The desire to make people have confidence in their faces led the high spirit in Lulu Siciliano to establish two beauty companies, namely: Microbeau and Evenflo Colours. For the sake of her clients and students, LuLu wanted to develop game-changing products that always provide stable great results.

Over the years, Lulu Siciliano has thrived in her business because she conceives customers’ thoughts before manufacturing any product. She always comes up with products that she can admire first, which has propelled her success. Lulu is keen to listen to the various challenges that artists face and what led to the production of the PMU pigments that are specifically designed for women of color. One thing that she believes in and desires for her customers to have is love for their faces without makeup, and PMU artists who are using her products can perform better and safer procedures for their clients, enjoy the process, and getting great healed results every time.

As an empowered immigrant woman, Lulu Siciliano challenges all women and others to believe in themselves and remain positive. Lulu is an inspiration to all people who want to get into business. She holds that nothing is impossible since not knowing to speak English in the US did not deter her from excelling. 

Concerning her funding, Lulu Siciliano confirms that she funds her beauty companies through funds she receives from her current business. She has invested much in research and development to make her business outstanding. Lulu Siciliano ultimately desires that all women be empowered. 

Her parting shot is to encourage all people to dream big and have achievable investments. Before beginning any business, one should thoroughly research and fully understand what they are about to undertake. Doing business will not be easy for people who want to rent expensive spaces yet lack a clear strategy and income. There is much to business that involves proper planning and decision-making. 

For monumental and life-changing Pmu products or services, feel free to reach out to Lulu Siciliano: the founder of Microbeau and Evenflo Colours beauty companies, through her email at lulu@microbeau.com. Remember to visit her website and Instagram handles for more thrilling and impactful beauty tips and information. 

Instagram: pmubylulu; evenflocolours; microbeauofficial. 

Website: Microbeau.com

EvenfloColours.com

The post Lulu Siciliano’s Insurmountable Impact on the Beauty Industry appeared first on CEO Medium.

It also applies to online businesses. The digital space isn’t always stable and often requires its community to adapt and innovate. Moreover, people who rely on the Internet and its platforms often look for authenticity among companies to see which ones share the same goals as they do. 

Savir Suda, a New Delhi, India-born and raised online entrepreneur, has three significant values that served him well to success. He currently runs two online businesses, a YouTube automation business and a social media agency. 

Patient In His Journey 

Growing a business takes time. It’s not a get-rich-quick scheme accomplished overnight. If there’s one value that every entrepreneur must have, it’s patience. However, it’s something that people don’t appreciate deeply. 

“I believe people underestimate the importance of patience in business,” Savir explained. 

He recalled several times during his young entrepreneurship journey when he wanted to quit when the immediate results he expected weren’t achievable. Savir began his YouTube business at 16 after finding a mentor online. While some would say his youth made him impatient, it made him more open to learning the things he needed to run a business. 

“That’s when I realized nothing is attainable without a high level of patience. You need to keep going and need to keep working towards your goals. Be patient for results. Don’t quit. Remember why you got started in the first place,” he advises. 

Ethics Is A Must 

Another value that Savir has and recognizes is business ethics. He knew its relevance if he wanted to get far in the YouTube automation and social media growth industries. 

He learned from others’ examples and developed his approach to client interaction. 

“After watching some people conduct less than acceptable business, I stayed clear from doing it. Morals come first. Always be ethical and deliver what you promise to your customers,” he said. 

Savir added that being genuine always worked for him. Numerous other entrepreneurs share the same ideal and hold authenticity above all else because it gives them a clear view of their purpose. 

Be Eager To Learn

Last on Savir’s list, but not least, is a dedication to learning. As the old saying goes, “Knowledge is power.” 

“I quickly learned that knowledge is power, and those who have it can take action to reach any level of success they desire,” he said. 

He constantly educates himself with books, mentorships, masterclasses with masterminds, and more. After all, running an online business requires an innovative and open mind. 

Learn more on Savir Suda’s Instagram. 

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The post Three Values That Helped Savir Suda To Gain Success appeared first on CEO Medium.

He uses his gifts to help mould budding Christian influencers. “Usually, fame is frowned upon in the Christian community,” Stephen says, “and I want to be an example that Christians can be successful in the world.”

