🏆 Turning Your Story Into Gold 🏆
It's finally time to reveal all the key insights on how to unlock the power of storytelling!
Bienvenue! I am Marion Siboni, CEO and founder of La Creme de la STEM ™, a private network for early-stage female founders. This newsletter is specifically designed to offer resources, insights, and support about entrepreneurship. I also cover all things related to community building and share stories of inspiring women who deserve to be in the spotlight. 3,200+ investors, entrepreneurs and operators already subscribed. Join them!👇
✍️ Current setting ✍️
📍 Writing you from: the patio of a comfy home in Savannah, Georgia
☕️ Drinking: a glass of Josh wine - I am French and I approve this wine
🎵 Listening to: the playlist of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic games - no, I did not go and yes I had huge FoMo
📝 Today, I: share the outcome of the first official event of La Creme de la STEM ™
🪄 Mastering the Art of Public Speaking
Once upon a time, there was a prince. The prince was an exceptional coder, and his code was always perfect. He woke up each morning, wrote flawless code, and never needed a code review. He raised billions from the world's top VCs, everyone liked him, and he lived happily ever after.
The end.
Wait… Is that really a story? Let's try this again.
But one day, there was a bug in production. All servers went down. The prince had no idea what went wrong. He searched faraway lands to come up with a cure but couldn't find a solution.
But then came Cinderella, the same Cinderella who was never allowed near a computer but had taught herself to code on Udemy after everyone else had gone to sleep. She sat down at the prince's Mac, knew exactly where to find the bug, and saved the day.
The end.
That’s how Moran Weber, CEO of Women on Stage, opened her session: “Turn Your Story Into Gold - Master the Art of Public Speaking” at the female founders and VC breakfast co-hosted with La Creme de la STEM ™ which a curated crowd of 40+ people this Summer.
In her talk, she shared her best tips for mastering public speaking and overcoming stage fright because there are so many untold, fascinating, golden stories out there. She used the story above to emphasize the importance of sharing our journeys, including the challenges we face and the lessons we learn along the way.
So, what are the key takeaways from her session?
🌪️ Be Vulnerable
People aren’t interested in hearing only about how everything is flawless and effortless for you; they connect more deeply with the underdog—stories of overcoming challenges and pushing through adversity. To tell your story in a way that motivates and moves others, you need to be bold enough to share your hardships and obstacles. Debunk some misconceptions and sprinkle in a bit of humor for flair!!
🎤 Grab that Mic
It might not always be possible, but when you have the possibility, use a microphone. Even if you have a loud voice, don’t let acoustics, background noise, or the size of the room get in the way. Making your voice louder ensures your audience can truly listen to what you’re saying. Let your energy, tone, and every word stand out. Amplify your voice so you can be heard, even for people in the back!
📢 Embrace the Experience of Being Heard
Public speaking nerves are a glitch, not a permanent flaw. Shift your mindset—turn that anxiety into excitement and use it as fuel. The tale of a prince who wrote flawless code, crafted the perfect product, cashed in big, and lived happily ever after isn’t as common, relatable, or unforgettable as you might believe. Moran shared that she battled severe stage fright for the longest tome - and still experience it nowadays! But it is only when she started speaking up that her life completely change.
If you are ready to embrace this journey, join the Speaker Platform and learn more here. Women on Stage is a public speaking training and publishing platform for professional women in tech. It's like the digital “TED” for women in the workplace, helping tech companies attract, retain, and grow their female tech talent by turning their employees into thought leaders.
Do you wish you would have been able to come in person in NYC and check it out? Fear no more, I have your back, introducing a new event section in this newsletter! You can also check them out on Luma.
🗽 La Creme de la STEM ™ Events 🗽
September 17th: private dinner with Brex for female founders
We are partnering with Brex to host an intimate, curated dinner for early-stage female founders in science or technology. The dinner is now full but if you fit those criteria, please reach out so we can put you on the list for the next time. We are also looking to get 50 Founding Members for the launch of the community next year.
September 23rd: Othership Community Women's Social
The Othership venue hosts a variety of guided and freeform sauna and ice bath cyclical classes. It is time to experience those cold plunges everyone is talking about and/or treat yourself to a nice sauna session.
I personally already tried cold plunges and REALLY disliked the experience. So, you will find me hanging out in the sauna area only!
October 16th - Angel Investing Book Launch Breakfast
Join to discover Do Good While Doing Well, a new book written by Marcia Dawood, early-stage investor who serves as an advisor for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commissions, Chair Emeritus of the Angel Capital Association, and an associate producer on the award-winning documentary Show Her the Money.
