#OwnYourCadence from a number of Inspiring Women

by / Mar 03, 2022

In honor of International Women’s Month and to celebrate the unique rhythm of all our lives, we introduced a campaign inspired by our new silhouette, the Cadence Crossbody – #OwnYourCadence.

#OwnYourCadence is a campaign of empowerment, confidence & conviction. One reminding all of us as women, that there is no set timeline when it comes to going after our goals and living our life. This hashtag shares a powerful message: you are the CEO of your life. You know what you bring to the table, so hire, fire and promote accordingly. #OwnYourCadence represents your power to manifest anything, to go after whatever you need, at whatever pace you want.

This March, we asked a number of inspiring women what #OwnYourCadence meant to them. The responses are filled with self awareness, self growth, ambition and celebration. We hope this post encourages you to speak out and assert yourself in your life. To show up and share your thoughts, set boundaries and speak your mind no matter what the path in front of you looks like.

We encourage you to share your own story and how you #OwnYourCadence on your Instagram using this hashtag for a chance to be featured on our page and inspire women around you.

In our opinion, if you want to be a legend, you should go ahead and become one.

Alice Kim

Alice Kim x SENREVE

#OwnYourCadence to me is to fully accept myself including the body I was born with. My chest is disproportionately larger than my frame which made me feel insecure and clothes nearly impossible to shop for. Finally, in my 30s, I started to own my cadence by turning what I once felt insecure about into a business to empower other women like myself to feel confident in the clothes they wear. I design tops with ample room around the chest to fit DD+ cups with a tailored waist in high quality fabrics that balance out our curves. Getting dressed should be easy so you can focus on being a boss.


Instagram: @perfectdd

Claire Coder


#OwnMyCadence to me is celebrating the little victories. I still get excited and surprised when new businesses order Aunt Flow menstrual products for their business bathrooms. I get especially surprised when I introduce myself and folks say, “Oh yeah! I know that company!” I genuinely hope this childish giddiness that I get when this happens never goes away.

Instagram: @clairecoderofficial
Twitter: @ClaireCoder
Facebook: @ClaireCoder

Toni Ko

Toni Kim x SENREVE

"OwnYourCadence means having the ability to get in and out of a flow at my own will. To achieve this, sit and start meditating at min 20 mins a day consistently"


Instagram: @tonikokoko


Samantha Patil


#OwnYourCadence is about presence (my word of the year). It's the idea that I want to be intentional with my time and fully immersed in whatever I'm doing in that moment, whether that's a big project at work, an exercise class or dinner with friends. As a founder, I'm often pulled in many different directions during the day and it can be easy to fall into a perpetual "reactive" mode, so I try to set intentions for my day, week, month to help me make sure I'm taking ownership of my time (a precious resource!) and being deliberate with what I want to accomplish.

Instagram: @samframpatil @welltraveledclub


Mallory Shelter


#OwnYourCadence means paying attention to how I’m physically and mentally feeling about my business on any given day. In the past, I have plowed through burnout and this inevitably leads to mistakes, poor quality work, and little enthusiasm for what I’m doing. Now I try to be much more in-tune with my overall state. If I’m energized and excited, that’s the time to pour my resources into creating new designs for @shopshelter, problem solving, working to scale our business, and more. If I’m sluggish and overworked, that’s a signal to pull back a little and take a breather. This helps me to recharge and be an overall better business owner, designer and manager to my team.

Instagram: @shopshelter


Yewande Faloyin


#OwnYourCadence to me means trusting in myself - past, present, and future. Last year, in addition to my business goals, my top most-shared goal was me achieving a life where I am sustainably working 4 days per week, 3 weeks per month, with at least 2 months off a year. As an ex-McKinsey consultant who once burned out TWICE in 18 months, I could have told myself "you will never achieve that". Instead, I chose to #OwnMyCadence by i) trusting in my past self to have recognized and prioritized an importance for me; ii) trusting in my present self to implement it in a way that serves me in each moment and iii) trusting in my future self to tweak, evolve, and adjust course as needed. Am I living that exact cadence now? Not quite, but my final evolution I am living in the present (working four days a week, 3.5 - 4 weeks per month, with 1.5 - 2 months off) is perfect for me today!

Instagram: @yewandefaloyin

Emily Achler


For me #OwnYourCadence is all about embracing where I am in my own journey of life long learning and growth. Approaching each day with a sense of adventure, experimentation, and a "beginner's mind". Understanding that I don't have all the answers, but taking pleasure in seeking them out. In the startup world there is a lot of pressure to operate under false time constraints. To move fast and break things. But I think we would all benefit from slowing down. The amount of information and inputs we are bombarded with every day continues to increase at a breakneck pace. The amount of content available to consume is never ending. But sometimes the best thing to do is simply to tune out the noise and settle in with a good book. I started my company @italic_type_ to help more people carve out time and attention to do just that.

