Helene Lerner is all about creating positive change for our world by uplifting and empowering women around the globe. Soulivity Magazine had the pleasure of spending a few moments with this powerful voice, to ask about her journey, passion, and life today with her bountiful endeavors.
Thanks so much for taking some time today to chat with us! Let's start by telling readers a little bit about you and what you do in your career today.
My name is Helene Lerner, and I'm the founder of WomenWorking.com. I'm also the author of the Soulful Wisdom card deck and In Her Power, as well as a television and social media host.
The mission of my company Creative Expansions Inc. is to empower women and girls. Womenworking.com started with this mission to simply empower. At first, the website was an addendum to our public television special in 2000 about women in the workplace. It was called womenworking2000.com. But, the website took on a life of its own. In 2000, when the internet was supposed to crash ("Y2K"), it didn't, and our website gained quite a bit of traction. So, we changed the name to womenworking.com. Sponsors, like IBM and Procter & Gamble, supported us early on.
We covered—and continue to cover—areas of career, lifestyle, health, and contemporary news articles related to our brand.
Have you seen an impact over the years in how your community has grown?
Absolutely! What was really exciting for us was being able to build a presence in the community through a variety of social media vehicles.
I think seeing the viralness in growth on Facebook and now Instagram has also been inspiring; letting us know that we are making a difference for so many women across the globe.
Years back, our presence on Facebook was no more than 11,000 followers. I remember being very concerned about the challenges the world was facing at the time and prayed deeply to have this community I had built used in a bigger way. That weekend, I went to Kripulu—a yoga retreat in Massachusetts; and, when I came back on Monday, we saw 5,000,000 followers on Facebook.
I thought to myself, "how incredible to have grown so fast in such a short amount of time."
And this became my "AHA!" moment. I asked to be used in a bigger way, and my soul had CARRIED it out!
Twitter and LinkedIn are a natural for the brand. On LinkedIn, our group has reached close to 6,000 members. On Twitter, we have over 157,000 people following us as well.
In today's age, an online presence can prove to be such an asset for those in the workforce. How were you able to manifest this growth?
Agency people would ask us this same thing! How did we do it? I mentioned that staying true to your mission and knowing that our brand had a focus: we were completely committed to making a difference in the lives of women around the world. Sure, celebrity interviews and asking them to share articles to their own channels helped immensely as well.
We were always looking at what people were asking for on Facebook and other social mediums, and we created content accordingly. My staff and I have now been doing that for quite some time. It's extremely important to listen to the voices of those you hope to reach.
Today, we have over 19 million people following us in our social media. We are a highly trusted source of inspiration and information and one of the most interactive pages on Facebook.
Our climate and culture is constantly changing. Has your mission waivered at all? What is your ultimate goal today with Womenworking.com?
Not one bit! I still remain passionate in supporting, uplifting, and empowering women.
However, over the last year, I've seen so many of us experience that "rollercoaster of emotions," feelings of being scared, tired, and uncertain. Yet, throughout it all, women are resilient, smart, and moving in a time of constant change. This entire year has been about not knowing. An interactive internet platform is needed now more than ever, a place where we can go to feel that sense of community and safety and understanding of "we are not alone."
Although Zoom and other streaming video software can't replace face-to-face interaction, they can at least provide us with a lane of communication to others going through similar challenges.
We very much need to remember that we are not alone, and it's okay to reach out for support. The rates of depression, suicide, and domestic violence are up, and these methods of support are incredibly essential.
What tips or pieces of advice do you offer women on Womenworking.com?
Our messages are real but uplifting. We want women to take specific things from our stories, posts, and articles that will empower them in their everyday lives. We aren't concerned about "fluff" as much as what is practical.
The number one piece of advice I offer women is to not do it alone, your best is good enough. We are in this together as a community.
Buy my Soulful Wisdom: Cards for Women Who Do Too Much deck for even more sources of inspiration and support here: https://beyondword.com/products/soulful-wisdom-cards-for-women-who-work-too-much
Where can everyone find you, connect, and learn more?
Website: https://www.womenworking.com/
Website (Premium Channel): https://womenworking.pubninja.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/womenworking/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/womenworking
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenworking/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2627258/
Helene Lerner is the founder of WomenWorking.com. She's a television host, Emmy award-winning executive producer, workplace consultant, and prolific author of thirteen books—including The Confidence Myth: Why Women Undervalue Their Skills and How to Get Over It and In Her Power: Reclaiming Your Authentic Self.
She began her career as a teacher, later working her way up through the management ranks of The New York Times. As CEO of Creative Expansions, Inc., a multimedia company, her mission is to empower women and girls.
