Episode 2: Interview with Georgiana Kovell, Founder of Millions of Women Strong
At Encore Empire, we're all about lifting women up! In this episode, Carmen Reed-Gilkison and Deirdre Harter interview like-minded entrepreneur Georgiana Kovell. Georgiana Kovell is a master sales coach and the founder of Millions of Women Strong. In this interview, we dive into her passion and dream of getting more money into the hands of women, where she sees Millions of Women Strong going, and she shares that we are all born salespeople.
Connect With Georgiana Kovell Here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/millionsofwomenstrong
https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgiana-kovell/
Grab Georgiana's Sales Checklist here: https://www.georgianakovell.com/sales-checklist
Interview Transcript Below:
Deirdre Harter: [00:00:00] We are so happy to welcome Georgiana Kovell. Georgiana is an international sales and performance coach, founder of Millions of Women Strong, author, speaker, and all-around badass, who has worked with women around the world to ignite their inner warrior. Georgiana created Millions of Women Strong in response to a desperate need for a positive support space for women in business to break through the glass ceiling and prosper while being championed by one another. She used to work her butt off for a world-renowned personal development company, leading and training their sales team while leading seminars and making them millions. But then there was the glass ceiling. The organization that helped others reach their full potential wasn't going to allow her to reach hers. So, she did what any entrepreneur would do, she quit and started her own company. Her mission is to empower women entrepreneurs all around the world to play a bigger game, achieve their soul-stirring goals, and get more money in the hands of women. She believes that what this planet needs most is financially empowered women. When women thrive financially, emotionally, and spiritually, our reach will expand, our impact will magnify, and our wondrous world will be better for everyone. And we resonate so much with what Georgina is putting out in the world and what she stands for, and we do as well, and we are excited about this conversation.
Carmen Reed-Gilkison: [00:01:43] That's right. Welcome, Georgiana.
Georgiana Kovell: [00:01:45] Thank you. I'm excited to be here.
Carmen Reed-Gilkison: [00:01:47] Yeah. So let's just hit the ground running with the burning question: Why is it so important to get more money in the hands of women?
Georgiana Kovell: [00:01:55] Well, I don't know if you've noticed, but there's some craziness happening in our world these days. And you know, I really believe - I always say it's me and the Dalai Lama or the Dalai Lama and I - who say it's going to be the Western woman who changes the world. And I just believe that when women have more money or more resources in their hands, they can impact their families, their communities, their country, the world, wherever their heart lies. But having that financial stability, having the emotional stability and the spiritual stability, which I think all comes hand in hand, that's going to be when our world changes.
Carmen Reed-Gilkison: [00:02:41] Yeah, I agree with that. And I have one quick question for people who would say, What about the men? Like, Are we discounting men? Why focus on women? I mean, I think you just answered it correctly and wonderfully, and I agree. But just playing devil's advocate.
Georgiana Kovell: [00:03:00] Yeah. Well, I don't want this to be a political conversation, but it's probably the best way to see how our world goes is that it goes one direction and then it swings to the other direction and it goes back and forth and that old masculine way of doing business, doing politics. There's a winner and a loser.
Carmen Reed-Gilkison: [00:03:27] Yes.
Georgiana Kovell: [00:03:28] And it's just the masculine way. There's nothing wrong with it. It's just outdated. It's not going to get us to where we need to be. And this isn't a man-hater conversation at all. No. But the typical feminine way for women is a Win-Win solution. So, you know, that's kind of why I focus on where I feel that I can make my impact is for women.
Deirdre Harter: [00:04:01] Yeah. That's a really important point, Georgiana, and we feel the same way. We work with women as well, and the reason that we focus there is because it is, we operate in a different mode when we allow ourselves to. And for those of us that are now in business that came from corporate or came from jobs, a lot of that training that we got in the way that we worked there was this other dynamic. It was more of a male-oriented, the thing that you know, you've got to do it a certain way to get ahead in business. And women naturally have an affinity to build relationships with each other, to nurture to not only to make an impact, but you can make the money with the impact. In fact, the more money that you're making, that's just simply an indicator of the impact that you're having because and that fuels more impact, right?