Instagram: @emilylaurel @italic_type_


Mona Champaneri


#OwnYourCadence to me means to take the journey to become Fearless. The journey is the part that is full of self doubt, fear, excitement and learnings. The journey is where you will get to chose if you take the beaten path or the uncharted one. The journey is where you really get to learn who YOU are and WHAT you stand for. The journey is where you learn the skills of treating yourself with love and respect. The journey will knock you down but only YOU can pick yourself back up. The journey is the true reward. The destination is only what others see. I've dedicated these last two years to focusing on my journey and getting to learn who I am throughout that process. And you know what, I'm absolutely more Fearless now that I have ever been.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mona-champaneri/


Gesche Haas


I've essentially replaced #FOMO with #OwnYourCadence. I used to push myself far beyond my own boundaries and bandwidth - it would always come back to haunt me, esp now that I am a mother on top of being a founder and community leader. Making this switch has worked wonders for my mental health but also for the success of my business, @dreamersdoers, where I need to be able to show up as my best self, in order to authentically amplify other entrepreneurial women.

Instagram: @geschehaas @dreamersdoers
Twitter: @dreamyhumans

Catarina Rivera


#OwnYourCadence to me means having compassion for myself with my disability journey. I've been Hard of Hearing my whole life and found out I would be losing my vision when I was 17. It was hard to deal with and I hid my disability from the world for a long time. When I look back, I know that I had to go through denial and grief to get to acceptance, self-advocacy, and public advocacy. I can't compare my journey to anyone else's and it isn't healthy to do so. Being a disabled Latine woman is something I'm SO proud of now, and I share my story with the world as a public speaker + DEI consultant.

Instagram: @BlindishLatina
Twitter: @CatarinaRivera 
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/catarinarivera
Facebook: facebook.com/BlindishLatina

Madeline Darcy



#OwnYourCadence means embracing uncertainty and maintaining an appreciation for every chapter of life.

It's about owning my own priorities, being intentional about how I spend my time, and being in alignment with my values. It's about surrounding myself with people and communities that seek to rise together. And it's about practicing grace and self-care when I inevitably fall out of my cadence.

Ultimately, #OwnYourCadence is about empowerment and striving towards creating a tomorrow that's even brighter than today.

Instagram: @madeline.f.darcy @kaya.ventures
Twitter: @madelinefdarcy @kayaventures 

Elle Wang



#OwnYourCadence to me is celebrating my need to have downtime. As a mother of two small children, I had a breakdown when I returned to work from my second maternity leave, given many challenges. I felt so guilty of my debilitating anxiety, and I thought I was not doing enough for my business @emiliageorgeofficial. But after months of therapy work and paying attention to my kids and my family, I have genuinely appreciated and come to celebrate my inner need to have downtime so I wouldn’t burn out while operating at 150% capacity. I want to encourage all women, not only moms, to celebrate their need to let it be and take their time in this beautiful journey called life.

@emiliageorgeofficial.com

Dorothy Kolb



#OwnYourCadence to me is giving myself grace for starting my entrepreneurial journey later in my professional career. I left corporate behind because of commitments as a single mom of 4 but found that it was perfect timing to offer my services to other women who are “leaving the ladder” as I like to say. I believe there is no time limit to when you can find your true self and accomplish your goals.

Instagram: @dkeastassoc @thedorothykolb
TikTok: @thedorothykolb

Kristine Locker



#OwnYourCadence to me is setting a daily ritual and listening to my body. I know I am my best self and do my best work in the mornings when I am fresh. My mornings are sacred to me and help me set the tone for the rest of my day. I like to start my days with a workout and a walk, come home and do my most creative work for @wantlocker.

Instagram: @wantlocker
TikTok: @wantlocker

Valerie Trent



#OwnYourCadence to me, means being honest about my own journey and unabashedly acknowledging it. As an unmarried woman in my thirties, who has developed multiple companies as a solo-prenuer, it’s easy to feel judged for not being partnered in every facet of life. I make it a habit to remind myself; it’s better to be on my own journey, then pretend to enjoy someone else’s. I now openly voice my perspective, because it, though often uniquely independent, is just as important to hear as those taking more conventional partnered paths.

Instagram: @LeeLondonDesgin
Facebook: @LeeLondonDesgin 
Pinterest: @LeeLondonDesgin 
TikTok: @LeeLondonDesgin 

Lindsay Macmillan



#OwnYourCadence to me is stepping off the conventional track to pursue the greater calling I feel bubbling up in my soul. It's taking risks to carve my own authentic path rather than getting sucked in by the status quo. I've recently quit my job as a VP at Goldman Sachs to take a leap and pursue my writing dreams. My first book (The Heart of the Deal) is coming out this summer, and it feels like I'm fully stepping into my truth after years of side hustling. Like I'm owning my cadence as a creator, no longer trying to conform to the small corporate box.

