Her Story
About Gayle
I founded In Grand Company, where I guide women leaders ages 50+ who are ready to move to the next chapter in their careers. I work with senior women leaders who are either preparing to leave corporate or have already left, and they need support in fine-tuning their offering for their next step. I use AI tools to help them clarify their mission, clarify their next step, and really put a framework around it so that they can brand themselves. I'm a brand strategist, and once they've clarified that next path for themselves, I work with them on branding it. My background is in product development in both footwear and beauty, and I've exited two companies that have been sold. The most recent was Wet Brush, a hairbrush company. I worked with them shortly after they were bought by Private Equity and helped them reposition themselves for the next exit. Prior to that, I was with a small footwear company called Lindsay Phillips, where we won numerous business awards. I've been doing this consultancy work for a little bit less than a year, and I've fully taken advantage of the opportunities with AI, developing tools using AI to help women further their earning potential.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Gayle
01What do you attribute your success to?
Honestly, athletics. I've been involved in athletics my entire life. It has taught me grit, perseverance, and just a stick-to-itiveness that has really traveled with me in my entire career. I rode for Syracuse, and I'm a very strong advocate for women leaders and women in sports. The other thing I attribute my success to is being curious. Being curious about what's next has always been important to me. Because I was involved in product development both in footwear and beauty, my eyes were always on what's next. I think that has contributed to my success - I've been ever curious about what's next. The consultancy that I developed has fully taken advantage of the opportunities with AI and developing tools using AI to help women further their earning potential.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received was from one of my first bosses, and she told me to manage my emotions. I did not understand it at the time. I didn't understand what she meant. I thought we bring passion to our jobs, and especially women - we're very passionate about what we do and our jobs. But she guided me to manage my emotions and be careful and be cautious about being too revealing. At the time I didn't get it because I believed in bringing passion to work, but looking back, that advice about managing emotions and being careful about being too revealing has been invaluable.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
AI. Learn beyond prompting. It's not about prompting. It's about developing tools. I think that women are starting to understand that, but I feel like I'm still a bit ahead of the curve in actually developing tools and embedding AI tools in my work. The technology has definitely changed, and women need to understand how to develop AI tools, not just use prompts.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think the biggest challenge for my clients is the ability to manage their own risk. They are very adept at managing risk for their companies, but they don't necessarily use that for their own personal careers and to further their earning potential. So I help them prepare for what's next in a way that no matter what situation they're in, they're ready. Many women, starting at age 50, get pushed out of corporate. It's something that is just a known thing, and it happens earlier for women than it does for men, and women need to be prepared. When my clients find themselves not prepared, it is a long slog from falling off that cliff to getting yourself up and running. My service helps women be prepared, no matter what, to hit the ground running when they decide that they're done with their current role and want to move to the next chapter, or if they're forced to move to the next chapter. I help women prepare for that moment.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I think the word I always come back to is being curious. Being curious about what's next. Because I was involved in product development both in footwear and beauty, my eyes were always on what's next. I think that has contributed to my success - I've been ever curious about what's next. The consultancy that I developed has fully taken advantage of the opportunities with AI and developing tools using AI to help women further their earning potential. That curiosity about what's coming and what's possible drives everything I do.
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