The 10 most inspiring businesswomen making a difference 2021(3) compressed

Precious
Mayes
Bringing an Innovative
Approach to Healthcare
Arena
President and
Chief Executive
Ofﬁcer
10
BUSINESS
WOMEN
MOST INSPIRING
THE
Making a Difference, 2021 Well-Chosen
Way
Leading With
Organized
Approach And
Wise Choices
VOL 08 I ISSUE 04 I 2021

Having the
Courage to
Inspire
rom leading the country to being at the helm of
Forganizations in various sectors, women are making
their marks everywhere. It all starts with their
endurance and the purpose of bringing a change in other’s
lives.
Today, the focus of many organizations is on the push to
women in leadership roles. And why not? Women have got
the required qualities and skills to thrive in any
environment. Their quality to strengthen and inspire their
team sets the example for everyone. They follow a culture
where people can come together, contribute, be challenged,
and become the best.
Businesswomen believe in nurturing relationships with
teamwork, trust, and respect. They want to continue to grow
as a leader and lead the team and the company to the new
heights. They always try to bring fresh and new ideas to the
table. They always come with new strategies and
approaches and keeps their teams’ and customers' priority at
the top.
More importantly, their natural confidence, strength,
integrity, and core value stands out in any situation. They
are fearless of standing to the ground with their values and
priorities. This is especially true when we see examples
around us where women are leading the big industries.
With the right intent to succeed, there is a new generation of
businesswomen committed to inspire and make a difference
in the life of others. They are transforming every field with
their creativity, taking every industry to new heights. And,
the results speak about their performance.
Editor’s Desk

Looking at their breakthroughs and the difference they have
brought to the world, their contribution is worth
recognizing. Their success stories have become an
inspiration to many aspiring leaders and entrepreneurs to
follow and shine in the business arena.
With an intent to admire and acknowledge businesswomen
leading by example, Insights Success has come up with the
edition “The 10 Most Inspiring Businesswomen Making a
Difference, 2021”. On the cover, we have an exceptional
women leader, Precious Mayes. Precious is the President
and Chief Executive Officer of Pacifica Hospital of the
Valley (PHV).
As a healthcare leader and entrepreneur, the journey of
Precious has been very diverse and robust with
opportunities and experiences in a variety of industries.
Precious brings her experience and business acumen of
elevating world-class medical care including the medical
staff team to higher levels of personalized healthcare that
guarantee a standalone standard of care for all residents in
the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles County.Since the
start of her career, Precious has always explored the
impossible with the philosophy of “anything is possible”.
In this edition, you will come across many such business
stories of women who have transformed the industry with
their qualities and novel approaches.
Have a Wise Read!
sourabh@insightssuccess.com
Sourabh More

16 Adriana Arvizo
Leading with Empathy
20 Jeanne Travis
Helping Companies
Unlock their Potential
Well-Chosen Way
Leading with Organized
Approach and Wise Choices
28
Article
Precious Mayes
Approach to Healthcare Arena
Cover
Story
08
CONTENTS

24 Judith Virag
Challenging Today’s
Perceptions of Cleaning
32 Katie Neilson
Driving Investment in Startups
by Providing Simplicity,
Transparency, and Aﬀordability
to Funding Process
36Marceline Beijer
Leading by Walking the
Talk and Delivering
Strategic Value to Customers
42Marisa Elizundia
A Courageous Leader Rede ining
Thoughts About Work
46Natasha E. Feghali
Dedicated to Education
and Entrepreneurship
50 Phoebe Wasfy
Preparing Well-Rounded
Leaders of Tomorrow
56 Rada Doytcheva
She has been called “Fearless” –
The Woman Architect
Changing People’s Lives
for the Better

sales@insightssuccess.com
August, 2021
Editor-in-Chief
Senior Sales Manager Business Development Manager
Marketing Manager
Technical Head
Technical Specialist Digital Marketing Manager
Research Analyst
Database Management Technology Consultant
Hitesh Dhamani
Managing Editor
Anish Miller
Executive Editor
Sourabh More
Assistant Editors
Jenny Fernandes
Visualizer
David King
Art & Design Director
Priyanka Rajage
Associate Designer
Kartik Balapurkar
Kshitij S Peter Collins
John Matthew
Sales Executives
David, Martin, Dharmendra
Business Development Executives
Steve, Joe, Sagar
Jacob Smile
Aditya Marry D'Souza
SME-SMO Executive
Amol Wadekar Frank Adams
Circulation Manager
Robert Brown Stella Andrew David Stokes
Shubham Dali
Co-designer
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Brief
Company Name
Feghali Group Inc
feghaligroupinc.com
Natasha E. Feghali
Founder
FGI is an independently owned and operated rental homes,
rental of storage units and holding group.
Comcast
comcast.com
Adriana Arvizo
External Communications
Manager
Comcast creates incredible technology and entertainment that
connects millions of people to the moments and experiences
that matter most.
Marceline Beijer
Global Brand Leader
ManpowerGroup
Talent Solutions RPO
manpowergroup
solutions.com
Talent Solutions combines our leading global offerings RPO,
TAPFIN-MSP and Right Management to provide end-to-end,
data-driven capabilities across the talent lifecycle.
Katie Neilson
Co-Founder &
Chief Revenue Officer
Assure
assure.co
Assure specializes in Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) and
Fund Administration for the private investment marketplace.
PHV Pacifica Hospital
pacificahospital.com
Precious Mayes
President & Chief
Executive Officer
Pacifica Hospital intends to create medicines that improve both
the quality and duration of patient lives.
Phoebe Wasfy
Principal
Philopateer Christian
College
pccnet.ca
Philopateer Christian College is to educate and empower young
people, transforming them into individuals in whom spiritual,
academic, and physical attributes complement each other.
Jeanne Travis
President & CEO
J. Robbins Enterprises
jrobbins-ent.com
J. Robbins Enterprises, LLC is a business development,
marketing, and general consulting firm that strives to establish,
highlight, and generate capabilities that set your company and
employees above the rest.
Judith Virag
Founder
Clean Club Calgary
cleanclubcalgary.com
Clean Club Calgary provides residential and commercial
cleaning services.
Rada Doytcheva
Principal & Head
of Design
RADAArchitects Ltd
rada-arch.com
RADAArchitects is an award winning Chicago firm for
academic, commercial and institutional clients – private and
public.
Marisa Elizundia
Creator
Emotional salary is the level of awareness of a person to
understand, internalize and effectively capitalize on those
benefits derived from work that are not associated with
financial salary.
Emotional Salary
Barometer
emotional-salary.com
Featured Person

Precious Mayes
President and Chief
Executive Ofﬁcer
PHV

Precious
Mayes
Approach to
Healthcare Arena
Paciﬁca Hospital
of the Valley
delivers leading-
edge patient
care by the
region’s best
doctors.
“
“
COVER STORY

Anything is possible if one has got enough nerves.
Such is the thought process of exceptional business
leaders. Exceptional business leaders trust their
abilities and believe that anything can be made possible if
they utilize their efforts to the best of their capabilities.
They are not driven by mediocrity. Instead, they are driven
by delivering results and achieving something substantial
no matter what the odds are. Such leaders make a tangible
difference in the communities with their will-power and
with their complete faith in their abilities. They overcome
greatest challenges with their abilities. They explore the
impossible and believe that anything is possible with one’s
diligent efforts.
One such exceptional business leader is Precious Mayes.
She is the President and Chief Executive Officer of
Pacifica Hospital of the Valley (PHV). Pacifica Hospital
provides fast, effective, and affordable immediate care for
life and non-life-threatening illnesses.
Elevating Personalized Healthcare Services
As a healthcare leader and entrepreneur, the journey of
Precious has been very diverse and robust with
opportunities and experiences in a variety of industries.
Precious brings her experience and business acumen of
elevating world-class medical care including the medical
staff team to higher levels of personalized healthcare that
guarantee a standalone standard of care for all residents in
the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles County.
Since the start of her career, Precious has always explored
the impossible and with the philosophy of “anything is
possible”. She states that another key internal driver is
passion and with that personal passion to color outside the
lines. Her personal mantra has led her naturally to a path of
ongoing creativity and development of business
opportunities. She states, “Cultivating a team of people who
can lead with the same mantra is key to any success and
business growth.”
Delivering Exceptional Medical Care
Pacifica Hospital serves the underserved community in the
San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles county. It holds the
privilege of being one of LA’s first choice hospitals. As Sun
Valley’s choice medical center, Pacifica is a vital
component of the community that is leading the next
generation of health care. It combines exceptional medical
care, the latest advances, and novel education to create an
innovative approach to healthcare. The hospital is made up
of more than 100 physicians who are highly trained
specialists focused on providing state-of-the-art medical
care. From diagnosis to treatment and follow-up, physicians
work in tandem to deliver care that is personalized to each
patient.
Given that its primary funding is Medi-Cal, that does not
limit the quality and level of service lines it provides to its
patients. Pacifica Hospital’s goal is to provide the “mayo
clinic” type of care to the underserved community.
Additionally, its staff has been a part of Pacifica Hospital on
average more than 10 years which has cultivated a personal
VIP touch to caring for its patients.
Dealing with Unprecedented Time in Unprecedented
Way
At the start of the pandemic in January 2020, Precious
immediately prepared for what potentially could worsen. As
a result, PPE inventory was ordered to prepare for a
potential surge of COVID-19 patients so Pacifica Hospital
staff would be protected in providing care and infection
control policies were implemented. Sustaining operations
during a time of increased expenses related to COVID-19
and decreased patient admissions of traditional medical
needs, Precious accelerated developing new contractual
relationships with physician/insurance groups who gave
access to larger population of members. Additionally,
another strategy implemented was developing new service
lines. For example, in the middle of the pandemic over the
last year, a new program was developed to serve the acute
“PHV Holds the
Privilage of Being One
of LA's First Choice
Hospitals.”
COVER STORY

