Louise J Tagliante
Louise J Tagliante is a disrupter – a positive disrupter who has the courage to move away from traditional ways of thinking and encourages others to do so as well. She doesn’t conform to whatever society, gender, culture, authorities may try to impose on her. She is a free-thinker who follows her own heart and path irrespective of what others think. She has been described as a ‘thunderbolt’ – someone who says it like it really is and constantly challenges mediocrity, conformity and being like everyone else. She truly wants to make a difference in the lives and careers of women and inspire them to live a life true to themselves.
What were your initial years of growing up like? Tell us about your life before the venture/ corporate journey?
Life as a young child was easy and simple, living in the countryside in Australia, moving to the big smoke in my early teens. Disliked how we were taught and treated at school, wasn’t academic and all I wanted to do was travel the world and be as independent as possible. Life was good!
Every industry that is now a large-scale, top-notch business once started as a small idea in the minds of entrepreneurs. What was that idea or motivation that made you start your business/initiative? What motivated you within to say “YES, go for it!”
My initial move into entrepreneurship wasn’t great – had no clue what I was doing plus we were offering too many services and there were lots of competitors in the market who were more experienced than us. Once I found that ‘secret sauce’ that energize others into action, I knew I was onto something. I’d run a few small mentoring programs for women and the feedback was amazing. I could see how inspired these women were by the whole experience which helped me identify an opportunity to roll out MentoringWomen programs across various industries. I spoke to professional friends, colleagues and corporates about my idea and the response was overwhelmingly positive – there was no one in the market doing this and I could see what a huge opportunity I had to support, develop and grow the next generation of women leaders.
Tell us something about your initiative or current role. What is it about, and what impact are you trying to make?
My leadership purpose ‘Live YOUR passion, live YOUR life’ is all about inspiring women to live the life they choose – not one others try to impose on them. So all our MentoringWomen programs focus on helping women to find the courage to choose their own path and find success in both their careers and personal lives – whatever that may be.
Your journey and your vision are very inspiring, but are there any achievements or accomplishments you would like to mention?
We love the fact that so many male mentors have joined our MentoringWomen programs. They have truly embraced the challenges that women often face in male dominated workplaces and return to their companies to become the voice of change. Male allies are extremely important to us and we encourage men and women to stand side-by-side to bring about changes that encourage success in the workplace for everyone.
Would you like to share with our young budding women entrepreneurs the change you would like to see in the world if given an opportunity?
One of the biggest changes I’d like to see in the world is the acceptance of women as equals in all aspects of life and business. In too many countries and cultures women are still treated like second-class citizens and are at the beck and call of both men and other family members. Violence against women continues to grow with little or nothing done to protect them against these perpetrators. I come from Australia and am horrified at the number of women who die each year at the hands of a close family member, de-facto or spouse.
Women are a growing force in the workplaces worldwide, standing shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts. There are cracks in glass ceilings everywhere, with many women breaking through to carve out a space right at the top of the pyramid. What are your thoughts about women’s leadership today?
Women can do anything they put their mind to. Be clear about your purpose, your goals and what you want to achieve and go for it. Be authentic, be unique, be yourself – everyone else is taken.
What would you want to say to our young women leaders/audience reading this?
First and foremost, believe in yourself, find your own unique path and support other women along the way. Surround yourself with people who always ‘have your back‘, support and inspire you, and always tell you the truth, no matter how difficult it is to hear. I call these people my personal ‘Board of Directors‘ and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them. Who’s on your Board?