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Trailblazers & Game Changers: Celebrating Pioneers and the Future of Female Leadership
Glass ceilings? More like glass confetti. From medicine to media, some women didn’t just break barriers, they obliterated them. Through their fearlessness and dedication, they proved that leadership isn’t always about the title — it’s about making an impact.
March is Women’s History Month, something we take pride in here at SFC Group. Not only are we woman-owned, but we’re WBENC certified, the most widely known and respected certification for women-owned businesses in the US.
Being a strong female leader isn’t just about making progress for yourself. It’s also about uplifting other women. Let’s dive into the stories of some trailblazing women whose vision and grit inspire the healthcare world, marketing world, and beyond.
Medicine moguls
Elizabeth Blackwell
The first woman in the US to be granted an MD in 1849, Elizabeth Blackwell cofounded the New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children in 1857. Designed to serve the poor, it also encouraged other women seeking careers in medicine.
Mary Putnam Jacobi
After getting her MD degree, Mary Putnam Jacobi studied everything from pediatrics to pathology to neurology (because why stop at one specialty when you can master them all?). Responding to claims that exerting or even studying during your period was dangerous, Jacobi used extensive evidence to prove that women could keep thriving all month long.
Virginia Apgar
Developed by Virginia Apgar in 1953, the Apgar scale is still the first tool and the gold standard used to determine if newborn babies need extra care. Apgar studied anesthesia, labor, and how delivery can impact a newborn’s health. According to former US Surgeon General Julius Richmond, Virginia Apgar has “done more to improve the health of mothers, babies, and unborn infants than anyone else in the 20th century.”
Marketing magic-makers
Eliza Jane Nicholson
Publishing was long known as a man’s job — until Eliza Jane Nicholson entered the scene. In 1876, she became the first female publisher of a major American metropolitan newspaper. As editor of the Daily Picayune in New Orleans, she was a major advocate for hiring more women on staff and making sure they were paid equally.
Her namesake hotel is in the French Quarter area on the paper’s old grounds, serving as a memory of her contribution to publishing and marketing.
Helen Lansdowne Resor
They say content is king, and for a long time, copywriting really was a man’s occupation. But when Helen Lansdowne Resor became the J Walter Thompson agency’s first female copywriter in 1908 — and the genius behind ads for P&G and the Red Cross — everything changed.
Resor is known as the first woman to write outside of retail, opening more doors for women in marketing. In 1967, she was inducted into the Advertising Hall of Fame.
Caroline Robinson James
As the first Black female VP of a major advertising agency at BBDO, Caroline Robinson James made fighting for Black women in a mostly white male industry a priority in the 1970s. She made a name for herself at several agencies and even founded some of her own marketing firms.
Her TV ads for brands like Goodyear and Anheuser-Busch have been featured at the American History Museum, which proves that she didn’t just break barriers in marketing — she was also pretty darn good at her job.
Jacqueline Parkes
Unsurprisingly, men have had a stronghold on sports marketing since…forever. In 2008, Jacqueline Parkes changed the game by becoming the first female chief marketing officer in professional sports through her role in the MLB.
In 2018, she was named the CMO and EVP of Digital Studios for Viacom’s VH1, MTV, and Logo networks, showing her versatility and ability to work in spaces often swarming with men in charge.
Susan Flinn Cobian
We would be remiss if we didn’t honor our very own woman leader of SFC Group, Susan Flinn Cobian. In her more than 30 years in marketing, she’s built two agencies from the ground up and rebuilt three others. Now, as President and CEO of SFC Group, she spearheads a marketing process that’s faster, smarter, and if we’re being honest, more fun.
In a business that continues to prioritize men in leadership, Susan says she “leans into every day with an entrepreneur’s savvy and a businesswoman’s iron will.” Her skill, leadership, and sheer tenacity show that not only can women lead in this business, but they can redefine it. Through her work, she’s paving the way for a more inclusive future where talent and determination — not gender — set the standard.
What’s next in female leadership?
The future of female leadership in healthcare and marketing isn’t just promising — it’s set to be transformative. Both industries are rooted in empathy, innovation, and connection, making them well positioned to benefit from the qualities women leaders bring to the table.
Take campaigns like Mammo Monster, created by a woman-led team here at SFC Group. By blending humor with humanity, it helped normalize a critical health topic and encouraged action. It’s proof that women leaders don’t just innovate; they create impact that truly connects.
From championing patient-centered care in healthcare to pushing for authentic storytelling in marketing, women leaders are redefining what success looks like in these fields. As more influential women step into top roles and inspire future generations, they will continue to build a new foundation for how business is done, signaling a future where progress and purpose go hand in hand.
At SFC Group, we’re a woman-owned business that uses the perfect balance of compassion, creativity, and collaboration to drive sales and make marketing magic happen. Get in touch today!