This past March, we began highlighting the next generation of trailblazing women with our Ladies Who Lead interview series for Women’s History Month. Our readers loved it and asked for more! So we’ll be highlighting a new leader each month moving forward. This month, we’re highlighting Sovannary Fun of Sikheo. And if you’d like to nominate an amazing lady for future months, send an email to bertie@inbetterwetrust.com!
Vital Stats:
Occupation: Founder of Sikheo. I founded Sikheo to help eco-conscious city dwellers to compost simply and at the convenience in their home. No worms, no odor, turning trash into a soil amendment. At Sikheo, we engineer and design the premium minimalist compost bin that perfectly complements a beautiful kitchen.
Background: I’m from Paris, France. I studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, San Diego. I then spent almost a decade long working as an engineer in the semiconductor industry. I enjoyed the challenges in high tech, innovation, and designing efficient solutions for the chip maker giants but I also felt the need to serve the world a bit differently recently. One of the causes dear to my heart is sustainability. I’ve worked on in the field of environmental engineering for more than 10 years in a casual approach. This time however, by gathering my courage and the leap of faith, I’ve become an ecopreneur and founded Sikheo.
Power Lunch: I don’t have a power lunch. How about a mindful lunch, preferably outdoors. It must be something I carried over from France
The Good Stuff:
1. Was your path to your current work linear, or did it take twists and turns? Many twists, turns, and zigzags are more fun! However what remains constant is my drive and focus to provide highly efficient solutions for the customers while using my minimalist perspective when it comes to design aesthetics.
2. What does leadership look like to you? To be able to accurately communicate a vision to the team while providing resources, coaching, and support to achieve the goals together.
3. What is your biggest motivator in your work? Help eco conscious people become more sustainable by composting their food waste.
4. Can you describe a time when you faced a challenge or setback in your work, and how you overcame it? It can sometimes be challenging to put one’s ego aside in order to make progress. When I became an entrepreneur, as much as I knew design, manufacturing, being an intrapreneur for years within the large corporate world, I knew little about marketing. I started self-teaching but nothing compares with asking for help. I swallowed my pride, saved time and invested in getting support from an expert I trust to learn from in eco-marketing. Erika Rodriguez from Nadi Marketing has been a catalyst in my ecopreneurship journey and it’s no surprise she’s been featured as one of the Ladies Who Lead in Better’s series!
5. What advice would you give to others who want to create a purpose-driven or innovative space in their industry, but aren’t sure where/how to start? Fear of failing is normal. It’s human but it can be overcome with more FAIL (First Attempts in Learning). The more we FAIL, the better it gets.
6. Are you one of those people who “enjoys” networking? What tips do you have for others who are a little less enthusiastic about it? Be prepared with brag bites (from the book “Brag! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It”). Think of it as an exciting challenge to get to know other people’s story. And if no excitement resulted, then you got a free run to practice your pitch a few more times.
7. If you were going to embark on a new business opportunity, who would you want to be your co-founder, and why? My sister would have been formidable on my team. She’s highly influential, tons of wisdom up her sleeves, and the funniest person I know. A great sense of humor is important in the entrepreneurship journey!
8. Any resources you’d like to share with our readers that will help them level up their leadership skills and empower them to keep changing the world? I watched Sara Blakely’s Masterclass on Self-Made Entrepreneurship. That was a spark for me from years of procrastination to taking actions and now rolling.
How to Support Sovannary:
Website:
By signing up for Sikheo’s newsletter, you get a copy of Sikheo’s FREE Apartment Composting Guide.
Social Media:
Follow @Sikheohome on both Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. We also have a Facebook group called Sikheo Composters where I teach mini sustainability courses. A new YouTube channel Sikheo home.
Thanks for sharing with us, Sovannary!