Although women make up half of our workforce, less than 20 per cent of CEOs are female and more than 20 per cent of boards and executive committees in Australia still do not have a woman in their senior leadership positions.

The most recent available study (from 2022) also shows that only 3 percent of venture capital funding went to startups founded exclusively by women.

With these ongoing injustices in mind, sisters Briana Cicchelli and Annika Launay launched their website, Frank.World in 2020 to introduce tweens to the world of careers, and that’s why they are releasing their new book ENTREPRENEURS (for teenagers).

“Annika and I have been working together for 14 to 15 years now in a marketing and PR firm and in various other companies. We really wanted to leave a legacy – something that would give back to future generations,” explains Cicchelli. EducationHQ.

“We have five children together, three of them girls, so female careers and the representation of all professions were particularly important to us.

“So Frank.World “We really asked ourselves how we could achieve this, given our personal experiences as well as the statistics on how many CEOs are women and how much is invested in companies founded by women. And of course there are big differences in gender equality.”

After thorough research, the couple decided on late primary school as the target age for Frank.Worldwhile ENTREPRENEUR is aimed at girls aged 10 to 16 and older.

It is essentially aimed at “every girl who has always wanted to be her own boss, build a bold side business and shape her own future”.

“We chose the book for several reasons,” says Cicchelli.

“First of all, it is something we completely identify with – we are entrepreneurs at heart and therefore feel like experts in this field.

“But what’s also important is that anyone can be an entrepreneur, and many of the mindsets and skills needed to be an entrepreneur can be adopted and used in many, many future careers.

“Whether you’re someone who wants to get a part-time job in high school washing cars, mowing lawns or walking dogs, you need those entrepreneurial skills.

“There are so many ways to adapt entrepreneurial skills to your life and lifestyle, at any age, so we wanted to start here,” says Cicchelli.

The book regularly mentions resilience and a positive attitude, as well as the importance of altruism, a career priority that is regularly cited as a key motivation for young women as they think about their future professional lives. PHOTO: Anna Stills

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Presented as an easy-to-read, informative guide, the book takes the reader through all stages of starting and running a business, from refining the initial idea to resilience, mindset and the ability to give back.

School-age readers will learn how to develop a successful business idea, write a business plan, build a brand, develop a marketing strategy, and more.

“We wrote it so that there are lots of bite-sized chunks that can be absorbed by different learning styles and age groups,” explains Cicchelli.

“At 12+ you get an overview of how to become an entrepreneur. There are some checkboxes and checklists, but then it goes on to the older age group where we look more in depth at branding and market positioning and things like that. So there’s quite a bit for different age groups.”

The book frequently highlights resilience and a positive attitude, as well as the importance of altruism and a willingness to give back, a priority regularly cited by academics as a motivation for young women as they consider their future careers.

“We talk a lot about resilience and mindset because obviously these are soft skills that are transferable but also really, really necessary,” says Cicchelli.

“No matter how old you are, even if you are still in school, resilience is incredibly important.”

The book contains interviews with 10 of Australia’s leading entrepreneurs – including The Shark Cat Alum and Contour Cube founder Sarah Forrai, The Block All Star Sisters Alisa and Lysandra and TikTok sensation Jasmin Brisbane each tackle a different topic, with many of them touching on the theme of resilience.

Although there are obviously many areas in this field, “impact entrepreneurship” is a big area, according to Cicchelli.

“We spoke to a really amazing woman who owns a jewellery shop called Francesca from Hobart. There are several ways to give back in this shop. For example, you can buy a bangle and a percentage of it goes to a charity. Or you can donate all the proceeds to charities like bushfire relief and things like that,” says Cicchelli.

“Because as she says, not only does it give you a sense of fulfillment, but when you collaborate with others and can share that story, it really motivates others to join you on that journey, whether they’re collaborating with you or buying from you.”

According to Launay, the book fills a gap in education and offers valuable insider tips for different school age groups.

“Even if you’re not sure what career you want to pursue in the future, but know that a standard job isn’t for you, there’s a chance you just want to become an entrepreneur,” she says.

“ENTREPRENEURS is the first book in our eight-title series, with STEM and FASHION following in 2025.”

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More information ENTREPRENEURS (for teenagers) Click here to learn more Frank.WorldClick here.