Digital Sisterhood for DC Women Entrepreneurs

Ignite DC #8 Talk on 10/20/11 (updated with additional slides on 10/24/11)

by Ananda LeekeFounder of Digital Sisterhood Network

Excerpt from Leeke’s Digital Sisterhood, a memoir (2012)

Follow @digitalsisterhd on Twitter.Like Digital Sisterhood on Facebook.

Presenter BioYoga + Creativity + Internet Geek = Ananda Leeke. Leeke is a lawyer turned “Jill of many trades”: innerpreneur, author, artist, coach, and yoga teacher. She is also a speaker and the founder of the Digital Sisterhood Network and Digital Sisterhood Month. Her mission is “Empowering U2BU through creativity coaching, Reiki, self-care, social media, volunteerism, and yoga.” Macy's Heart of Haiti Campaign and the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund selected her to travel to Haiti as a blogger ambassador with Willa Shalit of Fairwinds Trading and the Everywhere team in February 2011. Black Enterprise named her as one of the Black Women in Tech You Should Follow on Twitter in July 2011. The Blogalicious Weekend Conference chose her to serve as a blogger ambassador in August 2011. Leeke works as an artist-in-residence for Smith Center for Healing and the Arts at Walter Reed National Navy Medical Center. She penned That Which Awakens Me: A Creative Woman’s Poetic Memoir of Self-Discovery (2009) and her debut novel Love’s Troubadours – Karma: Book One (2007). She is currently writing Digital Sisterhood, a memoir (2012) and Love’s Troubadours – Symon: Book Two (2014).

Photo Credit: Leigh Mosley - www.LeighMosley.com

Got 5 minutes?

Got 5 minutes?Walk with me on Story Road.

Photo Credit: umjanedoan's Flickr Photostream - "Story Road“ http://www.flickr.com/photos/umjanedoan/497411169/in/photostream

My story is simple.

Photo Credit: craftybeaver’s Flickr Photostream - Amy Sedaris - Simple Times BLADhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/craftybeaver/4755648250/in/photostream

When DC women entrepreneurs express their power online and offline, they create

a win-win situation for everyone.

How do they express their power?

Photo Credit: Steve Snodgrass Flickr Photostream – “Power & Equality”http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevensnodgrass/4764673605/in/photostream

They do it with digital sisterhood.

What is digital sisterhood?

The feminine currency women use to create relationship wealth through the connections they make, conversations they have, communities they build, causes they support, collaborative partnerships they establish, and commerce they engage in with women they meet online and offline.

How do DC women entrepreneurs cultivate and strengthen their

digital sisterhood relationships?

AnswerFor the past several years I have watched my fellow DC women entrepreneurs use 7 ways to cultivate their digital sisterhood relationships.

They join groups and organizations.

Fabulous Women Business Owners D.C.

Examples of Other Groups and Organizations

They visit web sites and participate in online seminars, conferences, bootcamps, and meet ups.

They share best practices at Digital Sisterhood Network’s women in social media focus groups.

They have conversations and share information during weekly Facebook and Twitter chats.

Women-OwnedBusiness Wednesdayson Facebook

#wgbiz Twitter Chats

#DigitalSisterhoodWednesday WeeklyTwitter Parties

They use social networking sites with DC-based groups to connect with local women.

They become involved in online projects that support other women.

What happens when DC women entrepreneurs tap into the power of digital sisterhood

in their businesses?

AnswerThey become a triple threat:energized, enlightened, and empowered.

How do DC women entrepreneurs use digital sisterhood as a business model?

AnswerMy research has taught me that DC women entrepreneurs use digital sisterhood as a business model in 11 ways.

CollaborateThey collaborate when they use their energy, expertise, and resources on business opportunities, causes, and events.

DonateThey donate their time and money to support business projects, causes, and fundraising campaigns.

MentorThey become mentors when they share what they have learned.

NetworkThey network and cultivate mutually beneficial relationships.

NurtureThey nurture each other when they offer positive feedback on blogs, Facebook, Google Plus, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

ParticipateThey participate by showing up online and offline to women’s activities.

PromoteThey use email, social media, and word of mouth to promote women’s causes, events, products, and services.

PurchaseThey purchase women’s products and services for themselves or as gifts.

RecognizeThey recognize women’s expertise by inviting them to serve as guest bloggers, Facebook and Twitter chat guests, podcast guests, panelists, and speakers.

ShareThey share professional contacts and resources with each other.

SponsorThey sponsor activities that offer business, learning, social good, and networking opportunities.

4 Lessons Learned by DC Women Entrepreneurs• Being a part of communities is an essential ingredient to

success.• Practicing generosity and gratitude is the smart thing to do.• Asking for help and support from fellow entrepreneurs

strengthens relationships.• Leveraging each others’ creativity, expertise, and resources

generates an abundance of advocacy, business, and learning opportunities.

My story has a happy ending!

Photo Credit: Elsie esq. Flickr Photostream – “Carousel on Brighton pier 1”http://www.flickr.com/photos/elsie/170685795

DC Women Entrepreneurs Rock!

Photo Credit: Rubyblossom Flickr Photostream – “Rocks Stock”http://www.flickr.com/photos/rubyblossom/5908262287