Dr. Stefanie Mockler, president and co-founder of The Violet Group, proved that women can do whatever they set their minds to by raising a child, finishing her Ph.D., and starting her own business. Helping other women achieve the same level of confidence and success is now at the core of the work she does at The Violet Group, a women-focused leadership coaching firm.
“When I was an undergrad and starting to apply for grad schools, I kept getting these messages from people around motherhood. People would ask, ‘Are you sure you want to go to school in Chicago when you have a child?’ or ‘Are you sure you can do this rigorous Ph. D. program?’ I just realized that as women in today's society, we still get all these messages that we can't be what we want or do what we want, which seems a little weird, given that it's 2023,” Mockler said.
Mockler took her own experiences and the inspiring stories of the women around her and began building her business idea, which was named after perhaps the first inspiring woman in her life- her late grandmother, Violet.
“Even just from a young age, I remember starting small businesses with one of my best friends and coming up with different ideas and new ways of doing things. I decided about mid-last year that I was ready to take a bet on myself. So I co-founded The Violet Group,” she said.
Mockler set out to give all women the tools they need to realize their true potential professionally no matter their circumstances or home life.
“My own experience led me to start to study women's leadership and discrimination against women, specifically parents in grad school. The more I learned about it and the more I experienced myself, the more passionate I became about really changing the workplace experience for women,” Mockler said.
She continues to take inspiration from her son and partner, who stood by her side while she pursued her Ph.D. and started her business.
“My son is my inspiration. He's been just such a huge influence on me. I had him at a young age, so in some ways, we grew up together. He is just a very rounded, smart, and passionate young man,” Mockler said.
Mockler and her family also value giving back to their community.
“My family and I like to spend time volunteering at local animal shelters. We really like going there and helping the animals. I also do some speaking engagements as well. I did talk at the Ruth Bader Ginsburg event about two or three years ago to talk about the impact that she had on a lot of our lives. I also participate in different events in the community when I can, whether it's a 5K that's spreading awareness about domestic violence or trying to participate in the community as much as possible,” she said.
These days, when Mockler isn’t working, you can catch her reading a book or hiking the trails at Gabis Arboretum. She also enjoys exploring Valparaiso and traveling to Chicago on occasion.
If she could give her younger self advice, she would encourage herself to persevere.
“Keep perspective on what you want long term and don't let yourself get deterred or wrapped up in some of the day-to-day challenges. Those are just par for the course. Stay focused on your longer-term goals and what you want out of life then you'll probably be happier day to day,” Mockler said.
Find more information about The Violet Group at https://www.thevioletgrp.com/.