Georgiana Kovell: [00:04:59] Yeah, it's it's really interesting what you say, Deirdre, because it is I mean, when I left the corporate world, I was and I think I think you both can relate to this. I was completely a results producer. I mean, I was in the top in the country, in the top three month-after-month in the sales results. And, you know, I could get shit done. And I trained the sales force, and I put my heart and soul into these people. And it was one day I had I was talking to somebody, this was like near the end of my tenure there, when I was talking to somebody who had been in my training program and they said, Yeah, I was always afraid of you. And I thought, Here I am, I love these people like they're my children and they're afraid of me. Like, you would never want your child to be afraid of you. So that was kind of the beginning of the end for me. And when I left, I, I, I actually swung the other way, but I knew there had to be another way to be a results producer and be proud and like myself. Because I had, I didn't like who I became to be that kind of results producer in the corporate world.
Carmen Reed-Gilkison: [00:06:23] Yeah, I think that's really interesting. And I think something that Deirdre said also makes me think about, it's the thing that you said, Deirdre, about us being able to create more relationships as we get older and we do create those win-wins. But I think when you're growing up, when you're a younger woman and when you're in those male-dominated or the patriarchy of corporate. And again, I don't want this to be a male-bashing thing either, but what it does is it trains you a different way to do things. Like they're your grow, you grow up and women compete with each other early on, I believe. So it's interesting how things change. And this is one of the reasons Diedre and I founded Encore Empire is because we realize that what is true for us is true for so many women who reach midlife and beyond. Suddenly, you realize that you have so much power and that you do get farther with each other, and that the win-win is the way to go. It's like when if you're holding on to the old way of doing it, you're just not going to get the traction that you can when you lean into the fact that we do so much more like, you know, we do help each other rise. And that's how that's how you really optimize and magnify what it is you're doing and get the results that you want.
Deirdre Harter: [00:07:43] And I think you're doing that. That's kind of the space you've created, Georgiana. So let's talk a little bit about your Millions of Women Strong and why you put that together and what is the work that you're doing inside of that?
Georgiana Kovell: [00:07:59] Well, Millions of Women Strong, oddly enough, or maybe not oddly enough, but about eight years ago, I had moved to a new city and I didn't know anybody, and I wanted to meet some like-minded women. Just really looking at relationships for building friendships and having people to go out to dinner with and like that. So it actually started as women connecting before it was anything. And we had so much fun and we there and and there's such a need. I mean, I put this created this Meetup and we had 50 women at the first event.
Carmen Reed-Gilkison: [00:08:32] Wow.
Georgiana Kovell: [00:08:33] We practically had to close down the bar where we went because we just had shown up in such a demand for women just connecting, you know. And it's so it really spoke to like, it really is much more about connecting. It kind of turned into more networking, which is also why I started it because I would go to these networking events where it was just people throwing their card at you or completely ignoring you. And I was like, I'd rather stick a needle in my eye than go to one of those events, you know? It was just horrible. So that's kind of how it and it's evolved over the time. And so when I moved to here to Eugene again, not knowing anybody, yes, there is a running theme in my life, but when I started here, I wanted it to be a little bit more skin in the game, so it was more so then it became networking. And then, of course, when COVID hit, so we had a couple of chapters, we were chapter-oriented and prior to COVID hitting, we actually had three chapters getting ready to launch. And of course, COVID put the kibosh on all of that, and so we have pivoted like so many people did. And although we do networking, really, when I looked at the mission of getting more money in the hands of women, networking is great, but how else could I do that? So we really focus on where I look from is how can I make our members be more visible? How can we help them be seen? And so that's every that's really the focus of all that we do. Yes, we have networking and we have so many more things that is about promotion and creating ways for our members to be seen, it's really making them visible.
Carmen Reed-Gilkison: [00:10:32] Yeah, and I love how it's evolving and it seems to be evolving quickly. What are your what's your big, hairy dream, your big, hairy, audacious dream about that? You know, do you know where you want it to be and what you envision it becoming?
Georgiana Kovell: [00:10:47] Well, first off, the name says a little bit of it is Millions of Women Strong. So I envision millions of women around the world who come together, whether it be virtually or in-person at conferences and retreats where we're all looking at how we can support, work with each other, collaborate with each other, empower each other, support each other. Like having that place, and I mean, listen, I'm somebody I love, I have clients in Australia, and so being able when I went over there to Sydney and stayed with clients and had people that would show me around. How wonderful is it to have people around the world that you could go, Oh my God, I'm coming to Switzerland, let's hang out, you know? So that's kind of my vision for it is to really have a really very global community. You know, where we've got some people in the UK. We have some people in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, lots of people in Canada, and of course, the United States. So we've got a long ways to go. But that's my big, hairy, audacious goal.