care needs for Medical/Behavioral health issues as well as
COVID-19. This program opened in January 2021 after two
years of development with the Department of Mental
Health.
Another strategy that continues to be effective during
challenging times, is developing and maintaining
relationships with the highest level of state/federal
legislation and local officials to voice the needs of
healthcare providers and constituents as well as asking for
their support in time of need. One of key elements of
Precious is to never be afraid to ask for help.
During the pandemic, Precious quickly responded to the
governor’s call to action to hospital providers in expanding
bed availability to care for surges in COVID-19 patients.
Pacifica Hospital was able to transition 61 beds to COVID-
19 ICU, telemetry, and acute care units.
As a result, Pacifica Hospital was identified by the state as a
Regional COVID-19 Surge Site to help decompress other
hospitals in southern CA. Pacifica Hospital also opened a
vaccine clinic and vaccinated over 2,000 in the community
and continue to collaborate with the county to vaccinate
homebound, homeless, and school based programs. During
the pandemic PHV delivered lunch to nearby residents,
especially the elderly population.
Managing Financials
Pacifica Hospital of the Valley is a safety net hospital. With
that being said, it is constantly at the mercy of state
funding. This hospital is situated in north San Fernando
Valley and provides service to patients as far as 400+ miles
away. The need in its immediate and distant communities is
high, so it has been able to manage through its financial
limitations by diversifying the type of IPA, Managed Care
organizations. With the pandemic experience since
February of this year, Precious decided to pivot Pacifica
Hospital’s available beds that were in the midst of re-
licensing to new service lines to transitioning these
available beds/units to care for acute and subacute level
COVID-19 patients.
Upholding the Team with Essential Leadership Skills
Through her experience of leading different levels of
leadership teams, Precious has found common thread of
elements that are essential to uphold within the team. For
example, providing the tools necessary on an individual and
as a team. These tools can range from leadership
development training to systems to enable successful
results.
Precious states that communication is another key element.
Style and method of communication are essential to ensure
team collaboration. Additionally, learning from pitfalls,
owning mistakes and celebrating successes are important as
a leader.
Standing One’s Ground and Upholding Values and
Priorities
According to Precious, a businesswoman in this progressive
time should naturally portray confidence, strength, integrity,
and core values. Taking risks when making tough decisions
in any situation, can also build upon any opportunity.
Another vital trait for businesswomen is to not be fearful of
standing their own ground while upholding their core
values and priorities. This is especially important to have
the confidence even if one is the last or only voice left in
the room.
Being Flexible, Taking Risks and Envisioning
Impossible
The healthcare industry continues to evolve and with
increased reimbursement limitations, increased costs of
care, new technology and growing competition. With that
being said, Precious says that it is critical for aspiring
business leaders who want to enter into the healthcare
industry to be flexible, adaptable, take risks and envision
the impossible as Precious believes, anything is possible.
Expanding the Scope of Services
Precious is very proud of Pacifica Hospital of the Valley, as
she mentions it truly is a “diamond in the rough” in a
significant underserved community. One of the goals of
Precious for PHV is to expand its services and open new
inner city community hospitals to provide the same level of
“mayo” type care and services. Another growing need is
specialized services for mental health and providing the
continuum of care and support that population to succeed in
the community. Precious believes that the leadership team
is critical to obtaining this vision.

kimberly Khoury
Paving her Way in Sustainability Development
&
&
The
20
BUSINESSWOMEN
to Watch, 2020
SUCCESSFUL
Most

Adriana Arvizo
External Communications
Manager, Comcast
16 | August 2021 www.insightssuccess.com

Adriana Arvizo
Leading with Empathy
In the current business world, where employees are
navigating their personal and professional challenges
occurred due to pandemic, empathy is a powerful tool
to forge long-lasting relationships with them. Leaders who
practice empathy aim at developing a compassionate and
helpful workplace atmosphere where all employees thrive.
Adriana Arvizo is one such leader who likes to contribute
positively to her organization by leading with empathy and
compassion.
As External Communications Manager at Comcast,
Adriana is responsible for conceptualizing and executing
public relations campaigns designed to maintain a favorable
public image for the company. Adriana supports growth of
Comcast business and residential products through strategic
partnerships, media relations, and social media campaigns.
She also helps create awareness of Comcast’s community
impact efforts through storytelling and by developing
relationships with key stakeholders. Lastly, she often serves
as a spokesperson in the California region for English and
Spanish-speaking audiences.
An Award Winning Journalist
Named one of the Top Women in Public Relations by PR
News, Adriana is a former award-winning journalist and
current communication strategist with extensive experience
in multicultural audiences. She has over 13 years of public
relations and media relations experience. Before joining
Comcast, she served as Director of Communications for the
Pennsylvania Department of State. Prior to that, she served
as Public Relations Manager for Visit Philadelphia, the
official marketing organization for the greater Philadelphia
region. In addition, she was a Reporter and Managing
Editor at AL DIA News, one of the highest circulation
newspapers in the nation covering Latinx issues.
Striving to Be Better and Being Open to Other Views
Adriana is an immigrant. She was born in Mexico and
moved to the United States at the age of 18 to pursue a
better life and a degree in Communications. That
experience always influences her perspective and the way
she conducts herself as a leader. She always strives to do
and be better, and to be open to other views.
There are two books that she always finds herself going
back to: The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho, and The Gifts of
Imperfection, by Brené Brown. The phrase “bring your
whole self to work,” and The Gifts of Imperfection gave her
the tools to achieve that.
Stepping in Times of Crisis
Every year, since Adriana joined the organization five years
ago, has brought new challenges and unimaginable
scenarios for her that have helped her grow as a
communications professional and leader. During this time,
California experienced the deadliest and most devastating
wildfires in its history. Like many other businesses, services
and infrastructure of Comcast were impacted.
The scariest thing was knowing that some of its customers
and colleagues were evacuated and, in some cases,
impacted. It was a terrifying and stressful time, but Adriana
couldn’t be prouder about how her team and Comcast
responded. Every time there is a fire, its team of technicians
and engineers are the first ones on the scene, along with
critical emergency services, bringing the Cal Fire
emergency locations online. That is something Comcast has
done for every massive fire.
Adriana remembers feeling very proud when in 2017,
Comcast donated $300,000 to Santa Rosa City Schools
The 10 Most Inspiring Businesswomen Making a Difference, 2021
17
|
August 2021
www.insightssuccess.com

