138: How to Grow and Pivot Your Business During The Pandemic and Beyond, with Nell Merlino

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“I think you’ve got to see everything as an opportunity. You cannot spend a lot of time lamenting the fact that we’re in this, because we are and you need to re-evaluate everything.” - Nell Merlino

Despite the challenges in our current environment, there has never been a better time for women to lead in business and to support one another. As we face these new obstacles, today’s inspiring Finding Brave guest is continuing to help women leaders innovate and grow their businesses and not only survive, but thrive.

Nell Merlino created Take Our Daughters to Work Day with the Ms. Foundation for Women in 1993, in which over 25 million people participated in the first two years. She then expanded her strategic communications consultancy to develop winning campaigns, strategies and events for dozens of clients including the YWCA, Amnesty International, Gay Men’s Health Crisis, The Sierra Club, Calvert, The Sister Fund and the NGO Forum on Women in Beijing ’95.

In 2000, Nell launched Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence, the first online microlender in the world. This grew to encompass the Women Veterans Entrepreneur Corp and the Make Mine a Million $ Business program with founding sponsor American Express and champions including Hillary Clinton, Suze Orman, Nely Galan, Valerie Morris (CNN) and Janet Napolitano.

Recently, Nell has revived the "Count me in" campaign to help female entrepreneurs in the wake of COVID-19, by offering $250,000 in grants, including four $25,000 grants and 15 $10,000 grants.

In this episode, Nell reveals how women in business can access capital, and she gives her strategies and advice for growing and pivoting during this pandemic. Nell shares how everyone can pivot, and it just takes the will and willingness to do so. Countless new opportunities await the women in small business who accept this challenge, and move forward despite their fears and doubts.

For more information about today's guest, visit: https://countmeinrevival.org/