What is your biggest advice to women entrepreneurs who are working professionally?
As I wrapped up my conversation with Karen, I asked her to tell me her most extensive advice for women. She tells me to always remember my essence. She tells me, “I have always been a square peg in a round hole, especially back in the day. It wasn’t difficult to work in corporate, but people I worked with had a love/hate relationship with me because I didn’t play the part very well.” Triangle Loft has become a place where she says she can work hard but also experiment with ideas and foster creativity among herself and her team members. Karen says that it is crucial that everyone speaks up and shares thoughts because Triangle Loft is inclusive of everyone’s voice, especially for the team to work smoothly and equally. She says, “We have to help and support each other. Triangle Loft is where Wall Street meets the Mainstreet; everyone deserves to be in this space if they have good intentions. It needs to be inclusive to everyone”.
My conversation with Karen was thought-provoking and inspiring as a young woman starting her professional career. Karen inspires you. Her presence demonstrates the leadership I hope to hold one day. Karen is confident and able to make people she works with trust her and their abilities to contribute to Triangle Loft’s mission and purpose. She finally tells me at the end of our discussion that you must be stern and demanding as a woman. There are nights Karen admits to coming home and feeling her stomach turn. This duality she presents is so human and especially important for women to see. Someone as bold and self-assured as Karen still has days where she is overwhelmed by business decisions or even personal emotions and life taking a toll on her business. These challenges are part of being a woman in business and holding a leadership role. However, it does not stop her from keeping faith in herself and her team. I admire Karen’s honesty and humility in speaking about her experiences and sharing her advice with me. It is always refreshing to see a woman successfully running her business.
Written by Nada Elrhalami.
Nada lives in New York City. She holds a Master’s in Global Affairs and International Development from New York University. She is a global storyteller, interviewer, and consultant at Radical Flexibility Fund working on blockchain for social impact research and development. Nada is an avid traveler and futboler, and she loves taking film photos of her friends around the city.
Featured Image: Karen Genauer (left) + Hayley Solomon (right)