms of Lettering Works, a branding studio that connects businesses to their audience through creativity and strategy. Founder and owner Chelsie is an award-winning lettering artist and designer based out of Chicago. With over 10 years of practice of lettering and design, Chelsie is passionate about craft and intention. When she’s not designing, she can be found eating ice cream, traveling internationally, or starting a new passion project. You can visit Chelsie online at www.letteringworks.com.
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Tell me about yourself!
I am a lettering artist and designer who is passionate about helping others bring their ideas to life visually through compelling custom artwork. I love working on a mix of passion projects, product design, and freelance design work. I personally love to travel and connect with other creative people.

Tell me about your business!
I started Lettering Works after winning $10,000 in startup funding from Bradley University in Peoria, IL when I was a senior there. I spent the first three years in business in Peoria, Illinois where I worked with countless small businesses, independent creatives, and causes. I relocated to Chicago in summer 2019 and began to expand my product line and services for the Chicago market. Most of the work I do is in the advertising and marketing spaces, but has a focus on art and creativity.

Previous to starting a business, I held several internships at creative advertising agencies and worked at personalized product company. I studied graphic design, Spanish, and marketing and got involved with the entrepreneurship department at Bradley my senior year. After winning the $10,000 in startup funding, I started my business in Peoria in 2016.

What's the hardest part about being an entrepreneur?
The hardest part about being an entrepreneur is having to educate others on the value of your services. This is especially challenging being a solo-preneur because it can be easy to feel isolated or alone and unsure of what you should be charging or offering to clients. Knowing and understanding your value is an ever-evolving component of being an entrepreneur. 

What's your favorite part?
My favorite part of being an entrepreneur is being in control of the work that I want to do. I am always making time for personal projects, which help me proactively secure the type of projects I want to work on. Being able to choose what I work on ensures that I am truly passionate about the work that I am doing, which often leads to better results for everyone involved.

What advice would you give to women either working in business or starting their own?
Invest in yourself. Don't allow others to dictate your career, but instead work proactively to attract the exact work you'd like to get. If you have an idea that you are truly passionate about, find a way to make it happen.

What's your favorite quote?
Do more of what makes you happy.

This week we talked with The Pricing Lady, aka Janene Liston of Janene Liston Coaching & Consulting. Janene helps small businesses owners gain confidence and using pricing as a tool to grow their business. You can visit her online at janeneliston.com. 

Tell me about yourself!
I'm born and raised in California and studied Architectural Engineering in University. I worked in that area for a few years then switched to product management for a high voltage test and measurement company. I also moved to Connecticut during that time. It's with this company that I had the opportunity in 2001 to move to Switzerland where I've been living for the past 19 years,  and am currently a Swiss citizen. 

My career switched again when I was hired by Siemens to be their Global Pricing Manager for the Building Automation division. It was during this time I became a certified pricing professional and pricing has been my thing ever since. In 2017, I started my own business as the Pricing Lady. My clients are typically small businesses who are struggling with pricing and/or seeking to improve the bottom line with pricing. I show them how to set, get, and manage prices so they can close more details, at the right price, confidently.

On the personal side I enjoy traveling, public speaking (especially Toastmasters), mountain biking, cross country skiing and I crafting my own greeting cards. 

What made you decide to start your own business?
The biggest catalyst was a burn out. I had been thinking about starting my own business for years, but was always afraid of the financial struggle. As I was recovering from the burn out of the corporate world, I realized I truly love pricing and what I can bring companies with that expertise, but that I wanted to help out smaller companies. I also wanted to build a business that gave me flexibility and the ability to also spend a couple of months a year doing volunteer and social work abroad. In the end, my own business offered me the opportunity to achieve these things.

What's the hardest part about being an entrepreneur?
Riding the roller coaster- the highs and lows are the hardest part.

What's your favorite part?
Helping people achieving their dreams and seeing their confidence as they improve pricing in their businesses.

What advice would you give to women either working in business or starting their own?
Trust yourself and use your network. As women, too often we turn to others to confirm our own ideas. We should have the gumption to take decisions, not because others say it's right, but because we trust ourselves and the fact that even if it doesn't go as planned, we can handle the situation anyhow.

What's your favorite quote?
Julia Roberts in Steel Magnolias said: "I'd rather have 30 minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special."