To celebrate Women's History Month and the beginning of Spring, I want to honor Victoria Kennedy as my inspirational female role model. Miss Kennedy is the CEO and Founder of Victorious PR, one of the Top PR Firms in Las Vegas, and a member of the Rolling Stone Culture Council and Forbes Agency Council. It is an absolute pleasure to work with her; she consistently exemplifies professional prowess and feminine grace.

I was lucky enough to snag her for a heart-to-heart — she is one of the most hard-working, diligent people I have ever met — and she shared advice with me for fellow female entrepreneurs. Personally, I think this advice spans all female careers, including motherhood and best friendship.

If you like what this rockstar CEO and founder had to say, please share it with the strong women in your life!

Let's jump right in; I am eager to hear your thoughts on being a female business owner. What would you say your most important secret is for success, specifically for women?

Right to the point --- I love that. Well, Zoom is the 'great equalizer' and the working woman's best friend. Like it or not, gender differences are, and will always be, a big thing that gets in the way of a good deal. I have found that Zoom equalizes the playing field between men and women and makes it about business rather than gender or sex, or sexual tension.

That makes so much sense now that you spell it out, but I would never have thought about it in that way!

Right? It definitely isn't something that people understand unless they've worked in both modes, but it makes a world of difference. So, as much as possible, I take my meetings on Zoom. It makes me feel safe and keeps me in a headspace that fosters success for everyone involved.

How would you respond to the nay-sayers that would scoff at your 'Zoom Equalizer' habit?

Look, you can either say that men — not all men, but many men — shouldn't be the way they are, or you can accept it for the way it is and try to work around it as best you can. I choose to work around it the best I can, which means meeting miles away behind a computer screen — for the most part. If it's a win for my mostly-female team and me, it's a win for our clients and anyone else we work with.

We have to use the tools we have at our disposal to minimize the apparent disparities between the sexes, whether that means Zoom calls, longer hemlines, higher necklines, or learning to be more transparent and assertive.

It sounds like we have to be quite self-aware. Tell me more about that.

You can't be afraid to lean into the strength of your femininity, but there is a time and a place for certain things. We don't have to be like men to be successful; however, we still need to be professional.

Do you think the role of women has changed over the past decades?

Absolutely, and the past twenty years more than most. 'Men lead the world; women lead the men,' they say — but now women have stepped into, and share, the world's leading role.

We can utilize our women's strengths: kindness, empathy, listening skills. We can use our skills to create nurturing team environments that build successful companies. We can create a space for open dialogue among our communities and teams.

Open dialogue is crucial in 2022. Can you elaborate on your communication tactics in the workplace and as a leader?

So true. The main thing I keep in mind is that assertiveness is not being aggressive. You have the right to hold your boundaries. Somehow, the world has gotten into this mindset that when a woman stands her ground, she is being aggressive, but that is not the case. Do not be afraid to be assertive.

I think that is one of the hardest things to master because many of us tend to lean too heavily one way or the other: a total doormat or a total you-know-what.

For sure --- and often, people will take advantage of our kindness and say it's a weakness. But our kindness is our strength. That doesn't mean we don't get to stand up for ourselves and hold our boundaries — we unquestionably get to do that.

Society often tells us to be polite, kind, and a doormat for others and their desires. But we are worth so much more. For lifetimes upon lifetimes, men have gotten away with being complete jerks in business, and society praises them for it! Culture sees men as this great, assertive leader, but when a woman tries to be powerful, the public sees her as aggressive, or like you said, a you-know-what.

In short, I'd like to say: lead with kindness; be your true, authentic, feminine self; but don't be afraid to hold your boundaries. If people call you whatever they're going to, let them. Don't be frightened of your needs.

That is so beautiful. What about how you treat clients and customers? Do you turn on a type of less-feminine persona or act differently?

No! We can dive into our femininity and be proud to be women! I'd even go one step further to say that the professional, strong, feminine woman you are in business is who you should be in your personal life. You never know who is watching. Maybe that's my PR brain talking, but it's true.

We can create a stellar user experience for our customers by leaning into what makes us uniquely feminine: our ability to truly hear someone else and connect with them on a human level. So, realize that your kindness is not a weakness. It's a force. By leaning into who you are, you will tap into powerful energies that you never knew you possessed.

I love that. To start wrapping this up, how are you honoring the women in your life this month?

I am so glad you asked! Besides being authentically feminine and honoring the women around me at home and work, Victorious PR is running a special through March 31st. We are giving away five free tailor-written, high-domain-ranking published articles to each woman who signs up for any of our PR package tiers.

That’s a good one. Thank you so much for sitting down with me to share your feminine guidance — I think readers can use these hints all year round!

It was my pleasure; thank you for meeting with me!