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Read our latest article on What to Expect During KMA’s Executive Search Process

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! Shima Kabirigi

She’s Brilliant! Shima Kabirigi

Shima Kabirigi, Program Officer, Maine Initiatives What do you love most about the work you are doing today? "Supporting immigrant-led organizations that are working to advance immigrant and racial justice within their communities has been humbling, but also...

She’s Brilliant! Saunya Urban

She’s Brilliant! Saunya Urban

Saunya Urban, Vice President, H.A. Mapes What do you love most about the work you are doing today? “I am proud to be the fourth-generation of our family business, and what I’m loving is the unique moment of growth and innovation we are in right now. H.A. Mapes has...

She’s Brilliant! Jenny Kordick

She’s Brilliant! Jenny Kordick

Jenny Kordick, Executive Director, Maine Outdoor Brands What was the best career advice you ever received? “You have more power than you think. Power is ultimately the ability to change the rules. Rules could be written and formal like a law, or unwritten ways of...

She’s Brilliant! Kristin Guibord

She’s Brilliant! Kristin Guibord

Kristin Guibord, Senior Investment Manager, BerryDunn Wealth Management What was the most useful feedback you ever received? "Be less humble. This gracious and diplomatic feedback was offered to my 25 year-old self in an employee review. Today I use those words like a...

She’s Brilliant! Katy Rand

She’s Brilliant! Katy Rand

Katy Rand, Partner, Pierce Atwood LLP What are your top strategies for success? “Virtually every indicator of success—as I define it—flows from authenticity, by which I mean self-awareness as well as self-acceptance. We cannot eliminate personal qualities that might...

She’s Brilliant! Chief Janine Roberts

She’s Brilliant! Chief Janine Roberts

Janine Roberts, Chief of Police, Westbrook Police Department What are your top strategies for success? Throughout my career, I’ve tried to follow a set of principles that I believe have contributed to my success. Here are my top ten: Practice self-awareness,...

She’s Brilliant! Lindsay Skilling

She’s Brilliant! Lindsay Skilling

Lindsay Skilling, CEO, Gifford's Ice Cream What are your top strategies for success? “Trust yourself. There have been many moments where I’ve questioned what I was capable of because others have doubted me. Instead of letting those people get to me, I worked harder,...

She’s Brilliant! Claudette Ndayininahaze

She’s Brilliant! Claudette Ndayininahaze

Claudette Ndayininahaze, Co-founder, In Her Presence How important has mentorship been in your career? “Having a mentor has been so important to me as an immigrant. I needed a coach to help me navigate the system, because I didn’t know how it worked. I needed help...

She’s Brilliant! Kelly Towle

She’s Brilliant! Kelly Towle

Kelly Towle, Founder/Owner, Plucked Fresh Salsa What are your top strategies for success? “There are two strategies that I believe have been crucial in growing my business: honesty and hustle. I don’t mince words, and I think my customers and business partners...

She’s Brilliant! Kathie Leonard

She’s Brilliant! Kathie Leonard

Kathie Leonard, President and CEO, Auburn Manufacturing What have you learned about the responsibilities of leadership in a time of crisis? “I’ve found that leading during a crisis requires a huge amount of energy — not just to react, but to not overreact to each...

She’s Brilliant! Mary Larkin

She’s Brilliant! Mary Larkin

Mary Larkin, President, Diversified Communications What have you learned about the responsibilities of leadership in a time of crisis? “Covid-19 has really driven home the importance of leading with purpose. For me, the most important thing was to accept the situation...

She’s Brilliant! Joanna Caouette

She’s Brilliant! Joanna Caouette

Joanna Caouette, Program Coordinator, PosperityME: The Center for Financial Education What are your top strategies for success? As a Black immigrant woman, I have to work twice as hard to be successful. I cannot afford to wait for opportunities; I have to go after...