Meagan Hooper

I launched bSmartGuide.com because I wanted to improve statistics such as: 5% of Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 company CEOs are women, 2% of venture capital funding goes to women-owned businesses, 20% of Congress are women, and women still earn $0.79 for every $1.00 a man earns.  I knew that women would need to share their expertise to improve these numbers, but I also knew we needed something more to accomplish our personal or professional dreams.  After looking at my life and the successful people around me, I came to the conclusion that consistent support, training, and accountability from a community of women who are committed to our success is the key to utilizing all of the gifts and talents from women around the world.  

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I’ve learned that all goals, no matter how big or small, are met with challenges - whether that’s in the form of self-doubt, lack of funds, or simply logistics.  I've also learned that the bigger the goal, the bigger the challenges you’ll experience trying to accomplish those goals.  So what’s a girl to do who has aspirations to be a corporate executive, successful entrepreneur, or political powerhouse?  Just like running a marathon, you need a committed support system of people who will cheer you on every step of the way.  But in addition to support, you also need life-development skills for your career, finances, wellbeing, and relationships (to name a few) to become the fully empowered and equipped woman you want to be.  That's why I created bSmart Community Mentor Groups.  

Supported

Everyone needs a 'tribe' to support them and be their cheerleader along their life journey.  Often that tribe comes in the form of your family, friends, or even hometown community.  But sometimes, the people you grew up with might not understand your dreams or think they’re possible for you.  No matter who you are or what you’re trying to accomplish, you need a few people who believe in your dreams, won't let you give up, and will celebrate every success along the way.  

If the people in your life don't share your vision for your dreams, don't let that stop you.  Find new people who do believe in you.  There will be moments when you feel like giving up, and it will be this supportive community that won’t let you quit.  I'm grateful to have had this support in my life, from middle school all the way through navigating adulthood in New York City.  I never would have accomplished my goals without a supportive community who cared about my success.

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I’ve made it my mission to ensure all bSmart women develop their leadership skills.

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Equipped

Support provides an essential first line of defense, but you need more than a listening ear or someone on the sidelines cheering you on.  You need skills training.  I created The bSmart Guide curriculum as a 101 class for adult life with every book, video, quiz, and resource I wished someone had shared with me after I graduated college.  The bSmart Guide shares resources for you to make smart decisions with your career, finances, wellbeing, relationships, fashion, beauty, technology, and leadership development.  If you want to accomplish your goals, you need to define your purpose, have your finances in order, know what contributes to your wellbeing, and most importantly, practice being a leader.

I cringe every time I hear someone say a young woman ‘isn’t management material’ or ‘she just doesn’t come across as a leader.’  I’ve made it my mission to ensure all bSmart women develop their leadership skills.  Everyone in our community mentor groups takes a turn creating an agenda, leading a group discussion, and following up with members on what they shared throughout the week.  Our members are trained in listening, synthesizing goals, and directing the conversation to make sure all voices are heard and calls to action are defined.  This experience makes sure our group members are fully prepared for all future leadership and management roles.

Empowered

So how do you combine group support and life skills training to become a truly empowered woman?  Accountability.  The most important facet of the community group experience is that every group member receives accountability for whatever they would like to achieve each week and over the long-term.  When you have a support system to connect with regularly and when you feel prepared for accomplishing your goals, it's the accountability to yourself and your group members that will push you a little farther than you thought you could go.  

There are times every week when I feel like giving up or slacking off, wondering if anyone would notice.  But then I remember I’ll face a group of women who are rooting for me and will ask me if I've accomplished my goals for the week.  The combination of my group members’ support and consistent accountability not only empowers me, but is responsible for all of my professional accomplishments to date.

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Our vision is that as you become supported, equipped, and empowered, you’re able to do the same for other women.

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Living in a big city, working in a new job, or traveling around the world can leave you feeling lonely or isolated as a young adult.  We weren't meant to experience life alone.  One of the challenges for young adults, especially living in a transient city like New York, is that your community can completely change every few years as people move in and out of your city.  That's why we made the bSmart Community Mentor program a completely online experience using group discussions and video chats.  We're taking the Gloria Steinem talking circles and mixing it with the power of technology to make sure you always have access to your community group, no matter where you are in the world.  

Our vision is that as you become supported, equipped, and empowered, you’re able to, in turn, do the same for other women.  Our mission is to continue this cycle of development and growth until we have 1 million women in mentorship groups, accomplishing their personal or professional dreams.  Realizing this vision is how we'll actualize the full potential of 50% of the population, and finally change the ratio of women leaders in corporate culture, politics, the arts, education, finance, medicine, and technology. 

 

Watch how to use bSmart Groups 

 
 

Meagan Hooper, bSmart's founder, leveraged an arts degree and professional theatre and film experience into a decade long career on Wall Street, working her way up from Administrative Assistant for the founder of a premier hedge fund, to the firm's Chief Operating Officer. Self-taught in the world of finance, her prowess and expertise was quickly recognized, as she then became Director of Operations for a global wealth management firm, overseeing $4 billion in assets across multiple asset classes. Through her journey, Meagan discovered a need for advising, supporting, and connecting aspirational millennial women. This motivated her to launch bSmartGuide.com to serve as a platform for women to learn, connect and promote their brands in order to achieve success and obtain their goals.

 

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