She’s Brilliant!TM
Women in leadership sharing inspiration and guidance.
As a certified Women’s Business Enterprise, we at KMA are champions of women achieving success in business, and we’re always looking for opportunities to mentor the next generation of women leaders. She’s Brilliant!™ is a collection of wisdom, generously shared by women leaders from diverse communities, and is designed to inspire, motivate and guide us all.
In addition to the blog, we have published these contributions in two printed collections: She’s Brilliant! Volume One, and Volume Two. If you would like to receive a copy, please contact us and we’ll pop it in the mail.
She’s Brilliant! Debra Weiss Ford
Debra Weiss Ford Attorney at Law Jackson Lewis P.C. What do you love most about the work you are doing today? "I am very fortunate to still love being an attorney, even after 39 years of practicing law. Being an employment management lawyer has been particularly...
She’s Brilliant! Janene Oleaga
Janene Oleaga Founder, Attorney Oleaga Law LLC What do you love most about the work you are doing today? “I get to play a tiny, supportive role in helping people become parents. I get to watch children who are so deeply wanted brought into loving homes; sometimes...
She’s Brilliant! Judy Rakowsky
Judy Rakowsky Managing Director for Crisis and Strategic Communications Liberty Square Group What was the best career advice you ever received? “If you want to win the lottery you have to buy a ticket. It sounds like an old joke, but my relative’s advice spurred me...
She’s Brilliant! Krystal Williams
Krystal Williams Founder & Manager Providentia Group What do you love most about the work you are doing today? “I love that my work allows me to be a functional artist. I own and manage Providentia Group, an advisory company that cultivates...
She’s Brilliant! Charlene DeCesare
Charlene DeCesare Chief Energizing Officer Charlene Ignites LLC What was the most useful feedback you ever received? “At a time when the market was particularly tough and I was really struggling in sales, my greatest mentor noticed my state of constant...
She’s Brilliant! Cherie Scott
Cherie Scott Founder Mumbai to Maine What was the most useful feedback you ever received? “Be the change you want to see. In 2015, I decided I no longer needed a seat at the table. I chose to build my own table: Maine’s first Indian brand, Mumbai to Maine. I created...
She’s Brilliant! Amy LaBelle
Amy LaBelle Founder and Winemaker LaBelle Winery What have you learned about leadership during a time of crisis? “When the pandemic came for us, I learned how to lead through something very dark, to do it with grace, and in a way that kept my team engaged and...
She’s Brilliant! Kim St. Pierre
Kim St. Pierre Owner and President SetAway, LLC What was the best career advice you ever received? "When facing the decision whether to start my own business, I was offered the excellent advice to embrace change, and enjoy the ride. That opened my mind and helped me...
She’s Brilliant! Jennifer Dionne
Jennifer Dionne, President and Partner, The Signal Group How important has mentorship been throughout your career? “I’m fortunate to have had two wonderful mentors in my career – one came early on when I didn’t really know what I wanted to do professionally – and...
She’s Brilliant! Cathy Lee
Cathy Lee, Owner/Founder, Lee International How important has mentorship been in your career? “I’ve always understood the importance of mentors and have benefitted enormously from them, but only later in my career did I find women mentors. I’ve seen men push women...
She’s Brilliant! Gia Drew
Gia Drew, Program Director, EqualityMaine What have you learned about the responsibilities of leadership during a time of crisis? “I am an optimist. And despite living through numerous crises, tragedies, and losses in my life, those challenging experiences have...
She’s Brilliant! Mandy Levine
Mandy Levine, Owner, Mandy Levine Consulting, LLC What was the most useful feedback you ever received? “The best feedback I ever received was to be my authentic self, which has always served me well personally and professionally. I began my career as an attorney and...