Deirdre Harter: [00:12:12] And I know that you're doing you're doing some things inside the group, the Millions of Women Strong group, and aside from just the collaboration opportunities and networking and supporting each other. Are there other pieces and parts to that? Like opportunities for education or, you know, to spotlight one another? What does that look like?
Georgiana Kovell: [00:12:35] So yes, there's education. I mean, we have some things right inside of the Facebook group, which we've just launched thanks to Carmen and Tina, who are two of our members that really thought, let's build community and support one another with our gifts. So we do that. We, starting in January, we'll have training webinars or face Zoom. I don't know what we're going to call them, but bringing in different experts. We have a Wisdom of Women magazine, which is a digital magazine. Which we launched a few months ago, but we're now moving to a real digital magazine platform. Which is, they're really cool because it looks like you're flipping through a magazine. So that's a place where our members can share their gifts and their voice through being one of the contributing writers. And then, of course, all the ways that people can promote themselves in the Facebook group.
Carmen Reed-Gilkison: [00:13:41] Awesome. Who would you say? It's Millions of Women Strong, and I know that when we talk about networking, I automatically think of entrepreneurs, but is that is there a broader audience? I mean, is it any woman who is the ideal person to join Millions of Women?
Georgiana Kovell: [00:13:59] Well, I do think it's more intriguing to an entrepreneur to be there, but we've also had several of women who are looking at becoming an entrepreneur, who are retired and just like to be around this kind of community. So it really is Millions of Women Strong. So wherever you are in your life, it's not only if you're an entrepreneur, although I think most entrepreneurs hang out in Facebook groups and do things like that, then other groups, other women. But we do have some women who just like hanging out with extraordinary women, making things happen. You know? That's great.
Deirdre Harter: [00:14:47] And so I want to talk a little bit more about sort of this idea of getting more money in the hands of women and not just from, you know, increased sales or increased visibility. But have you, what's your experience, Georgiana, with women and the issue of money in general? Do you have any thoughts about do we think about it differently? Has our viewpoint is our viewpoint different? What do you think about that?
Georgiana Kovell: [00:15:17] Well, I think there's a lot of different conversations that women have around money, for sure. You know, a lot of healers are, I shouldn't have to do this or the spiritual like my spiritual gifts, I shouldn't have to. You know, there's so I've never had that conversation, but I think there's also imposter syndrome that women come into their business. They have their superpower and they have no idea about business or asking for money or how much they should charge and who are they to even charge money for what they do. And so I think there's so many different layers to that conversation about women and money and then depends. I think I would say that Millions of Women Strong, mostly is women 40 and older and so women that grew up, they were born into maybe more my age, I'm fifty-seven, so we were born into a culture where you know you were still getting married and the man took care of you. You know, that was kind of the culture that I grew up into. So there's this really fine line when it comes to women making money and how they feel about money and what they were born into and all their conversations about that. I mean, there's just so much to it, you know?
Carmen Reed-Gilkison: [00:16:46] Yeah, I love what you said in the beginning where you talked about, you know, bringing putting more money in the hands of women who then in turn naturally bring it into their families, and it automatically then benefits more than just them. I think that's the power right there. That's the power of women in our age group anyway, who have, you know, been raised with that certain mentality. I'm the same age you are Georgiana, and so then we're able to now bring it into our family and teach our daughters and our granddaughters and our nieces and nephews and all of that a different way than what we grew up in. And so I do think it's extremely powerful. I love it. I love the mission.
Georgiana Kovell: [00:17:26] Yeah. And like what you said, it's not just teaching our daughters, it's teaching our sons how to relate to women as equal, not as men are more powerful, they earn more money, like that whole it's antiquated, but sadly it's still there. So people that are raising sons right now have an even equally as important job to do than teaching their daughters to be powerful and that they can do anything. It's also teaching their sons that women are powerful and can do anything, you know?
Carmen Reed-Gilkison: [00:18:05] Yeah, such a good point.
