I’m proud to have a woman-owned business, though my hope is that someday that won’t need to be called out… I’d just have a business.

I’m so thankful for all of the powerful women who came before me and paved the way for me to be where I am today. There have been SO. MANY. And I want to share just a few of them with you.  

My grandmother was a WWII nurse. Then she was the HEAD nurse at a major hospital. She was also a tough-as-nails (though very loving) grandma! Truly, unless you were bleeding out, she didn’t want to hear about it!

She told me stories about what it was like as a woman in the workforce back in the 40’s, 50’s, etc. Women were not allowed to ‘talk-back’ or to raise concerns/opinions with the all-powerful male doctors. Let’s just say that had she not been such an incredible nurse, she would have been fired on many occasions!

However sad that makes me, it also makes me insanely proud to call her my very first example of a bad-ass WOMAN, who is completely authentic and takes no sh*t! She imparted that on me from my very beginning.

Her favorite story to tell was about when I was learning to swim, around age three. She took me in the pool, held me while she ‘swam’ me around, and I promptly stated ‘NO! I CAN DO BY SELF!!!’ And, in her words, ‘By golly, you did!’

I’ve always lived that way (though over time have learned when to ask for help)! And primarily, I have DJ to thank for that. IF ONLY she could see me now.  

My mother, on the other hand, taught me compassion. She was the sweetest, kindest human you’d ever meet. Being a strong woman has to also encompass the ‘soft’ traits. She taught me love, kindness, giving… all attributes that are necessary to be an effective parent, partner, employee, and business owner. I can feel her hugging me right now. 😊  

Then, of course, there have been my business mentors.

Judy Coleman was my first boss. She and her husband ran the business. And she ran her husband. (Sorry, John!) She set the bar…. high… for what I expect a business and an owner to look like. She was the first person to take me under her wing and truly believe in my capabilities as an employee.

Darcy DiLiddo was second. She stood up for me when nobody else would. She went head-to-head with the ‘big guys’ and almost always got what she wanted.  She's a force to be reckoned with. 

Fran Helms was next…. One of the kindest AND toughest women I’ve ever known. She was the Queen of Orthopedics in Boston… which you may know is totally a ‘boys’ club’. She didn’t care. She was there to do a job and do it RIGHT, no matter who she had to stand up to. She was an entrepreneur and showed me that you really can juggle all the balls. (No pun intended!)  

Then came Diane Marcou. Diane taught me bookkeeping. Diane is the reason for this career. Why my business exists. She had faith in me, and showed it even through her tough-as-nails demeanor. She, too, was not afraid of the boys that made up the Med-Tech/VC world. She kept me right by her side. 

And finally we get to Melissa Laverty. She owns a tax & bookkeeping business. When I was struggling to start my business, I was feeling dejected and decided to take a ‘job’. When I interviewed with her, she said ‘I’m not going to hire you.’ My thoughts: ‘Uhm, I thought this went GREAT!’ She followed up with ‘You’re too good. You belong as a business owner, not as an employee, and I know that eventually you’ll just leave me. I can’t take that chance and I want to support you to get to where you deserve to be.’ She’s been by my side since that ‘interview’, and six years later, not only AM I that business owner, but she’s also going to be in my wedding!  

I could sit here for DAYS listing out the rest of the women who have guided, supported, and inspired me over the years, from the friends, to the networking acquaintances (turned friends), to my amazing staff... I am one lucky woman.

So, I thank all of the women (and those who identify as women) who came before me and who taught me so much for everything that I am and all that I have become. I’m pretty damn proud of myself (which I’m learning is OKAY to say out loud), and I owe it to all of them.

I only hope that I can make the same impact on others. I strive to do so for the next generation, and they’ll have my women to thank as well!

Remember to celebrate this month (and all year long) how far we’ve come and to be thankful for those who have shaped us.

Extra credit: Reach out to at least 2 of them this month and let them know what an impact they’ve had on you!

With all my love, kindness, and bad-assness,