Most of My Business Heroes Are Savvy Female Entertainers. Here's Why ...

For our new book, I've been recording a fair number of podcast appearances and one of the favorite questions for interviewers is to ask "who are your mentors or sources of inspiration?" Every name I share is usually a female entertainer. Beyoncé. Taylor Swift. Rihanna. Oprah. While each one is famous for her talent, the stories of their business acumen and smart decision making are gaining more widespread appreciation too.

A story about how Taylor Swift managed to avoid getting caught up in the whole FTX scandal by "asking one simple question" is just the latest example. The article offers a timeline of the artist's "bold business moves" and offers more context for how strategic she has been in managing and growing her brand into an empire.

Oprah did the same thing when she found her purpose and left network TV to own her own studio. Beyoncé too decided to leave her record label's predatory deal behind and own her own business and rights. Rihanna leveraged the biggest stage of the year at the Super Bowl with her savvy product placement.

The legacy they are leaving is far more inspiring than the one left by former corporate icons like Jack Welch whose trail of destruction is finally catching up with them. So yes, I'm driven by the examples of these women who branch out to start their own brands, take ownership of their success, refuse to accept predatory industry middle men and build platforms that raise others up too. They inspire me to try and do the same thing in my own way.