Stephen’s Instagram Following

Stephen uses Instagram to teach and inspire others by sharing his Christian faith. He’s been a content creator for five years now as “The IG Apostle.” Through his regular Instagram content, he empowers believers to live out their faith and become wholehearted disciples of Christ.

He grew his following organically from 5k followers to 45k followers in just a few months. “I had no clue that my following would increase at the rate it did! I just remained consistent with posting and daily my following increased!”

Stephen’s followers enjoy regular posts with practical teaching and easy-to-understand applications. In April and May 2022, he shared a series on prayer to help his followers engage in the dialogue of prayer (instead of using prayer as an extended monologue, ignoring the voice of God). His videos on prayer gained thousands of likes and hundreds of comments from people engaged by his content.

“I believe that Instagram is a powerful and relevant tool to my generation,” Stephen muses, “That’s why I create meaningful content for my followers to enjoy. I also want to help others create a genuine impact as well.”

Helping Other Christian Content Creators

One of the ways Stephen helps others create genuine impact is through his consulting business, SH Consulting. He teaches other Christian content creators how to organically grow their audience on social media sites like Instagram.

The budding influencers who hire SH Consulting learn how to create compelling content that fosters organic growth. Instead of viewing other Christian influencers as competition, Stephen knows that by working together, Christian influencers can win more people to Christ. Together they advance the same Gospel.

Other Teaching Ministries

Instagram and consulting aren’t the only ways Stephen is helping build up the Kingdom of Heaven. While he sees Instagram as a powerful tool, it’s not the only tool on his belt.

Stephen is a prolific writer, publishing a wide variety of eBooks that provide encouragement and insight to readers. Book titles include His Words Your Mouth: Unlocking the Gift of Prophecy Within You and Fit for the Master’s Use: Essential Disciplines and Qualifications for being Used by God. Readers can purchase these and other titles on Stephen’s website.

In addition to creating great reading materials, Stephen travels throughout Canada and the United States, preaching the Gospel. While his travels have afforded him many opportunities to share the Gospel, Stephen hopes to travel to more nations.

In everything, Stephen does he is living out the Great Commission, given by Jesus to His disciples in Matthew 28:18-20: “Go and make disciples of all nations.” 

The post Stephen Hyde is sharing his faith and equipping Christian content creators appeared first on CEO Medium.

People around the world are turning to Ruby’s content to find healing. Ruby has also written content for notable women’s health, wellness, and lifestyle magazines and is a guest on podcasts. When she isn’t writing, she hosts writing and mental health workshops and performs at poetry nights.

How Ruby Built Her Following

Ruby began sharing on social media in 2016. She initially began sharing as a way to deal with some difficult events in her life, but her words resonated with readers and she quickly gained a following.

In 2017, she self-published her first book. When it sold 350 copies in the first month alone, she was excited to see the initial success of her writing. Back then, Ruby didn’t have the following she has today. That initial success was an exciting sign of things to come. She put the proceeds from her writing into a bank account and used a portion of those proceeds to purchase Facebook ads. Those ads led to additional book sales.

Ruby has sold over 30,000 copies of her books this year, including 20,000 copies of her most recent work (which allowed Dear Self to appear on the bestseller list). She continues to write content about love, heartbreak, letting go, healing, and mental health, since her honest approach to these topics is what contributed to her success.

Today she is writing her sixth book, which will be an easy-to-digest self-help book. Ruby is also working on her first fiction novel, which will be a YA romance novel, revolving around the lives of two central POC characters from unique backgrounds.

In addition to writing, Ruby has started turning her ideas into YouTube videos, a monthly blog, and a newsletter. She also helps people through one-to-one healing sessions on Zoom. Ruby stays connected to local communities by hosting workshops at schools and universities.

Ruby is making the world a better place one word at a time. She says that if her writing can help one person, it’s all worth it. Feedback from readers who have found healing through her content gives her energy and fuels her purpose.

Ruby’s Roadmap to Success

Ruby worked hard to create the business she has today, so she knows others can do the same when they’re willing to put in the hard work. Her biggest piece of advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is that each person must find their purpose and run with it. Ruby discovered early on that writing and helping others was her purpose, which led to the work she does today.

She recommends that people who need to keep working a job to finance living expenses should give themselves an hour every day to work on their business idea. They should spend time investing in skills every day. To finance their idea, they should set aside a little money and create a budget to guide their investments in the project.