Instagram: @lindsaymacwriting
Twitter: @LKMacMillan

Chedva Kleinhandler



#OwnYourCadence to me is owning the full range of who I am. During the last 2 years, I shut down my tech startup, started a new business and launched a new podcast. I also let myself set more boundaries than ever before in my 17-year career, and allowed myself to rest, fall in love with working out and learn how to get excited again. Coming off 5 years as a tech entrepreneur, it's been a challenge and a revelation to remember that I can both explore and own my full cadence – being both a business leader and someone who cares deeply about values, well-being and quality of life for myself and for my team. Diving into these themes on my new podcast, Looks Like Work, is a great joy.

Instagram: @chedvakl
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chedva

Paula Sauer



For me, #OwnYourCadence reminds me of life lessons I learned from being a distance runner. Exploring my training pace vs race pace that could take me the distance, while still having enough in the gas tank to make it to the end of the race and survive the day after. Using this metaphor in life, I find it important to "find my pace" in the start up environment, balancing my energy/health/mental health in doses to get me through a long day or week, and adjusting to make sure I am still taking care of my needs and not only the needs of others around me. Like training, the cadence can change, but it is important for me to stay at my true pace for that day and not try to match all the others around me.

Instagram: @doctorpaulasauer
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-paula-gelbart-sauer-b2469884
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paula.gelbart

Marissa Shapiro



#OwnYourCadence means being true to myself. When my business @hello.this.is.martha started to take off, I had to make decisions when it came to scaling. I had started my own brand consultancy because I had a different vision of how things should be done. One where quality was prioritized, and where my business was just one part of a greater entrepreneurial and creative lifestyle. Once I embraced that, things fell into place. Not only is Martha thriving, but I've also finished a fiction novel, which has always been a dream of mine. And now, it's something I practice in all aspects of my life, from business to personal.

Instagram: @hello.this.is.martha
Facebook: https://www.instagram.com/marisshapiro

Priyanka Murthy



#OwnYourCadence is accepting that I’m on a path that has little pre-set direction so I must rise to the occasion as a mapmaker and human compass. I joined the ranks of entrepreneurship after an illustrious career as a federal litigator. My path to “super lawyer” was clear: Attend a top law school, earn an editorship on the Law Review, work for and be mentored by storied judges, argue and win news-making cases, and earn a living laced with prestige and respect. On the other hand, there’s simply no clear roadmap for building a startup like @access.79 that’s disrupting an industry virtually untouched by tech and dominated by generations of men. So here I am drawing my own map and leading others to join me on this journey.


Instagram: @pri.murthy @access.79

Emily Scott



For us, #OwnYourCadence means doing things our own way without comparing ourselves to other brands. Having a co-founder who has Down Syndrome means we're already going against the grain as-is, so part of our mission at @dance.happy.designs of "celebrating differences" is to embrace all aspects of what that truly means as business. We honor this by focusing on the pace of growth and expansion that feels right to us, which has led to incredible partnerships and opportunities in their own time. We also create and utilize processes that work for our team, even if other people wouldn't do it the same way. By blocking out the exterior noise, we remain true to ourselves and our core values as a brand, which ultimately brings us more joy. We hope that our successes inspire others with disabilities to own their cadence and follow their dreams, however that may look for them.

Instagram: @dance.happy.designs

Kaitlyn Lo



#OwnYourCadence to me is being present and intentional with myself each day. As a founder, it is often difficult to escape the pressure of trying to grow my startup as fast as I can, however, it is important to remind myself that success isn't built overnight. Sometimes one of the most successful things I can do is recognize when I need to take a break, and that comes with being present and intentional with each of my days.

Instagram: @justenoughwines @kaitlynlo

Melinda Wang



I #OwnMyCadence by embracing my multiple passions and balancing careers in contemporary art, corporate law and strategic consulting simultaneously. While others increasingly turn towards specialization and “picking a lane,” I realized that developing expertise in diverse fields helps me offer unique perspectives and skillset to my clients and communities, while it also keeps my “left brain” and “right brain” constantly satisfied. Giving myself permission to pursue a non-linear path has allowed me to work on complex corporate transactions, challenging curatorial projects and social impact ventures – opportunities that came through creating my own cadence.

