Lady Boss: Portraits of Women Entrepreneurs
This year, International Women’s Day is on March 8th and I am thrilled to share a photography project that I have been working on. I confess that a personal project can be a challenge to find time when you are running your own business, but this one has continued to inspire me and I have really enjoyed meeting with all these awesome women and learning about the companies they run.
It was last year around International Women’s Day that I had the realization that I am in the company of MANY women who run their own small businesses, and so I decided to start this project to honor them and the community they represent. These women are truly so talented at what they do, while juggling the many hats a small business owner must wear. Starting a business and running it successfully takes perseverance and passion, a common thread among all the women I interviewed. It’s that magic formula of matching the talent within you to an economically viable venture. It has been a pleasure to meet with them and connect with other women entrepreneurs, while learning about their own unique business and how it is meaningful to them. Each of their websites are below their interview; check out their companies! The ten featured here are only just a sample of the many Lady Bosses I am lucky to know, and I plan to continue this project going forward, so please contact me if you are interested in participating!
Jessica Mishra Blasingame
Why did you decide to start your own business?
“I decided to start my current business when I was working in the health industry. I came across many entrepreneurs that were struggling to organize their finances for their businesses. They were passionate business owners focused on growing their businesses which left them little time to focus on some of the financial aspects. I realized I could help here by combining my accounting background with my knowledge of the health industry and I started supporting entrepreneurs in this space. Over time I grew to support business owners across many industries as I discovered how much I loved supporting small business owners. I decided to specialize in working with business owners who were keeping their books in the cloud. So I work exclusively with Quickbooks Online users. I love the flexibility this offers me as I can work with clients from all across the country and my team can support them from various locations as well. This also works really well for me as a new mom as I have ultimate flexibility to get my work done while caring for a new baby."
What about your business drives your passion?
“My passion for this business is driven by the fact that I get to support people who are doing what they LOVE to do. I get to make it a bit easier for them to follow their passion and hopefully my team and I make things clearer for them from a financial aspect so they can make informed decisions and also feel at ease about financial matters. I also really love understanding how businesses work and how business owners decide to execute the running of their business. There are so many creative and driven people out there and I just love understanding the inter-workings of their businesses and seeing how we can set up an accounting system to support them.”
Chanda Daniels
Chanda near her A Monique Affair office in downtown Oakland.
Why did you decide to start your own business?
I decided to start my own business because I loved planning events and from as long as I can remember, I've loved weddings. I had no idea that you could get paid to plan weddings. As soon as I realized you could make a career out of it I started on my way. I felt I would eventually have my own business because my mother owned hers as well.
What about your business drives your passion?
The thing that drives my passion is the opportunity to tell so many unique love stories, no two couples are the same. It's such an honor.
http://www.amoniqueaffair.com/
Diana Dorsey
How did you decide to start your own business and what is your inspiration for it?
“I’ve always had a passion for dancing and choreography. At age 15, I started choreographing waltz dances for Quinceanera Celebrations. In my mid 20s, I turned my attention to obtaining a higher education and decided to go back to school. During this time, I landed a job with Berkeley Unified School District and received my AA in Child Development and a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration. I stopped choreographing and became a preschool teacher for 15+ years. In 2010, I got engaged to my best friend and couldn’t wait to start planning my wedding. Yes, I was one of those little girls that pictured my wedding day! The process of planning my wedding was fulfilling and challenging but, it was through this that I realized I wanted to do it for other brides. In 2011, I obtained my business license and offered my first 3 clients, planning services for free, in order to start my business. I juggled both wedding planning and teaching, until 2018. Since then, I have executed over 200+ weddings, and average about 35 to 45 weddings per year. I was voted one of Top 5 Bay Area Wedding Planners in 2017 by SF City Voters, Couples' Choice Award from Weddingwire and The Knot, have been published in various blogs and digital magazines and have been certified as a wedding planner. I absolutely love what I do! Who would have thought that by falling in love I would discover my passion! Running my business fills me with life and although it's not easy, I love the challenge. Challenging myself and accomplishing my goals, drives me and keeps me motivated, every day. I truly believe when you put your heart and soul into something you love and have a passion for, you can accomplish anything you want with it!”
http://www.booksimplyelegant.com/
Rupy Khatkar
Why did you start your own company?