(SRCS) for the development of a new facility to serve
communities impacted by the North Bay wildfires. The
Santa Rosa Integrated Wellness Center still supports
families who lost their homes or suffered in other ways
during the fires. That is just one example of the way
Comcast steps in during times of crisis.
Putting Emphasis and Resources into Developing
Leaders
Adriana has never worked for an organization, big or small,
with better work culture than Comcast. It feels like a
family-owned small business inside a Fortune 50 company.
When Comcast says that family is first, they mean it.
Adriana has gone through many life events with Comcast
— pregnancy, birth, the loss of a family member, and a
global pandemic. Through it all, she always felt supported
and valued.
Also, Comcast puts a lot of emphasis and resources into
developing leaders. It has a program called LEAD Live,
where leaders meet once a month to learn and grow as
people leaders. It also has the employee net promoter
system, a monthly survey in which employees have the
opportunity to express their feelings about their job and the
organization.
Adriana contributes to a positive culture at Comcast by
leading with empathy and compassion.“The days of hiding
who we are at the workplace is gone, and the new
generation of leaders are not afraid of being vulnerable and
showing their humanity,” she says.
Supporting Vulnerable People and Reducing Digital
Divide
Two initiatives that Comcast started are very near and dear
to Adriana’s heart. Comcast RISE is a new program that
provides marketing support, technology services, and grant
funding to small businesses owned by People of Color. It
was born out of the circumstances that Comcast found
themselves in about a year ago with the pandemic, social
unrest, and the economic and technological disparities that
they see in communities of color. They know that Comcast
alone can’t remedy these complex and systemic issues. But
they are deeply committed to playing a role in driving
change, and Adriana is proud to work for a company whose
values align with her.
On a different note, too many children have been left
behind in their education for not having internet at home.
The pandemic shed light on the digital divide and brought
this subject to the forefront. However, Comcast has been
working on this issue for many years. Internet Essentials
from Comcast is the largest and most comprehensive
broadband adoption program for qualifying families, and it
allows them to get internet service at home for $9.95 a
month. Since 2011, Comcast has connected more than 8
million low-income people to the internet at home through
its Internet Essentials program.
Implementing Unique and Creative Ideas to Drive
Business Growth
Adriana wants to continue growing as a leader and lead a
big team. Throughout her career, she has had the pleasure of
leading small and medium teams. She really enjoys this,
especially when she gets to work with less experienced
colleagues and contribute to their growth. She looks
forward to implementing unique and creative ideas that
drive growth to Comcast business.
In her advice to emerging women leaders, she says, “Bring
fresh and new ideas to the table because your ideas are
your currency. The industry, the business landscape, and
the consumer base are changing, and we need bold women
leaders with new ideas and perspectives. Make sure that
your strategy has a customer-first approach. Sometimes we
get so caught up in the business objective that we forget to
think about what the customer wants.”
Comcast puts
a lot of
emphasis and
resources
into
developing
leaders.
“
“

Jeanne Travis
President & CEO
J. Robbins Enterprises

Jeanne Travis
Helping Companies Unlock their Potential
If we are smart enough to recognize opportunities, then
there are plenty of ways to make a significant
difference. To thrive in the world of business, you need
to see the world with an abundance mentality and think in
terms of win-win solutions. It is beneficial to think about
unlimited possibilities for success instead of thinking in
terms of scarcity mentality.
Inspiring business leaders see the world with an abundance
mindset and build opportunities for others to thrive. Jeanne
Travis is one such inspiring business leader who sees the
world with an abundance mindset and plays a huge role in
helping companies unlock their full potential and achieve
success. Jeanne is an award-winning entrepreneur and
leader, founded J. Robbins Enterprises in 2020, and
serves as the President and CEO.
Jeanne brings diverse experience in education, accounting,
business development, industrial security, information
technology, and entrepreneurship, offering an extraordinary
approach of success to her clients. She graduated from
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VA
Tech) in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics
and minors in Psychology and Education.
Promoting Success of Other Companies
After 11 years as a co-founder and leader of an industrial
security company, Jeanne decided to start her own company
that focuses on promoting other companies. Jeanne finds
true joy in examining business models, identifying
geniuses, and capturing accolades on their behalf.
Over eight years, Jeanne devoted herself to building her
former company and found true delight in marketing and
business development. She worked with multiple marketing
companies to create a strategy, develop content, gain
exposure, and acquire accolades. She discovered it to be
more “fun” rather than “work” to celebrate and
acknowledge the accomplishments of the successes of the
employees and her company.
Having Objectivity, Clarity, and Confidence
Jeanne has been inspired by the mantra given by her parents
“Never stop learning; searching, and discovering; it gives
you objectivity, clarity, and confidence.” She has instilled
this mantra throughout her career. She also encourages
people around her to identify their unique talents,
understand what they bring to the work environment to best
enable success, and make sure their voice is heard. She
states, “Speak up, speak out, and contribute.”
Offering Affordable Ways to Promote Success of
Companies
According to Jeanne, Business Development and Marketing
are everything these days. If your business is successful
enough to hire an expensive firm, that’s great. But it can
take years of hard work and a great deal of revenue for most
companies to get to that point. J. Robbins Enterprises offers
affordable ways to promote companies to increase their
sales, exposure, recruiting, and attract capital.
J. Robbins Enterprises is a business development,
marketing, and general consulting firm that strives to
establish, highlight, and generate capabilities that set your
company and employees above the rest. Its team of diverse
and bold thinking professionals passionately believes that it
can help companies excel by bringing exceptional analysis
and a positive attitude. Each day they explore, inspire, and
produce new ways to serve better and feature the success of
their clients.
21
|
August 2021

Moreover, J. Robbins Enterprises researches its clients to
create a strategy, develop content, gain exposure, and
acquire accolades, as the competition requires the client to
provide the substance of their organization.
Seeing Opportunities Even in Unprecedented Times
The global pandemic has changed how companies do
business indefinitely. This shift has created one of the
greatest opportunities for companies to ignite growth,
reduce overhead, and be more competitive. Jeanne is
willing to participate in any project to provide guidance to
increase funding, revenue, clientele, products, service, and
networks.
Since its inception, J. Robbins Enterprises has earned six
awards for its clientele and provided services in a variety of
Information Technology positions to include
Policies/Procedures, Scrum Master, Requirements Analysis,
and Software Testing. Categories include FedRAMP,
CMMC, National Security Threats, and Industrial Security
Software.
The impact of COVID-19 has slashed Marketing &
Advertising budgets; J. Robbins Enterprises finds low-cost
opportunities that take advantage of social media avenues to
produce exposure. This has shown positivity with an
increase in revenue at an average of 9% monthly, 59 %
quarterly, with expected growth of 20% in the second
quarter of 2021. At the same time, the clientele has grown
by 30%. The largest client showed an increase of 10% in
customers and 40% in employees. Clients include large to
small businesses, where the most notable include Cisco and
Guidehouse (formally PWC).
Enriching Lives of People with Charity
We become successful by what we get, but we become
happy by what we give. The belief is that volunteering and
donating are essential to the success of the community and
enriching people’s lives. Jeanne and J. Robbins Enterprises’
community and charitable contributions include JDRF My
Ride to Cure Diabetes, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society,
Medstar National Rehabilitation Hospital, CodeVA,
Herndon Cares, No Kid Hungry, Optimist Club of Herndon,
and Herndon High School’s Golf Classic to name a few.
Thinking More than Success and Money
While success and money are all nice end goals, Jeanne has
something a little bigger in mind. For the next five years,
her vision for J. Robbins Enterprises involves her
commitment to social responsibility and inclusive
workplace and education equality. Her emphasis offering
crucial help to people in need, worthwhile causes, and the
community. This starts with engaging with teens to do
better in school, during college admissions, and in their
adult lives and ends with inspiring budding entrepreneurs
the chance to secure business deals that could make them
successful.
Acting from Inner Strengths and Relying on Emotional
Intelligence
Jeanne urges all women leaders to stay true, act from their
innate strengths, be creative, collaborate, break outdated
paradigms, and rely on their emotional intelligence in order
to create a style of work best suited to their personalities.

