The team here at LVM feels so blessed to be surrounded by strong, inspiring women that continually motivate us to be dedicated and fearless in the pursuit of our dreams.  In honor of Women’s History Month, an annual declared month (March) that highlights the contributions of women worldwide in history and today’s society, we are highlighting three women that have inspired us along the way.  From business and politics to news and entertainment, these women are a testament to the fact that “10.1 million firms are owned by women (50% or more), employing more than 13 million people, and generating $1.9 trillion in sales” (a finding released in 2008 by the National Association of Women Business Owners):

Katharine Hepburn – Iconic Actress

“If you obey all the rules, you miss all of the fun”, said Katharine Hepburn, a mantra by which this Hollywood star lived and built her legacy.  Katharine Hepburn changed the perception of women by famously rejecting the typical Hollywood image.  Instead of being tailored, reserved and lady-like, she was outspoken, athletic and wore trousers before it was fashionable for women to do so.  Hepburn lived an unconventional lifestyle – married once, but thereafter lived independently, hiding a 26-year affair with her co-star.  Hepburn came to epitomize the “modern woman” in 20th-century America and in 1999, was named by the American Film Institute as the Top Female Hollywood Legend.

Sheryl Sandberg – American Businesswoman

Sheryl Sandberg does it all: she is a successful wife, mother, motivator and businesswoman.  A crusader for female empowerment in the workplace, Sandberg has served as Vice President of Global Online Sales and Operations at Google and is currently the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook.  Proving that she really can do it all, Sandberg is now an author and has just released her new controversial book, Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead. With quotes like “Men still run the world” and “I’m not suggesting women aren’t ambitious…but when it comes to ambition to lead, to be the leader of whatever you are doing, men/boys outnumber girls/women”, Sandberg’s book has received a lot of criticism from women.  From our perspective, we admire her for speaking out, leading the way and challenging other women to do the same!

Gigi Ibrahim – Fearless Revolutionary

In celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8^th, LVM attended OC Metro’s Women to Watch Awards 2013, held at the Center Club in Costa Mesa. At the event we became aware of Gigi Ibrahim, a Journalist and Political Activist living in Cairo during the 2011 Egyptian revolution and one of the 20 recipients of the Women to Watch Award.  The former Anaheim resident became internationally known due to her social media coverage from Tahrir Square during the protests. In 2011, PBS aired a documentary about her experiences and views of other upper-middle-class Egyptians, called “Gigi’s Revolution”. Since then, she has remained actively involved in the unfolding events in Egypt by writing articles for magazines, updating her blog and producing videos about the revolution. Inspired by this fearless revolutionary and OC-native, we applaud Gigi for her free-spirit, dedication, and courageous pursuit of social equality.