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Shero Entrepreneurs

SHERO Entrepreneurs is a collection of powerful personal stories from women who built businesses out of grit, heartbreak, courage, and hope. The book brings together interviews, reflections, and affirmations that walk the reader through the heart and hustle of ten entrepreneurs who turned adversity into purpose. As I moved through each chapter, I saw the common thread that ties them together. Every woman rose from something heavy and shaped a new life with her own hands. The book blends guidance, real struggle, and bright flashes of triumph in a way that feels honest and warm.

Reading it stirred something in me. I found myself pulled into the raw moments, the kind that sit in your chest for a while. The writing felt direct and personal. I could almost hear the voices of the women as they shared the reasons they stepped out on their own, the nights they questioned themselves, and the quiet victories they earned in the dark. The stories of illness, financial loss, and reinvention felt especially moving. Monica Chagolla’s journey back to meaningful work after serious illness captured the fragile mix of doubt and determination. Carolina Missett’s story of grief becoming a place of creation made me pause. Veronica Bahn’s reflections on visibility, loss, and legacy felt layered with both pain and fire. The writing does not hide real emotion. It offers it openly, and that openness gave the book its strength.

I also found myself smiling through several chapters. There is a down-to-earth charm in the way these women talk about building something from almost nothing. Patti Stoltz starting with three hundred dollars when it felt like three hundred thousand, Angela Barney juggling daycare, real estate, and Tupperware to keep her family steady, and so many others building piece by piece while learning on the go. Their stories brought a mix of admiration and comfort. I kept thinking how refreshing it was to hear success discussed without perfection. The ideas in the book are simple in the best way. Work hard. Stay kind. Learn fast. Lift others. Trust yourself. These messages land because they come from lived experience, not theory.

By the final pages, I felt a genuine sense of connection to the women in this collection. The affirmations sprinkled throughout added a gentle rhythm that reminded me to check in with my own path. I walked away from the book feeling both grounded and energized. It left me with a fuller sense of what resilience looks like in real life.

SHERO Entrepreneurs is a book I would recommend to women who are starting something new, women who feel stuck, and women who need proof that ordinary beginnings can still lead to extraordinary places. It is also a meaningful read for anyone who wants to understand the emotional landscape of entrepreneurship.

Pages: 253 | ASIN : B0FTPZFGNZ

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Stop the Hassle

Stop the Hassle offers a refreshingly practical approach to simplifying business operations and enhancing customer satisfaction. With clarity and precision, the book introduces the Hassle Score Survey (HSS), a tool designed to evaluate and improve customer experiences. It challenges traditional metrics like the Net Promoter Score (NPS) and argues for a more comprehensive framework. By examining four critical dimensions—convenience, price, product experience, and trust—the HSS provides actionable insights to reduce friction, foster loyalty, and drive sustainable business growth.

The strength of the book lies in its practical insights, rooted in decades of business expertise. Bramlett’s critique of the NPS is both insightful and persuasive. He effectively demonstrates its limitations as a single-question metric, making a strong case for a multi-dimensional approach. The HSS system is presented as a superior alternative, supported by logical arguments and real-world examples. Bramlett’s writing style is clear, concise, and engaging. His no-nonsense tone ensures complex business concepts are approachable for readers across the spectrum, from entrepreneurs to seasoned corporate leaders.

Another highlight was the chapter on product experience, where Bramlett recounts his early venture into the restaurant business. He candidly admits how neglecting customer comfort, such as failing to provide enough seating, hurt the business. The chapter on trust, while thorough and informative, focused more on general principles than on specific, fresh examples. That said, the importance of trust is clear throughout, and the emphasis on guarantees, refunds, and proactive communication offers a solid and practical guide for businesses aiming to strengthen customer relationships.

Stop the Hassle is both timely and relevant. With clients demanding seamless experiences and online feedback wielding immense power, the strategies in this book are invaluable. Bramlett offers a thoughtfully structured guide that balances simplicity with depth, making it an essential read for anyone looking to refine their approach to customer experience and business success.

