For far too long, women have been subject to a significant imbalance when it comes to support, inclusion, opportunity, promotion, and retention. Disparities in maintaining a fair work-life balance have caused many women to exit their roles altogether, leaving behind even greater gaps and problems in the already unevenly distributed pipelines of organizations.
Today, women remain disproportionately positioned in the workplace. For every 100 men, 87 women are promoted from entry level to management. Additionally, only 1/4 of C-suite leaders are women and 1/20 of C-suite leaders are women of color.
Unfortunately, not only is there continued disparity in the numbers of women being promoted to management level roles, there is also an alarming inability to retain them once they are there. On average, women attrition rates are 31% vs. 24% for men, and it only jumps higher as you move up the corporate ladder. By the time you actually reach the C-suite, women leave their jobs at over three times the rate of their male colleagues: 24% vs 7% – according to the Network of Executive Women. There remains much work to be done.
Recognizing the urgent need to solve the root issue of recruiting, retaining, readying, and advancing women leaders–multicultural women leaders in particular, Melissa Dawn Simkins, President & CEO, Velvet Suite, and Founder, The She-Suite answered the call. As a sought after brand strategist with an impressive track record of advising Fortune 100 organizations, CEOs, and C-suite executives, Melissa drew from her unique insights about the dynamics and demands of the corporate world to develop her signature breakthrough program, The Brand Leadership Institute (BLI).
With a proven methodology that has delivered transformational results for thousands of clients, including Fortune 500 and industry leading organizations, the BLI is the only online leadership readiness platform community built to scale with proven results to prepare and advance all women, especially women of color, who work for large enterprises.
As an immersive 24 week experience that focuses on the 4 Cs: Clarity, Confidence, Competence, and Connections, the BLI is helping organizations bridge existing gaps and become catalysts for meaningful and sustainable transformation.
Better yet, join one of the first-ever innovation pilot experiences to support women in your workplace with our newest, shortened offering, The BLI Lite.
As women experience widespread burnout and low levels of contentment at work, they are making the decision to prioritize their well-being by exiting their jobs in unprecedented numbers. They are no longer willing to stay in leadership positions where they are under-supported, unappreciated, and/or subject to ongoing microaggressions.
According to a 2022 report by McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace study, one in three women has considered leaving the workforce or downshifting their careers. This is a costly problem at every level among organizations. A separate report from 2020 by McKinsey found companies in which women made up at least 30% of the executive team were 48% more likely to outperform the national industry median compared with teams with fewer or no women.
We cannot afford to lose our women in leadership.
Over the last 16 years, The She-Suite has been fortunate to have worked with over 100 firms, transforming the lives of 25,000 women globally. Through dedicated efforts to solve the persistent blind spots that continue to plague many organizations, we have provided sustainable solutions with a proven methodology and platform that has delivered breakthrough results.
As we continue to scale globally, we are more committed than ever to helping our clients achieve powerful and measurable results that ultimately transform the landscape for women at work. With a track record that is unmatched, our clients are confidently leveraging our methodology as a competitive advantage for retention, development, and advancement of their women leadership.
As Kindra Helderle, Associate Director of Global Leadership Development with Merck expressed, “The She-Suite is the only end-to-end women’s leadership development platform that enables organizations to address the career life cycle for working women with proven programs and a powerful community to support future-ready development, readiness, and advancement.”
Looking ahead, we are filled with anticipation as we establish a global presence and impact by forming new powerful partnerships with those who are ready to be the next Architects of Change.
