International Women's Day - Linda Nash, Richmond YWCA Outstanding Women Award 2021
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Tuesday, March 8th is International Women’s Day, a global celebration dedicated to uplifting women and honoring their achievements and the perfect time to reflect on the successes of all the women we know in business and in our communities.
This past November, WellcomeMD CEO and Founder Linda Nash was recognized along with eight other dynamic leaders in Richmond as one of the Richmond YWCA Outstanding Women in 2021.
A virtual event took place to honor the nine women recognized across the categories of Arts & Culture, Business, Education, Health & Science, Human Relations & Faith in Action, Law & Government, Marketing & Media , Nonprofit Leadership and Volunteerism.
Below is a transcript of the speech Linda shared when receiving this award in the Business category. Read her speech below, or you can watch the video of the event here. (Linda’s speech starts at 44:45)
[Excerpt]
Thank you so much to the YWCA. I’m so honored to be inducted into this amazing group. The accomplishments of my fellow honorees and the past recipients are truly humbling. As I reflect on this award, I think of all the incredible women in business who struggle for recognition, respect, and leadership roles. The statistics are stark. Only 20 percent of public boards have women members. Only 2.8 percent of women have raised private equity and venture capital, and only 33 women are CEOs of fortune 500 companies. And of course, these numbers are much lower for women of color. It is through recognition like this, and the strong mentorship of all women leaders that we can begin to make these numbers increase. My dad, a happy and successful small business owner, was my mentor from the start. He encouraged me that I could be anything I wanted to be. That was not usual for girls in the 50s and 60s. I’ve had other great luck and some stupendous challenges.
Years ago, a sustained and deeply personal attack on my previous start up including a conspiracy to steal my business, left me stressed and demoralized. I considered giving the business over and walking away. I will never forget sharing this with my two sons. Their reaction was immediate. “Mom don’t let that be your story. You need to fight this,” they said. I did and prevailed, but not before I learned just how hard it is to run a company and how important it is to stay close to your team and your people. I say this to inspire others who are facing seemingly insurmountable challenges. Take it one day at a time. Realize that this does not have to be your story. The gratitude I feel to the Richmond community, my family, my friends, and colleagues is overwhelming. I’m so lucky to run a company with an incredible mission that helps people every day. Thank you.
