Here’s to Strong Women.

 
May we know them.
At Top Seedz, we’re taking the opportunity to take pause to celebrate Women’s History month, and specifically International Women’s Day! And we invite you to do the same. To take a good look around at the magnificent women who surround you, support you and continue to carry you forward!

We have an incredible group of women working right here at Top Seedz. They have come here from all over the world, places like Eritrea, Rwanda, Somalia and Angola.  Often, their journey to get here involved a number of hardships, from leaving family and friends behind, to enduring refugee camps before entering the U.S. When we ask who they want to celebrate on this day, most mention their mothers or sisters who have sacrificed everything for them—allowing them to be where they are today.

May we remember them.
When we take a moment to think about it, there are a lot of rights we may forget weren’t as easy for women to achieve. Take the right to vote for instance! How wild is it to think that women in the U.S. didn’t have the right to vote until the elections in 1920—and this didn’t even include non-white women *insert head exploding here* I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a shoutout to New Zealand for being the first country in the world to give women the vote (1893).

Rebecca with her class at the Allstate Minority and Women Emerging Entrepreneurs Program

May we be them.
I’d also like to give a round of applause and admiration to my fellow businesswomen in the U.S.  Being a female entrepreneur can be an interesting road. There are a variety of challenges, from defying social expectations, balancing business and family life, and even finding the right supportive network. From the time I started out on this venture, and still today, I’ve been extremely thankful  for the opportunity to work with other women across the U.S. Not only has it been fun, but it’s also been wildly energizing. The strength and passion we share is a force, pulling us all together, helping to keep us all motivated and inspired.

Rebecca in the middle with her sisters

May we raise them.
I was one of three girls, and now I have two daughters of my own. I feel a great sense of pride and duty in doing my part to make sure they grow up knowing they can achieve anything they put their minds to. I’m honored to be able to lead by example and show them that hard work pays off, that women can do anything and that we must continue to be each other’s biggest fans.

At our home, we recently celebrated Hinamatsuri (Girls’ Day). It’s a Japanese festival that’s dedicated to the health and happiness of young girls. My girls grew up in Japan and each year we commemorate the day. 

To all the girls and all the women in our lives—near and far—cheers to you! Happy Women’s History month, and happy International Women’s Day! We see you and we honor you and celebrate your amazing talents and contributions to our history, culture and society! (Who runs the world? Girls!)

Rebecca Brady