Happy Tuesday, Reader! Today is many people’s least favorite day: The day most personal taxes are due. This week, I’d like to offer two mindset shifts for any of us who dread paying taxes: Tax Day Mindset Shift #1: In a capitalist society, when we love something, we generally want to give it money (paraphrased from Ronny Chieng—watch the full clip here). Paying taxes is literally what we do to show our love and appreciation for living where we do. If you can show me a well-organized society...
11 days ago • 1 min read
Happy Tuesday, Reader! The market feels more uncertain now than at any time since the 2008 financial crisis— perhaps even more so than during the pandemic for many small businesses. In moments like these, being impact-minded means adjusting our selling approach to meet the needs of the moment. Community-based businesses, in particular, should focus on addressing survival needs rather than higher-level wants. This shift in messaging is not about manipulation—it's about honestly showing your...
18 days ago • 1 min read
Happy Tuesday, Reader! This week, I am challenging you to sit with a question that I ask each of my clients: If your company’s goal is to scale (your sales, client base, etc.), why? I frequently find myself sitting across from founders who assume that scaling should be the goal of every company, but experience has taught me that this is not always the case. Way too often, the Why is the result of lazy thinking, relying on what all the other “cool kids” seem to be doing, or—at worst—ego...
25 days ago • 2 min read
Happy Tuesday, Reader! As we continue our discussion of ways to break through that $250K glass ceiling holding back women entrepreneurs, today I’d like to focus specifically on managing your finances. My background as a small business banker and my years in helping small and micro businesses scale sustainably have taught me two key lessons. Business Financing Lesson #1: Migrate to a Profit-First Business Model I’ve talked several times about how game-changing this mindset shift was for me....
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Happy Tuesday, Reader! This week, we’re continuing our discussion of what you can do to break through that $250K glass ceiling holding back women-led businesses. Our central value at Realign Consulting is putting people first. We know that no one achieves success on their own, and we help companies like yours invest in the communities that support them so everyone thrives. Traditional marketing and business practices often feel manipulative and gross because they put numbers—data and...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Happy Tuesday, Reader! Last week, I talked about the $250K glass ceiling that has existed for women in this country for over a decade. Today, I’m sharing two things you can do about it. Breaking Through Tip #1: Bigger Dollars, Fewer Clients The top sectors for women-led start-ups still include retail, health, beauty, food, and support services. These industries often share a common problem: small margins and/or a need for scale to be viable income earners. The way to combat this issue (in the...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Happy Tuesday, Reader! I have spent much of my life advocating for women's rights—equal representation, equal pay, and fundamental human dignity—and I've often reminded my peers that we were living in the best time in history to be a woman in the United States. At the risk of ruffling feathers, this WAS true across EVERY intersection of womanhood. That began to change in June 2022. Now, as we enter 2025, the decline in women's positions in the United States isn't just continuing—it's...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Happy Tuesday, Reader! Last week, we talked about winners vs. leaders, which got me thinking about an episode of On with Kara Swisher, in which she talks with social media’s early moderators and gatekeepers. One of the guests explains why “The Everything Stores” of social media (like Meta products and YouTube) have so much trouble with misuse of their platforms and noise. Meanwhile, Pinterest, Snap, and others do just fine. Her explanation? The age-old adage that by trying to please everyone,...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Happy Tuesday, Reader! This time of year in the United States, it’s hard to avoid talk about the Super Bowl. Even days after the game, you’ll find people ready to rehash calls and plays and offer their opinions on who won and why. But while winning is great for sports, it’s really bad for societies, relationships, and yes, even running a business. In his 2019 book, The Infinite Game, Simon Sinek explains how business and politics are games with different players, rules, and goals than what we...
2 months ago • 1 min read
