023 - How One Woman Got Marine’s Biggest CEOs to Mentor for Free | Michele Goldsmith, Soundings Trade Only

Michele Goldsmith spent the past 35 years in the marine industry, doing great work from the ground up. Now, as VP and GM of Soundings Trade Only Group and founder of the Women in the Marine Industry International series, she's built one of the most unexpected success stories in the business. A personal passion project that started as a virtual breakfast in 2021 grew into 25 events, 5,500 registrants, global mentoring connections, and a walk across 15 countries.

In this episode, Michele shares what it really takes to build community from scratch in a small industry, why follow-through is one of the most underrated leadership skills, and what the first Women in the Marine Industry event taught her about human nature and unmet needs. We discuss values, bold storytelling, and why doing hard things, whether that's summiting Kilimanjaro or building a global mentoring program, shapes who you become.

Connect With Steve Govel:

Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | YouTube | LinkedIn

 

Connect with Michele Goldsmith:

Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn

Women In The Marine Industry:
https://tradeonlytoday.com/women-in-the-industry/

One Plus One Mentoring Program 2026:
Registration is open until May 31, with the program running June 17 to June 26.
https://tradeonlytoday.com/women-in-the-industry-mentoring/

 

Takeaways:

• Michele's father was great at ideas and terrible at follow-through. She became the follow-through person because she saw what that weakness cost.
• The first Women in the Industry event in 2021 drew close to 400 women from 13 to 15 countries with a very engaged audience, which proved the need was real.
• Only 2 to 3% of the marine industry workforce is women. The first international panel created something Michele hadn't even planned for: visible role models.
• The One Plus One Mentoring Program has a 90% ongoing connection rate between mentors and mentees, and Michele hears more from the mentors about how much they valued it than from the mentees.
• Her definition of great leadership, from a speaker she brought in: leverage and legacy - how many people you impact over how much time.
• On content and bold storytelling: Don't just tell someone to run. Tell them why they need those Nike sneakers, and tell the stories of the people who wear them.

Chapters:

00:40 Introducing Michele Goldsmith
01:54 "You Have the Right Last Name. You've Got 30 Days."
03:52 Walking Boat Shows as the Only Woman in the Room
05:04 The Day She Stopped Being Her Father's Daughter
07:41 What Her Dad Taught Her About Follow-Through
08:32 People First, Client Second
09:56 Where the Women in the Industry Series Started
11:19 How a Virtual Breakfast in 2021 Became a Global Movement
15:12 25 Events, 5,500 Registrants, 15 Countries
17:36 The Global Women's Walk and Room to Read
19:06 Why the Energy Was Palpable Even on a Flat Screen
20:57 Creating Role Models Nobody Knew Were Missing
22:22 The Secret Sauce: Curating the Right People and Stories
24:37 The One Plus One Mentoring Program
25:10 Why Michele Built the Program She Wished She'd Had
26:21 How the Matching Works and Who the Mentors Are
29:41 A 90% Ongoing Connection Rate
32:25 Advice for Young Women Considering a Career in Marine
36:08 Why Values Are Non-Negotiable
37:54 Leadership Is Leverage and Legacy
39:18 Why She Started Trekking During COVID
41:31 Signing Up for Everest Base Camp With No Idea What She Was Getting Into
44:54 What Doing Hard Things Teaches You About Yourself
47:43 Lost on a Mountain Ridge, Listening to Miley Cyrus
50:55 What the Treks and the Mission Have in Common
52:42 What Soundings Trade Only Is and Why It Matters
56:30 How Trade Only Has Evolved and Where Media Is Going
57:33 Bold Storytelling Advice for Marine Brands
59:27 Don't Just Tell Them to Run -- Tell the Story of the Sneakers
01:00:36 Where to Follow Michele and Find Her Work

 

Keywords:

Michele Goldsmith, Soundings Trade Only, Soundings Trade Only Group, Trade Only Today, Women in the Marine Industry, Women in the Marine Industry International, One Plus One Mentoring Program, Global Women's Walk, Room to Read, Active Interest Media, Todd Enterprises, Darlene Briggs Marine Woman of the Year, Alan J. Friedman Leadership Award, Neptune Awards, marine industry, marine industry mentorship, women in marine, women in leadership, marine media, B2B marine publication, marine industry events, marine industry community, marine industry role models, Chris Carroll, Joan Maxwell, Mark Schwabaro, Tom Damrick, Eric Fetchko, Anya Denari, Gus Blakley, Brunswick, NMMA, Navico Group, Dometic, Suzuki, Grady-White, Metz Trade, IBEX, marine industry careers, follow-through leadership, leverage and legacy, servant leadership, Everest Base Camp, Kilimanjaro, Camino de Santiago, bold storytelling, brand storytelling, marine brand marketing, Rising Tidecast, Rising Tide Film, Steve Govel