Instagram: @melindamanhattan
Twitter: @melindawang

Whitney White



#OwnYourCadence means listening and responding to my body and its needs, and finding ways for my personal and professional life to make space for those needs. It means finding balance and prioritizing what is good and natural for me. It also means finding my own tune— my own beat— in what is increasingly a cacophonous world. It means finding your own rhythm and daring to live by it. A worthy endeavor for any woman today.”

Instagram: @yesimwhitneywhite

Kelly Delaney



After a decade in publishing, a big part of #OwnYourCadence is acknowledging the women who lent me a hand when I was coming up in this industry, and always reaching a hand back to pull others up with me. Having strong women on all sides gives me support to go at a pace that allows me and my books to flourish.

Instagram: @kellyunderwater

Sonya Brown



To me, #OwnYourCadence is living life with the rhythms of family, work and play. Each can feel all-consuming at times, but by putting one foot in front of the other I can find my own beat.

Twitter: @norwestvp
LinkedIn: @norwestvp

Kate Low



#OwnYourCadence to me is going with my feminine instincts, to go with the natural flow of life, the path of least resistance. It does not mean taking the easy way out. It means going through what may present itself to be difficult, but not overthinking that process or that journey, and letting go of that urge to control the outcome. #OwnYourCadence is also about celebrating my successes in life, and owning those triumphs. Lastly, it means self-care - learning to let go of stressors in life, indulging in activities which truly enliven me, setting healthy boundaries and limits, and to love and give, without expectations.

Instagram: @_katelow_ @perkbykate

Leslie Schrock



I'm not the best at slowing down. But the pandemic forced me to take time and space to focus on what truly matters to me, from work to relationships and even the structure of my day. #OwnYourCadence is how I whittled it all down and learned to be in the ebbs and flows of writing my second book and angel investing/working with incredible founders while mothering two frisky boys under three. And I'm loving every second.

Instagram: @lesliejz
Twitter: @lesliejz

Elaine Kim



#OwnYourCadence to me is embracing the seasons in my life. I do believe women can “have it all” but not by trying to do it all at the same time. For me, I took a season to focus on and enjoy my family when my kids were born, a season to focus on giving back to society through my non-profit CRIB, philanthropy and volunteer work, and now it’s a season to focus on building and scaling my education business.

Instagram: @TrehausCo. @crib_society @elaine_kim

Mai Vu

#OwnYourCadence means being the captain of my life, and I've learned that lesson from starting @its.maivino. With a million things happening beyond your control, the most important thing you can do is own your decisions - because when you can own them, you can grow from them.

Instagram: @its.maivino

Rachel Lim



In my journey I’ve experienced many highs and lows, and what I’ve learned is that it is important to #OwnYourCadence by owning your life’s cadence.

We are all uniquely created with a gift and purpose.
I believe in embracing all aspects of myself - strengths and weaknesses, the good times and the bad, because I know that's what helps me work toward a better version of myself everyday.

Instagram: @ms_rach @lovebonito

Diana Richter



To me #OwnYourCadence is all about being unafraid to seize an opportunity, especially if it is outside of my comfort zone. My career is the best example, from a beginning in entertainment, a move to e-commerce, and now leading marketing at ConsenSys Mesh, a Web3 incubator. And personally I follow the same ethos, whether I'm backpacking (ultralight style), traveling solo, or volunteering with Parole Prep Project. These unexpected pivots have given me a broad perspective on what it means to be a valuable contributor.

Instagram: @dianarichterh

Mallory Soloman



#OwnYourCadence is not being afraid to pivot. With a degree in hand, I entered adulthood with a cross-country move to NYC and started the beginning of a decade plus long career in advertising. I was working my way up the career ladder and eventually was leading the new business department at one of the top creative agencies in the world, but something about it just wasn’t fulfilling. Since I was a kid I wanted to create my own business and after a life-changing trip to Morocco, I realized now was the time to embrace my childhood dream and believe in my ability to start my own journey with @_SalamHello_ a business dedicated to preserving the ancient art of weaving while empowering the artisans behind the craft.

Rebecca Balyasny



#OwnYourCadence is about prioritizing my physical and mental health so that I can be the best mom, wife, and CEO that I can be. I need to work myself physically, either doing a bande #webandetogether or head out in the mountains for a ski tour, climb, or hike in order to get into my flow. That physical and mental release allows me to face the day with a sense of humor and lightness. I can think clearly when analyzing situations and be patient with my kids no matter how much they test me.

Kimone Napier



#OwnMyCadence to me is embracing my inner vision. I started my business because I knew I wanted to be more impactful and change the lives of others with my gifts. Although I was starting a family at that time, my mind kept telling me that now was the time to embark on this journey. For me, that means connecting diverse, flexible, and inclusive businesses to diverse talent. Now is the time for me to focus on scaling my recruitment business to help more startups.

Instagram: @simplykimone