In honor of National Women’s Small Business Month, we wanted to mini-interviews with some of our clients who run women-owned businesses. We want to celebrate them while encouraging other women who aspire to operate their own businesses.
Carole Chaski of
Alias Technology
Tell us about your business:
ALIAS Technology LLC provides consulting to attorneys and software subscriptions to investigators who need to find out the truth about documents involved in legal disputes. Our software ALIAS: Automated Linguistic Identification & Assessment System has been used in five continents to assist cases regarding authorship identification, threat assessment, suicide note assessment and other forensic issues.
Why did you start your business?
I realized that police officers did not have the tools they need for an electronic society and that they could be easily fooled by unscrupulous hired gun “experts”.
Where do you get your creativity and inspiration?
Nature and meditation are two sources that never fail.
What advice would you give to other women who dream of starting their own business?
First they ignore you, then they mock you, then they fight you, then you win. -Gandhi
Kristel Bell of
Surprize Powers
Tell us about your business:
We make STEM Girly with toys and books that encourage girls to play and learn in science, tech, engineering and math.
Why did you start your business?
I already own a STEM charity to help girls who lack resources. From being in this world of STEM, I came up with a toy idea to help girls who are underrepresented in STEM fields and decided to pursue it wholeheartedly.
What was the biggest challenge you overcame when starting your business?
I’ve experienced many challenges, too many to explain. The biggest challenge was trying to do every single thing by myself, but it truly makes a difference when you have a team.
What advice would you give to other women who dream of starting their own business?
When starting a business it’s important to be considerate of your mental health, and incorporate habits that will support your mental health. For those who grew up poor like I did, be prepared to make more financial sacrifices (like having a very small apartment, using the bus instead of a car, etc.) but if your business is worth it, it will pay off in the end.
Lori Petersen of
AccountSolve
Tell us about your business:
We help landscapers and interior designers get command of their finances and increase profit. We offer outsourced accounting and profit consulting.
Where do you get your creativity and inspiration?
It comes to me when I’m quiet, like during meditation or walking.
What was the biggest challenge you overcame when starting your business?
Ignoring the naysayers.
What advice would you give to other women who dream of starting their own business?
Find someone that’s gone down the path before you and find out what it’s really like, not the image that is often portrayed. It’s damn hard work! But worth every minute.
Jennifer Ryan of
I Choose Change
Tell us about your business:
I own a mental health counseling practice that helps individuals from 3 to 93 with issues like depression, anxiety, life transitions, career and relationships. As a team, we take a wrap-around approach which means we are able to treat the entire family either together or individually. We also promote self-help tools that optimize mental health between one-on-one appointments.
What other women inspire you?
Women who are leaders – Oprah comes to mind! She said one time that someone told her she wasn’t “nice.” It offended her at first, but then she realized she is SO MANY other things, and “nice” just wasn’t an adjective she needed to cling to. She is also a leader, confident, strong, courageous and brave – words not always attributed to women business owners.
Where do you get your creativity and inspiration?
From talking to others and workshopping ideas.
What advice would you give to other women who dream of starting their own business?
Find a great mentor and latch on! People who have been there have so much to teach.
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