J. Robbins
Enterprises oﬀers
aﬀordable ways to
promote your
Company to
increase your
sales, exposure,
recruiting, and
attract capital.
“
“
23
|
August 2021

C
leanliness is prerequisite for all goodness, as it is
one of the most fundamental aspects in ensuring
good health of everyone. The Covid-19 pandemic
has especially highlighted the importance of cleanliness
even more. Evidently, cleanliness is the foundational pillar
of any place. While cleaning can be time-consuming,
people get less time to spend living or doing the things that
are important to them. Judith Virag and her team at Clean
Club Calgary understand this dilemma and thus, are
oﬀering an enriching experience in quality cleaning.
Judith is certiﬁed house cleaning technician and has been in
the cleaning industry for over 12 years now. She was raised
by a very meticulous mother who succeeded to raise a clean
person from a tomboy. Born and raised in Hungary, she and
her family were refugees and immigrated to Canada in
1989. Canada has provided so many opportunities for them
over the years, as both her parents owned their own
businesses. With entrepreneurship in her blood – both her
parents and grandparents were entrepreneurs – she knew the
traditional career route wasn’t for her. Driven by the
passion for cleaning, she founded Clean Club Calgary in
January 2019.
Besides, Judith has an extensive administrative background
and was an executive assistant for 15 years before her
cleaning career, and she believes this has helped her
immensely on setting up the systems and how to deal with
customers every day. What cleaning industry lacking is
good customer service. Judith and the team at Clean Club
Calgary strive to do better every day.
Striving For Sustainable Relationship with Clients
Clean Club Calgary provides residential and commercial
cleaning services. The factor that sets the company apart is
how it responds to its customers. Not one request,
complaint or positive feedback goes unanswered. The team
at Clean Club Calgary communicate to their customers that
there will be mistakes as they are not robots but human.
Once a mistake or damage occurs they deal with it right
Judith Virag
Challenging Today’s Perceptions of Cleaning
“Professional cleaning by the team
at Clean Club Calgary helps free
up time of customers to spend
with family and friends. Or give
them much needed quiet time”.
Judith Virag
Founder
Clean Club Calgary

away. They strive for long term relationship with their
clients. They return all calls and follow up on all estimates
received. They are serious about working.
Being a Better Business Leader by Learning from Great
People and Books
Judith had a lot of inﬂuence and impact of her parents on
her life. She states that her parents are the hardest working
people she knows, and they have instilled this drive and
work ethic in her that has made her who she is today. Judith
also works with a business coach Vince Fowler. He has
been instrumental in helping her grow and be a better
business leader.
Besides, Judith loves listening to podcasts and audiobooks.
Some of her favorites are ‘How I Built This’ by Guy Raz
and she is a huge fan of Brene Brown. She has taken her
‘Dare to Lead’ training, which was an extremely eye-
opening experience for her. She listens to a lot of books, but
one that stands out is ‘Shoe Dog’ by Phil Knight.
Being Driven by Teamwork, Trust and Respect
When it comes to building a positive work culture, Judith
believes that it is like a relationship that needs constant
nurturing. What was clear to her when she started Clean
Club Calgary is that she wanted to be diﬀerent and wanted
to provide a safe and comfortable work environment to her
team. She opines that cleaning can get very hard not only
on the body but mentally as well and thus, a leader needs to
stand behind his or her team and support them.
Moreover, Judith has developed the company’s internal core
values on which they hire. They have seven core values, but
they have narrowed them down to three that encompasses
all the seven viz. Teamwork, Trust and Respect. Clean Club
Calgary always refer back to these. The people at the
company provide instant feedback – which is crucial in
their industry as they do not want their team members
making the same mistake over and over. They use Slack to
communicate and share their before and after pictures. They
also share all of their positive reviews with the team.
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August 2021

Impact of Pandemic on the Cleaning Industry
The pandemic has certainly impacted most of the sectors. “I feel
at this time running a business is being a teenager all over
again. One minute I cry the next I laugh as there are so many
frequent changes,” Judith asserts. For Clean Club Calgary, the
pandemic has been beneficial in many ways. Judith thinks the
general public is being more educated on what cleaning,
sanitizing, and disinfecting is. This is crucial as a “quick
dusting” doesn’t cut it anymore. Clean Club Calgary’s business
has been up and down along with the frequent restrictions of its
province, but in general it has been growing at a steady pace.
One thing that Judith noticed that at this time in the cleaning
industry, the pandemic is setting the competition apart. Some of
the solo cleaners are folding in as they don’t have the structure
and the funds for advertising and also a lot of other cleaning
companies are struggling because they are not invested in proper
training.
Being Charitable and Bridging the Communication Gap
Talking about giving back to the community, Judith shares that
Clean Club Calgary supports various local charities. It has
volunteered at Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids. Also, every
Christmas the company sponsors a family and provides free
cleaning to cancer patients through Cleaning for a Reason.
Judith thinks she would like to eliminate this “not talking to
each other”. She is one of the council members of the Canadian
Residential Cleaners Committee. The committee started regular
monthly “Coffee Talks” where they hop on a zoom call and
answer any questions their peers have. It has been a great
success and Judith believes that if they all work together as an
industry it is better service all around for customers and
employees.
Building the Best Team Possible
In the next five years, Judith would like to continue building the
best team possible. She would definitely like to triple in size.
She does have a dream of providing work to newcomers and to
strive for the opportunity to help new immigrants.

LEADING with
ORGANIZED
APPROACH and
WISE CHOICES

We live in a world filled with tremendous
distractions at every moment. There are
distractions in the form of diversions from our
most cherished goals. These diversions or distractions can
be due to distracting people or distracting information. We
should make sure that we are always choosing positive and
uplifting associations around us. It is very important,
especially for business leaders, to maintain a safe distance
from envious and insecure people who do not support their
goals.
There is also a huge overload of information in the world.
Having access to only the necessary information is an
important part that helps in making clever business
decisions. It is essential to filter out all the available
information and make sure that we refer to the most
authorized and essential information.
The world is filled with a massive amount of data;
therefore, it is absolutely important to know what to read
and what not to read. The information does not have to be
always new to be helpful but what matters is having timely
access to the most important information.
It matters that we are selective in choosing everything
carefully in this world. There is absolutely no point in
wasting time with people who deplete our precious energy
and willpower. We should not waste our time fighting
wrong battles. If we waste time in fighting the wrong
battles, we will be left with very little energy for our most
important battles or goals. We need to utilize our time and
fighting spirit for our most important goals or battles. To
accomplish anything substantial in this world, we need to
pay the price of our sincere efforts and commitment.
Nothing is more dangerous in this world than sincere
ignorance and conscientious stupidity. Sincere ignorance of
not knowing what is right and what is wrong is not at all
helpful in making informed and clever decisions.
Conscientious stupidity based on emotional or instinctive,
or irrational approach towards decision making is fatal. The
weight of regret is heavier than paying the price of sincere
efforts. Right association and access to the right information
help us to take brilliant decisions. We should not make any
room for regrets by being haphazard or inconsistent
approach. Minding our own resolutions to be successful in
this world is more important than anything else.
Science is organized knowledge, and wisdom is organized
life. Organized life and having an organized approach in
business is praiseworthy, and it helps you in making wise
choices. Having well-organized systems that deliver
consistent results is also essential for the sustainable growth
of the business. Those leaders who create organized
systems in their businesses are able to ensure sustainable
success in their businesses. An organized approach is many
times pleasing to the clients, and it becomes an important
factor in the growth of the business.
The most important attribute of organized business leaders
is their ability to take the right decisions based on the
authorized information and inputs from intelligent advisors
in the business. The organized business leaders are never
haphazard or irrational in their approach. They know that an
instinctive or irrational approach is detrimental. They
believe in taking logical, analytical, rational, and calculative
decisions. Such decisions lead to the most constructive
actions and constructive results. They take decisions based
on the cognitive-intensive thought process. They prefer
thinking deliberately and acting on the conclusion of most
logical thought. That is the most precise, clever, and
pragmatic approach to decision-making.
An organized approach and wise choices help leaders to be
able to run their business in the right direction and with the
right approach. This way, they are able to take the business
to great heights..
The organized business leaders are not complacent in their
approach. They lead with calmness and alertness of mind.
They try their level best to lead with discipline, consistency,
and with the right mindset. They make sure that they are not
giving in to negative distractions. They never get
bewildered by the illusory or destructive opinions of others
or wrong information. These leaders plan their actions well
and execute with utmost perfection. They promote the right
culture in their team members and build the team with
adequate talents, skills, abilities, and resourcefulness. They
have the courage to lead by taking calculative risks and
execute grace even under pressure situations or tough times.
The organized business leaders are decisive and lead with
pragmatism and presence of mind. This approach helps
them to drive the sustainable growth of their businesses.
Well-Chosen Way
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August 2021

