How do you define your hustle/business? I do believe I’ve been hustling for decades…even before it became en vogue. Putting all my cards on the table, I was a single mom who desperately wanted my children to be happy and have incredible lives. The truth is they didn’t ask to be in a family with one-parent so my guilt was out an all-time high. I knew I had to protect my family and had to figure that out. How do I stay this amazingly great mom and have a business that can support my family. I started as an insurance producer and knew I could control my calendar so that I was available to do the mom things and still be able to be a big producer. My job was to protect my family so if that were the case…why couldn’t I protect others? And that’s how it started. I became successful in a world of all men and as I became more successful, I was promoted and people started to take notice. I started recruiting and women started coming into the business. I was their coach and mentor and sales trainer and gave talks about the business and more. Decades later, my company “Selling In A Skirt” does exactly that…coaches, mentors, trains, speaks and so much more…and I continue to “hustle” as every year the business and climate shifts and as an entreprenur you have to as well and be ready for opportunities that show up.
What are some of your greatest professional successes? I have been fortunate to have some great successes. During my insurance days, I was the top producer and top Agency Manager as well as top recruiter with agents that wrote business and stayed…very different than recruiting and adding them to a revolving door. I have been awarded the Character and Integrity award from field agents and have been on the cover of the Exceptional People magazine. I was a finalist in Women of Visionary Influence Mentor of the year and all of these successes were celebrated with my family…who is my biggest personal success.
Where do you find inspiration and motivation? As an entrepreneur, you have to be motivated to do most anything…on certain days. Other days you are like a poof of smoke because you are getting everything done. My inspiration and motivation comes from people and music. The people give me ideas and the music gives me movement. Wherever I go, I watch people. I observe their behavior and whether it is amazing or less than that, I generally write a blog post about that situation. Every day I walk up to someone I don’t know and give them a compliment and their reactions inspire me to do more and be more. Music can lift me up or calm me down. If you are driving next to me and Satisfaction by the Rolling Stones comes on the radio, my windows are rolled down, the sun roof is open, the volume is on the highest I can stand and I am dancing in my seat. On the flip side, when I need to calm down, it’s usually Classical music or Andrea Bocelli takes me to the hills of Italy.
What’s your secret sauce? Give us one tip that you think has added to your success? I create long-lasting relationships that I have when/if I need them. If you wait until you need someone, it’s generally too late. I have relationships with people that even if we don’t speak for a year, I can pick up the phone, they will answer and we will have a conversation as if we spoke that morning. That is great personally and that is what businesses are built on.
When you’ve faced obstacles/roadblocks – what do you do? How do you get past them? Being the only woman in construction, security systems and insurance, I have face so many obstacles and roadblock. You can play the game or create your own. I would come up with my own Playbook and figure out how to get things done professionally and profitably…while having the same outcome as my male counterparts but just a different way of getting there. One thing I make sure I do is give myself time to work through the obstacle and figure out the lesson learned. I will say that I also give myself permission to cry and crawl up in my blanket and have a pity party…for about 30 minutes. Then I’m upright figuring out what needs to be done so that it doesn’t happen again. That is no longer an obstacle or roadblock… that is a now a choice you’re making and I do better without recurring challenges.
Do you have a favorite quote that inspires you? Almost any Dr. Seuss quote is a favorite. I love my own quote because it says so much without saying so much, “Women Want To Be Treated Equally Not Identically”™
How would you love to hear someone describe you? I would love to be described as intelligent, real, funny, inspirational and kind.
Tell us about your new book – Walking on the Glass Floor and how it can apply to entrepreneurs? I’m so excited about my new book. It’s a book for women, not matter what position you are in. It’s for the women in leadership positions and emerging leaders. It’s for the men that champion women. It is about the seven essential qualities of leadership that either we’ve pushed down because we are trying to find our voice and a seat at the table and negotiate…and those are all important but let’s not forget about the qualities that we have inside us that help support our leadership-Passion, Authenticity, Courage, Communication, Decisiveness, Resilience and Generosity. Those are the qualities that make a good leader great.
It is about women who lead. The first thing that comes to mind if you are an entrepreneur is that you don’t lead a team so maybe it isn’t for you? Nope, nothing is further than the truth because as an entrepreneur, people are watching you. They are listening to what you are saying. They are taking your experience and applying it to their businesses. You are leading them on their journey. I consider myself a leader and I am an entrepreneur who is a solopreneur. I don’t have employees. I have a team when I need them…If you think about social media for a moment, there are silent watchers. They watch everything you post…not a stalker, a watcher. You may never know it’s happening until one day, you receive a call or an email or a reply to your post that says something like, “Because of you, I took a chance” or “Because of you, I didn’t quit” That is when, even though you thought you weren’t a leader, you are.
Where can we find you on social media and online?
My website is www.sellinginaskirt.com
I’m on Facebook at www.facebook.com/judyhoberman as well as facebook.com/sellinginaskirt and facebook.com/
Twitter @sellinginaskirt
Radio Show: W4WN – Women 4 Women Network
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