Ruby reminds aspiring entrepreneurs to leverage the power of social media. It is one of the cheapest and fastest ways to get the message out about a brand, so it cannot be ignored in the business plan of any budding business.

She also encourages people to create a 5-year or 10-year plan and break everything down into tiny steps. Those steps will become a personal roadmap to success. When a person carves out the time and puts in the hard work, their entrepreneurial dreams can become a reality. Anyone can make a living doing what they love most when they put in the hard work and treat it like a career, just like Ruby has done with her writing.

The post Ruby Dhal is using her platform to improve the lives of others appeared first on CEO Medium.

What is your entrepreneurial story? How did you come about building your business?

Caffeine and Kilos started off as an event. We wanted to bring the best Olympic-style weightlifters together and have them lift in an expo and pay a cash prize. We named the competition the caffeine and kilos invitational because everyone we know in fitness loves to drink coffee (caffeine) and lift weights (kilos). That’s the lifestyle we all love. The message really resonated with people, and it took off. The event turned into an e-commerce brand that took over the fitness scene. What sets us apart is a few things. The apparel we sell isn’t your corny gym wear. It’s nice, classic-looking apparel that you can wear to the gym, and then also to your family party or out to dinner. It looks good so you feel cool. You can look great, and represent what you’re all about — a healthy, active lifestyle. The other thing that sets us apart is our coffee. It’s really good! And selling our own coffee is what makes Caffeine and Kilos a true lifestyle brand — not just an apparel company.

What is your business model — how were you able to grow so fast?

We are a part of our market. My co-founder and I have competed in weightlifting and in Crossfit. As a part of that scene, we have a lot of friends that are social media ‘influencers.’ So, they are happy to support us, and we support them. Also, being in the market, we make stuff that we know resonates with our target demographic.

Can you give me an overview of who you are, what is your educational or overall background? What are some of your achievements?

I have a master’s degree in education, and I taught high school PE for 8 years while coaching wrestling. Once business took off, I quit teaching because I was working 14 hour days, which is not sustainable with small children at home. I spent about 5 years competing in Olympic-style weightlifting for the best team in the country, California Strength. I placed top 5, and in the top 10 Nationally a handful of times. I also am co-owner of a gym that has been in business for 11 years and has helped community members lose thousands of pounds.

What have you learned through your experiences as an entrepreneur that can be used by aspiring business individuals?

It’s important to tie your success to the success of your customers. What is best for them — what really benefits them. Chase those goals and your business will be fine. Also, read fiction along with all the business and self-development books. I often have breakthrough ideas while reading fiction. I think it’s the way it stimulates your brain.

What makes your business so unique and successful?

We truly are a lifestyle brand. We give people an opportunity to be a part of something. To join the movement, and be proud to represent their lifestyle. When they put on our shirts, they feel cool. They feel good. They are representing something they belong to and believe in. When they make our coffee, they are reminded that they are a part of the movement.

What have you learned through your journey as an entrepreneur?

It is not a straight shot. There are ups and downs. Highs and lows. It’s all about finding solutions and moving forward.

What skills and attributes make you as successful as you are?

I am a very positive person. I always try to stay in a positive mindset and keep moving forward. If something goes wrong, I focus on solutions. Also, I take action. It’s ok to not know what you’re doing, everyone learns and figures things out as they go. I also attribute a lot to my supportive wife. Every time I come up with ideas, she just lets me go for them… doesn’t tell me why they won’t work. She has never discouraged me from trying something new. Along with that — my parents and grandparents had their own businesses. So, the idea of starting/running my own business has never been scary or seemed like a big thing. It’s normal to own your own business, I’ve seen people do it my whole life. I think that has been a huge advantage.

Why is online business, marketing, etc important?

An online business allows you to reach a much larger audience. You can have a massive impact. The better your marketing, the more people you can have an impact on.

Follow Danny Lehr on Instagram: @danny_lehr

The post Exclusive Interview with Danny Lehr on The Success of Caffeine and Kilos and Creating a Fitness Revolution. appeared first on CEO Medium.

How did you create your brand and what was the reason behind it?

As a mother of two, I am constantly trying to juggle daily routines whilst managing my family. Many people don’t know that I went through two challenging pregnancies due to a rare condition called Familial Chylomicronaemia Syndrome (FCS).