Katie Neilson
Co-Founder and
Chief Revenue Ofﬁcer
Assure

Katie Neilson
Driving Investment in Startups by Providing Simplicity,
Transparency, and Affordability to Funding Process
Today, women-led businesses are seeing significant
breakthroughs in the corporate world. With their
unconventional approaches, women are continuing
to be the shining light in the current market. There are many
examples of women making a difference who have
overcome various odds to reach where they are today. One
such woman is Katie Neilson, the Co-founder and Chief
Revenue Officer of Assure, the leading provider of
outsourced administrative and transaction services for the
private investment marketplace.
Katie launched Assure with her husband Jeremy Neilson in
2012 with one basic principle: ‘Say yes’. Nine years later,
Assure has grown from a small back-office transaction
services company to an industry-leading platform with
more than $7 billion in assets under management. Assure is
in the top third of the 2019 Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing
Private Companies in America, and is the third-largest U.S.
fund administrator, as reported by Convergence in 2020.
Saying “yes” has enabled Assure to imagine an innovative,
tech-enabled process for syndicated investing that has given
rise to the Assure Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) - a faster,
easier, and more cost-effective way to structure deals.
Assure SPVs simplify the deal process and fund
administration so you can focus on what you do best:
finding deals and building relationships.
As CRO at Assure, saying “yes” allows Katie to think more
expansively about her clients' goals. Having decreased the
cost of SPVs by 90% and completing over 6,500 SPV initial
funding events, Assure helps its clients drive investment in
startups that are pushing the boundaries of innovation and
making a difference.
Technology is the Key
According to Katie, traditional financial service businesses
are prime for tech disruption. Assure is an example of this,
initially founded as a back-office administration services
company, and through technology has become a global
platform that has driven demand for what is now one of the
most popular and fastest-growing investment structures in
the private marketplace.
The venture capital industry, in general, has been slightly
slower to adopt technological developments despite being
centered on funding the most forward-thinking innovations.
As a financial business, if you don’t find a way to adapt and
find your place in the new picture, you will be left behind.
The new ecosystem is technologically integrated. Users are
expecting smart, fast, and efficient processes.
Understanding how you operate and interact with your
stakeholders via technology has become a necessary core
competency.
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August 2021

Unlocking Funding for Underrepresented Founders
Katie mentions that the pandemic accelerated the existing
trends, and now there is no going back. A positive trend that
they talk about at Assure is the unlocking of funding for
underrepresented founders, including women, people of
color, veterans, and those in the LGBTQ+ community. They
are seeing barriers crumble through innovation and
technology spark growth in these areas for two reasons.
First, it has become easier for founders to access investors
through virtual events and meeting platforms such as Zoom.
The pandemic lockdowns have eliminated the requirement
to be physically based in traditional VC hubs, like Silicon
Valley. Second, Assure’s SPV product has made it possible
for a broader range of investors to now participate in
supporting these businesses. Today, founders can affordably
find investors that have similar passions to their own and
nothing is standing in the way of turning those passions into
investment capital.
Providing a Private Investing Platform that Eases
Funding Process
There are three pillars of focus that make Assure stand out
above the competition: Client Happiness, End-to-End
Service, and Technology. It truly wants to delight its clients,
and its team goes to all lengths to help them achieve their
goals. Assure is the only SPV provider that handles your
SPV from the formation of the entity to exit. With over
7,000 entities created, it is the only provider that handles all
asset types, raise sizes, and structures.
Assure also knows that technology is the future, and it has
worked towards providing a private investment platform
that offers simplicity, transparency, and affordability to the
funding process.
Enhancing Unity by Treating People with Dignity and
Respect
Culture is central at Assure on a daily basis. It has a quote
on its new hire slide deck that says: “Whether planned or
not, all companies have a culture. A culture will form one
way or another — the one they want, or the one that
develops by default.”
Assure attracts people who embody similar philosophies;
they want to make a change, want to grow something, and
have a personal fundamental drive to excel and perform.
One of the things the company picked up on quickly was
that these types of people want to work with others who
share these qualities. So, several years ago, it established a
set of core cultural values in an Assure Culture Deck, which
outlines the attributes new team members should have in
order to contribute to — and strengthen — its culture. At
the beginning of its team meetings, it selects and discusses
one of these values; what it means, why it’s important, and
what recent examples it has seen in action.
Personally, Katie has a note on her desk that says, “Unity is
enhanced when people are treated with dignity and
respect.” This is a daily reminder to her of how she should
treat team members. Katie and her co-founder work to
create a culture where people want to come, contribute, be
challenged, and be their best selves.
Assisting Founders to Become Educated, Mentored, and
Eventually Funded
When it comes to giving back to the community, Assure
contributes in a variety of ways. First, its core Assure SPV

product is making it possible for previously overlooked
founders to raise capital because Assure has decreased the
structuring and administration fees by over 90%.
Additionally, Assure acquired and now leads BoomStartup,
an accelerator program that assists founders to become
educated, mentored, and eventually funded. Finally, it also
has Assure Syndicates that works closely with the founder
ecosystem providing free-of-charge mentorship and
fundraising assistance for founders that are prepared to raise
capital from institutional investors and venture capital
firms.
Adapting to Ever-Evolving Private Investing Landscape
Assure is built to adapt to an ever-evolving private
investing landscape. At its core, it is innovative. Katie
mentions that it will also increasingly benefit from
economies of scale, network effects, and improved
technology to consistently improve its offering to the
ecosystem. Lastly, and most importantly, it comes down to
happy clients. This is a tough problem to solve, but when it
works, it fundamentally changes the way its clients do
business.
Advice to Future Entrepreneurs
Katie advises emerging entrepreneurs who aspire to venture
into the technology and venture capital industry to be
adaptable. She says, “As a startup, nothing really goes
smoothly. When you are pushing the boundaries of what is
known, forging into the frontiers of industry, you will make
mistakes. You will need to pivot. As soon as you’ve figured
something out, it will no longer be relevant, and you’ll have
to start over and figure it out again. To be an innovator and
grow a business, you have to be adaptable, resilient and
gritty.”
Assure SPVs
simplify the deal
process and fund
administration so
you can focus on
what you do best:
finding deals and
building
relationships.
“
“
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|
August 2021

Marceline Beijer
Global Brand Leader
ManpowerGroup
Talent Solutions RPO

Marceline Beijer
Leading by Walking the Talk and Delivering
Strategic Value to Customers
xemplary leaders set the standards for everyone
Eelse through their attitude, behavior, talents, and
skills. They demonstrate excellence in all that they
do. They lead with authenticity. There is harmony in their
thoughts, words, and actions. They walk the talk and talk
the walk. This helps them become a trustworthy and
reliable leader.
Marceline Beijer embodies these ideals by leading by
example. She believes that positivity and change starts with
oneself and therefore, her mantra is to walk the talk.
Marceline is the Global Brand Leader of
ManpowerGroup Talent Solutions RPO. By driving
innovation, thought leadership and the development of
people, her ambition is to deliver strategic value to
customers, and strong growth for Talent Solutions.
In an interview with Insights Success, Marceline Beijer
shares her journey and discusses her contribution to
ManpowerGroup Talent Solutions as a Global Brand
Leader.
Below are the Highlights of the Interview:
Please brief our readers about your leadership position
at Talent Solutions.
Within ManpowerGroup, I am the Global Brand Leader for
Talent Solutions RPO and Vice President for Talent
Solutions RPO and TAPFIN-MSP in Europe. The Talent
Solutions brand was launched in January 2020, and I have
been fortunate to be part of the design and definition of this
new brand and the industry-leading capabilities behind it. In
my career, and as a leader, I have always been a ‘builder’,
which is at the core of how Talent Solutions works with
clients to help them transform their workforce.
When we launched Talent Solutions, we used butterfly
wings on our branding as a symbol of the transformative
effect that is possible when human potential is unleashed in
an organization. This transformational journey connecting
the specific skills and capabilities of Recruitment Process
Outsourcing (RPO), Managed Service Provider (TAPFIN)
and Right Management is an exciting and compelling
development I really enjoy participating in and being able
to influence.
What were the challenges you came across as a Global
Brand Leader?
In my Global RPO Brand Leader role, I have been given a
head start by the great work started in North America in the
field of technology under the leadership of Sarah Peiker,
Senior Vice President, RPO North America, and Wayne
Crowley, VP Global Business Innovation and Intelligence.
Following the launch in North America of PowerSuite™,
our best of breed tech ecosystem, as well as the fully
digitized Rapid Recruit, it was a rewarding project to be
able to expand our offering across all regions throughout
2020.
The main challenge I see is the future of RPO: In a world
where by 2025, humans and machines will split work-
related tasks 50-50, I believe AI and automated processes
thrive when they are coupled with human intelligence, but
what should the human role in a world leaning towards
seamless digital recruitment be? In such an unpredictable
world still grappling with the current health and social
crisis, where it is difficult to create continuous algorithms
and business roles, understanding human intelligence and
the role for the human touch will be the key for success.
At the same time, candidate experience, which also requires
intense human interaction, is becoming even more
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August 2021

