Female Founders
BEING FEMALE
Was being female an advantage or
disadvantage for you in building
your company? How? I believe it’s
been an advantage for me. In many ways,
what we do is provide care to our clients,
and as a parent this has come naturally
to me. Since starting the company, I have
found that being a woman has allowed me
to connect easily with patients and their
families. However, we have a lot of great
men at our company and in the field who
are also great at what they do.
Have you found specific advantages
or disadvantages to being a woman
business owner? I am very proud of
what I have accomplished and receive a
lot of compliments for how I have operated the business. There have not been
any disadvantages. Everyone I’ve worked
with respects both women and men entrepreneurs.
What has been your biggest challenge as a woman entrepreneur?
There have been challenges in running the business, but nothing I would
pinpoint as a challenge because I was
a woman entrepreneur. Opening and
operating a business is full of obstacles.
One of the most challenging times for
me was when I was working to get a
particular partnership with a hospital.
I was persistent and believed in our
concept, and eventually it all paid off
as we signed a deal with the hospital.
Since I was a young girl, I have always
pushed myself to meet challenges and
be the best version of myself. With this
mindset, I’ve been able to overcome the
challenges put in front of me.
Why do you think there are fewer
start-ups with female founders than
male ones? I think women are more
afraid to take risks. I had to leave a good
job with good pay, which was a risk, but
one that has worked out quite well.
What do you think is the biggest issue for women in the workplace?
An issue I still see is women being able
to maintain a work/life/family balance
without being punished for it.
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From a woman’s perspective, what
notable changes have you seen for
women in franchising since starting
your brand? I see a lot more women
involved with franchising when I attend
expositions, seminars, conferences, etc.
There are a lot more women achieving
success throughout the industry. It’s empowering to see and be a part of.
Which female leaders do you admire?
Why? I’ve had a lot of strong, independent women in my family who I admire
and look to for guidance. My mom has
been a great role model for me. My family came to America from Russia with one
suitcase when I was a young girl. We had
nothing, but my mom always made me
feel like I could do anything, like there was
nothing holding me back from achieving
my dreams.
Has mentorship made a difference
in your professional and personal
life? How? Yes, you always need people
to give you advice. Everything I have
achieved is from the advice and mentoring I’ve received.
Are you involved in any female entrepreneur organizations? No.
PERSONAL
What does your typical day look like?
I get into the office before everyone else
so I can eat breakfast and get situated for
the day. I have meetings in the mornings with different team members to get
an update on how everything is going.
Then I spend most of my time with the
franchising team. I want to know how the
franchise partners are doing, who needs
what, what events are comin