On December 17th The Business Management department participated in Women’s entrepreneurial week and hosted a panel of women entrepreneurs to speak about their professional experiences as business owners.
The students were able to hear from Jennifer Ackerson President of ALON Marketing
Group/New York, Elizabeth Vaughan Founder of In-Site Interior Design, and Michelle
Gilbert Client Success Director at Lloyd Staffing.
Jennifer leads off by describing how she entered the travel industry and how she built
her own business for over 25 years. The core mission of her B2B business is to connect
international vendors to New York based suppliers. Throughout her career, she described
one of the pillars of success is sticking to your word. If you make a promise to a
client make sure that the deliverable is done well and that it is completed on time.
This builds a great reputation for your business and forms a secure sense of loyalty
with your client. Building your own client base and business brand is a lot of work
but it comes with a lot of freedom. Jeniffer expressed she found her niche and cultivated
it. She encouraged the students to do the same with their passions.
Elizabeth brought a great perspective to our workshop by providing tips on how to
own your own business in the design and creative space. Elizabeth is an interior designer
by trade and manages her own interior design business for 17 plus years. When working
at a previous company Elizabeth took time away from her desk for maternity leave.
During that time, her friends reached out to her for ideas on their own interior projects.
This sparked something in Elizabeth. It led her to create her company In-Site Interior
Design. She followed her passion and it proved to be a great benefit, she expressed
to our attendees. It may take time to find your niche but it will be worth it when
you wake up every day loving what you do.
Michelle contributed her quick route to success by always being open and vigilant
to new opportunities. She is the Client Success Director at Lloyd staffing and also
an FSC alumni from our Business Management program. Michelle stressed the importance
of being reliable and detail-oriented. These skills demonstrate to your employer that
you are capable and care about your work. Prior to her time at Lloyd Staffing Michelle
was a hairdresser. In reflection of her career change, she recognized that there was
great value in her past endeavors. She learned how to communicate and create not only
great hairstyles but great rapport with her clients. She expressed to the group that
if you are not in the career choice you want to be in you can still gain valuable
skills that can be transferable to your future positions.