World's Greatest Women

Today’s woman grew up in a lower class area of China. But as she grew, her status changed due to her father’s success. Even though her father became successful with much hard work, he lacked a real education – something he insisted his daughter receive.  So, at age 17 she left China and came to America as an exchange student. Here in new home, she felt very alone but she focused on making good grades and learning all she could. Her...

Today’s episode takes a little different twist as we look at business partnerships among powerful women and how they work or don’t. The two women showcased today are well educated and are innovators in the skincare field. One of these women already had a skincare product line that could be found in major department stores but she believed its consumer reach could be even greater. This is where the other woman came in.  She had diff...

Today’s woman has taken a very unusual career path. She grew up in Washington DC, attended Catholic schools and went onto to major in college in financial management. But after a short time in this career, she realized she wasn’t cut out for such a sedentary role.  So she became a DC police officer. She was a bit of a political junky so being a police officer got her into the middle of things happening in the capital city. She went...

Today’s woman grew up participating in more activities than most young people.  She was curious and loved to be a part of things. In her family unit, conversations usually centered around how to leave the world a better place - a burning desire that developed in her as she grew into an adult. The area she began to influence was aerospace and her determination and talent landed her a senior executive spot in the US Space Program. As...

Those that watched this woman grow up knew she was destined to be a leader. She was at the forefront of all activities in school.  But as she grew into an adult, she at times felt so overwhelmed and decided all she had to do was survive. But even in surviving, losing was never an option. In college, she pursued a business degree and realized believing in herself was paramount to her success. Her focus was always to move forward and...

This woman grew up on a farm. Even though there wasn’t much money, she was around an affluent crowd and saw clearly how those with money lived. As she grew into a young woman, she became well-grounded and confident.  And as she moved through high school and college, she found herself constantly showing up in leadership roles. After college, she remained involved in the education arena. But after 10 years, she realized she could hav...

Today’s woman was born to a black father and a white mother. Both her parents were well educated and they in turn had high expectations for her. She went to college and earned a degree in applied mathematics. But as her career took shape, she felt she didn’t quite fit in anywhere. So after a year, she left the career her college degree had prepared her for and decided to pursue the arts. Jazz singing was where things felt right and...

This woman grew up being exposed to many different cultures.  She was curious about others and wanted to know more. In college she studied journalism but quickly realized this field of study paid little. So she ventured abroad to Paris to learn more about communications and media. As her career unfolded, she appeared to have it all – money, career, the perfect man - but she knew something was missing. She began to explore deeper to...

Today’s woman grew up in a liberal family and was the oldest of three children. As a child she took acting lessons and all thought she would be a professional actress.  However, in college she realized she would be a better director than actress.  So, she moved to New York City and broke into the opera scene.  Eventually she worked her way up to the stage director level at Metropolitan Opera, one of the largest classical music orga...

Today’s woman grew up being taught to make her own way. She thought she might be a lawyer but had no passion for it. While in college, windsurfing caught her attention and she went on to become a professional windsurfer and to be the first woman in the world to kitesurf.  This path eventually led to Hollywood stunt work.  She liked the movie scene and decided this was to be the space in which she would find her career. She started ...

Today’s woman spent much of her childhood in Nigeria being raised by religious parents.  Growing up she traveled extensively and eventually immigrated to the UK. She was a quiet child yet always felt there was a fighting spirit within her. As a young woman she attended college and achieved a degree in mechanical engineering. But after graduation, her life took a turn.  She became pregnant and struggled. As time passed, she found he...

Today’s woman grew up in a middle class family in the US Midwest. Her father never had much to say but her mother constantly told her to “go out and sleigh the dragon.” This saying guided this woman’s life and with each hit that life offered, she bounced back and continued to elevate herself. She worked as a television news anchor and reporter for ten years at CBS television stations. She eventually moved from television to the wor...

Some of the World’s Greatest Women are stepping into positions of influence and leadership, making the changes the world so desperately needs. But what about girls and young women?  Can they be a part of the leadership shift? 

I would argue they must be if a long-lasting permanent change toward inclusion, diversity and equity is to be had. And it is from this place that I want to introduce you to Kate Williams, an 11 year-old that i...

This woman grew up in the inner city of Minnesota in a strong Christian home. She was a driven to succeed and was often seen as bossy. As she became an adult she realized protecting and preparing people for a good life was what really mattered to her. So, she became a nurse and then enjoyed a long career as a commercial lender. And along each step of the way, she was the best in her field. Her life twisted and turned like most of o...

Today’s woman was the oldest sibling among 4. And at an early age she got involved in business and was driven to succeed. Attending a self-help workshop by Jack Canfield would set her on a direction she never could imagine. She went to work for his organization and ended up being the glue that brought the Chicken Soup For The Soul series together. Eventually she became the President of the company and led it to incredible success. ...

Today’s woman was an only child to working parents. She grew up in New York and as she entered her teen years, decided she wanted to be a ski racer and compete in the Olympics. However, an injury made this impossible and she went off to college majoring in psychology. And as her life unfolded, she took an unusual direction. She navigated toward computer programming and got really good at it. And as a tech woman, she played all kind...

Today’s woman grew up on a farm to a lower middle-class family. From an early age, she learned how to work and was always competitive. And she realized she had a presence about her – one that people noticed when she walked into a room. After earning a college degree in radio, TV and motion pictures, she landed a sales job at Coca-Cola. Over the next 30 years she excelled as a leader in sales, marketing, and training and development...

Today’s guest grew up with 7 siblings in the Bahamas. Her parents earned very little money therefore she grew up in very basic surroundings. In spite of being poor, she loved to learned and would often sneak off to the library to read as much as she could.  At age 15 she graduated high school and found the money to go off to college and earn a degree in biochemistry.  While working as a waitress, a woman offered her a job as a chem...

This woman grew up in a family with 3 siblings.  At age 8 her father left the family and her mother took over raising the children. There wasn’t extra money but this woman knew she wanted to go to college. So, she found a way to put herself through college and began a 22-year marketing career. Then at age 50, she made a promise to God to commit to inspire and reach the masses. She had always felt purposeful, even as a kid. This com...