Feb. 5 - When people ask what I like best about my job, I answer without hesitation - learning new things and meeting interesting people. When Ann invited five Japanese women entrepreneurs over to our house for dinner the other night, I enjoyed both. Ann organized this dinner because she wanted Ambassador Roos to meet some remarkable Japanese women and to learn more about Japan's entrepreneurial culture.
We learned that Japanese and American women in business confront many of the same challenges. For example American women in business also face pressures to leave the workforce to nurture a family, and they experience difficulty in obtaining financing for their businesses. We also learned that Japan and America share many strengths. For example, as large American and Japanese companies shed jobs, it is the small and medium-size businesses in both countries that are increasing employment. Japan and America both benefit from the presence of smart and innovative businesswomen who create new employment opportunities and foster economic growth.
Ann, Ambassador Roos, and I were all impressed by the optimism of these women. We could feel their determination to build new companies in Japan, despite the many obstacles. Many had studied in the United States and were combining experiences from both societies to create successful businesses. We want to continue fostering linkages between Japanese and American female entrepreneurs so that they can learn from each other's experiences and draw strength from the knowledge that women on the other side of the Pacific are equally determined to succeed in business.
Several of our guests agreed that we could share their stories, so please click on the links below to visit their blogs or websites.
Until next time,
Jim
As a businesswoman, I find the idea of linking Business Professional Women in Japan to Business Professional Women in the United States intriguing. This would be especially beneficial to those women who do travel internationally for their careers. What an incredible learning opportunity and social experiment! I am sure that we would have MUCH to gain from one another and our eyes would literally be open to a whole new world!
