Guru interview with Marsha Firestone

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present an interview with Dr Marsha Firestone, Founder and President of the Women Presidents' Organization (WPO), to elicit her expert views on the support available to women entrepreneurs and the obstacles which are typically faced by businesswomen in start‐up enterprises and in a wider corporate context.Design/methodology/approachThe interview was conducted via telephone in June 2008 by Helen Evans, Assistant Publisher for the International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship.FindingsDr Firestone points to an aim towards economic security as the keystone of women‐led enterprises. She identifies the common trait of entrepreneurial women as the drive to succeed, often breaking the rules and coming up with better ways of doing things. Support for women entrepreneurs comes from role models and from associations such as the WPO who work to connect women entrepreneurs throughout the world. Dr Firestone criticizes some areas of the Media for their unrelenting focus on the work of women in leadership roles in corporations. The paper goes on to describe the WPO 2008 Conference and Dr Rebecca Henderson's workshop which won best workshop prize.Originality/valueMarsha Firestone is the Founder and the President of the WPO. Dr Firestone was previously Vice President of Women Incorporated and of Training and Counseling at the American Woman's Economic Development Corporation. She has published research on adult learning theory, nonverbal communication and managerial competency, appearing in both business and educational journals, and The Busy Woman's Guide to Successful Self‐employment, an interactive, easy to read resource. This interview is an opportunity to gain an insight into her expert views of the state of women's entrepreneurship.