Judy Hoberman is the President of Walking on the Glass Floor and Selling In A Skirt. She is also an International Speaker, Trainer, Coach, Author, and Mentor. Her 30 years in business has given her both the knowledge and sense of humor about how men and women sell, work and live differently will enlighten you in learning how both genders can support each other’s successes in a more productive way.

Her audiences, from 10 to 10,000 are engaged with details wrapped in memorable stories that are easily implemented that same day. In 2016 she was a TEDx speaker talking about pre-judging people, something we all do without even thinking. She is the author of “Selling In A Skirt”, “Famous Isn’t Enough”, “Pure Wealth” and her newest book,” Walking on the Glass Floor” is about the soft skills of leadership. A complete training program rounds out the training and development of women in leadership and the men that champion them. As her book was coming off the printing press, Judy completed a program from Cornell University's College of Business in Women in Leadership and a second program for Women in Entrepreneurship.

She was recently named as a “Woman to Watch” for International Women’s Day 2019 from Thrive Global. Judy’s mission…to help One Woman A Day by following an important philosophy- “Women want to be treated equally, not identically” ™

Thank you so much for doing this with us! What is your “backstory”?

My backstory is the intro to my book… My cheek is a scream of pain from where the hammer struck. It is an accident. My brother is horrified he hit me when I peered over his shoulder to watch him and my other brother learn how to build a go-cart. At five years old, this exciting afternoon with my brothers initially feels like a golden treat. Dad shooed me away once already with a firm, “Girls don’t do things like this!” but my inquisitiveness brought me back in and too close to the action. As pain radiates from my cheek, my father’s words deliver a greater blow, “All you do is misbehave. You never listen and are more trouble than is necessary. Especially for a girl!" And with that, I am ushered away from the fun.

A wise woman told me to always look for the root cause of why we do what we do. Every story starts somewhere, and the day with the go-cart is where it all began for me. When I was growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, many young girls were told we weren’t old enough or tall enough or smart enough to do even the smallest things.

Were you ever told you couldn’t go on a ride at the amusement park because you weren’t tall enough? Perhaps you couldn’t go somewhere because you weren’t old enough. Maybe there was a teacher who didn’t encourage you to join a special program because you weren’t smart enough. Pairing “not enough” with “girls don’t do things like this” is not a winning combination.

For much of my life, I thought of myself as a square peg in a round hole. I never truly fit in. My parents had one idea of who I was supposed to be, and I had other plans. Although I was not encouraged to follow my dreams, I absolutely was not to disrespect my elders. So, I did what others thought I should … until I couldn’t any longer. Now I talk and train about “girls DO do this and girls DO do that” rather than they don’t.

Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that happened to you since you started your company?

This actually happened when I was in sales and then decades later, the same thing happened. I was brought in to talk to a group of men in an almost 100% male-dominated industry. I say almost because the first time it happened it was 100%, other than me and now the needle has moved ever so slightly. Anyway, the event was happening on a Thursday and there was a dinner the evening before that I was invited to so I could mingle a bit. I told the organizer that I would be speaking and would come to dinner as soon as I was finished. The happy hour started at 5 and dinner at 6. I arrived a little before 6 and walked into the room and you could hear a pin drop. Everyone looked at me walking through the door. They thought I was the entertainment!

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

While many companies talk about women in leadership positions, we take a different perspective. We talk about women in leadership positions as a business issue, rather than a women’s issue. We also never forget that there are men who champion women and try to encourage them to self-identify…I was speaking at a large convention and the topic was Soft Skills.

Of course, I always bring in how qualified women will add to a company’s bottom line…the business issue and end with my tagline - “Women want to be treated equally, not identically” ™ I finished speaking and a man stood up and asked if he could ask a personal question. That is sometimes a tricky thing to agree to when there are hundreds of people in the room. I agreed and he innocently asked, “You talk about men championing women and I believe I am one. I don’t know how to do that. Can you help me?” That was like the V-8 moment…Why didn’t I realize that not everyone understood what that means and how simple it really is? At the end of the conference the men said they would like to make a commitment to be a champion for women. That’s one of the things that makes us stand out.

What has been the most effective marketing strategy you’ve implemented in your business?

I’ve done a lot of marketing and some strategies worked and others…Several years ago I decided to post on all my social media platforms on a consistent basis. To me, that is posting every single day before 7 am. Because of this, people have asked me if I changed my analytics because they see my posts first every single day…I have increased my following and engagements and it was a simple strategy I decided to implement.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful to who helped get you to where you are?

It would definitely be my first business coach-Doreen Rainey. She was brilliant, caring and didn’t take any of my nonsense. She was tough when she needed to be and always had my back. She helped me define my company and “made me” write my first book. I always talk about her and remember everything she told me.

What are your “3 things I wish someone told me before I launched my business” and why?

1. You have to have a business plan…even if you are a solopreneur

2. Build relationships before you need them

3. Invest in yourself

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why?

I would love to spend time with Malala Yousafzai. She is a true hero and role-model. She has limitless bravery and I would love to hear her story first-hand. For someone so young to take on the challenges women have in her country and around the world, is something I am in awe of. I know I would learn and grow from her experiences and would love to know what she still wants to accomplish.

What are your social media links?

https://www.linkedin.com/in/judyhoberman/

https://www.instagram.com/sellinginaskirt.com

https://www.facebook.com/sellinginaskirt.com

https://www.twitter.com/sellinginaskirt.com