International Visions: Business Inspiration

On four beautiful fall days in October among the bustling streets of New York City, I lived with twelve women I had never met before – five of them were from countries outside the United States. I immediately embraced the friendship of women from Iceland, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, and Malaysia. What I learned after housing, eating and running with them through the streets of the Big Apple was how captivating it was to be with women from other cultures.

As we conversed one evening over warm food, wine and candlelight talking about our shared love for running, the women started sharing their experiences of running in foreign countries. One had just returned from the Antarctica where she completed a marathon, another had run in South Africa and someone in Europe. All of a sudden living, running and doing business in New York State seemed like I existed in a small closet of the world.

When the four days came to an end, it was difficult to say goodbye to women who I might not see again although our hearts were connected forever by the experience. The biggest lesson I learned from this excursion was how International women – because they are women – are so similar because we operate with open, welcoming hearts and strong female spirits.

Yesterday as the world celebrated International Women’s Day, my memories raced back to my time in New York with these culturally diverse women. I wished more American women could be connected to more global women to create new relationships and open up new exciting horizons.

Today I encourage you to learn more about women in your industry who are from other parts of the world. Attend conferences where you can meet and network with global women, read about women’s business issues in other countries, and connect to world blogs and marketing platforms where you can meet more International women. Although our personal and business lives in America are wonderful, we can enrich them by expanding our vistas and including women from other cultures.