How I Started a Non-Profit
I started my non-profit, SheCAN!, approximately four years ago. I entered a crowded market with a mission and a purpose; to help women step into their power to become the best versions of themselves. You see, in the past, I worked in predominantly male-oriented businesses. It was not unusual for me to walk into a manager meeting and be the only woman there. It became the "norm" for me, to the point that I thought nothing of it. Until one day, the CEO of a nameless company offered me my first six-figure job offer. I was over the moon! But as I left the meeting, I walked toward the elevator and stepped in. And as the door closed, I heard him say eight words:
"I can't believe I just hired a woman."
Fast forward 35 years and an extremely challenging yet successful career, I decided to start the nonprofit SheCAN!. To be honest, I wasn't thinking about starting a new business. I actually was leaning towards buying a franchise that would help women thrive personally and professionally. I found a few possibilities but realized my mission and vision were different from every other group out there. Every organization I looked at specialized in either personal or professional development. That rubbed me the wrong way. For a woman to thrive today, she must have success on a personal and professional level, and dare I say, health and wellness should be part of that equation as well.
Voila. Big a-ha moment. If I can dream it, I can build it. (There is probably a magnet somewhere with this on it, right?)
Moving forward, my new initiative would focus on a more integrated approach to helping women have it all. But building SheCAN! was no easy feat. It took many meetings with lawyers and extensive education on starting a 5013 C. Then came the job of assembling the board of directors. This task was incredibly challenging because I had very few female relationships locally. I pulled out Business First's book of lists and scoured the pages to find the most influential women in the area, and started making phone calls. The result was a group of a dozen powerhouse women from all personal and professional backgrounds, and it was then that I started feeling the sense of community that I was striving to create.
We started doing massive research. This included a number of focus groups as well as quantitative analysis. We asked questions that no one else was asking, like "What are your biggest challenges? What do you want to learn about? How do you want to learn?" Every decision we made came from that painful, extensive research, but resulted in a membership program unlike anything else out there.
If I'm completely honest with myself, I did not know what the **** I was doing. Everything I was executing, I was learning brand new. But the one thing I knew the whole way through as I was not in it for the money, I was in it for the value impact. I don't need a penny for what I do. I have also spent more than a penny to get this thing started. But what I do know is… this is a company that I can be proud of creating.
Today SheCAN! is flourishing. We are starting chapters in other parts of the country and forming lifelong relationships. But more importantly, we are helping women. And something magical happens when women support women. They help each other grow, learn, fail and unload frustration. I have a label for what I'm doing; I call it mission-driven entrepreneurialism.
ABOUT PEGGY
Peggy Sullivan is a women’s leadership speaker, mindset expert, and founder of the nonprofit organization, SheCAN!. She is also the author of the book, “Happiness is Your Responsibility”. Peggy is a strong advocate of empowering women to succeed through supporting each other. She has won numerous awards and honors, including the 2019 Woman in Leadership Award from New York State. She has presented and consulted worldwide for organizations such as Bank of America, Blue Cross BlueShield, Ingram Micro, and WomanUp Conferences. You can connect with Peggy on Instagram and LinkedIn, and purchase “Happiness is Your Responsibility” here.