Andrea March is a self-claimed serial entrepreneur. A gifted woman with a mission, her goal is to help bring entrepreneurs like herself together.

After running a jewelry business with her husband, Andrea was watching CNBC and did not understand what they were discussing. As someone who invested her money, Andrea realized there was a need for more information on the topic and founded Investment Expo, the largest financial strategies trade show and seminar program. During one of her trade shows, she met another business woman who had an idea to bring women leaders together. In 2002, Andrea cofounded the Women’s Leadership Exchange. Women’s Leadership Exchange is a social entrepreneurship organization for successful businesswomen. The organizations goal was to fill information gaps and build connections. At the center of the program Women’s Leadership Exchange held conferences that feature leading experts, business coaches and interactive programming in multiple cities across the U.S. Through the Women’s Leadership Exchange, Andrea founded LEXCI, a leadership development program whose aim was to connect professionals with each other. Participants in LEXCI made connection circles and served as advisory boards for one another. 

In her current project, Andrea continues to strive to unite women leaders. She will be launching in the Fall of 2019

The “ExchangeWay” platform and app, a new way of doing business, will be accessible from your mobile device and desktop. The ExchangeWay is a global peer supportive community comprised of accomplished women business leaders from diverse industries and professions who are committed to advancing themselves and each other to shift the paradigm of the way women are perceived as leaders in the world. The 24/7 accessibility of the ExchangeWay app will allow its users to communicate, contribute, and collaborate with each other to achieve collective success, sharing the tools, resources and life lessons to take their businesses to the next level. Educate, Empower. Inspire, Share - This is the NEW WOMEN'S NETWORK!  It is an unprecedented digital forum to build and strengthen professional networks and it offers an opportunity for women to exchange ideas, challenges & solutions. If you would like to hear more about the “ExchangeWay” please contact Andrea March, amarch@womensleadershipexchange.com.

Throughout this episode of the Roots of Leadership, Andrea shares her strong ideals on the key components of what makes a great leader. For Andrea, it all starts with a clear and articulate vision. To be a successful leader, you must also be an authentic communicator.  Another component of a leader that Andrea possess, which makes her a great leader, and which she thinks all leaders need is courage. A leader cannot be afraid to take risks. They need to have steadfastness and not give up, but Andrea acknowledges that leaders must also be flexible. Not giving up does not mean that you have to stick to the same path when you hit a barrier, but using creativity to find another way around it. She believes leaders need to be someone who other people want to follow and represent someone who their colleagues admire, want to be and want other people to understand. Andrea believes that an organization’s culture is created at the top and a leader will exemplify the attributes of the culture they want to create. It is important for leaders to surround themselves with people who believe in their culture, but can also help to broaden it.

Listen for more on this episode of The Roots of Leadership, where Anthony and Andrea address many traits of what makes a great leader, the risk it takes to be an entrepreneur and their thoughts on some of the issues that many companies struggle with today.