Breaking Rules to Drive Change with Shelley Zalis of The Female Quotient

Takin’ Care of Lady Business Episode 141

The rules of work were written by the people who benefited from them — so why are we still playing along? Today’s guest says it’s time to redesign the system with empathy, leadership, and collective power.

In this episode of Takin’ Care of Lady Business, host Jennifer Justice sits down with Shelley Zalis, CEO of The Female Quotient, widely known as the “Chief Troublemaker”, to discuss how she’s breaking barriers in leadership and equality. Shelley shares her journey of founding Female Quotient and building a global community of women leaders dedicated to creating spaces for meaningful conversations and real change.

Shelley explains how passion, compassion, and empathy are essential skills for leadership, not soft skills, and why these qualities are more important than ever in today’s business world. She reflects on her experiences of creating the Girls Lounge and the FQ Lounge, spaces that empower women to collaborate and lead with purpose.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Passion, compassion, and empathy are vital for effective leadership

• Creating safe spaces for collaboration can spark meaningful change

• Conscious leadership drives success and fosters inclusive work environments

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Shelley Zalis

(01:38) The vision for Female Quotient

(02:58) Origin story and boardroom moment

(07:04) The girls lounge and power the pack

(10:15) Davos breakthrough and making a mark

(18:37) Stop naming new gaps and focus on action

(19:27) How COVID proved change can happen fast

(21:21) Fixing the care problem with wallets

(22:34) Closing the pay gap systemically

(32:37) Breaking rules and finding FQ

About Our Guest:

Known as the “Chief Troublemaker,” Shelley Zalis, CEO & Founder of The Female Quotient, is a trailblazing CEO, entrepreneur, and global advocate for women in the workplace.  A three-time movement-maker, she pioneered online research before selling her company to Ipsos for $80 million; co-founded #SeeHer, a groundbreaking initiative to ensure accurate portrayals of women in media; and built The Female Quotient, known for both its signature Equality Lounge® and having the largest global community of women in business. Recognized as one of LinkedIn’s Top 20 Most Influential Voices globally, Zalis is a sought-after thought leader and contributor to TIME, Forbes and IMD. Her numerous accolades include–most recently–the Matrix Award from New York Women in Communications, the Global Leaders 50 List and the Industry Legend Award from the AdClub.

Shelley Zalis’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleyzalis/ 

Explore The Female Quotient: https://www.thefemalequotient.com/ 

About Jennifer Justice and The Justice Dept.

JJ’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-justice-354a0b99

The Justice Dept: https://www.thejusticedept.com/

JJ’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferjusticel/ 

Newsletter: https://tkolb-newsletter-a50814.beehiiv.com/

The Justice Dept. is a female-focused advisory, consulting, and law firm advocating for female founders, talent, execs, and brands. We represent bo$$ ladies to make them 💰💰.

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This is a Lady Business LLC Production.