Pages: 204 | ASIN : B0DGH41JPH

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Gender-Focused Investing Is The Future

Ruth Shaber
Author Interview
Patience Marime-Ball Author Interview

The XX Edge: Unlocking Higher Returns and Lower Risk focus on the financial impact of gender-focused investing and why women need to have a greater role. Why was this an important book for you to write?

Our collective and extensive experiences in the financial sector, as well as in the field of women’s health, has shown us time and again that women have a transformative impact on the world when they are financial decision-makers.

As investors, we’ve seen firsthand the impact of integrating a gender analysis in financial decision-making. Patience has spearheaded the development of multi-billion-dollar financial platforms and the structuring of large global funds centered around women. On the other hand, Ruth’s experience as an Obstetrician and Gynecologist and founder of Tara Health Foundation gave her insights into the pressing need for innovative programs promoting the health and well-being of women and girls.

However, the mainstream financial sector, which could greatly benefit from more gender-focused investing, is largely not aware of the significant advantages it presents. This lack of awareness inspired us to share our insights in a more accessible and impactful way.

The XX Edge is our answer. We make a compelling data-driven case for investing with a gender and broader diversity focus. Specifically, across all asset classes, when women are central to financial decisions and apply their skills, the results are higher returns for investors leading to significant economic growth.

The book is an invitation to embrace a new paradigm of gender-focused investing where women are not just beneficiaries but also key decision-makers and agents of change. We emphasize this role of women in the economy, as it holds the potential for a more inclusive and profitable future. This isn’t just a theoretical concept but an achievable reality, one that benefits everyone.

Writing The XX Edge has given us a platform to amplify this reality and, we hope, to inspire more individuals and institutions to harness the transformative power of gender-focused investing.

How much research did you undertake for this book, and how much time did it take to put it all together?

The research process for The XX Edge: Unlocking Higher Returns and Lower Risk was both extensive and rewarding. Given the depth of the financial analysis we were presenting and the critical nature of the social issues we were addressing, we knew it was essential to be thorough and meticulous in our research.

We combined our decades of professional experiences with a wide range of external resources. We analyzed the latest financial data, explored studies on gender-focused investing, and took a deep dive into economic and social impact research. We also held numerous discussions with experts in the field to ensure that we had a comprehensive understanding of the current landscape and potential future developments.

The research process took approximately 6 months. It was an exciting opportunity to consolidate the compelling data and insights that reinforced our message. The writing process went relatively well once we had a clear understanding of the data and could articulate the financial case for gender-focused investing.

We both cherished our partnership during this journey. We brought to the table our unique insights and experiences, and this collaboration enriched the book immeasurably.

What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?

First, there is an irrefutable financial case for gender-focused investing. Our research shows that when women are at the table for business decisions and investments, enterprises are stronger and financial returns are higher. This is an underutilized strategy that can benefit individual investors and the global economy at large.

Second, we highlight the importance of women as economic agents. Too often, conversations about gender and finance focus solely on how women can benefit from financial resources. But women are more than just recipients; they are innovators, decision-makers, and leaders. When women apply their skills and insights across capital markets, we’ve seen firsthand that they drive significant economic growth. This means recognizing the potential of women to effect change in all areas, including economic, environmental, and social spheres.

Lastly, we wanted to present a vision for a new paradigm in investing – one where gender-focused investing is not seen as a niche strategy but is mainstream and central to financial decision-making. We envision a future where financial institutions and individual investors alike understand and capitalize on the benefits of gender-focused investing.

These ideas have the potential to transform how people think about finance and investment, and we hope that The XX Edge will inspire readers to explore these possibilities further.

What is one thing that you hope readers take away from The XX Edge?

