Confidence
25 times I’ve been fearless
By Emily Kestel As of May 2, I’ve been alive for a quarter of a century. In that time, I’ve had plenty of ups, and a fair share of downs. I’ve learned what I like and what I don’t. I Read more…
Guest Opinion
Five ways to stay informed about your investments without losing your cool
By Joey Beech Does your gut tighten when the market report comes up? Do you quickly scroll past or turn the channel when the red stock charts appear? There are a lot of upsetting things happening in the world. It Read more…
Leadership
What are barriers that women face when holding or advancing into leadership positions?
Thoughts ahead of Fearless Focus event on leadership By Emily Kestel Representation matters – especially in leadership. The latest data from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission shows that in Iowa’s private sector, women held 30% of executive-level leadership positions and Read more…
Overcoming Discrimination & Adversity
Meet Sara Hulen, Iowa’s first sexual assault forensic response coordinator
By Emily Kestel Position: sexual assault forensic response coordinator, Office of the Attorney General of Iowa Hometown: Des Moines Family: Husband Chad and daughter Evie, 7 Education: Truman State University Age: 43 Contact: sara.hulen@ag.iowa.gov In 2021, the Iowa Legislature passed Read more…
Leadership
Leading Fearlessly: Stamp out self-doubt
By Suzanna de Baca, president and CEO, Business Publications Corp. For many years, I worked on Wall Street in the financial industry. One day, I received an invitation to be interviewed on national television about a topic in my area Read more…
Mentoring & Professional Development
Women have long begged for flexibility, paid family leave and equal pay from their workplaces. Post-2020, companies are starting to listen.
In latest Business Record survey results, see what 20 Iowa businesses and organizations are offering By Emily Kestel, graphics by Lauren Burt For decades, women have generally worked in environments designed by men, for men. Standard office temperatures are based Read more…
Overcoming Discrimination & Adversity
‘Overwhelmed. Overscheduled. Overburdened.’
Annual Fearless survey: 80% of Iowa women say they’re burned out and top issues include child care, pay equity, harassment By Emily Kestel Since 2016, the Business Record has published a survey dedicated to shining a light on issues that Read more…
Leadership
Noll Wilson highlights how to avoid avoidance in new book
By Emily Kestel Say you’re in an all-staff meeting the day after a poor quarterly sales earning report comes out. The mood in the room is tense, but nobody’s mentioning it, preferring instead to focus on the sales team’s wins Read more…
Financial Empowerment
Experts weigh in: How can we address barriers to financial success for women?
By Emily Kestel Despite controlling a sizable chunk of the wealth in the United States and often serving as primary financial decision-makers in households, women face many systemic and personal barriers when it comes to financial empowerment. For starters, there’s a Read more…
Your Take
Heartbreaking, but unifying — a lesson in kindness, perseverance and an amazing human spirit
By Nataliya Boychenko Stone, employee benefits consultant, shareholder, Holmes Murphy Editor’s note: This column first appeared on the Holmes Murphy blog. Nataliya Boychenko Stone was part of the Business Record’s 2020 Women of Influence class. As I watch the tragedy Read more…