The Power of the Pivot: Edna Howard on Empowering Women and Building Confidence
About This Episode
Edna Howard didn't set out to build a business — she set out to fix a problem she saw firsthand. At a women-in-STEM conference in Dallas, she met women with extraordinary credentials, advanced degrees, even rocket science backgrounds, who were still quietly struggling with confidence. That frustration turned into resolve on the flight home, where she decided to launch Voices of Encouragement, an organization built to empower women in the workforce.
What began as living-room gatherings quickly became something bigger. Edna describes the first paid workshop at the Belmont Country Club selling out its 30 planned spots so fast that she doubled capacity to 60 — and the business was generating revenue from day one. When COVID-19 shut down in-person events, she pivoted online with the Encouragement Cafe, drawing in women from as far as the UK and Africa. Recognizing that pandemic-era women needed more than encouragement — they needed mindset coaching while juggling motherhood, remote work, and makeshift teaching — she launched ICE Coaching and Consulting. From there, the business expanded again into corporate workforce development and, most recently, into Boss Solutions, a virtual business operations support service for entrepreneurs.
For Loudoun County business owners, Edna's story is a case study in what she calls 'the power of the pivot' — building a business that keeps evolving in direct response to what the community actually needs, rather than sticking rigidly to an original plan.
Key Topics Discussed
- Origin of Voices of Encouragement — Sparked by a conference experience where Edna saw highly credentialed women still lacking confidence, leading her to launch an LLC and empowerment workshops.
- First workshop and early revenue — The Belmont Country Club launch sold out its initial 30 tickets and expanded to 60, generating revenue from the very first event.
- Reinvesting in the mission — Edna reinvested early earnings into the organization while working full-time, describing the work as something that filled her passion for encouragement.
- Pivoting during COVID — Shifting from in-person events to the virtual Encouragement Cafe, which expanded her reach internationally.
- Launching ICE Coaching and Consulting — Built in response to women needing deeper mindset support during the pandemic; many clients came directly from the existing community.
- Expansion into workforce development and Boss Solutions — Growing into corporate training, digital literacy, and virtual business operations support including marketing, admin, and HR.
Notable Quotes
I recognize that women, even though you have the paper on paper, you have your credentials on paper, and you're amazing, you still need some confidence builders and some encouragement and empowerment.
Edna explains the realization at a STEM conference that inspired Voices of Encouragement.
This was filling the bucket. It was filling that bucket of wanting to empower, having the passion to encourage. All of that was getting filled through Voices of Encouragement.
Edna reflects on why she reinvested early revenue back into the business while working full-time.
It has expanded, and I call that the power of the pivot.
Edna describes how her business evolved from in-person workshops to coaching, workforce development, and virtual operations support.
Local Business Takeaways
- Start small and test demand directly — Edna's first workshop capacity plan (30 people) validated demand so quickly it doubled before launch.
- Let revenue-generating success reinforce your mission rather than distract from it; reinvesting profits early can help a business grow sustainably.
- Treat major disruptions, like COVID, as pivot points rather than stopping points — moving workshops online expanded Edna's reach internationally.
- Watch for demand signals within your own community; Edna's coaching clients emerged organically from her existing workshop attendees.
- Be willing to keep expanding your business model as new needs surface, rather than assuming your original offering is the final one.
Key Takeaways
- Voices of Encouragement began after Edna Howard noticed that even women with elite technical credentials, like rocket science degrees, still struggled with confidence and needed encouragement.
- The business became revenue-generating from its very first workshop at the Belmont Country Club, which sold out its planned 30 spots and expanded to 60 almost immediately.
- Edna reinvested early workshop revenue back into the organization while still working a full-time job, calling the work something that ''filled the bucket'' of her passion to empower others.
- When COVID-19 ended in-person workshops, Edna pivoted to a virtual model called the Encouragement Cafe, which brought in women from as far as the UK and Africa.
- Noticing women needed deeper support during the pandemic — balancing motherhood, remote teaching, and full-time work — Edna launched ICE Coaching and Consulting, an acronym for Inspiration, Coach, and Empower.
- Many of Edna''s coaching clients came directly from the Voices of Encouragement community, validating that she was solving a real, ongoing need rather than a one-time problem.
- The business has since expanded into corporate workforce development, offering empowerment workshops, digital literacy, and other training directly inside organizations.
- Edna''s latest venture, Boss Solutions, provides virtual business operations support — including marketing, admin, and HR — for entrepreneurs who need extra hands to run their business.