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.