In the workplace, there are a lot of things that can make it hard for women to make ends meet. There’s the ridiculously high standards women are held to, especially when it comes to wardrobe. Of course, there’s also the fact that many industries are biased against women even entering them. The Glass Ceiling doesn’t help either.
Thankfully, we live in a world where women are free to start their own companies—and those who do often find success that has eluded them in other peoples’ companies. Ever wonder what it takes to be a true #BossBitch? These ladies have what it takes.
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Arianna Huffington
You might recognize her last name from the publication The Huffington Post. She’s the founder of this famous publication and has gained a huge amount of respect from readers and advertisers alike. Her secret to navigating the world of the press? Being fearless.
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Elizabeth Arden
The cosmetics and spa mogul has become known as one of the most impressively intelligent women in the fashion world—and we can totally see why. Her cosmetics are on point, and as a manager, she rules.
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Madam C. J. Walker
While many of these SHEO’s are relatively modern, not all of them are. One of the first female entrepreneurs was Madam C.J. Walker, and she was the 19th century picture of success. C.J Walker was an African American woman who helped give back to her community by creating the first hair product company of its kind. Inspiring, no?
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Anita Roddick
Do you love The Body Shop? All those organic, fair-trade, cruelty-free lotions and potions came about thanks to Anita Roddick. In an Inc interview, she explained her philosophy this way: “If you do things well, be better.”
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Clara Barton
Clara Barton is a lot like C.J. Walker, and actually lived around the same time as her too. You might know her as the founder of the Red Cross, but feminists know her for being one of the first women to acknowledge the Glass Ceiling and inadequate pay. She’s famous for having said, “I may sometimes be willing to teach for nothing, but if paid at all, I shall never do a man’s work for less than a man’s pay.”
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Sara Blakely
Oh, come on. You knew she’d have to be on this list. Sara Blakely is America’s youngest female self-made billionaire, and the founder of Spanx. Her creativity, management style, and can-do attitude proves that there is a lot that can be done with the right attitude with a side of hard work.
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Sofia Vergara
It’s true! Hollywood A-listers definitely have a leg up when it comes to making their own businesses, but that doesn’t mean that most actually succeed. Actress Sofia Vergara is an exception to the rule, and recently founded Latin World Entertainment. Her last year gave her a very impressive $37 million in profits!
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Susan Wojcicki
Not all epic CEOs started off by founding their own businesses. Susan Wojcicki is a good example of a woman who was able to climb to the top of the corporate ladder in Google. When Google took over YouTube, she was given the role of being YouTube’s CEO. So far, she’s been doing an amazing job—and we got to give credit where credit is due.
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Beyonce Knowles
Beyonce is one of the hottest women in Hollywood and has accomplished everything from being an amazing model to being one of the top CEOs to ever reach platinum status on the charts. Most people don’t realize that she also runs several businesses, including her own clothing line. Her net worth of over $450 million was well-deserved.
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Cher Wang
Cher Wang is a serious inspiration to any girl who has been interested in a career in STEM. After finishing up her degree in economics from the University of California, she got into computing. She’s credited with co-founding two major tech companies: VIA and HTC.
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Iman Oubou
Iman Oubou is one of those ladies who seems to have it all. She’s a former beauty queen, a model, a STEM degree grad, and an up-and-coming media mogul. Her media company, SWAAY, is all about showcasing women who are disrupting their industries and helping get rid of the Boys’ Club mentality that surrounds commerce.
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Payal Kadakia Pujji
Fitness and feminism seem to go hand in hand, don’t they? Maybe that’s why one of the coolest new CEOs to hit the scene is Payal Kadakia Pujji. Her love of fitness helped her bring about ClassPass, a program that allows you to try a variety of fitness classes to find the one that works best for you.
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Jenn Hyman
Ever have the desire to buy sexy fashion finds, but have a hard time finding stuff at a price point you can afford? Jenn Hyman did, so she created a business called Rent the Runway. By letting you rent designer clothes, Hyman made a huge name for herself—and also made major profits too!
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Ooshma Garg
When you’re pressed for time and want a gourmet meal in your pan, life can feel a little rough. One of the newest female CEOs to find a better solution to this issue is Ooshma Garg, founder of Gobble. Gobble is a subscription company that offers up meals that can be prepped in a single pan within a matter of minutes. This service has been spreading like wildfire.
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Stacey Ferreira
Some people are just made for business, you know? One of those people is clearly Stacey Ferreira, founder of employee scheduling platform known as Forge. Prior to that, she sold off her first company to Reputation.com at the super young age of 20.
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Miki Agrawal
Miki Agrawal is a feminist and one of the most disruptive women in the CEO scene. Her specialty is creating companies that are taboo due to one reason or another. Some of her companies include WILD, THINX, and Tushy—but no matter what she touches, it seems to succeed. That’s a rebel with a cause, if we do say so ourselves.
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Shan-lyn Ma
Putting together a bridal registry used to be so much harder than it actually should have been, and that’s where Shan-lyn Ma came to save the day. Her app, Zola, is all about streamlining wedding registries and even comes with free shipping. Saying that this service is spreading like wildfire is an understatement.
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Brittany Hodak
Brittany Hodak has a lot of seriously impressive feats under her belt. She’s been one of Billboard’s “30 Under 30” to watch, and also co-founded Zinepak, a company that allows bands and other groups to create curated, interactive publications for fans.
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Elise Mitchell
When it comes to advertising, no one does it like Elise Mitchell. She turned her ad agency, Mitchell, into one of the ten fastest growing advertising firms, and even helped it win Agency of the Year by PR Week. Since then, she’s started expanding into writing and has gotten a huge amount of press for her work.
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Alice Liveing
At only 24 years old, Alice has already become known as “Clean Eating Alice.” When she noticed what she ate had a huge impact on her health, she started to post what she was eating onto Instagram. Eventually, she gained over 600,000 followers and started to write books about her work. She turned into a fitness sensation—and ended up working with major names in the industry.
What do you think of the list? Drop us a line.