important. To deliver the kind of experiences candidates
expect, we need to re-think the way that we manage
candidate interaction throughout the recruitment process.
Leveraging the power of Talent Solutions by creating
solutions that enable crossover of the different workforce
solutions we offer has also been a great positive challenge.
We see the expertise from RPO being used while building
Direct Sourcing solutions for MSPs; we are able to utilize
great career building and upskilling solutions such as
RightCoach™ and RightMap™ which help unleash the full
potential of employees after they are hired via an RPO
solution. It is great to see how our different workforce
solutions all work together towards strengthening our
clients’ employer brand, candidate experience and
engagement across the different stages of the recruitment
lifecycle.
My passion as a ‘techie’ leads me to drive my team to
challenge themselves and strive to get to the next level:
supporting Talent Acquisition with further developments in
the field of AI such as bias free psychometric assessments
and authentic collaboration in the area of diversity, equity
and inclusion.
Being an experienced business leader, what is your
opinion regarding the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic on the Staffing & Recruiting industry? And
how has Talent Solutions managed to overcome this
significant challenge?
Starting in this role as a Global leader and not being able to
travel due to the pandemic to meet and engage with the
regional teams has been a challenge, although this has been
mitigated by the excellent virtual tools and capabilities of
our teams. Remote working has proven to be not just
possible, but also valuable in building true relationships.
During the pandemic, the real challenge has been the
reluctance of companies to hire for permanent roles, which
has given us the opportunity to further develop, diversify
and innovate our portfolio and services. An interesting
example has been the expansion of our extensive data
intelligence capabilities: we have been working with our
clients to analyze and understand the impact of the

pandemic on their workforce, providing solutions to
mitigate risk in supply chain management as well as
exploring location strategies as technology and remote
working have untethered talent from location.
I believe the recruitment industry should also take
responsibility in equalizing the growing gap between the
Have’s and the Have Not’s as unfortunately it has been the
jobs in the informal economy and lower incomes which
have been hit the hardest by the pandemic. As the world
economy recovers and skills needs change with wider
demand for jobs in AI and the Green and Care industries,
the recruitment industry needs to continue to support
training, learning, upskilling and reskilling opportunities for
all their workers.
In what ways have you or Talent Solutions contributed
to the community? If given a chance, what change
would you bring to help other RPOs?
It is in ManpowerGroup’s DNA to be a very ethical
company, we have in fact been recognized by Ethisphere as
a World's Most Ethical Company for eleven years; we are a
true partner in social and sustainable ways of working, and
it is an incredibly important value in the world of Talent and
Recruitment.
The value we bring as a company is our vision that
meaningful, sustainable employment has the power to
change the world, which I highly value. And, as I continue
in my new role, I hope to be able to contribute to the RPO
Community by promoting workforce flexibility and talent
sustainability, focusing on the benefits of hybrid working
and the importance of continuous learning.
What would be your advice for aspiring and emerging
women entrepreneurs?
Just keep going, stay your authentic self and enjoy the
journey!
What according to you is the one takeaway/lesson from
the COVID-19 pandemic?
Change happens more quickly with a real need. Look at
how valued remote working is now, and how many
organizations will adopt flexible working arrangements
moving forward! ManpowerGroup’s What Workers Want
research shows workers do not want to lose that flexibility
they have gained in the past year, now preferring 2-3 days a
week in the workplace. That was unthinkable few years ago
and look at what we have achieved in just few days / weeks
across Q1 2020.
“Combining more than 40 years of expertise,
ManpowerGroup Talent Solutions offers
end to end talent lifecycle solutions by
leveraging its consulting and analytics
capabilities to help organizations more
effectively source, manage and develop
talent at scale.”
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August 2021

Numerous individuals in recent times tend to give
their best at their workplace to get successful
results, but often it isn't the case; at times, the
efforts aren't enough. It can affect individuals, leaders and
organizations on many levels; it becomes essential to
maintain and strengthen personal and professional
development.
However, industry professionals never treated these
problems as necessary, but one entrepreneur who
understood that there are more benefits to the job than
financial is Marisa Elizundia. The idea behind her venture
is to spread awareness to understand, internalize and
effectively capitalize on those non-financial benefits
derived from work.
Marisa is the Creator of the Emotional Salary
Barometer. This online tool helps one know and
understand their emotional salary to obtain clarity on
designing and shaping their desired career. She introduced a
concept that no one had taken the time or interest to
research in-depth. This interest comes from her vast
experience working in this area and from the observation
and realization that when she looked at demotivation, lack
of productivity, commitment, cooperation, etc. there were
other reasons, often more or equally important than the
financial aspect of work. This led her to research the
following question: when we take money out of the work
equation, why do we work? As a result of this the
Emotional Salary Barometer was born, which proved that
the impact Emotional Salary has on people's health,
wellbeing, motivation, and productivity is more than we
think.
The groundbreaking idea is to use the time one spends at
work not only to earn money at the end of the month but
also as a platform to help one grow personally,
professionally, socially, and even transcendentally.
The Voyage Filled with Storms
For the past 25 years, Marisa has worked in the people
development business in multinational organizations,
previously as an employee and currently as an entrepreneur.
Throughout that time, she has always been passionate about
people and the impact that work has on their lives. She has
seen firsthand that apart from the financial benefits you get
from work there are other factors that have nothing to do
with money or financial value and, have an enormous
impact on overall satisfaction, health, motivation,
wellbeing, and productivity. These aspects, which could be
seen as vague or unclear or may not result in an immediate
impact, need constant involvement and shared
responsibility from the organization, its leaders, and the
individuals themselves.
It is why it's very common that People Development
Strategies receive the least budget. This means that the
policies and strategies implemented are poor, inefficient, or
that a lot of money is spent on activities that do not solve
the problem at hand or give good results.
Marisa expresses that her biggest challenge was introducing
the new concept to the market (Emotional Salary) that is
different (but complementary) to what is common in the
Human Resources areas, such as Employee Engagement
Strategies, Employee Experience, Employee Satisfaction,
and more.
Marisa
Elizundia
A Courageous Leader Redefining Thoughts About Work
The 10 Most Inspiring Businesswomen Making a Difference, 2021

Marisa Elizundia
Creator
Emo onal Salary
Barometer
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August 2021

Marisa and her team saw the importance of introducing
strategies and policies based on Emotional Salary as
something that was going to be seen as absolutely
necessary, something obvious, and that the leaders of the
organizations would recognize its usefulness, importance,
and necessity immediately.
They realized early on that this was not the case. In HR, it
can be difficult to introduce something new and innovative,
and it is much less risky to stick with the status quo of what
is known or what has been done for a long time. Yet ESB's
research demonstrated time and again the fundamental
importance of taking Emotional Salary into account.
When it comes to individual workers, Marisa and her team
have faced two challenges. The first is the lack of
responsibility to take action to increase one's own
Emotional Salary. There is still an expectation that the
company or the leaders are solely responsible for
employees' Emotional Salary, and this is not the case. It is a
shared responsibility, and if the individual does not do their
part, an essential part is missing.
The other challenge is that many people believe that
Emotional Salary is intended to justify a lower financial
salary, and nothing could be further from the truth. On the
contrary, what Marisa and her team advocate and push for is
that it complements a fair and reasonable financial salary,
which will have many and very important benefits for
everyone: employees, leaders, and the organization.
The Soaring Influence
Marisa realized how much her job meant to her after she
had to leave for familial reasons. She realized what she
appreciated and loved about her work and it rose far beyond
the financial aspect.
In her journey, Marisa has been supported and accompanied
by several women entrepreneurs. Especially Clodagh Beaty,
her business partner, has been a constant support and has
been crucial for the project to keep growing steadily.
Marisa believes that Martin Seligman's research on
character strengths has permeated all of her work.
Value-Driven Work Culture
Emotional Salary Barometer leads with a culture that aligns
with what it wants to see in all organizations. Below are the
few values that Marisa and her team imply at the
organization.
Ÿ They communicate openly and honestly.
Ÿ They risk making mistakes.
‘‘Redefining the way we
think about work.

