During Women’s History Month, Inspire celebrates the stories of our corporate and franchise team members, as well as franchisees as we reflect on the significant roles that women have played in shaping American history. Today, we spoke with Kiera Shahan, who is a District Manager and has worked on the Buffalo Wild Wings brand for nine years. She is also a member of Inspire’s Champions of Women Leaders Business Resource Group, which is dedicated to helping members strengthen their leadership skills, utilize networking opportunities and provide resources that support the needs of women in the workplace.

Why is being a member of the Champions of Women Leaders BRG important to you? 

I would never be where I am at without some incredible mentors and leaders inspiring me along my journey. If I could pay forward even half of the inspiration they gave me, we would have quite the female pipeline!  Champions of Women Leaders is an incredible program offering us the exact platform we need in order to provide forums, discussions, workshops, givebacks, networking and development classes for all of our women champions! It truly is an incredible thing to be part of!

What are your goals as a member of this BRG?

To build a network of strong leaders who collaborate, learn from each other’s experiences and stories and grow our female pipeline stronger than it’s ever been.

What does Women’s History Month mean to you?

Sometimes it takes a reminder to reflect on what can get lost or taken for granted in the whirlwind of day-to-day life. Women’s History Month ignites us to count our blessings, be aware of our progress and evaluate our future; this month is monumental in building that annual awareness and direction for change. 

How are you celebrating women’s achievements? 

The Colorado COWL Chapter is excited to do quite a bit this March in celebration of Women’s History Month, inspired by our National COWL Leader Kirsten Allen!  

We are featuring “Wonder Women of the West,” a newsletter highlighting various inspiring female leaders throughout the month!  

We are also excited and honored to have Arby’s DVP Karen Flanary join us as our guest speaker on our next call! The ability to network across the brands is a huge opportunity we have at Inspire Brands and I can’t wait to continue to collaborate and grow together!

Is there a particular woman in history that has influenced you in either your personal life or career?

The “People’s Princess” Diana of Wales. She was known for her grace, style, sense of humor and her immense compassion for charity and standing up for what she believed in. Her “needs a woman’s touch” mentality amongst royalty paved the way for women in countless ways. But above all, her independence was the most inspiring. Change comes from challenge, and that can only begin to form at the heart of our culture.  

A challenged world is an alert world and from challenge comes change. How can you help forge a gender equal world?

One of my favorite parts about the Colorado COWL Chapter is the overwhelming support and participation we have built  from our local male leaders! They now consistently participate in our workshops, givebacks, discussions, outings and continue to support our group and members fully! It all starts with knowledge and culture. Let’s forge the future together!

Learn more about Inspire’s Champions of Women Leaders BRG on the group’s LinkedIn page. To learn more about career opportunities at Inspire, visit careers.inspirebrands.com.