By Donna Price, Governance Coach and founder of the Governance Boutique
I believe in the value, talent and human potential of women and their importance to value creation in enterprise and society. It is no secret that most corporate boards lack gender representation. The Governance Boutique is committed to supporting and elevating the value of women who serve and those who are ready to serve on corporate boards.
I am puzzled that gender diversity on boards is a question at all. It tells me that we need to do a better job of communicating the value of gender diversity and continue to engage in thoughtful and productive conversations about gender diversity as a value that should not to be ignored, and especially not a problem or a threat to be managed.
My mother’s abiding goal for me was to live my life as unfettered and untethered as possible by the moral and social stigmas of the day. In my lifetime, I played with, laboured with, laughed with and learned from an array of girls and women of amazing abilities and inspiration. For the most part, I energetically followed my budding athleticism and ‘tom-boy inclinations’ unfettered and untethered. Throughout my life, I applied my influence to support, guide, inspire and coach the aspiring girls and women around me.
I shared my first lasting friendship with my less-than-a-year younger brother who I fondly referred to as my twin over the years. Only a few days separated us from sharing the same grade in school. In our early years we shared not only our parents, but interwove our imaginations and secrets that link us to this day. I undoubtedly drove my brother crazy on more than one occasion but his steadfast calm intelligence and sense of fairness aligned and united us. We avoided the trifling fights that I observed with an equal share of amazement and puzzlement between siblings in other families. With my brother, I experienced got-your-back support and safety. I believe my brother is the best gift my parents ever gave me.
My individual movement to elevate opportunities and possibilities to enrich the lives and livelihoods of women began quietly and early in my life.
My early awareness of the social stigmas and often pejorative labels that framed ‘the feminine ideal’ of the day, often engrossing, provoking and shaming my beautiful, compassionate, artistic mother and grandmother, were provocative. My mother was a teenaged wife and mother of two. I was her first-born and recognized early on how gender expectations, stigmas and the resulting deeply felt shame plagued my mother and grandmother most of their lives. In turn, this triggered my own matter-of-fact positive discourses on the value of the societal contributions of women. My mother and grandmother continue to inspire me. I believe my brother and I (and later our two sisters) were choices rather than the mistakes of morally lax teenagers. We were raised healthy and responsible children despite the incredible odds and adversity stacked against our young parents, especially my mother. I am proud of my imperfect parents.
Through a personalized coaching approach, The Governance Boutique will work with you one-on-one using a proven process and methodology to elevate your value and personal mastery for corporate board service.
In addition to board resume writing and interview preparation services, we offer leadership and emotional intelligence (EQ) solutions that help women explore their EQ and leadership through a range of soft skills required to be an effective corporate director. We help you develop your personal brand and create an online digital presence on LinkedIn and other social media platforms; all aimed at helping you find and attract board opportunities.
Each of us at The Governance Boutique team believes in the value, talent and human potential of women and their importance to value creation in enterprise and society as much today as always. We are committed, agile and very keen to rally our collective purpose to elevate your board value and support your board journey.
The Governance Boutique 