Ÿ They allow space for creativity to flourish.
Ÿ They celebrate in a big way when things go well, and
when things go wrong, the team supports each other in a
big way, without blame.
They take a real interest in what others have to say.
For Marisa, the most significant thing is that she stays in
touch with her team even when they don't get to see each
other for a long time.
Counting the Days
Marisa's vision is to redefine work and see it as something
more than the purely transactional aspect it has been seen as
until now. In order for this to happen, companies need to
implement People Development strategies that take into
account the importance of Emotional Salary.
By using the Emotional Salary Barometer, which is based
on in-depth research with high levels of reliability and
validity, organizations can get a clear roadmap of exactly
what needs to be done and how to do it. Marisa is very
proud of the research and its impact worldwide.
Sailing Through the Winds
Marisa advises budding entrepreneurs venturing into the
People Development industry to have a lot of patience. She
says, "One of my biggest surprises is that I thought my
product was so good that I would have queues of customers.
And obviously, it didn't.”
"A lot of work, patience, flexibility, openness. And above all,
to take into account that the emotional cost of being an
entrepreneur is high because of the ups and downs that one
is a victim of in just one day," concludes Marisa.
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August 2021

Natasha E. Feghali
Founder
Feghali Group Inc

Natasha E. Feghali
Dedicated to Education and Entrepreneurship
There’s no doubt in how women have made the
remarkable progress in heading the companies in
every sector. With their exemplary leadership skills,
they have brought a drastic transformation in the business
world at regional, national, and global levels.
When it comes to education sector, women have excelled
phenomenally in delivering quality education to everyone.
One such women who is significantly contributing to the
upliftment of the education ecosystem is Natasha E.
Feghali. She believes education is a moldable industry and
as society evolves and takes on a new shape post-covid in a
new era of the 21st century, education sector will change
and grow to suit the needs of the learners globally.
An Avid Educator
Natasha is an award winning Canadian for her philanthropy
in community and strong dedication to education. She is the
recipient of the 40 Under 40 United Way/ Leadership
Windsor-Essex Award 2018 as well as numerous awards
and recognitions; most notably the Sovereign Canadian
Medal in 2015 for her dedication to education and the
future of entrepreneurship and youth.
Natasha is an international educator working overseas
throughout her career while giving workshops, seminars
and conferences Nationally and Internationally. She has
taught in China, France, Kuwait and Ontario for 10 yrs. She
is International Language Specialist Educator.
Natasha is also a distinguished media personality acting as
MC in her community events, hosting events in the GCC as
well as a journalist since 2012 and has written for
magazines such as Bazaar Kuwait and City Pages Middle
East. Most recently she has received the Odyssey Award
from the University of Windsor and has been published in a
book on Women and Leadership in Ontario with the
Elementary Teachers Federation. Natasha is a 2x graduate
from the University of Windsor with extensive expertise in
Second Language Education. She has worked in 3
continents mastering their educational laws and systems.
She has travelled across the world giving presentations and
working with educational personal for success of students.
Striving to Make Remote Learning Equitable for All
Access to online learning becomes more important
especially in the times like pandemic. Pivoting to online
learning has really been a new undertaking for Natasha and
she has found that the students have really embraced the
change. She states that as a society, online learning can
offer a platform for students all over the world who may not
have equity in education access to a classroom. The one
thing that Natasha would like to change is the access to a
stable internet connection to ensure remote learning is
equitable for all.
In 2014, Natasha had met a mentor while volunteering who
was already in the Real Estate arena. He advised her that
she would need to make more money, grow her passive
income and create generational impact for herself and her
family. The next month she purchased her first property and
6 years later, she and family are doing well!
Today, besides being a proud educator, Natasha is also the
Founder of Feghali Group Inc (FGI). FGI is an
independently owned and operated rental homes, rental of
storage units and venture partnership. It has a strong
portfolio of homes in the Windsor-Essex County Region
and works with local and international investors as well.
Planning on International and Lending Ventures
At FGI, Natasha is planning on international and lending
ventures as the housing market will soften in the few years.
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August 2021

FGI prides itself on
giving the best quality
care and expertise
when it comes to rental
homes as well as the
community at large.
The company has decided to change its model and make it
work for them as investors to continue to cashﬂow despite
the market ﬂuctuations. FGI prides itself on giving the best
quality care and expertise when it comes to rental homes as
well as the community at large.
Diversifying Portfolio by Opening New Doors of
Opportunity
So far FGI has been holding through the tide and has
moved forward despite a few setbacks. The company has
been digital for a long time, and it has not been hard for
them to pivot as it was already prepared for a shift to a fully
digital model.
Natasha is already taking the business in a new direction
and asset class. The company is slowly moving into the
International Arena as well as Mortgage lending. Through
this, it will diversify the portfolio even more and open new
doors of opportunity.
Being Open to change
Natasha states that the best way to deal with today’s and
tomorrow’s challenges is learning to pivot and change as
the times change. She adds, “Not every lesson will be
perfect and not every child will learn the same way.”
Helping People to Leap Forward
Natasha advises industry leaders aspiring to venture in the
education industry to go for it. She is having a great career
and she could not be happier! She states that those who
enjoy a vivacious career with a lot of change and are self-
motivated; then she would council them to take the leap
forward in any direction.
‘‘
‘‘

Phoebe Wasfy
Principal at Philopateer
Christian College

Phoebe Wasfy
Preparing Well-Rounded Leaders of Tomorrow
Youths of today are the future of tomorrow. It is of
utmost importance to inculcate good values in the
youths of today to create responsible citizens or
leaders of tomorrow. Education that imbibes good values in
students and prepares them with sufficient talents, skills,
abilities and resourcefulness to face the challenges of the
future is most essential in the lives of youth today. It is
absolutely necessary to have qualified and caring teachers
that educate youths of today in the right direction. Mrs.
Phoebe A. Wasfy is one such educational leader who as a
Principal of Philopateer Christian College (PCC) is
working with her team of qualified teachers to educate and
empower young people, transforming them into individuals
in whom spiritual, academic, and physical attributes
complement each other.
PCC cares for its students spiritually, academically,
physically and mentors them to serve their families, and the
community. Cherishing family relationships, friends, and
respect towards adults and each other, are part of its school
values. At Philopateer Christian College, they prepare their
students to become well-rounded leaders of tomorrow.
Being Empowered through Education
Philopateer Christian College is a Pre-K to grade 12 school
that began in Mississauga by the Egyptian Coptic
Community in 1999 with around 40 students in a basement
of the Canadian Coptic Centre. Phoebe began her journey in
the school in 2005 as a grade 3 teacher, followed by a
position as a middle school teacher and in 2008, she was
part of the team that began the high school division with
three grade 9 students. Step by step, PCC moved into its
current location in its tenth anniversary with 280 students.
At that time, Phoebe was chosen by the principal to be the
head teacher and leading a group of teachers who took on
different leadership roles in the school.
Through every step of the way, learning was a big part of
her journey. She firmly believes that in order for one to
truly succeed and excel in what they are tasked with, one
must be empowered through education.
From having additional qualification courses in the
pedagogy of all age groups to a specialist in literacy and
history, to two-part principal qualification courses, to a
Master’s degree in Education and most recently a
Certificate of Higher Education from Harvard; all these
steps led Phoebe from teacher to head teacher to Assistant
Administrator to Assistant Vice principal to Vice Principal
and finally in 2014 when she took on the role of
Principalship of Philopateer Christian College.
Learning from Family Members and Honorary People
Many things play a role in shaping and impacting one’s life.
For Phoebe, there were key people who impacted her and
continue to impact her. Her decision of getting into teaching
was inspired by her grandmother who was a great educator
in the 60’s and 70’s in Egypt. Her grandmother’s students,
who are now grandparents themselves, have never forgotten
the great lady who touched their lives as a teacher.
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August 2021

