As March comes to a close, we want to recognize Women’s History Month and the impact women have made across industries. At a high level, women are starting businesses at record rates, growing them into meaningful companies, and contributing significantly to the economy. Unfortunately, recognition has not kept pace with that growth.
Women are not entering business cautiously. They are building quickly and at scale. According to the Gusto New Business Formation Report, women launched 49% of all new businesses in 2024, up from 29% in 2019, the highest share ever recorded. According to the National Women’s Business Council, there are now 14.5 million women-owned businesses in the United States, representing 39.2% of all businesses.
This growth shows up in revenue as well. According to the Wells Fargo Impact of Women-Owned Businesses 2025 report, there are more than 272,000 women-owned businesses generating over $1 million in annual revenue, contributing $2.2 trillion in total revenue. On average, women entrepreneurs earned nearly $520,000 in annual revenue last year, reflecting 15% growth. These are established businesses driving real economic impact.
Women are driving growth across industries
This momentum extends across sectors, especially in professional services, consulting, marketing, and communications. Many of the fastest-growing women-owned businesses operate in fields tied to expertise, strategy, and relationship building. The National Women’s Business Council also notes that women-owned businesses are highly concentrated in professional and service-based industries where visibility and reputation often influence opportunity.
You can see it in how businesses are built. The work grows, the results follow, and the impact is clear. Still, the visibility around that work does not keep pace. Those driving messaging, media, and brand positioning are often not the ones being seen or credited.
The hidden pattern in marketing and PR
Spend time inside marketing and public relations, and a familiar pattern begins to emerge. Women are often the ones shaping the narrative. They are writing the messaging, guiding brand positioning, securing media placements, and advising leaders on how to show up. They are behind the scenes of visibility.
At the same time, fewer of them are positioned as the visible authority. The person crafting the message is not always the one delivering it. The strategist builds the platform. Someone else becomes the face of it.
Research reflects this gap. According to Ecommerce Tips, around 15% of female business owners say they do not feel heard or seen at the same level as men. That gap is not about contribution. It is about recognition.
Over time, this creates a pattern where women are known for execution but not always for direction. They are trusted to do the work. They are less often associated with leading it.
The recognition gap
The data points to a clear disconnect. Women own a significant share of businesses and generate substantial revenue, yet their visibility does not match that level of contribution. Growth is visible in numbers. Recognition is less consistent in the market.
Opportunities often follow clarity. Media features, speaking engagements, and referrals tend to go to those who are clearly positioned and easy to describe. When someone cannot quickly articulate what you are known for, even strong work can remain in the background.
This shows up in subtle ways. A founder can build a seven-figure business and still be introduced in broad terms. The description sounds positive, but it lacks specificity. Without that specificity, it becomes harder for others to connect the work to a clear reputation.
Being known does not happen automatically. It requires intention. It requires deciding what you want to be associated with and reinforcing that consistently over time
Women’s History Month highlights the progress women have made across industries. It also points to what comes next. Women are building companies, leading teams, and shaping markets. The next step is making sure that work is seen, recognized, and remembered.
At Zilker Media, closing that gap is a big part of the work we care about. It is why we are proud to celebrate our CEO and Co-Founder, Paige Velasquez Budde, whose approach to positioning and visibility has helped so many leaders move from doing the work to being known for it. That thinking is reflected in her Strategic Business Influencer book, which focuses on helping leaders define what they want to be known for and build visibility around it with intention.