FCS is an ultra-rare genetic condition that affects around 1 in a million people. Those with familial chylomicronaemia syndrome have difficulty metabolizing or absorbing fat. This is usually because of a shortage in the enzyme lipoprotein lipase. When someone with FCS eats fat, it travels around within the blood. These then clump together causing symptoms of ‘milky white’ blood.*

*https://www.actionfcs.org/about-fcs/the-facts-about-fcs/

I nearly lost my life because of it and it caused me to develop psychological issues that lead to further demise in my mental health. This is where the concept of ‘SoniyaFit’ started. Sharing my experiences and speaking transparently has allowed me to overcome these hurdles and my objective with this brand is to help women who may be experiencing similar life-challenging events.

How does your brand work?

Coming from a South Asian background, my main aim is to encourage women to look after their mental health as well as their physical health, to break the stigma and talk about things that people are scared to talk about including illnesses, divorce, fertility issues, sexuality, etc. I strongly believe in chasing dreams irrespective of whether you have drawbacks. Life was never intended to be easy and what makes one win in life is based on how you get up after being knocked down.

What are the challenges you go through on an everyday basis?

I faced a number of challenges whilst building this brand. I started working on this in 2013 shortly after the birth of my son. Shortly after I faced postnatal depression during a period when I was attempting to manage a rare medical condition and not stay in employment due to recurrent hospital admissions. This is when I decided that I needed to do something for myself and at the same time help others.

Being a woman of South Asian descent, it’s not always normal to talk about and be open about personal issues nor is the family positioned to know what to do. I have always been aware of the problems I may face but I would rather start a business and fail than to not try at all. Learning to accept, grow and become stronger is part of evolving as a human being and I believe in tackling my issues head-on.

How do you manage your finances through the services you offer?

I have self-funded this business through savings and built momentum by remaining thrifty in all my decision-making processes. Self-discipline and financial acumen are paramount to running any successful business.

How far do you want to take SoniyaFit? What is your dream about taking it to the next level?

My goal is to help as many women as possible, if I can help even one woman I will be very happy. Of course my aim to provide guidance and support to as many people as possible and if I can branch my business overseas and build my team that would be a dream come true.

What message would you like to give to anybody who has a plan of creating something of their own and making a living through it?

Never think you can’t do anything. Never feel you’re not good enough. I firmly believe that you can do whatever you want but you need to put the time and energy in to create the luck needed for business success.

Currently, Soniya is in the process of writing her first book, which will be published in the near future.

“A lot of my posts on Instagram are quotes and small parts from my book, almost like a teaser”.

SoniyaFit

Email Address : soniyafit@gmail.com

Website URL : www.soniyafit.com

Instagram URL : www.instagram.com/soniyafit

The post I am My Brand: Soniya Vadher-Patel on Turning Her Suffering into Her Passion appeared first on CEO Medium.

Alexandra Nolan is no stranger to adversity. “In 2014, I seemed to be stuck in a season of obstacles. My little brother passed away in a car accident, I closed several businesses,  got a divorce, struggled with financials, the list goes on. I just couldn’t catch a break. Just when I began to get my hopes up for 2020, Covid hit but instead of hanging up the hat, 

I decided a huge change was in order. I wanted to reorganize my life, discover my interests, and reclaim myself as a confident entrepreneur. It was this walkthrough self-rediscovery that would catapult, not only myself but my business into a phase of reinvention and six-figure profits!”

What motivated you to start your businesses?

The entrepreneur characteristics have always been present in my work ethic, however, it wasn’t until working in corporate America that I learned just how entrepreneurial-minded I truly was. The challenge of climbing the corporate ladder developed a determination within that was unbreakable, yet I had this innate longing to create. While always appreciated at the round table, my ideas seemed to be too innovative for a conservative Fortune 100 company. The eagerness to put these ideas into action motivated me to start my own business. While I believe that my calling was to become a boss babe, my time with corporate was not at all a loss. All of the valuable business strategies know-how that I gathered while working in corporate gave me the tools to forecast sales, budget my financials, and strategize for success. 

How did you create your brands and what were the sole ideas behind them?

City Chic Living (www.citychicliving.com) began as a way to escape the daily obstacles of corporate America over an evening glass of wine. I loved the idea of a digital publication as it is super easy to share passions and in return, learn more about my audience and their lives as well.  As a mom blogger, I love to cover relatable topics such as personal editorials on fashion choices as a 30 something mom of two, beauty hacks for the boss mom, home and garden tips, lessons on staying healthy when there is no time, unconventional parenting, and my travel diaries (with and without the kiddos). Just as this blog has empowered me to expand in my expertise and experiences, City Chic Living is for the modern mom who seeks to be empowered through makeup tips, health and lifestyle choices, unconventional parenting ideas, and through exploring the environment and the world in which they live and travel.

