74: Connecting Businesses to Communities of Their Ideal Customers with Kateri Ruiz

I am thrilled beyond words to have today’s guest, Kateri Ruiz, on today’s show. Kateri is Founder and CEO of MAIA, a community having an online directory that connects consumers with women-owned businesses. On today’s episode, Kateri shares a fascinating story of why she decided to begin her company...which began very close to home!

The mission of MAIA is to change the status quo on gender equality at the highest levels of leadership. MAIA is a group of women-conscious consumers and it’s the first free-access, searchable, platform of woman-owned businesses in the United States, 13 million and counting. Kateri is such a treasure and you’re going to love today’s show!

Show highlights:

Kateri shares the history behind MAIA.
Kateri shares her passion behind her business: ”There is a significant value in women’s points-of-view at the highest level of leadership so that women’s perspectives are present in our solutions, products, and services.”
Kateri gets personal and shares some of the limiting beliefs she had early on.
MAIA is a directory of businesses in the US that are at least 50% women-owned.
Kateri defines women-conscious consumerism and shares how roughly 34 million women consumers want to spend their money with more purpose and support the people and the causes they love the most. Ie. shop local or shop small
These consumers want to spend money who already are proving gender equality at the highest levels of leadership.
We want things cheaper and more convenient, but Kateri shares that most female consumers want more than that and want to spend on what they’re passionate about.
Both women business owners and women consumers have to show up to perpetuate the MAIA community.
Kateri discusses how MAIA is aligned with organizations, affiliates, women’s groups and networks of women who are already in this space because it is critical to be aligned with organizations who support women in any way.
Women fully embracing and understanding their spending power is critical to supporting women-owned businesses. Kateri says MAIA makes these connections possible.
Kateri says many men share the passion of gender equality and they can sign up as consumers on MAIA in order to align their spending with their values.
Kateri sees herself as an expert at seeing the incongruencies in operating systems in organizations as they relate to workforce and people, which is key to aligning an operating system that is congruent.
Kateri shares that it is critical for women to be able to identify incongruencies and to speak up about the needed solutions.
Kateri offers advice to women who may be struggling with their businesses. She says women are incredibly resilient and just do the next thing that needs to be done to move the needle forward. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Resources:

You can claim your free listing on MAIA’s website. For a premium listing profile that is searchable, contains your photo, and describes causes you support, it is $100 per year. Kateri would love to offer one, FREE, premium listing for every 10 comments left on the website or iTunes. So leave a comment on the website or leave a review on iTunes, take a screenshot of it, and send it to info@MAIA community.

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