Facing Sexual Advances and Breaking Through in Business

I'm back with my friend Kathy! She shares her experience as a woman entrepreneur navigating a male-dominated world. Kathy talks about being surrounded by men at business conferences, including an uncomfortable situation where the main speaker made unwanted advances toward her during dinner and how she didn’t know how to respond. It was a constant battle figuring out how to handle the situation especially since he was also offering her business opportunities. Kathy also describes her struggle to gain a seat at the table with men, often finding it difficult because the environment was either a "boys' club" or they were only interested in flirting with her. Despite these challenges, she kept pushing forward, knowing that meeting the right people could help her succeed especially since there were no women mentors to guide her. She shares how men would often try to set up meetings with her in their hotel rooms, and recalls a "Pretty Woman"-style story with no strings attached. Kathy then talks about rebuilding her business with a partner, and how all the connections she made over the years eventually began to pay off, helping her business grow.