“I always knew that I wanted to work independently to some extent. Working as a speech therapist with the 0-3 year old population in their homes and/or daycares as an independent contractor, confirmed this decision. There is something so rewarding with helping a child with their speech and language skills in a one-on-one setting, while developing a meaningful relationship with their families and caregivers. The children progressed consistently because I had regular contact with their families and caregivers, and could give them specific feedback.”
What do you love about it?
“I love the freedom I have to do things the way I feel is best for the children I work with. My experience includes working in the public schools, where it can be very challenging to balance paperwork, time consuming meetings, and high student caseloads. I felt that I was being pulled away from the aspect of my job that I love the most: the therapy sessions with my students! Now I can tailor each individual session to meet the needs of each child.”
https://www.speechwithrupy.com/
Bojana Korach
Why did you decide to start your own business?
“My photography journey began many years ago, in Croatia. The deep heartbreak that my family experienced, losing our photos during the war, was the catalyst for my dedication to the art and importance of photography. Capturing connection and the singular personalities that come together to create an imprint in time … this is my life’s work.”
What drives your passion for you do?
“I photograph the love and passion between people. I create real, beautiful imagery that sincerely portrays your life as it is right now. My passion is to help preserve most cherished moments, beautifully and organically. For over a decade, my clients have trusted me with their memories; I could not be more grateful.
I have over a decade of experience creating meaningful art through photographs. I love the way it feels when I combine my vision and your story in an intentional way. My photography education and unique story set me apart in the industry, and I will forever consider myself a learner, my work ever evolving and growing.”
Betty Lin
Betty in her shop in the Presidio Heights neighborhood of San Francisco.
Why did you decide to start your business?
“I went into retail in high school and have been doing it all my life. My last job with a corporate company was as a buyer for Nordstrom for the European collections. The job took me to Seattle but my family is in the Bay Area, and I wanted to be closer to family, and by then I had the experience and know-how to start my own business. I really wanted to work with my customers on a one-on-one basis.”
What about your business drives your passion?
“I do have a knack for clothing; I feel that we all have our own super power, and mine is matching personality and body type to clothing. I love working with people, and retail is a people business! I really enjoy connecting with my customers and forming relationships.”
Caroline Lizarraga
Decorative artist Caroline Lizarraga at her home with her pug, Magellan.
Why did you start your business?
”I think because so few people do what I do, I really saw no other way but to start my own business. My mentors really pushed me to get out there. One job just kept leading to more and more projects... here we are 20 years later. Plus I am really not good at taking orders from people so I thought it best I work for myself.”
What do you love about being your own business owner, and what's your passion for what you do?
”I literally love what I do. I love color, pattern, texture, paint, creating, and of course people. So my job suits my personality perfectly. It is my passion.
I think there is an illusion that having your own business is easier, but honestly if you really want it to succeed you never stop working. It can be hard to separate, but as you get older and wiser I have learned that being balanced is also a big key to your business growing.
I also know that my job always changes, pushes me to be more creative, and I am always taking risks. I think that is why our clients love working with us.”
https://www.carolinelizarraga.com/
Allison Murray
Why did you start your business?
“From an early age I marveled at the grandeur and elegance of wedding cakes. As an adult that creative itch had become shackled by a career in software sales. In 2012, I rediscovered this youthful inspiration, quit my sales job and pursued my passion to be a Pastry Cook! I started my first business, Bauble Cakes. Self-taught, I received an opportunity to train under an Executive Pastry Chef at a Michelin Star restaurant. The experience and skills I gained were invaluable.
