8 Questions for Enterprising Women

July 12, 2011 by Taylor Studios in Professional & Industry Tips

I was asked these questions in an interview about Enterprising Women:

What is the greatest challenge you have faced since starting this company? Wow, tough question. It’s not a single challenge. It is a whole bunch of them. The greatest challenge is the people. Creating a remarkable working team is the toughest thing. A team that works well together, is on board for the mission of the company, that follows process and doesn’t fight it all the time. A team that believes in the core values and is willing to live them. We are a rigorous company, not a ruthless company. I believe many companies and leaders do not hold their staff accountable. We do, therefore many find it to be a tough place to work and don’t last.

How did you meet that challenge? I was persistent with our core values and our management style. This was a tough challenge because we went through a lot of staff and managers over the years. Unfortunately, this has meant we have had quite a bit of turnover. Letting people go is never easy. It is difficult to hire the right people for your culture. We have worked on improving our interviewing technique. We have the best team ever at Taylor Studios. I joke that it only took 20 years to create this team. In the words of the book Good to Great, we have the right people in the right seats on our bus.

Where do you want your company to be in five years? Revenue is not as important as the bottom line, but I see us as a $10,000,000 company. I won’t take us there unless the bottom line is there, too. To get there, I want us in several new markets. Our revenues will be more diversified than today. Our reputation will continue to grow in our current industry and clients will seek us out. Clients will be proud to say “We have a Taylor Studios’ planned, designed and built exhibit.” Given our reputation, we will have the ability to pick and choose which jobs we want.

How do you give back to your community?***I create jobs. ***Taylor Studios also offers our services to a couple struggling museums in the area. We have donated several exhibits to the and . Taylor Studios donates to various organizations like the , and . I have set up a scholarship for students at SIU’s who are working and going to school. I am on the board of directors for my college and the county’s economic development commission.

Are you involved in any formal or informal programs to mentor girls or young women entrepreneurs? Informally, I have taught classes, presented and offered some coaching. Unfortunately, I have not had the opportunity to mentor.

What is the single best piece of advice you want to share with women who are starting new businesses? Geez, that’s a big question to deliver in one slice. I guess what worked for me was to set goals. To have a vision of what your future will look like. If you know where you want to go, it will be easier to get there.

What do you “know now” that you wish you had “known then” (when you started your business)? I think success brings confidence. I was tough on myself and maybe that pressure was unnecessary. I knew business; I studied it constantly. I could have trusted myself a bit more and stopped my negative self talk. Being the owner can be a lonely position. When you are making decisions to fire someone or change a process, you can become unpopular for awhile. You have to have perseverance and know you are doing the right thing. However, I also think many leaders have a fear of failure and that drives them to succeed.

Who was your role model or mentor? I don’t have any major role models or mentors. There are a few people that, by example, showed me the way. My parents were farmers and therefore entrepreneurs in a way. They taught me hard work and how to be frugal with money. In college, I rode horses for an entrepreneur. He encouraged my pursuit of owning my own business. It certainly brought him success. I had a professor that believed in me even though my grades my first two years were nothing to write home about. He helped me get into graduate school.