119 |🙋‍♀️Virtual Leadership Lessons for Women in Business starring Candace Cox

In this Week One Rotation episode of the Virtual Presentation Skills Podcast, Kimberli Gilbert interviews Candace Cox about virtual leadership, women in business, mentorship, entrepreneurship, adapting to technology, and the human connection leaders still need in an AI-driven world. In this episode of the Virtual Presentation Skills Podcast, I’m kicking off our Week One Rotation focused on virtual leadership with a very special guest, Candace Cox. Candace is a retired business owner, professional development expert, mentor, and true barrier breaker. She built and led UniVentures for more than 40 years, at a time when it was far less common for women to own businesses, lead companies, or carve their own path in the professional world. Her story takes us from business school in the 1970s, to pharmaceutical sales in Nebraska, to corporate marketing research, to launching and growing a global professional development company. Along the way, Candace shares what it took to keep going, how curiosity became one of her greatest leadership assets, and why mentorship matters so much for women and emerging leaders. We also talk about virtual leadership, early remote work, satellite-based learning, webinars, AI, and the mindset leaders need when technology changes faster than we feel ready for. This conversation is about courage, curiosity, grit, reinvention, and the human connection that still matters in a virtual world. 🎙️ In This Episode Why Candace’s story matters for women, leaders, and entrepreneurs What it was like to be one of very few women in business school in the 1970s How Candace moved from corporate roles into entrepreneurship The mindset that helped her build and sustain UniVentures for 40+ years Why curiosity is a leadership skill How early remote work, fax machines, satellite broadcasts, and virtual learning shaped her business Why mentorship can change the trajectory of someone’s career What leaders should remember as AI becomes part of everyday work Why humans still need human connection, even in a technology-driven world Key Takeaways 1. Leadership often starts with belief. Candace credits much of her confidence to parents who raised her to believe she could do anything she wanted to do. 2. Curiosity creates opportunity. Candace built much of her business by searching, asking questions, finding the right experts, and connecting the right people. 3. Mentorship matters. One of the strongest themes in this episode is the importance of paying mentorship forward, especially for women moving through uncomfortable professional growth zones. 4. Virtual leadership is not new. Before Zoom, webinars, and AI, leaders were already adapting through fax machines, satellite broadcasts, teleconferences, and early remote work. 5. AI is another transition, not the end of human value. As Candace and I discuss, technology changes the tools we use, but it does not eliminate the need for human insight, judgment, connection, and communication. www.virtualofficeaudit.com