Deirdre Harter: [00:18:07] Yeah, so one, I'm going to put you on the spot just a little bit here, Georgiana. I know that you've got this, this these mad skills when it comes to sales, and I want our listeners to, like, have something to kind of walk away with from this conversation. And I know that sales from the clients we work with and the audience that we have like, that's always a point of discomfort. Or, you know, they struggle with that area, not just about the concept of money, but just the idea of really wanting to make the impact, but not wanting to come across as salesy and smarmy and all of that. So can you give a tip or two around that for those who need to have that sales conversation in order to bring the money into their business?
Georgiana Kovell: [00:18:54] Yeah. Well, I think, you know, I say I've been in sales since I was 16, but really, we've all been in sales from the moment that we came out of the womb crying when we were hungry or needed. Our diaper change was really a sales conversation, right? A sales conversation is just calling somebody else into action. So, first off, I think the first thing to know, so tip number one, you already are a salesperson. You don't have to be born with some sales gene. You know, there's the good salespeople don't have anything different from you. They it may just be simply a mindset. So that's tip number one. You already are a salesperson and you do it every day. The second thing is that most people, and I love this because I have with all the women that I've worked with that are so afraid of being pushy or salesy, could never be pushy or salesy, even if they tried, you know? Like they just it's not even in them so what you're afraid of, for most women there, that fear of being pushy your salesy, you could probably never be that. Maybe if I put you on the spot, but it would be so uncomfortable for you that you wouldn't do that naturally. So the very thing that you're afraid of doesn't exist in your world. So, you know, if you really get you already are a salesperson and there's no way if you have that concern of being salesy or salesy or pushy, then all there is is being of service to another human being.
Carmen Reed-Gilkison: [00:20:39] Yeah, I love that. And the fact that I think there's this big myth that just like you said, some people have the quote-unquote sales gene and other people don't or that there's some trick to it. But I love when you say that we're all salespeople the minute we come out of the womb and then it's just a matter, a sales conversation is just getting someone to do something. So when we are getting our dog to do something, our kid to do something, our husband or wife or girlfriend, whoever it is, our boss, our coworkers, all of those are sales conversations, but we don't think of them as that. So we don't get freaked out about it. And it is so much mindset. I think that's the key, also. Awesome, so we're getting close to wrapping up. What do you have? We'd love for people to be able to connect with you. Where can they connect with you? What would you like to share as a parting comment? Wisdom, whatever you want to, whatever you want to share with us here?
Georgiana Kovell: [00:21:33] Yeah. Well, for sure. The best place to connect with me is in Millions of Women Strong. So you can go to Facebook, type in Millions of Women Strong and you'll find me there. So come and join us. It's an amazing community of women, so we'd love to connect, to try and connect with everybody that joins the group to say hello and learn more about you as a great connector. I love that. And then I guess my final comments are really that we are stronger together and that as long as you're in the scarcity or competition mindset, you're on your own. And in the world of scarcity. It seems counterproductive, but when you come together and build the world of collaboration, partnership, and all of that, there is a world of abundance that comes with it. So I always that that's my word of wisdom.
Deirdre Harter: [00:22:42] That is so fantastic. And we believe that one hundred percent Georgiana and we see it, we see it every single day. And that's one of the key foundational pieces of our business. We have built out this mentality of it's collaboration over competition because you can only help so many people. You can only serve so many people in your own company, and there are millions and millions out there who need the help. And so there's enough for everybody.
Georgiana Kovell: [00:23:12] There is! And, you know, somebody who doesn't want to work with me, may love working with you. Yeah, and vice versa, and that really is working with the people that you love to work with and helping the people that you are meant to help. And like you said, there's millions out there. We can't do it all.
Carmen Reed-Gilkison: [00:23:31] Yeah. And I can vouch for the Millions of Women Strong group being awesome. It is a it's it's a hopping place to learn and connect with powerful women just like you and I would also say. Some people think if you're going to join that Oh, the other women are powerful, but not me, it comes back to that mindset thing, but every single one of the people listening is powerful. So exciting stuff, and we thank you so much for giving your time today, Georgiana. And I hope more people join the group and we get to meet them all.
Georgiana Kovell: [00:24:01] Yes, thank you. Thank you for having me.
