If 2016 was a person, it wouldn't be described as a manly year, or even a girly one at that. It would be a fiery, spunky woman. A woman who broke barriers, changed lives and ran the news with her brilliant marketing stunts. Here are some women who changed the game in 2016:

Helping others isn’t always easy, even when we know in our hearts that it is the right thing to do.

In every society, there are those who have specific ideas about what the role of women should be. But what we have and continue to learn is that women shall not be limited to the confines of some arbitrary boundary. We are free to explore our possibilities and color outside the lines of expectation.

Every day, women are breaking down workplace barriers and opening doors of opportunity.

Sometimes, taking a stand is a calculated decision. Other times, it is a gut reaction in the moment. Either way, drawing a line in the sand takes courage and conviction.

At Fletcher Marketing PR, we specialize in marketing to women and the complexities that often entails. We challenge our clients to resist the ‘one size fits all’ approach and to challenge her status quo.

It was a passion for communications, especially toward women, that helped shape and grow the business Kelly Fletcher started nine years ago.

Her hard work and dedication to the craft has resulted in a flourishing company in downtown Knoxville that was recently spotlighted in the latest edition of Cityview. The magazine profiled six successful East Tennessee women entrepreneurs, who started and head up their own communications firm.

When it comes to marketing, many companies and organizations fail to recognize the vast influence of female consumers, or worse yet, classify women as a ‘niche’ market. Not only do women control approximately 85% of purchasing decisions in the U.S., they are increasingly populating the ranks of management; thereby impacting decisions in the B2B environment as well.

The concept of women searching for “less” is one that is hard to come to grips with at face value. Millennials are currently one of the largest targeted demographics when it comes to marketing, but an even more defined sector is the minimalist.

Over the last several months, I’ve had a couple opportunities to learn about the Malala Fund and the upcoming film release, “He Named Me Malala.” Co-founded by Malala Yousafzai and her father, the fund works to secure girls’ rights to a minimum of 12 years of quality education, particularly in the global south. The goal is to help girls achieve their potential and positively impact their local communities for the rest of their lives. Below are a few stats on why this is such important work.