Conscious Entrepreneurship: May I introduce the Wonder Girls Founders
Co-Founders Natalie Maniscalco and Irene Zervoudis founded Wonder Girls, a non-profit and after-school program dedicated to empowering our future female leaders. Wonder Girls is an after-school program and series of annual events for female high school students with a mission to build confidence, leadership, and the necessary business skills no matter what career or educational career path they may choose. They believe that every Wonder Girl deserves the opportunity to thrive as leaders of their own lives despite economic, social, or educational challenges. They also provide college scholarships to seniors who complete the program.
Natalie Maniscalco is a publicist and Founder + CEO of Retro Media NYC, a public relations and marketing agency. Irene Zervoudis is a marketing professional for Envoy Mortgages and a mother of 3 teenage girls. Both feel that there was a need for a program like this because girls today need so many more life and business tools that aren’t always taught at home or at school on a regular basis. There are lots of things that are missed along the way and Wonder Girls is an awesome tool to help fill in those gaps.
CONSCIOUS ENTREPRENEURSHIP — What meaning do you give this term?
As successful, female entrepreneurs and professionals, we want to make a positive impact on society. We believe you get to a point, or should, where it becomes about how you are doing for the good of your community. Being a conscious entrepreneur means that you’re creating a business that is not just about you, but about the difference you are going to make on the lives of others.
CAREER — What led you to your particular career path?
Natalie:
Before I became a publicist, I was a teacher for three years. I loved and still do the art of teaching but knew the subject I was teaching and the atmosphere wasn’t the exact fit for me at the time. I took a chance and followed my intuition to find myself, years later I was exactly where I was supposed to be. I’m a graduate of Fordham University with a major in communications, media studies and business.
Irene:
I was a stay at home mother after graduating with a degree in Fashion Merchandising and Marketing from LIM College in Manhattan. I then continued my career as a marketing professional in the real estate industry.
We both have led professional networks for female entrepreneurs and have a passion for giving back. We wanted to create something together that would help build a foundation for women, and that starts with young ladies determined to rise.
MENTORS — We all need a little help along the journey. Who has been an invaluable mentor for you? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
Natalie:
For me, my mentors have been her teachers who have helped shape who I am today, most being women. One, in particular, is my high school public speaking teacher, Ellyn Cohen, who after 20 years still keeps in touch with me. She has taught me invaluable lessons on how to be a confident, poised, and engaging speaker. She was and is amazing and nurturing in every way a teacher should be and has greatly impacted both my personal and professional journey.
TO THRIVE — When you see yourself thriving: Do you see yourself opening up opportunities for others along the way to participate in your success, and how?
Yes, we are always looking to bring along powerful and good hearted people, especially women, along the way. We are inclusive, meaning you can always sit at our lunch table! Especially today, we need to support each other as much as we possibly can, even if it means the slightest act of kindness. The goal of Wonder Girls is to support both young and professional women of all ages, ethnicities and walks of life.
CAUSE — What are the causes close to your heart, and you are supporting right now? Can you share a story how you got involved? How did it make you feel?
Wonder Girls is our passion and main focus. We are in the midst of fundraising and building awareness through marketing and public relations. Creating this foundation is amazing and brings together everything we love with the passion of helping young girls.
THE FUTURE — How do you see the face of entrepreneurship in 5 years? How do companies /brands need to adapt to secure their place in the future?
We believe we are going to see more companies focused on the social good. We’re in the midst of a revolution or revelation! So many social issues have been exposed and the world is watching our next steps. At this point, there are no excuses to not create something that helps better our society in some way. We need to start taking responsibility of putting our 2020 words into ACTION and into CHANGE.
ADVICE — What kind of advice would you like to give to an aspiring entrepreneur who feels limited due to their background or lack of resources?
Irene:
Realize that your dream job can change along the way and nothing is set in stone. When you start to feel uncomfortable in your role, this usually means it’s time for a change. It’s important to listen to those feelings and not stay in something that doesn’t feel right.
Natalie:
Take chances and follow your intuition. Don’t worry about not having it all figured out. Stay the course, explore every and all opportunities, because in the end, everything works out the way the universe (and God) wants it to.
DRIVE — Do you sometimes feel bad for “wanting more out of life”, and if so, why? What is your personal motivation that leads you through the hardships of entrepreneurship?
Not at all! First, you must be grateful for what you currently have and realize what you’ve already accomplished before wanting more. I think we tend to compare ourselves to others without knowing the whole story. There are lots of ups and downs in life, and sometimes by nature, we focus on the negative, but we need to flip that and open our eyes to what is right in front of us and how we can do better. Be realistic with your goals and put them out into the world. With hard work, determination and a bit of fairy dust, all things are possible.
CHALLENGES — Entrepreneurship is very challenging. We each have our own coping mechanism. Mine is humor. What is yours? Can you share a story?
Life is challenging! I think once you realize that life is not designed to be easy, for even the person who has everything, you’ll start to approach your challenges in a different way. Meditation and mindful thinking are both amazing ways to cope with challenges. Always take a step back and think, “ok, what can I learn from this and what is the solution?” In our Wonder Girls program, we end every workshop with a meditation practice so when we send them off into the real world, they will be able to stand on their own two feet and deal with challenges like a lady boss!
YOU — Is there anything you would like to share that we have not asked you here?
As successful, female professionals, we want to make a positive impact on the lives of our Wonder Girls and foster our future female leaders who are ready to make a difference! We want our girls to complete the program, and think, “I got this! I may not know exactly where life will take me, but I am equipped with the tools and resources I need to get myself to where I want to be!” We want our girls to know that our network of professional female women is all here helping because we walked those high school hallways too and felt the same insecurities, but look at us now!
THANK YOU!
Follow Wonder Girls on Instagram.
Demee Koch about the MEDIUM interview series on CONSCIOUS ENTREPRENEURSHIP:
Conscious entrepreneurship for me is about building a sustainable business that values and respects the resources used and makes an effort of giving back to society.
I believe we need entrepreneurs to really get involved in the causes close to their heart.
This is why I reach out to entrepreneurs that aim for more than generating profit. With this interview, I aim to share entrepreneurial purpose-led passion to inspire others.
Looking forward to learn from you. Reach out to me via LinkedIn.
Demee ❤︎
