At StartUp Terminal, we believe our diversity is our strength. As International Woman’s Day grows near, we celebrate the achievements of women around the world.
To kick off our celebration, we’ve asked Australia-based entrepreneur Liv Jones (Founder & Director of Attain Digital, Think Tank Australia & RBT Gyms), few questions on her experience achieving success in the field of entrepreneurship, and what advice she has for women entering the workforce today.
Excerpts:
ST: Please tell us briefly about you.
Liv: Wife, Mother, Entrepreneur. I spend my days running million-dollar companies, only to come home and savour what really matters to me, more than anything. My amazing family, my two crazy boys, and am quickly relegated from Boss Lady to Snack Lady. Like most working Mum’s I often feel I am walking a knife edge between my guilt as a Mum, the desire to be there for every smile, tear and achievement, and my personal desire for growth, achievement and success as an individual. I do my best each day, and some days I feel like I win and other days there is wine.
ST: Who is a woman that inspires you the most and why?
Liv: It’s a battle between Nigella Lawson and Joanna Gaines. Both women are powerful in their fields, share love through food, value family and connection.
But if I had to choose right now, it would be Joanna, balancing family, marriage, work and a never-ending bake fest.
Balancing working with my husband, each nurturing your passion and talents to create something better together than as individuals. Our special relationship, our amazing kids, I look at Joanna and think, yep I am not crazy, we can do this, and you can look great in gumboots on a farm doing it.
ST: How are you celebrating this year’s International Women’s Day?
Liv: After 2020…. Wine, a cheese board and laughing with my sister and my equally awesome girl friends.
ST: What is the most important message you want to send out to all the women around the world on this occasion?
Liv: You don’t need to be masculine to stand out in a male dominated world. You just need to be certain, confident, and rock solid about how awesome you are. The rest of it, just wing it with a smile and never be afraid to laugh out loud.
ST: What according to you is ‘women empowerment’?
Liv: It’s an ever-changing definition for me, as I get older and wiser it becomes something more than what I thought the Spice Girls were singing about. I would say it’s about the opportunity to do and be anything we want.
I don’t want it given to me; I want to earn it. I love that it’s all there for the taking, we just have to step up to the plate.
ST: What would you say are the main challenges facing women at present globally?
Liv: What a can of worms I could open here, but I won’t. Not today. But I would say for women globally. Balance.
Balance in their masculine feminine energy, balance between woman and mother, balance between wife and work, friend and colleague, bitch and confident, sexy and classy.
We are constantly on a tightrope or expectations external and internal, to live up to the ideals that are set for us as women. Balance. It’s impossible without feeling some sort of failure. I love that the shift is coming.
(Email us: editorial@startupterminal.com)
