Originally posted on Adweek by Emmy Liederman, July 14, 2021.
Noor Tagouri has her cell phone number in her Twitter bio. Trinity Mouzon Wofford and her high-school-sweetheart-turned- business-partner are Saratoga Living’s latest power couple. Stephanie Nadi Olson, the daughter of a Syrian refugee, was inspired by her family to create an inclusive business strategy. Their common thread: blurring the lines between personal and professional life.
Adweek’s Terry Stanley was joined by these three female founders at Adweek’s Women Trailblazers Summit on July 14. Tagouri created the media company At Your Service Imprint, Wofford co-founded superfood, health and beauty brand Golde and Olson started We Are Rosie, a community of independent marketing experts focused on inclusion.
Personalizing journalism to foster public trust
When someone asks where Noor Tagouri gets her news, she mentions the journalists instead of the organizations.
Before creating her own media brand, Tagouri was a journalist herself working for large news companies. She noticed that across the news industry, storytellers were robbed of their own voices. At Your Service Imprint is a production company and consultancy that is focused on telling stories through a service lens. The business has allowed Tagouri to connect with other storytellers to create more impactful content.
“All of the work I have ever done has always been deeply personal and a story that I needed to hear and know myself,” she said.
Using personality to build brand affinity
When Black-owned businesses started receiving heightened support last summer, Golde’s one-person team became swamped with 10 times the orders, according to Wofford. The entrepreneur started the brand with her longtime partner Issey Kobori and attributes much of Golde’s success to the connections they have built with consumers.
“I share a good amount of the personal stuff, especially on social media,” said Wofford. “[People] love feeling like they have a personal connection to the brand, which builds lasting advocacy.”
Creating opportunity for future generations
Olson comes from a refugee family and was determined to carve out a more inclusive path with the launch of We Are Rosie. According to Olson, who is one of Adweek’s 35 women trailblazers, refugees in the professional world are often “overlooked, underestimated and marginalized.”
While many stress the importance of a work-life balance, Olson has created a career path that is closely aligned to her personal values, which she is thankful for on even the toughest days.
“I have made so many mistakes, cried so many tears and apologized,” she said. “Even with all of that, if I could go back I wouldn’t undo any of it.”
While the summit was anchored in professional advice from women trailblazers, Wofford stressed the importance of sticking to your own gut when making business decisions.
“I can tell you every single thing I did and how I did it, but you really have to embrace what makes your entrepreneurial journey special and unique,” she said.
Rewatch the 2021 Women Trailblazers Summit here!