Phoebe’s leadership, many say, is inherited from her father,
who is one of the senior priests of the Coptic (Egyptian)
Orthodox Church in North America. The third person who
has recently inﬂuenced Phoebe is the Egyptian Minister of
Emigration and Expatiates, Minister Nabila Makram. She
has had the honour of being part of numerous initiatives
with her excellency and learned how to lead and reach her
goals with her team.
Adapting to New Norms With Keen Responsibility
While the whole world shut down due to the pandemic,
Phoebe and her team were seizing the opportunity to create
a complete virtual high school program and recruiting
students from all over the world. As an educational leader,
she quickly realized that there are parts of education that
have changed and changed forever. Students have sat
behind a computer screen for a whole year and this, Phoebe
believes, impacted their attention span as well as social
interaction. PCC has moved away from paper and pen
exams and has invested in virtual proctoring exams portals,
and this is now the new norm.
Educating Students with Strong Educational
Foundation
As students come in and go out of PCC, one common
sentence is said: “Teachers here care!” Its foundation lies
in its successful educational methods and prioritizing
students above and beyond any other thing. It believes that

knowing and respecting the learning styles of the students
while encouraging and empowering them to reach their
goals through their strong educational foundation will help
them excel.
PCC has three key words that are central to the foundation
of it. The three keys as they refer to them are: “Education,
Spirituality and Discipline.” Phoebe always tell the
students they can get education from any school, and it all
depends on if they like the teacher or if their teacher is
strong, but without God in the center of everything that they
do, and without discipline, education has no roots.
Using Prestigious Profession to Impact the World
“Dream Big! Think Big! Believe Big” has become the best
advice and motto for Phoebe as an educational leader. Over
the years, Phoebe has learned that if one doesn’t dream,
think and believe big, one will remain stagnant and won’t
grow in or love what they do. Education is the foundation
upon which every other profession is built. It has many
challenges but it is a vocation of one’s heart. For any
aspiring leader in education, Phoebe also says that
educators must respect this prestigious profession and use it
to impact the world in a positive way.
Reaching the World through Acts of Kindness
As a school, PCC is involved in many charitable acts both
here in Canada and internationally. As it is written in the
Bible: “In giving we receive.” This is something that the
school instills in its students and staff in every chance they
get. For example, for Christmas, PCC’s Christmas Tree is
not decorated with ornaments, instead school uses this time
to once collect mittens and scarves for the homeless, turkey
dinners for those served by its local foodbanks or items that
it takes on its school’s annual mission trips.
“Philopateer Christian College cares for its
students spiritually, academically, physically
and mentor them to serve their families,
their community and their country.”
In every opportunity, PCC teaches its students that the
world is very reachable through the acts of kindness they
do.
Continuing to Make a Difference in the World of
Education
In five years from now, PCC as a school envisions to reach
many more students worldwide, through both its virtual
platform and maybe even offshore campuses. Its vision is
also to positively impact the world one student at a time
through the professions they choose in their postsecondary
education. Its vision is continuing to make a real difference
in the world of education as a whole.
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August 2021

Rada Doytcheva
Principal/Head of Design
RADA Architects Ltd.

Rada Doytcheva
She has been called “Fearless” – The Woman Architect
Changing People’s Lives for the Better
Women are seen to be conquering every field,
architecture industry being one of them. With
their keen sense of creativity and design, women
are transforming the industry and taking it to the new
heights. Amongst those women, Rada Doytcheva, PhD,
FAIA, LEED AP BD+C, the Principal/Head of Design of
RADAArchitects, is serving as an inspiration to many
young female architects, not only with her work and
tenacity to succeed, but also with her relentless advocacy
for giving opportunity to others.
We, at Insights Success, caught up with Rada to unveil her
inspiring journey and her contribution to the field of
architecture through RADAArchitects.
Leading on Multiple Fronts
Rada started the company 25 years ago and she is still the
engine that moves projects, people and ideas to execution.
At RADAArchitects she leads in design for all projects; in
calibrating daily and strategic management, in finding new
clients and partners in success, in taking the message about
equality in design and procurement to conferences and
conventions as well as to government and corporate
institutions. With strong convictions and tremendous
energy, she doesn’t only “preach” but also acts on the
issues. All of this she does in the difficult business
environment for small and midsize firms, the environment
of the women-owned architecture firms - mostly. Never has
this exceptionally busy and challenging reality prevented
her from mentoring aspiring young women and other
professionals - with a life-long impact on their careers.
Promoting Rational Sustainability
RADAArchitects professional credo is for resolving
individual client needs with creativity yet with rationality
and without excess. Designs that serve people’s needs and
expose them to new experience are in the center of the
firm’s work. Creating transformative environment, new
identity, multi-use enhanced functions – all of them go hand
in hand with promoting sustainability. In crossing the line
from architect to developer, RADA created the first Silver
LEED project in Chicago Cabrini Green – setting the
Rada is leading the firm
with a mission of creating
“Better Lives, by Design” -
doing what is right,
socially responsible and
sustainable.
standard for revitalization of a former “projects area” and
doing it to higher - “green” sustainable building standards.
Overcoming Challenges With Exceptional Endurance
The challenges were enormous as Rada started the
organization all by herself, with no capital, no clients, still
as a newcomer to this country, and soon with a young child
on her hands – all by herself.
Prior to starting her own business, she was employed with a
large male dominated firm. The work she performed for
higher education, hospitals and international commercial
projects was exceptionally well received by clients.
However, the moment she pursued working with the same
clients as a new firm – they were unsure how to treat her.
The male ownership of her previous employment fought
unethically to bring her down. The mistrust and suspicion to
a new, small woman-owned firm was the norm. There was
only a handful of women-owned architecture firms in the
Chicago area at the time. This was a start only working for
the “fearless”.
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August 2021

Now, 25 years later, Rada feels that the biggest challenge to
start and grow an architecture firm is to secure commissions
and revenue. She says, “One cannot grow a company
without getting commissions. You need to grow people and
talent – architecture is no sole venture, you need to build
the experience, benefits and good salaries to be able to
retain people, and all of this starts with having a flow of
good sized projects and revenue.”
Rada continues to elaborate how growing a firm was a long
and tough road of survival, in an environment that prefers
larger and established firms. She adds, “It takes exceptional
endurance and sacrifice of one’s personal life – in the above
circumstances – to keep going so that one can ultimately
lead a firm that can sustain people working there, and even
better – a firm that can function for the purpose of making
other people’s lives better.”
Being Fearless, Magnanimous and Strong came about
through growing up with a Great Mentor
It is Rada’s father, Dr. Kiril Doytchev, an architect still
living and working at 98, who has been her role model,
inspiration and mentor. In his own career he was able, in
spite of political turmoil in Easter Europe, to lead the
profession and set his mark on the health care design
throughout Europe and Asia. The American Institute of
Architects recognized his achievements as an Honorary
Fellow of the Institute – 30 years ago. He has not only been
Rada’s mentor since her early time in the profession, but
also unstoppable to this very day in encouraging her to be
fearless, magnanimous and strong.
Chicago Park District McGuane Park Fieldhouse

Securing Strong Lines of Communication and Positive
Work Culture
The pandemic was a challenging situation for businesses.
RADAArchitects’ way to survive the difficulties of working
remotely was to secure constant communication between
team members, to hold regular meetings for status as well
as for fun talk. The firm also provided the necessary
technology and software to all to be able to work from
home.
Rada says that positive work culture is “the name of the
game of today”. Even with everything else working well, if
it is missing from the workplace – a firm could be headed
for disaster, losing valuable workforce. The definition of a
positive workplace is constantly changing – and the bar is
constantly being raised.
Raising a New Generation of Young Architects
RADAArchitects is intent on raising a new generation of
architects, planting the seed of responsibility and
knowledge. The firm is committed to continuing education,
individual mentorships, and extensive internship program,
including bringing high school students as well. The system
of award and encouragement goes beyond compensation.
The firm has given yearly for the last 15 years an
architectural Travel Award to firm individuals and teams,
who travelled around the globe – to places like China,
Germany, Great Britain and many other.
Advocate and “Game Changer” for Women-Led
Architectural Firms
The biggest impact that Rada has personally sought to have
is the empowerment of women and minority architectural
firms – for equal opportunities in project procurement, for
women to be able to thrive in a level playing field.
In the last year, Rada put together and led three “all women
architects and consultants” teams for major Chicago area
projects, two of them successfully underway now.
In her advice to aspiring women entrepreneurs in the
architecture industry, Rada says, “Build your body of
knowledge and skills, add a good amount of confidence and
trust in yourself and in others - and launch them to achieve
the unthinkable.”
Redefining the Architecture Profession
Rada believes that the Architecture and Design Industry, as
a whole, needs to restore the faith in the architect as a
leader, and the architects need to be assertive and more
responsible with the work they do, and the values they
foster.
In conclusion, Rada mentions that RADAArchitects will
remain a leader showing how women-owned firms can do
as good of a work as large firms – redefining a model for
the profession, a model from which all can benefit in the
long run.
Illinois Medical District
Pedestrian Bridge
Concept, Chicago, IL
59
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August 2021

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