11 Super Successful #BossLadies Give Us Their Best Career Advice

It wasn’t too long ago that women weren’t allowed in the workforce. In fact, travel back in time just 60 years ago, and a list like this may not have even been possible. Today, women are taking control of their lives. They are inspired and inspiring others to climb corporate ladders and shatter glass ceilings. The world is seeing more and more women graduate from post-secondary school (even more so than men), entering the workforce and championing their fields.

“A strong woman is a woman determined to do something others are determined not to be done” – Marge Piercy

It’s safe to say that strong females have paved the way for women in the workplace – Beyonce said it best when she said, Who run the world? Girls. And while the path to success seems daunting – one might even say scary as hell at times – everyone has to get their start somewhere. No #GirlBoss made it to the top without a few challenges along the road.

So, in lieu of International Women’s Day, we spoke to 11 of the most accomplished and badass #BossLadies we know – from all different backgrounds and industries – about the words of wisdom that helped them on their path to success and the advice they would give to #GirlBosses in the making.

Halla Rafati, Managing Partner at Halo Public Relations

The Best Career Advice I Ever Received: “Success has many parents, it is failure that’s the orphan.” (by my mentor, Dimitrios Zarikos, RVP, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts). 

Everyone takes credit for success, but no one wants to own up to failure. It’s human nature so rise above it – share the fame and take the blame. It will all work out in the end and you’ll be a better leader for it.

A Piece of Advice From Me To Someone New:

Your relationships are your currency. Everything about the field of public relations is based on how well you manage and nurture your relationships. Stay mindful of this fact and be careful whose toes you step on today… they might be connected to the hands that will help you tomorrow. And if that sentence offends you, you’re in the wrong industry.

Dana Rook, Brand Manager at Kao Corporation 

The Best Career Advice I Ever Received:  “Be present at all times.”

I remember early in my career, just after university, my superior whom I held tremendous respect for, told me that to become a strong leader one always needs to be present. By this, she meant to be engaging, be passionate, have an opinion, ask questions and have an impact. Never sit back and let things pass by without playing a role. From a business perspective, this drove me to develop more confidence as I asked more questions, provided my own POV without hesitation and in turn learned through experiences. I have often reflected on this comment and believed that as a result, I have been able to have much greater influence over the path of my career and the impact I have been able to make along the way.

A Piece of Advice From Me To Someone New:

Find your passion. I have always believed that passion drives success. Passion in one’s career may not necessarily present itself in the way we expect but by developing a passion for the work one does, it can lead to great things. In order to do this, one needs to determine what is truly important to them. This can drive your career path and help when making decisions along the way. When you find a career path and organization that aligns with your own beliefs, it is easy to develop a strong sense of passion, enthusiasm, and commitment. These qualities help positively influence your own personal brand, your greatest asset in all of life!

Natalie Dusome, Founder at Poppy and Peonies

The Best Career Advice I Ever Received: “Own your craft.”

Own your business, don’t let your business own you!

A Piece of Advice From Me To Someone New:

Be passionate about what you do. The fashion industry sounds glamorous, but it’s not all lipstick and heels. It’s important to be passionate about what you do and set goals. This will help you get through those all-nighters or when things get tough. If I didn’t set goals for myself and my company it would be easy to give up and loose focus. I’m also a big believer in positive thinking and the law of attraction. I would recommend knowing what you want and ensuring everything you do is getting you closer to your goal.

Sarah Kwan, Co-founder and President of non-profit group, Lean in Canada 

The Best Career Advice I Ever Received:  “Lean In.”

Okay, but seriously – part of leaning in is getting out of your comfort zone and taking bold moves, and this has many benefits. Not only will it push you forward professionally, but doing new and scary things – and then realizing you’ve got a handle on it and have nothing to be afraid of – will also grow your level of confidence immensely. There are so many other invaluable pieces of advice people I’ve met have shared with me. One is to build your own group of ‘raving fans’, who will champion you and advocate on your behalf. In a work setting this could be peers who think of you as a phenomenal teammate, clients who love the work you’ve done for them and will highly recommend you to others, and crucially, sponsors – those who are senior to you or more influential in some way, who believe in you so much they’ll give you visibility to their network and access to opportunities for growth. It gives you a lot of credibility when people toot your horn for you.

A Piece of Advice From Me To Someone New:

Figure out what you don’t know, and find advisors and mentors to help you fill in the gaps. When we started Lean In Canada, we didn’t know anything about running a non-profit and seeking out advice from people like lawyers, small business coaches, and experts in board governance helped us to achieve our goals more successfully and avoid pitfalls as we grew.

Go out and network. Networking has been a key ingredient in a lot of the milestones we’ve achieved, whether it’s funding from sponsors, building a board of directors, and gaining some of our best speakers.

Make sure that while you’re working hard at building, you also take care of yourself. It’s easy to get burnt out when you’re building a non-profit; resources such as time, money, and staff are scarce when you start out – but you can’t pour from an empty cup. Be intentional about giving yourself time away from work; you’ll only come back more refreshed and productive.

Don’t forget to step back from the day to day and plan your priorities deliberately. It can be easy when you first start to be so consumed by the operational tasks you have to do, but similarly to giving yourself time, stepping back to do strategic planning, setting annual objectives and monthly and quarterly focuses puts in perspective what’s critical to the growth of your organization.

Lexi Miles, Founder/Beauty Entrepreneur of WAXON Waxbars

The Best Career Advice I Ever Received: “The first impression is everything. So is the second.”

Our mission at WAXON is to offer the BEST wax experience, every time- so quality and consistency for our clients across all our locations is everything. Personally, I also think it’s important to always be ‘on’. Whether you are meeting someone for the first time or not, always try and walk away from a conversation having made a positive impression.

A Piece of Advice From Me To Someone New:

Self-awareness is key before taking that leap! Step 1: Understand your strengths but most importantly, know your weaknesses and surround yourself with a team that makes up for those weaknesses. Step 2: Create a killer culture so they never want to leave! Richard Branson said it best, “Train people well enough that they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to.”

Janet Zuccarini, Founder and Owner of Gusto 54 Restaurant Group

The Best Career Advice I Ever Received:

You should only ever be doing 2 things when it comes to work; you are either doing your passion or discovering what your passion is.

A Piece of Advice From Me To Someone New:

The restaurant business has very slim profit margins, so know your numbers and run your business accordingly. I am amazed when I see operators and they don’t know what their food costs, labour, rent, etc. should be. If any of these numbers pop up a little, you are on your way to closing your doors.