- What are the secrets to your success?
- How did you persevere through the tough times?
- What do you want to achieve next?
- What are some of the challenges you face regarding catalyzing innovation?
- What are your tips for growing a company?
Interview with world’s most successful female entrepreneur, Kay Koplovitz
This remains challenging at times, but the key for me is to regularly see family and friends, and do sports. I used to be focused on high-intensity sports, but I discovered that instead of a bootcamp or boxing lesson, it can also be very nice to take a yoga session or go for a long walk.
I have made a number of career choices along the way and most of them I still stand by. Some I would have done differently, in hindsight. But these also are the moments I have learned the most about myself and what I want in my working life. My biggest learning is that I have a great gut feel. I only have to listen to it more often.
My biggest example is my mother. She raised three kids with lots of love and dedication, did a Master when we went to school, started a practice with 2 other women and had a great balance between work and being there for us. She always encouraged us to develop ourselves. After my first daughter was born, I was so focused on the baby that at first I did not want to go back to work. She encouraged me to go back for 6 months and then make up my mind. On my first day I already knew: I do not want to choose between my career and raising children: I want both.
I want to be judged on output and results, not on how I get there. I always wanted a challenging job, and did not want to settle for “Plan B” when I became a mother. I had to prove that I was able to achieve the same results in a 4 day workweek. Fortunately, I quickly got the hang of it and have successfully managed for 14 years now.
I am Saskia Wagenmakers. Happily married and mother of two beautiful daughters. I love to spend time with friends and family, go for a run and travel & show the world to my kids. In my professional life, over the past 20 years I have been working at leading digital media companies, in general and commercial management roles. I have a passion for leading digital transformation and driving change and growth. I love digital, customers, people, data and tech, and especially when this all comes together. I am currently looking for the next step in my career. I am also Chairman of the Board of the IAB Netherlands, the Dutch trade association for digital advertising & marketing innovation.
We are grateful for her valuable time as she shared her successes to inspire other women entrepreneurs around the world. (If you missed the first part of her story and her journey and newest role as an innovative entrepreneur, read it here.)
I don’t believe you have to leave something meaningful for generations to remember you . You have one life to live. I haven’t planned out my life and I think that’s why I’ve been so successful. I believe that if you plan your life completely you’re not letting your mind think about other stuff going on around you. I read a lot; once you pick up something you have to focus on it. Otherwise you will have a personality crisis because you are trying to do so many things.
It’s better when a woman can be a role model for her son. It changes a person’s life forever. And she has something to look forward to. We have a long way to go for women’s empowerment in India, but it will create a whole generation of citizens who are more inclusive in their thought. Right now, we are behind on creating these generations that could be thinking differently forever, so this is very important for me that we are changing lives more and more in that way.
When girls in India come back from school, they go straight to the kitchen. The boys go out to play. I was into a lot of extracurricular activities, a tomboy. When I was in the kitchen I told my mom you have to bring my brother in here too. [My mom] is a gold medalist in economics so I can see that with education and the way one treats their children. She was given an opportunity and gave us one too.
We’re just human beings at the end of the day, with one life to live. Just go out and do that! DREAM. Look inside yourself and you will find all your answers. And of course it’s hard work too. Nothing comes without sacrifice and hard work. You’re your own best friend.
Women and men have entirely different decision-making processes. When under stress, men tend to take more risks, whereas women are a lot more calculated and consider all consequences, not only to themselves but to all stakeholders. Women often have a lot more collaborative approach when compared to men but men can confidently make decisions and stick by them. It’s important to have the right balance in the boardroom; to see things from different perspectives.
It’s the ability and bravery to take risks. It isn’t a characteristic that came naturally to me, so I needed to learn to trust myself and just go for it. It’s important to understand that you will make a lot of mistakes when starting your own business, but it’s essential to be decisive and not to be afraid of making them. Running a business is always two steps forward, one step backwards – especially in the beginning.
She is the co-founder of Wolfestone, a triathlete and winner of ‘UK Entrepreneur of the Year’ and ‘Welsh Director of the Year’ award. Her other achievements include being an inspirational speaker and an Entrepreneurial Dynamo Role Model for the Welsh Government. Here we speak to Anna about her entrepreneurial journey so far, the challenges she faced as a woman in business and any advice she has to offer to those wanting to follow her path.
I was born and raised in Poland, and at that time, it was still under a communist regime. I didn’t really witness or experience much entrepreneurship. I didn’t know anyone personally who ran their own business, so there wasn’t a lot of inspiration at the time. I had never given much thought to starting my own business. My main passion in life is travelling, and when I moved to the UK and got my first job, I would run out of annual leave by June every year. It was my love for travelling and needing that flexibility and freedom which fuelled my desire to become my own boss. I wanted to be in charge of my own destiny.
One of the most memorable moments in my career to date, a moment were I finally realised what it was I’d achieved with Wolfestone, was getting the opportunity to meet Prince Charles. He asked me how a young woman from a foreign country had become so successful; starting a business from scratch, winning over 30 business awards and becoming the UK Entrepreneur of the Year. That was a special moment that will always stay with me.
Women in Business Interviews began during Small Business Week 2009. Although WE Magazine has featured Women Business Owners in the past, Small Business Week was the impetus to create a new Channel on WE.
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FAQ
What are good questions to ask a female entrepreneur?
- What do I need to start entrepreneurship? …
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- What if the opportunity is gone? …
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What questions should a successful businessman ask?
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What makes a successful business woman?