🚨 Entrepreneurs - Deadline Alert 🚨
☁️ Google Cloud Startup Summit
Ready to scale your startup’s AI capabilities? Join Google Cloud October 8, 2024 12:00 PM - 2:00 EDT to put the latest AI and cloud technologies into action, find guidance from leading VCs and entrepreneurs, and access support and special programs that can help you accelerate your startup’s journey. Attend the summit to:
Get to market faster: make the most of rapidly evolving AI breakthroughs to go from idea to market faster.
Understand key trends: join top venture capitalists for global insights and a view into today’s investment landscape.
Learn from startups: Explore how inspiring startups are putting AI into production and disrupting industries.
🔗 Community Building Thoughts 🔗
✍️ I gave an interview to Authority Magazine
My summer has been much busier than expected. I benefited from a strong media coverage for which has been beyond anything I could imagine. One of the key pieces I worked on is this article, where I discussed my thoughts on efficient networking and building meaningful connections.
The article is packed with personal examples who worked for me, methods that you can easily apply to the next event you will attend and a perspective on why it is crucial to empower female founders. I also break down 5 strategies for highly effective networking, both online and offline:
Build a network before you need it
Give before you get
Connect on personal matters
Always follow-up, but keep it short and sweet
Be clear on your expectations
Read the full article here to get all the details
✨ Inspiring Women Stories ✨
Last month, I had the chance to attend an exceptional Broadway show on the theme of the suffragettes, or "Suffs" for short. Suffs, a two-time Tony Award® Winner, highlights the fight for women's suffrage who emerged in the late 19th century. It focuses on the seven years leading up to the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, which guarantees women the right to vote on equal terms with men.
Do not read below if you want to see the show and be fully surprised!
What struck me is how committed, unapologetic and resilient the Suffs have been. They protested for more than two and half years through the U.S. first-ever silent protest. They were imprisoned and tortured. They had to grieve the loss of “the most beautiful suffragette” who was the face of their movement. The women who led this revolution are an inspiration. They also represented a wide range of perspectives and backgrounds, and managed to combine their unicity to be stronger together:
Alice Paul: the daughter of a suffragist, founded the National Woman's Party and led the lobbying of the Congress for a constitutional amendment. She next authored the Equal Rights Amendment in 1923, which has yet to be adopted.
Inez Milholland: a lawyer who led the 1913 Women's Suffrage Parade on horseback and becoming an enduring icon of the fight for equality, electrifying audiences as through an intense speaking tour across 12 western suffrage states
Ida B. Wells: born into slavery, she was a prominent journalist and activist who shaped the anti-lynching movement. She co-founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)- which counted Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr as members later on.
Ruza Wenclawska: brought from Poland as an infant with her immigrant parents, she worked in a textile mill at age 11. A trade union organizer and factory inspector, she educated working women to help them understand how the right to vote could improve their working conditions
Carrie Chapman Catt: A skilled political strategist and the first female newspaper reporter in San Francisco, she led the women’s rights movement for more than 25 years, founding the International Woman Suffrage Alliance to spread democracy globally
Alright, you are good now, you can read that part without any spoiler.
The show has been depicted as the heir of Hamilton as both musicals combine historical narrative with modern musical styles, diverse casting, and a focus on revolutionary change echoing contemporary issues. Co-produced by women who made history in this century, Malala Yousafzai, the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, and Hillary Clinton, the first woman representing a major party in a United States presidential election, Suffs is critically acclaimed - it received two Drama Desk Awards including Best Score. Last but not least, Shaina Taub, who interprets Alice Paul, is now the first woman to ever independently win Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Score in the same season.
To go further:
Listen to: And Nothing Less: The Untold Stories of Women’s Fight for the Vote (Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission, the National Park Service, and PRX)
Read: The Women's Suffrage Movement, an anthology edited by Sally Roesch Wagner with a foreword by Gloria Steinem
Watch: ALL IN: THE FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY, PRIMETIME EMMY® nominee
Check your voter registration: Take a minute to ensure you’re registered to vote at your current address by visiting vote411.org
💼 Job Board 💼
We showcase jobs from employers who support our mission. Hiring and committed to equality? Reply with your job posting, and we'll reach out if it fits.
Goldman Sachs: Summer Analyst (Dallas, TX; Salt Lake City, UT or NY/NJ)
Justworks: Events Specialist (NYC)
Potloc: Senior Account Executive - Consulting & Private Equity (NYC)
Whop: Creator Partnerships Lead (NYC)
Whop: Staff Software Engineer, Product (NYC)
💸 Perks and discounts 💸
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Stay tuned for the next edition of the newsletter! We will be talking about product market fit. We will also keep sharing exclusive insights about entrepreneurship, community building and stories inspiring women.
Thanks for reading me! If you want to keep up with my content, I share things on my LinkedIn profile and the company page, and sometimes post stories on Instagram. If you are an investor, please reach out, we already work with 95+ VCs who are supporting the movement.