Jenny Steffensmeier’s journey to owning Steffensmeier Welding & Manufacturing was not easy. But it began with a love story. Her husband, Ben, owned the small business in Pilot Grove, Iowa. He learned blacksmithing and welding from a local man named Butch, who was said to be the best of the Read more…
According to the Center for Disease Control, 30 states had reported a total of 935 confirmed measles cases as of May 1, 2025. The United States declared the virus eliminated in 2000, but experts say a decrease in vaccination rates has led to the return of the virus. Three measles deaths Read more…
By Malinda Shultice I’ll never forget my first day of what was intended to be a temporary and very much part-time position at a senior living community in rural Iowa. We had just moved for my husband’s job, giving me more time alone with my thoughts than I knew what Read more…
By Holly Stevenson Pauline Clance first introduced the term “imposter phenomenon” in a 1978 paper, yet this pervasive sense of self-doubt and fraudulence has only recently gained mainstream recognition. Over time, the term evolved into “imposter syndrome,” becoming widely used in discussions about irrational feelings of inadequacy, particularly among women Read more…
Women business ownership rates are growing at a rapid pace. Even so, female entrepreneurs continue to face barriers in accessing capital and opportunities to grow their businesses. The Fearless team hosted our first Fearless Focus event of 2025 on April 17, focusing on women business owners and their entrepreneurship journeys. Read more…
The moment I stepped into the Women’s Barbell Classic on March 22, the energy around me began to vibrate. I was there to support my big sister, who was competing in the annual lifting competition for her third time, and I found 272 other women celebrating their strength to root Read more…
My entire life, the women around me have lamented growing older. There was the refusal to reveal one’s age. The expensive products that claimed to brighten and tighten every inch of a woman’s body. The longing for the energy and ability to move that had dissipated over the years. The Read more…
Compiled by Macey Shofroth and Emily Barske Wood Nearly 500 people, a record number, shared with us their thoughts about the status of gender equity in Iowa. The Business Record has published its annual survey on women’s and gender issues as part of our Fearless initiative for the last several Read more…
Event details:Thursday, April 17 | Noon to 1 p.m. | Virtual | Register for free The 2024 Wells Fargo Impact of Women-Owned Businesses Report showed that women-owned businesses employ almost 12.2 million people and that the number of women-owned businesses between 2019 and 2023 increased at nearly double the rate of those owned Read more…
By Mollie Giller Sometimes you learn about compounding interest in the hardest of ways. Despite having a pretty good understanding of my personal finances and how to manage them (or so I thought), at the end of 2019 I found myself underwater in credit card debt, feeling like Sisyphus every Read more…