If there’s one takeaway we hope readers will glean from our book, it is the understanding that gender-focused investing isn’t just a social or ethical choice, but a sound financial strategy that brings differentiated analysis to decision-making leading to higher returns and lower risk.

Readers will come to appreciate the transformative potential that lies in elevating women as key decision-makers in finance. When women apply their skills and insights across capital markets, it leads to more than just equitable representation; it catalyzes greater economic growth and fosters a more sustainable and inclusive financial ecosystem.

We envision a future where gender-focused investing is mainstream, and we hope that our readers will become ambassadors of this change, understanding its potential and carrying this knowledge into their own lives and communities. Whether they are seasoned investors, financial advisors, or individuals hoping to increase the balance in their retirement accounts, we hope they recognize that investing with a gender and diversity lens is essential for our collective future.

In The XX Edge, Patience Marime-Ball and Ruth Shaber envision a new paradigm of gender-focused investing where more women are placed in decision-making roles and able to optimize their skills across all capital markets—leading to higher returns for individual investors and greater economic growth.

There’s a simple but often overlooked investment strategy to earning higher returns—include women as financial decision-makers within your organization or team. That’s The XX Edge. 

Seasoned executives and investors Patience Marime-Ball and Ruth Shaber demonstrate the new paradigm where women are at the center of investing as agents and actors—not just as beneficiaries.

If you manage investments—either your own or others’—you’ll want to understand the data and discover the financial power of The XX Edge:
Gender-inclusive teams are 21% more likely to see outperformance in profitability relative to peers 
Female CFOs deliver a 6% increase in profits and an 8% stock performance bump compared to overall performance under male predecessors
New companies with a female founder performed 63% better than those with all-male teams over an observed ten-year period 
Women-run hedge funds outperformed the average of larger hedge funds by a margin of 6% over a six-and-a-half-year period

 

You’ll discover the inherent gender differences between women and men and why these differences make women excellent financial decision makers and investment collaborators. Patience and Ruth unpack the evidence that proves this point across all asset classes.

The XX Edge shows that when women make financial decisions and apply their skills across all capital markets, it leads to higher returns for individual investors and greater economic growth—a true win-win for all.

The XX Edge: Unlocking Higher Returns and Lower Risk

Patience Marime-Ball and Ruth Shaber’s The XX Edge: Unlocking Higher Returns and Lower Risk is a powerful book that provides a comprehensive guide to investment, financial balance, and money management. The authors’ extensive experience in running an investment and non-profit organization is evident throughout the book, and they use facts, scientific data, and personal experience to break down their content into distinct chapters that are both elaborate and eye-opening.

Although the book is relevant for all audiences, the authors primarily target male investors. They focus on the financial impact of gender-focused investing. The book is an easy read, and the authors use layman’s terms to explain multifaceted financial subjects and give relatable examples for readers’ understanding. The authors make the case for how gender diverse decision-making generates the best returns possible when managing investments. Their passion for gender-focused investing and how different men and women are in financial decision-making is intriguing.

What’s remarkable about The XX Edge is that it provides a unique perspective on socio-economic development from the perspective of investors, corporations, business executives, leaders, and economists. The arguments made in the book are level-headed, and the advice given is solid. If you want to get into investment, entrepreneurship, or expand your finances, this book will be helpful to you. It’s a comprehensive guide that covers everything from financial management to running companies.

What I love about this book is that, while the authors share ideas and facts, they also give their individual stories. For example, Ruth shares her journey in healthcare, while Patience’s journey is that of a Zimbabwean-born girl who grew up to become a powerful and knowledgeable woman in finance. The stories of the two women and their partnership are phenomenal and motivational.

In conclusion, The XX Edge: Unlocking Higher Returns and Lower Risk is a must-read book for anyone seeking to ascend economically and financially. The authors went above and beyond with their content, and the book is a valuable reference for anyone looking to make socio-economic changes in their sphere of influence.

Pages: 287 | ASIN : B09SGLQV8V

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