As a company that is all about inspiring confidence and empowering women, it is no wonder that International Women’s Day is so important to all of us here at Silver Icing. That’s why we decided to create this special video to share with you today. We gathered ten women from our Head Office team and asked them to describe a challenge that they have faced in their life, as a woman, and how they persevered to overcome it. You can ask this question to any woman, and you can be sure that she will have a story to share, even if she does not realize it at first. Initially, some of us had difficulty thinking of what to say. As we live our busy day-to-day lives, we often do not take the time to reflect on what obstacles we have overcome, and to give ourselves recognition for what we have accomplished. By sharing these stories, we want to inspire other women to take a moment out of their day and reflect on #HowIPersevered.
Our CEO, Christina Marcano shared a powerful story from her life before she founded Silver Icing, “I was told on national television by an individual who was somewhat famous, that I was a drug addict and that I was treating my business like a drug…because I wasn’t meeting a level of success in a time frame that he expected, that I should just give up and shut off the lights.” If Christina had listened to that individual, and given up, then Silver Icing would not exist today. Christina explains, “Mistakes happen to everybody, and in business it’s just something you have to get used to. I don’t believe that mistakes equal failure and I also don’t believe that failure is something that just happens. I think it’s a choice that you make. If you choose to give up, or you choose to not continue, that’s failure. I persevered because I made the choice to keep the lights on.”
International Women’s Day means different things to different women. For some, it means breaking down the walls of gender gaps in the workplace, particularly in male dominated industries. Hayley, our CFO, highlighted the wage gap, and how she has seen “men consistently being promoted over women who were equally or more qualified.” Hayley shared how she persevered by finding her voice, learning to stand up for herself and ask for what she wants. She explains, “I learned to value myself and my contributions, and to this day I encourage other women to do the same.” Our Director of Marketing, Farrah, highlighted how after finding herself in the minority as a woman at tech conferences and events, she found community by connecting with other women in her industry, through volunteering and networking.
Many of our team members shared that they found motivation to persevere from their families. They shared experiences of standing up for yourself as a young mother, balancing career and family while tackling personal mental health challenges, and being a single parent raising a child with autism. Kristina, our Customer Service Manager explains, “the strength and love of family has the power to overcome any adversity.” For others, they were inspired by their families as they faced the challenge of building their lives as new immigrants to Canada.
The binding force in all of these stories is perseverance. We, as women, are strong. We are determined. And when we set our mind on something, nothing can stand in our way.
From all of us here at Silver Icing, Happy International Women’s Day!
