Many thousands of Australian women seeking to give their careers a boost are attracted to Emma Isaacs’s can-do style.
From office juniors to university graduates, mid-tier executives and company owners, networking events are an increasingly popular solution to provide job and business aspirations with a bit of zip. This style of girl power shines a beacon to those who want to succeed in what is still a male-dominated world.
A lack of meaningful careers for women in business and public service persists, despite positive government discrimination and the imposition of gender quotas on big company boards. More is needed to shatter the glass ceiling. A recent KPMG report on workplace discrimination found women earn on average $26,000 less each year than men and their superannuation payout is 50% lower. Halving the gap would boost our economy by $60 billion over the next 20 years. One solution is for women to take matters into their own hands and learn from each other.
Business Chicks, Emma’s networking community, stages 100 live events each year for members in 11 cities in Australia and in 2016 was launched into the US. Plans are afoot for Asia too.
She says the organisation today cannot easily be compared with what it was when she bought it 14 years ago, saving it from closure. “We used to get a couple of hundred people coming to our events. Our latest had 1800 people. We used to be in just three cities. We are lucky now to have the support of some really big corporate sponsors. There were none of those at the start.”
Speakers have included Julia Gillard, Gloria Steinem, Jamie Oliver, Arianna Huffington, Richard Branson, Nicole Kidman, Nigella Lawson and Bob Geldof.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
An outrageous, beautiful monopoly
Telstra's mobile business is a cash machine with few competitors, giving it the highest returns in the world.
Drop the anchor to judge value
Buying and selling decisions should be based on where a stock price is going, not where it has been.
Powering the AI boom
Beyond the software and chipmakers, where will the energy come from?
Get into life
Tucked inside super are products that can protect you from life's inevitable uncertainties.
Paths to home ownership
Taking the road less travelled can sometimes deliver unexpected benefits.
Sold! Quick ways to add value
Small, strategic changes can have a big impact on the look and feel of your home. And get you a better price on auction day.
Money lessons the kids need to know
Your children can learn a lot from your past money mishaps. Here are eight financial conversations I have had with mine.
Property-investing rules: are they likely to change?
The pressure for the government to curb the tax benefits of tax concessions, such as negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount, is unrelenting. Most recently, independent senators David Pocock and Jacqui Lambie proposed five options for paring back investment property tax concessions, with savings to the Federal budget of up to $60 billion over the next decade.
What's love got to do with it?
A rollercoaster of emotions could be driving poor crypto behaviour.
Are we ready to be cash-free?
Saying goodbye to our piggy banks too soon could leave small businesses in the dark when problems arise.
