Finding things to be excited about right now gives us hope. Even for optimists like us, it’s been a little like a scavenger hunt through a minefield. Making us work harder to find the good makes us a little more grateful for the simple things, versus the nice-to-haves. We want to share our good news with you because this is good for all of us.
“Destiny is a name often given in retrospect to choices that had dramatic consequences.” -J.K. Rowling
We don’t exactly shout from the rooftops that we are women-owned, and have been for over 40 years. We proudly acknowledge it because it is important for us. But we know that it doesn’t make us better at what we do, nor is it the reason that most of our clients work with us. It is, however, a huge bonus for our clients and prospective clients. Diversity supplier benefits is really a thing! There are many perks to sourcing through diversity suppliers – tax benefits, innovating processes, and showing your company’s commitment to diverse markets and furthering economic growth.
“Courage starts by showing up and letting ourselves be seen.” – Brene Brown
WBENC reports that women-owned businesses are among the fastest-growing sector of our economy. (Yay, that’s us!) We have always been woman-owned, and our founder Diane Goodman was a certified member of WBENC. As we transitioned to a new leader, yours truly, we needed to go through the rigorous process of recertification by the WBENC, Women’s Business Enterprise National Council. WBENC is THE standard when it comes to certification, trusted, valued, coveted. In their words, “diversity promotes innovation, opens new channels of revenue, and creates partnerships that provide opportunities that fuel the economy”. Music to our ears, even more so now than maybe a few months ago.
“Champions keep playing until they get it right.” -Billie Jean King
We are so thrilled that our partners choose to work with us. We want to give you this information to reinforce how important that decision is to making a much larger impact. The WBENC certification was a year-long process that we recently completed (virtually) and we are excited to share it with you all. In our busiest of times, this may have been glazed over, a box checked and we move on. We are grateful to have this pause to really take it in and appreciate the acknowledgment that comes with this national certification. For us, and for our clients. Cheers to you all for supporting us, before Covid-19, during, and hopefully after. We know that we need to be the best to earn your trust and keep your partnership. We are striving every day to innovate the speaking industry, to be the #1 resource for all of your speaking needs, and to always be your first choice.
“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” -Maya Angelou
As a nod to our WBENC certification, we created a list of women speakers that we love. We love them, not because they are women, but because they are incredible speakers, brilliant thought leaders, and icons in their industries. We ask that you choose us because we are always finding the best speakers for your events. We ask that you choose them because diversity belongs on the stage as well, but never at a compromise of content.
“If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, then, you are an excellent leader.” – Dolly Parton
Stay well, and please let us know if we can provide you with any further information on our WBENC certification and working with us. I invite you to visit our website to see all the amazing female speakers available for your next virtual and/or in-person meeting.
Sincerely,
Jenna Jorge
President & Owner
Goodman Speakers
Jenna Jorge is the President and Owner of Goodman Speakers. She is a mother of 2, wife, yogi, and autism advocate. She has worked in the speaking industry for 8 years. Her favorite qualities in a speaker are humor, philanthropy, and authenticity. Goodman Speakers is celebrating 40 years of being women-owned and operated.