In 2015, I took a break from the restaurant business to start a family. After my daughter was born, I became passionate about a vegan lifestyle. I was determined to make cakes that weren’t just “good for being vegan”, but were undetectable as the real deal. When I baked a vegan funfetti cake for my brother’s birthday and he commented, “this is the best cake I’ve ever had”, I knew I created something special. I was encouraged to share my cakes with the rest of the world and Happy Vegan Cakes was born!
Where do you derive your passion for what you do?
”When I work in the kitchen I feel alive, motivated and present. My curiosity and creativity find an outlet through baking that creates happiness within and brings joy to others.”
Catherine Nguyen
Why did you decide to start your own business?
“Having run my own creative services business in branding before, I always knew I would want to build my own photography company.”
What about your business drives your passion?
“The challenge of working for myself has been a joy, and it is rewarding to see my business grow through my efforts. It was scary to start all over but it has been worth it.
I love photographing interiors. I am invigorated by the collaboration with my clients and excited to show them the results. It has been really satisfying to see how my business has grown and developed over the years.”
http://www.catherinenguyen.com/ and check out one of her recent blog posts here!
Allison Taylor
Allie in her ceramic studio.
Why did you start your business?
For as long as I can remember, I have been designing or creating art. My interest in art began at a very young age and I was always encouraged to pursue my curiosities and aspirations. I feel the most myself when I am developing new ideas in the studio and using my hands to make those visions come to life. It only made sense to turn my passion into a business so I could share my work with others.
What drives your passion for it?
I love making, whether it is ceramics, painting, drawing, or even baking. I love taking an idea, experimenting, developing, and turning it into a real, tangible thing. There is nothing like it. I also love people and by sharing my art with others, I get to connect with them on another level, and somehow become part of their life in some small way.
Check out her work on Instagram @allisontart and her new Etsy shop.
Erica Venegas
Erica of Blossom Coaching during one of her workshops.
Why did you start your business?
"I have always been a healer, a creative and an empath. These are natural skills for me and they make up my most poignant childhood memories. It’s always been the core of my path to serve those around me, and I did even as a child! But before I did it for my career, I had to follow a few other dreams before I circled back to my core skills. Mostly, I had to express myself as a creative, which I did for over 15 years as a floral designer and business owner in the SF wedding industry. I also had to heal my broken heart and my deep disconnection with myself born of a childhood where my creative sensitive nature wasn’t supported at all - actually it was squashed and stomped on.
Years and years of therapies, transformational practices, yoga, meditation and working with the incredibly healing and high vibration of flowers, touching them and communing with them all day every day healed the broken parts of me and imbued me with deep wisdoms. I released my grief, and said yes to myself. I learned to be joyful, present, to hold boundaries and manifest experiences to me vs. frantically chasing them. I married a wonderful man and had an incredible wedding. When I was pregnant with my first child six years ago, I had an epiphany that it was time to share what I had learned and offer my presence, compassion, and guidance I’d earned through walking the path myself, and pass it along to others. I did an intensive coaching training, but truly I already has the skills because I’d lived it. And that was how Blossom Coaching came to be."
What drives your passion for your business?
"I believe you can transform yourself and your life. And I believe you can live the life you are dreaming of. You can thrive, feel connected, joyful, in flow with the universe and create incredible amazing things in your life and business. I believe you can fulfill the mission that your heart is whispering to you. I believe organic manifestation works and it’s an incredible tool you can use to evolve yourself and attract what you want into your life.
I believe empaths, creatives, and introverted entrepreneurs like you have the most amazing delicious gifts to share and with the right support you can shine so brightly."
Sonya Yruel is a San Francisco Bay Area wedding and portrait photographer. Please contact her if you are a woman business owner and interested in participating in this photography project!
All portraits were taken on my Hasselblad with Portra 400 film and processed by The Find Lab.