The Confident Boss (www.theconfidentboss.com) is an online academy designed for the entrepreneur who seeks to be empowered through financial freedom and the creativity that is afforded through becoming their boss. With courses such as Build Your Voice and Grow Your Audience, The Business of Blogging, Quitting Your Job + Knowing Your Worth, I am able to help other men and women pursue discover their skillset and bring their entrepreneurial dream to fruition. 

What are some tips for reinventing yourself and your business?

Know what you are interested in. As an adult, I often find myself reminiscing about my childhood and the activities that I used to revel in. As I child I loved theatre, painting, crafts, pottery, drawing, sewing… all things I have not truly engaged in over a decade. As a teen, I would buy textbooks on psychology and the human brain for self-teaching and also studied Spanish. It is so easy to let the everyday routine of life get in the way. Bills and trying to run a household seem to be the biggest “interest stompers” in many people’s lives. This is where you can tap into the activities that you enjoy and leverage them to make a profit. It’s not very hard to recognize what you do not want to do, but knowing what you enjoy proves to be more difficult. Most of us spend over 2/3 of our waking hours at work, yet a lot of us are not inspired or are not experiencing personal growth while doing so. I feel that our purpose on this earth is to grow personally, have meaningful relationships, give back to each other and our society, and live with meaning and the latter makes our career choices in life important ones.

What advice would you give future entrepreneurs who want to build a 6 figure business?

Trial and error is the best way to learn but don’t get frustrated or discouraged. Trial and error was the theme of my first two years of being in business. I had no mentor or guidance and was forced to try different tactics for management, marketing, finances, etc. to see what worked and what did not. By doing the work yourself and overcoming obstacles, you will build upon your expertise and become more confident in your business know-how. Also, don’t compare yourself. It is easy to look at all of the other successful entrepreneurs around you and feel anxiety about your own business, to want to rush to get to the top. Don’t get in a hurry. Again, do the work. You are uniquely you and that is what makes your burins and brand special. Getting wrapped up in what others are doing will ultimately stifle your creativity and put a damper on the fun that is entrepreneurism.

What is next for Alexandra Nicole?

As an entrepreneur, I am always one step ahead with a list of future creations. The biggest goal on my business bucket list is to publish a book. I want to write a book that reveals entrepreneurial secrets for those on a tiny budget. I started my first business on my high school savings and have grown 20 fold since then. There is so much business to go around and I want to share the love and wealth of knowledge that I have picked up through the years to help set others on the fast track to success. 

Get in touch with City Chic Living and The Confident Boss on :

Websites: www.citychicliving.com

                  www.theconfidentboss.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/alexandra.nicole

The post Alexandra Nicole Nolan: On Reinventing Your Yourself into a 6 Figure Business appeared first on CEO Medium.

Tell us a little more about you and what it is that your blog provides: 

I taught students with autism for 7 years and was in education for over 10 years. After having three daughters, I stepped back from teaching to be home with them. I then started to notice people commenting on my social media platforms- things like “You make this look so easy”, “You are the perfect mom” – the list goes on. It started to rub me the wrong way because I just wanted to SCREAM that Instagram is a highlight reel and it was in fact not the truth. It put a flame under me because deep down I was struggling with postpartum, anxiety and depression, hormone imbalance, and was drowning trying to find myself again. Instagram was hiding the real and I couldn’t let that continue. I created the blog from my experience and wanted to bring people along with me on my journey in order to not feel alone.

How did you get started creating your brand and business?

Starting a blog to spill all that was going on in my life, was the first step in my journey to heal and serve outside of the classroom. I never meant for it to be a career or income stream. I knew that if I was going through these things, I couldn’t be the only one. The sense of loneliness in not talking about these topics, made it worse. 

As soon as the blog launched, a sense of freedom and confidence rose within in me and I knew this was where I needed to be to serve others. After an overwhelming response from followers, I knew I in fact was not alone and my raw and candid approach to the blog gave women a sense of relief that they were not going through these things by themselves.

