Erin is an entrepreneur, speaker, startup advisor, and former technology journalist. She is co-founder and CEO at Willful, an online estate planning platform. She has appeared in publications including The New York Times, Forbes, and CNN, and she was named one of Marketing Magazine’s top 30 Under 30 marketers.
What do you want our readers to know about you?
I’m passionate about entrepreneurship, marketing, and pizza!
What would you like to see more of in the workplace?
Empathy. I think amazing companies are built through creating a positive environment and treating your team like people instead of a means to an end.
What characteristics and/or qualities do you admire in the women you work with?
The women I work with are perceptive, empathetic, tactful, transparent, and ambitious.
What advice did you wish you were given earlier in your career?
Learn about the various different funding sources and how they impact your company’s cap table and trajectory before ever taking a dollar of investment.
How do you think COVID-19 will change the future of work for women?
I fear that it will remove smart women from the workplace who have had to care for their families through this time. They’re making a sacrifice to do what’s right for their families, and it will take years to recover.
How do you think we can increase diversity in the workplace?
Put more women and underrepresented groups in the C-suite and on boards.
What is one example of a positive, memorable experience you’ve had in your career?
One of my proudest moments was pitching my company Willful on stage at FounderFuel demo day – it’s a startup accelerator program we participated in in Montreal, and there were over 1,000 people in the audience.
What was one belief you had that you later realized was a myth?
That you have to be mean or overly assertive to be successful.
Why are you fabulous?
Because I am an unfailing optimist who believes that regardless of the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, the glass is always half full.
Do you have a mantra or quote that inspires you?
Positivity is a choice. I make it every day when I wake up.
Where can people find you online?
Website: https://www.erinbury.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erinbury/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinbury/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/erinbury