Laura Henshaw, one half of wellness empire Keep it Cleaner, has been announced as the face of Forever New’s annual Give with Grace campaign. The news, revealed on International Women’s Day, is fitting for the inspirational entrepreneur, who has recently taken over the role as CEO of the fitness app she founded alongside Stephanie Miller.
For the fourth year in a row, Forever New has partnered with charity Dress for Success for the initiative, an organisation whose mission is to “empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development of tools to help women thrive in work and in life.”
The Australian womenswear label has committed to donating $10 from each pair of Grace or Audrey Curve pants sold to Dress for Success.
“I’m very excited to be involved with this initiative. Give with Grace along with Dress for Success helps women get back on their feet and into the workforce again. This is a great example of a fundraising initiative that makes real change in women’s lives,” Henshaw says.
Ahead of the announcement, the KIC co-founder shared some insights into her own professional life.
“To be a woman in business in 2022, it means a lot of things. I think first and foremost for me, I feel incredibly grateful for the women who have paved the way in front of me, and broken down so many huge barriers over many years. While so many stereotypes and barriers have been broken down, there are still so many to overcome for women. There is still a gender pay gap, there aren’t enough women who are CEO’s or women in senior leadership positions in general, and there is still a feeling of needing to prove yourself 10 times over, in everything you do as a woman in your career to be worthy of your role. Change can be uncomfortable, but it is essential in creating an equal future. We have come a long way but still have a long way to go.”
“I think one of the biggest challenges I have faced is having to push against the stereotype of a woman in business. Women are expected to be likeable, agreeable and if we do speak up, we are often labelled as ‘arrogant’ and ‘overconfident’, or’ too ambitious’. In my male counterparts, the same traits are considered as ‘confident’ and ‘driven’. It is so important as women, to remember that we do not fit into the mold that society once thought that we should, we have the power to be who we want to be and lead the way.”
“One of the biggest things for me which has helped me with balance, is changing my mindset around what it means to me. There is a great quote that many incredible women have said, and that is ‘you can have it all, but not at once.’ It is a big reminder to me that everything will not always be perfectly balanced (or ever). I do my best with what I have, and so for me that sometimes means starting my day with one of our KICRUN sessions or Pilates Masterclasses, or if I have less time, taking 5 minutes to follow a KIC guided meditation to refocus and as a reminder to breathe. I try to do something for myself each day - sometimes it is an hour, other times maybe just 5 minutes, but knowing I have done something makes a big difference to how I feel and my energy.”
