Why Hillary Clinton Says “Take Criticism Seriously But Not Personally” | The Former Under Secretary Of Defense Helping Companies Navigate Ukraine War Disruptions | And More

Plus: Want To Push Your Luck This St. Patrick's Day? Put A Plan In Place

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I’m one of the more-than 30 million Americans who count themselves as partially or wholly Irish, and so I’ve baked my great-grandmother’s “Irish tea scone” (in a twist, it’s more like a loaf) in honor of the occasion.

I confess, I haven’t always loved this day—I’m neither a fan of stereotypes about the Irish and alcohol, nor the actual Guinness consumption—but over time, I’ve come to embrace the Irish side of my identity. I think it’s where I get my gregariousness, and candidly, I love stealing a good Irish limerick when I’m in need of a toast.

The power of embracing your identity and background was, incidentally, one of the discussion themes during the Forbes 30/50 Summit in Abu Dhabi last week. Model Paulina Porizkova and social media influencer Loren Gray told our audience about how being real, and vulnerable, were important steps in building their brands. Criminal justice advocate (and 50 Over 50: Impact honoree) Pamela Winn joined HH Sayyida Basma al Said, the founder of one of Oman’s first holistic mental health clinics, to talk about working through shame and stigma in order to forge social change.

“When you believe in yourself and you love yourself and you are mindful,” al Said said, “you can skyrocket.”

Cheers to that—and may the luck o’ the Irish be with us all!
Maggie

P.S.: The main theme of the 30/50 Summit was mentorship and the idea of paying your knowledge, leadership and wisdom forward. To that end, I want to encourage you to lift up yourself, or someone you admire, and submit a nomination for the 2022 50 Over 50! We’re looking for a whole new class of names and will be accepting nominations until April 3.

ICYMI: Stories From The Week

Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg suggested Russia and Ukraine wouldn’t be at war if women were in charge. “No two countries run by women would ever go to war,” Sandberg told CNBC last week. But research and historical evidence suggest that Sandberg may be mistaken.

On March 15, this year’s Equal Pay Day, women were not only dealing with a 17-cent gender pay gap but also an exhaustion gap. According to a new study, women feel burned out, less driven and less inspired since the pandemic.

Speaking of Equal Pay Day–the day in the new year until which all women, on average, must work in order to make what men earned in the prior year: while the date inched up to March 15 from March 23 last year, the data around pay parity progress is not telling the full story about overall progress for women in the workforce. Here’s why.

Reports have emerged that Rihanna, the 34-year-old singer turned billionaire entrepreneur, is working with Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs on an initial public offering of her lingerie brand, Savage X Fenty. The IPO, which could happen as early as this year, could value Rihanna’s body-inclusive company at more than $3 billion

Investment giant Coatue has established its anticipated foothold into Europe’s startup scene—and it’s tapped veteran venture capitalist Sarah Cannon to lead the charge. Cannon comes to Coature with experience at the growth equity arm of Alphabet, Google’s parent company.

Check List

#1: Take criticism seriously but not personally. This was former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s advice to Forbes 30/50 attendee and NEA principal Danielle Lay during a special one-on-one mentoring session last week. You can see all of the Secretary’s mentoring sessions from the Summit here.

#2: Embrace what you don’t know. In these turbulent and uncertain times, companies are looking for talent that knows how to navigate through ambiguity. Practice saying, “I’m not sure.”

#3: Break through a business plateau. If you’re feeling like growth at your business is leveling or even lagging, follow these four tips for getting the engines revving again.

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