The blog provides women with empowerment topics and a free space to be their best selves. I have partnered with a wide variety of over 20+ leading brands that have the same mission to provide that space for people to be their authentic selves. My brand serves and when I collaborate with a product or company, it will 100% be something I love, use in my daily life, and believe it will serve my following.

Almost two years later and the blog has grown to produce collaborations that I feel will serve my following the same way my raw words and writing will serve them. Collaborations range from mom needs, clean beauty, lifestyle, and fashion. The collective idea behind my brand is to serve and bring a positive light to all in every partnership and word that I produce. 

Tell us about the initiative the blog takes and how it works?

My brand works in a variety of ways, my servant heart will easily take a text from a struggling mom that needs to vent after reading one of my published blog posts. There are a lot of connections made under the radar that fill my bucket because I am essentially holding the hands of my followers in the good and bad times. I aim to be a hype girl for all in every piece of content produced. If a post provides an issue I am struggling with, I make sure I easily follow it with my plan on improvement and how I can turn it around.

What do you want people to know after reading this article? 

First, I want to thank CEO Medium for highlighting my voice in my blog. I want people to gain from this interview the empowerment of living out a dream or passion- it is never late to start something. You cannot dwell on the opinions of others, have imposter syndrome and think, “who am I to do this”. Following your heart, comes with following your dreams and where you are meant to give, serve, and provide to others. Living authentically is the most freeing thing and it is never too late to do that. 

Explain some of the challenges you were faced with while building your blog and brand creation. Do you still run into these challenges?

As much as I want to empower and encourage others to not worry about the opinion of others, it is a daily struggle for me. I am an introvert. I have never been the most confident person in the world- but something was burning in me to share the truth. This blog has helped my confidence to be my most authentic self in more ways than I could have ever imagined. When you are putting your heart and soul out for all to see, it comes with a lot of good, but there are also negative comments, opinions, and people who do not want to see you succeed. Some truly struggle to watch you change, grow and build something they may not understand. They would much rather you stay in your bubble then see you grow or change. It is a daily struggle to stay focused and in my lane. I keep my eye on the prize and if I get one positive response from a woman that connected with my writing, it was 100% worth any negative opinion received.  There were points of time where I let this get to me and almost make me walk away. What kept me going was telling myself “What advice would I give my daughter.” I would tell her to be the light, to shine above any of the dark comments because they have nothing to do with you. You can’t control what others say or do, but you can control how you react. Be the light!

How does your blog get funded through the services you offer?

The blog is funded through collaborations and partnerships. All affiliate links that I provide within the blog or social media platforms are commission-based and paid collaborations to run on certain rates that are negotiated based on deliverables contracted. 

What is your future vision for your brand? What is your dream for your community you have built?

My future vision of this brand is to be a positive impact on a BIG community.  I want more raw and real than could ever be imagined. I also have a crazy passion to put all of my posts into a book. I would love to encompass my journey into a “tell-all” and help other women that may need a boost. I would also love to create a book for my daughters to look back on. It’s the real and raw of life and I want them to feel my process, my imperfection as a woman and mom, and the way that it turns into a beautiful perfectly imperfect journey. 

What advice would you give to someone who has a plan of creating something of their own and making a living through it for the first time?

Like I said before, it is never too late. There is no right time and when the time feels right, don’t let it feel bigger than you. It is not bigger than you. You can do whatever you put your mind to, your effort into, and your consistent love. When people see your heart, it resonates and that is the purest form of effort you can give to others. Create with your heart and you can never go wrong and you will never regret trying. The only person holding you back is you. Don’t get in your own way. 

Get in touch with Christin Lewis on

Email Address : christinlewisblog@gmail.com

Website: www.wineglassesandwipinasses.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/christin.lewis

The post Christin Lewis: Lifestyle Blog Highlighting the Real and Raw Life Topics to Empower Women appeared first on CEO Medium.

It’s crucial to recognize that the dual dichotomies of male vs female and men vs women are not the same.  Here is where biology and psychology part ways:  We designate a person as male or female depending upon the sex chromosomes they carry and how these direct the formation of their genitalia and some hormones. 

In contrast, the experience of being a man or a woman is much more fluid; cultural concepts of what it means to be one or the other (or something in between) determine how an individual feels, acts, and consumes.

