In the spirit of Women’s Month, we turn our attention to some wonderous Calleo women who continue to inspire us. 

What is Calleo? The Latin definition is “to be skillful or wise by experience” and we believe these group of women embody these traits wholeheartedly. Without further ado, allow us to introduce Helen Ludwig. 

We would love to know more about you.

I’m a transformational coach, small business entrepreneur, seasoned marketing professional, and strategy consultant. I’m passionate about growing people and businesses that impact our world.

Previously Managing Director and CSO of Saatchi & Saatchi Cape Town and Co-Founder of Wonder, a purpose-driven marketing consultancy, I have over two decades of corporate experience, working with demanding clients and leading teams of people in high-paced, demanding environments. I’ve worked with many local and global blue chip businesses, across many different industry categories.

During this time I’ve also walked a transformative path of personal development which has led me to create a life and work with purpose and meaning, with a drive to help others do the same.

Today, I run Mettaverse where we offer team and leadership development. I’m a certified Enneagram and Identity Maturity practitioner. And I work with leaders, teams and private individuals who want to unlock their full potential.

Could you share a memorable moment or project that showcased the positive impact of efforts by women that inspired you?  How did this inspire you or influence your perspectives?

In 2018 I was lucky enough to meet Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo in her nunnery in India. She’s a spiritual teacher and a powerful activist for women’s rights. One of the first Western women ordained as a Buddhist nun, she’s been unafraid to challenge the most deeply held misogynist convictions. She’s successfully challenged discrimination within the monastic environment, bringing women more access to information, activities and levels of ordination.

She’s inspiring because she’s followed her calling, done impossibly difficult things (like living in a cave in the Himalayas for 12 years), successfully challenged convention to reinvent what’s possible for women in her space, and made Buddhist wisdom more accessible to the West and women. She also has a strong focus on empowering others. She established her nunnery with the purpose of giving education and training to women from Tibet and the Himalayan border regions.

Her accomplishment of the seemingly impossible and her bravery in challenging the existing order, coupled with her empathy and palpable joy make her a remarkable role model.

How do you think women can leverage their unique skills and strengths to actively participate in the business world?

We need to support each other to find our courage and find our way to giving the fullest expression to our unique gifts. There is no one right path. I think that’s where a lot of us go wrong…trying to follow a particular definition of success or what it takes to achieve it. So figure out what your unique skills and strengths are and focus on bringing those to your engagement with others.

What feminine energy brings also doesn’t always fit the existing paradigm. Current corporate culture largely reflects its masculine, paternalistic origins. We need to support one another to change and grow organisational culture so that it balances masculine and feminine energy and better allows for the expression of aspects like empathy and collectivism alongside goal orientation and competitiveness. And so that it better supports both women and men across the diversity of their lives and responsibilities. We want to create environments that help everyone to thrive.

As a successful woman in leadership, what advice would you give to other women who would like to end up in a similar position? 

Keep working on yourself, as much as you work on the job. Inner growth supports outer growth.

Focus on developing the short-term behaviours and habits that will support the long-term reality you want to create.

Try and work within a system, an organisation, that is supportive to your growth. If the system isn’t supportive, look to see how you can influence it to change. If you can’t influence it to change, look for a new system.

Focus on relationships. Nurture a network of colleagues, clients and connections both more senior and more junior. The mutual tangible and intangible support this can provide is invaluable.

As a woman in South Africa, what are you looking forward to when it comes to the advancement of women?

More freedom. Freedom to pursue opportunities. Freedom to work in a way that involves less of a trade-off between parenting and work. Freedom from any expectations of what it means to be a woman in the workplace, or a working mother. Freedom to earn as much as men. Freedom to make our fullest contribution to our businesses, our economy and our communities.

In closing, you’ve achieved leaps and bounds in the advertisement industry and co-founding your own businesses. What advice would you give to aspiring women looking to pursue their dreams, specifically in competitive fields?

Always be growing, always be learning. And don’t be afraid to ask for what you want.