Talk Shoppe’s magic sauce is more than being a women-owned company

By: Joyce Chuinkam, Senior Research Manager at Talk Shoppe

Joyce is a passionate qualitative researcher, using her inner storyteller to connect people and their voices into actionable stories for her clients. She enjoys spending her time traveling, writing blogs, and reading non-fiction.

If you’re not familiar with Talk Shoppe, we are a women-owned company. (It is also minority and disabled-owned - talk about diversity!)

In a post last week, we said “Talk Shoppe believes women-owned companies perform better and are more innovative.” This week I went on a mission to learn why.

As a woman at Talk Shoppe, I spoke to some of my fellow Talk Shoppe women-identifying employees about the expectations they had of working for a women-owned company and what it is about Talk Shoppe that fosters more innovation.

Women-owned, so what?

The women at Talk Shoppe admittedly had a range of experiences prior to joining the company. While some found that their perspective as a woman was indeed valued and contributed something unique to their workplace, others experienced sexism and harassment, and had to navigate imposter syndrome and other challenges related to being a woman. 

Upon learning that Talk Shoppe was women-owned, most Talk Shoppe women were excited as prospective employees. When asked why, Mariana A. said:

“Women-owned means a better balance of work and life. I had worked at a women-owned company before and felt like there tends to be more opportunities for women in those spaces. I thought I'd have a better chance at being seen and heard.”

Though not all companies are the same - not all male-owned workplaces are Boys’ Clubs and not all women-owned companies are safe havens - Talk Shoppe symbolized hope for some female prospective employees. Women-owned signaled a more human and holistic approach to work. 

The Secret Sauce

As a women-owned company, Talk Shoppe has been a “breath of fresh air” by creating a space for collaboration, understanding, responsibility, and empowerment.

Collaboration:

Working as a team towards a common goal nurtures an environment that allows individuals to play off each others’ strengths and improve on each others’ weaknesses. At Talk Shoppe, women feel a spirit of collaboration more than competition.

“Previous workplaces have felt like you’re clawing your way to the top, elbowing others on your way up. There is a lot of fakeness. At Talk Shoppe, we work towards a common goal and everyone is eager to help.” - Brittany D.

Understanding:

Women were adversely affected by the pandemic across the entire United States. Many shouldered the burden of childcare as schools shut down, and were more likely than men to lose or be forced to leave their jobs.    

A flexible/hybrid working schedule that would support them as they juggled their homes and careers became critical to an overwhelming majority of women (84% of them to be exact, according to the 2023 theSkimm State of the Women Report).

Talk Shoppe was a pioneer in offering women the flexibility that they were seeking, even before the pandemic. As Heather M. put it:

Companies want you to work like you don't have kids and society wants you to mother like you don't have a job. Having a woman (mother) as a boss is a nice example that you don't have to shut down because you have a kid.

When I started here, Liana [Founding Partner] would make it clear that she is reviewing a document when she has a chance. Just because that was 9 pm does not mean I had to be addressing her comments in real-time. Now my team is good at scheduling emails and even Slack messages. We all have lives outside of work.”

Responsibility:

With freedom and flexibility comes trust and responsibility.

Talk Shoppe extends trust in its employees in a way that many women have not experienced at other companies. When trusted  to step up to the plate, women feel comfortable taking up space required to do that. 

In discussing her hiring, Vanessa V. said:

I came into this role without a research background but Talk Shoppe immediately gave me opportunities to prove myself and made me feel comfortable giving my opinion on projects rather than shutting me down because I was not in a more senior position or did not have the industry experience.

Empowerment:

Empowerment is a buzzword when discussing women in the workplace, but not enough discussion is had about how a workplace can foster empowerment. 

Talk Shoppe employees feel empowered to show the range of their humanity - including emotions - by knowing they won’t be judged. It has almost become taboo to talk about emotions, especially in the workplace, but we all have them. 

“Other places I've worked at have felt like a boys club. When I’ve expressed issues there, the overly emotional female tropes would be attributed to me. I’ve been told ‘oh you need to control your emotions and show up consistently. Don’t let it show if you’re having an emotional time.” - Meg D.

Not worrying that expressing emotions or making a “stupid suggestion” will cost them their job, or their reputation in the industry, leaves room for Talk Shoppe women to focus on creative solutions to clients’ needs.

So…Women-owned for the win?

Ultimately, Talk Shoppe is women-owned but both the women and men help in building the culture its employees thrive in. It comes from the top down. 

“Tal, [the head of my department] was upfront that despite anyone’s position, it’s all hands on deck if we need it. He was no exception to that, even as the head of the department, which let me know that we are all on the same page. This is what we love to do and we want to do a good job!” - Brittany D.

Regardless of who owns the company, what matters is how it is run. 

At Talk Shoppe, the top of the tier (leadership) doesn't feel like the top of the tier. They still want to talk to you and receive your input. - Liza G.

Respect, communication, and empathy are required to handle the diversity of gender, race, and even life stage in the workplace. There remains work to be done to create a more inclusive workplace environment for women, for people of color, and for other marginalized groups. But our experiences at Talk Shoppe demonstrate that progress is possible.