There’s no doubt that gender identity is a crucial component of a consumer’s self-concept. People often conform to their culture’s expectations about how those of their gender should act, dress, or speak; we call these sets of expectations sex roles. Thus, the state of being a man or a woman holds a much broader meaning, and our definitions of what it means to one or the other change radically across time and across cultures. 

Today we’re witnessing a particularly volatile shakeup, as our culture grapples with changing definitions.  At least in some parts of our society, it’s increasingly commonplace for a biologically born man to “act feminine” by wearing skirts and make-up, or for a biologically born woman to “act masculine” as she dons overalls and construction boots.  And that’s not to mention the legions of people who literally change their biological identity via operations and hormone injections. 

In this changing world, marketers adhere to the “old school” male vs. female dichotomy at their peril.  Just what does it mean to be male, female, agender, cis, feminine-of-center, FtM, genderqueer, third gender, or any one of numerous terms that vie today to replace the man/woman dichotomy of old? Marketers need to closely follow this conversation to be sure their messages and products sync with these evolving definitions.

This evolution is most pronounced among younger people.  Although 13% of the U.S. population as a whole identifies as non-heterosexual, a whopping 31% of Gen Z people do.  An oft-cited study by Wunderman Thompson reported that 82 percent of Gen Zers think that “gender doesn’t define a person as much as it used to,” and 56 percent say they know someone who uses gender-neutral pronouns (like “they,” “them” and “ze”). 

When brands loosen up their traditional market definitions of gender, they may encounter exciting new opportunities. Products and services that used to be solely the province of one gender may now be fair game for others as well. For example, Old Spice has long been known as the brand Dad keeps in his medicine cabinet, but young women who like the scent and the relatively low price are tuning into the deodorant as well. This resurgence is a bit ironic, because the first product the company introduced in 1937 was a women’s fragrance.

The old male/female dichotomy is collapsing all around us as so-called “gender binarism” starts to morph into a more fluid definition of gender roles.  More and more people instead are becoming “gender benders” who delight in bending traditional sex roles.  Dramatic changes in sex roles as the traditional male/female dichotomy disintegrates create the potential for huge new markets as we see emerging movements including androgyny, the growing third-gender and L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, asexual and anyone else) population, and the increasing demand for “modest fashion.”  

Most social scientists have always viewed sexuality as a continuum rather than a dichotomy.  Masculinity and femininity are social constructions that vary across cultures and historical periods.  However, in Western culture we seem to have reached a watershed moment when people question even the anchor points of this continuum. 

The cage that separates men and women has never been more fragile.  Don’t get left behind as this gender revolution picks up speed.   

Michael Solomon is a Global Consumer Behaviour Expert and the author of The New Chameleons: How to Connect with Consumers Who Defy Categorization, published by Kogan Page priced £14.99

The post Male, Female, or “Other”: Why Binary Gender Marketing Could Be Damaging Your Business appeared first on CEO Medium.

The original idea for the Whisky Librarian page was to create meaningful content that brought my knowledge to people all over the world. The community we have grown on the page is so supportive and inspiring and continues to fuel my progress. For my followers, the page is a great place to find new spirits to try, gift ideas for scotch lovers, and opinions from like-minded individuals. The Whisky Librarian LLC. offers customers links to various brand partnerships including products for personal in-home bars or “whisky libraries” that I use myself. Many of the page members will reach out regarding bottle questions or general opinions on which bottle to buy next or what my favorites are. I love being able to help people decide what to get next and hearing what they think afterward. 

While the page and business have had much success, there are still some challenges. Instagram is not new, many other businesses and brands are competing for the spotlight. One of the biggest solutions to set us apart from the competition is posting three times a day. By posting more often, we stay at the top of hashtags, helping us gain more views. Financing the page is also sometimes a challenge, but our brand collaborations and Patreon help us to provide new content. By receiving these contributions, our business can keep growing, and more opportunities will arise. Soon, we are planning on having more big brand collaborations and giveaways to show our community how much we appreciate them. Then, further down the road, we would love to sell tickets for live tasting events for our customers and provide them with firsthand experience and knowledge. 

To anyone thinking about starting a new business and following your career dreams, do it. The feeling you get from working on something your passionate about is indescribable. Do not let yourself miss your opportunity. 

Get in touch with Whisky Librarian LLC on

E-mail: whiskylibrarian@gmail.com

Website: www.linktr.ee/whiskylibrarian

Instagram: www.instagram.com/whiskylibrarian

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