05:38 Studying for a Masters in Business Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Sonya studied the Masters with long-time collaborator Brendan Courtney

Sonya loves conducting research

It�s essential that the course content is practical and applicable to the real world

09:11 The pandemic�s impact on fashion and retail

There was a loss of confidence in fashion as a concept from stakeholders during the pandemic

�Our job is to sell confidence�

There has been a retraction of budget but an explosion in demand

11:11 On having a portfolio career

Sonya started off as a commercial stylist on music videos, movies and TV commercials

Sonya has always been driven by a strong work philosophy and a decision-making process with the work she takes on

Through building her network over time, Sonya was able to launch Dress For Success, a non-profit organization

�Every entity needs a founder, but it needs at least ten times as many followers to make it a reality�

20:56 What inspired Sonya to work for herself

During her upbringing, her father took on various business ventures and her mother was very independent with generating her own income

�You play your own game as an entrepreneur�

23:53 Instilling equality and empowerment in commercial environments

They are not mutually exclusive

Her vision for Lennoncourtney is that the female clothing makers and the consumers are just as important as each other

26:40 Is Ireland a welcoming place for female entrepreneurs?

Ireland is a small place for investments but a breeding ground for startups

It�s still a male-dominated world

28:33 How Sonya has been treated as a woman in business

�It�s almost harder for a woman to excel in a structured, corporate environment�

You have a lot more choices as an entrepreneur

�If women created workplaces 100 year ago, every workplace would have a childcare facility, and men and women would share that equally�

The imbalance between men and women will always continue if we don�t share childcare meaningfully

Gender norms limit the potential for growth for all genders

Studies have shown that women experienced more burnout at the workplace than men during the pandemic

Sustainability begins with the individual

The case about the New Zealand care workers ending pay segregation

36:52 Where to start embedding deep cultural values of equality in the workplace

Have fearless conversations and discussions about where inequality lies within your workplace

Leadership requires being vulnerable and open

40:36 LIFT Ireland�s initiative

Stands for �Leading Ireland�s Future Together�.t�s an eight-part, group learning programme

LIFT�s leadership learning process is based on eight key leadership values: Listening, Positive Attitude, Respect, Competence, Dedication & Determination, Empathy & Understanding, Accountability, and Honesty & Integrity

45:43 Recognising emotional support in the workplace

Businesses in general are becoming more aware about the emotional impact of doing business

We need a process in place to help track and recognise the amount of emotional support employees are doing

52:15 �The broken rung� � the first step up to manager is still unequal

Many organisations often block the progressional piece through external hiring, therefore overlooking the women that are already in their organisations

It�s important to analyse hidden procedural impediments to understand what is actually happening

54:33 What the future looks like for female leaders

The progress we need to make is very dependent on men

We need to bring men into the conversation