Celebrating Enterprising Women - Cause Communications

When I founded Hershey Cause Communications in 1977 I didn’t see it as an act of personal bravery; I saw it as an act of necessity. I had worked at a few places where it seemed my opportunities were limited. I saw men rise much faster than their female peers, and while I could never prove it, I always had the inkling that these male peers were also making more money than my female coworkers and me. The glass ceiling in existing agencies seemed impenetrable at the time, so ultimately, I decided my best shot was to start my own agency.

1977, the year I started Hershey Cause Communications, was also the year that the first National Women’s Conference was held. This conference was the first meeting of its kind in the United States since the 1848 Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, New York. Recently, while looking back at the platform that was debated at the National Women’s Conference, I was disheartened to see that many of the issues that women are fighting for today are the same ones we were fighting for 40 years ago.

We have a long way to go to reach full equality of the sexes, but I have hope. I am proud of the agency I started and want to make the road a little smoother for those who have come after me. That’s why I became a Los Angeles County Small Business Commissioner. I have the pleasure of advocating for greater opportunity for women in business. A big part of that advocacy involves sharing what works.

I have found that there are several traits that most women in business have that will help vastly improve many of the societal issues we are struggling with today.

In my experience, most woman-owned businesses have these characteristics in common:

Values driven — We understand we need to measure more than dollars – that people, profit and planet all matter.
Play well with others — We network, connect and advocate. We recognize that different organizations provide different values to our business and us.
Celebrate diversity — Most successful women business owners create organizations that are characterized by inclusiveness and diversity, team orientation, consultation, coaching and individual development, and inspire others to move toward a goal. We know diversity makes us stronger.
Greater than themselves — Many women business owners understand we live in a “global village” on a fragile planet, that all of us need to think ahead.

This year Hershey Cause Communications celebrates its 40th anniversary, and this month in particular is a time for reflection on the past and the progress women in business have made. It is equally important that we look to the future – and make sure that women in every field are thriving and being recognized or the impact they are making in the world.