Karissa Bodnar is the founder and CEO of a flourishing brand, but her journey to being a successful businesswoman came with many challenges \u2013 whether it was being told she was good at something “for a girl,” learning to handle larger scale company issues, or maintaining a health and wellness routine outside of the office.<\/p>\n
Below, Bodnar shares what she learned along the way of becoming an entrepreneur and gives her best piece of advice for achieving your goals.<\/p>\n
Why do you think it’s important for women to be in positions of leadership?<\/strong><\/em> What does success mean to you?<\/strong><\/em> <\/p>\n <\/p>\n
\nThere\u2019s a lot of buzz out there about \u201cyour staff must be 50% women\u201d or \u201cyour board must be 50% women,\u201d and I am very supportive of that movement. However, what I will say is that I hire women because they\u2019re the best for the job, not because they\u2019re women. During my career, I have often been told, \u201cOh, you\u2019re so good at that for a girl.\u201d Even though I grew up in a really small town and I don\u2019t come from much, I never thought of myself as “less than” because I was a woman until I got into business \u2013 until I became an entrepreneur.<\/p>\n
\nWhen I was a little girl, I had one of my favorite quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson framed in my room, \u201cTo know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.\u201d To this day, I’ve carried the meaning of that quote with me through my life. Success is about knowing that you\u2019ve made an impact, whether you feel like you have a lot to give or not.<\/p>\n\n