Women exchange ideas, empower one another at annual brunch | News
Close to 50 women gathered at the Legacy at MK Ranch on Thursday for the annual Women in Business Brunch, sharing ideas and empowering one another to rise to the top of their abilities.
The event, hosted by the Tahlequah Area Chamber of Commerce, featured a panel of local women who are entrepreneurs.
“I want to celebrate you today and I want you to celebrate you. We don’t get to do this very often,” said Angela Tinsley of Remax Select.
Linda Cheatham, executive director for Tahlequah Area Habitat for Humanity, told the audience about this month’s Women Build Event, wherein women are empowered.
Martha Londagin is an executive consultant with the Startup Junkie Foundation in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She was joined by the panel of local women: Aisling Sosa with Rafa’s Burrito Co.; Hope Brandt of Hope Well Health; Kristy Eubanks, owner of Junie’s Closet; Kelly Marak of the Legacy at MK Ranch; and Rian Crager with A Bloom Flowers and Gifts.
The panel members were asked what “spark of joy” each had this past week. Eubanks said she loves fashion because it gives women the ability to design themselves and determine who they are.
“When a woman puts herself together and she looks in the mirror, she is seeing who she wants to be. As a woman in business – we don’t need to let anyone define what that looks like,” said Eubanks.
She explained she had a customer who has been celebrating two years of sobriety from addiction.
“She came to me because she is looking to start a career, get back in the work force, and she doesn’t know how to look her best, she doesn’t know how to feel her best. To be honest, she had lost who she was, and I was able to look at this beautiful young soul who is redefining her existence and help her find her passion, her fashion,” said Eubanks.
Marak said it’s exciting anytime she books a wedding, because she knows that’s a group of people who will be coming into the community.
“That was one reason why we are so excited we are able to offer that here is because we’re not from here and we love Tahlequah, and we just want to do as much as we can,” said Marak.
Londagin said passion and experiences do matter when it comes to being an entrepreneur. She asked the panel what they thought was one thing that’s made their business thrive.
“One of the reasons I chose Junie’s Closet is her viability. June Ludwig had proved herself as a staple in the community and weighing options of do you make your own brand, do you create your own business, or do you trust in the mentorship of the community,” said Eubanks.
She added that Ludwig was successful because of Tahlequah itself, and because she was surrounded by other vibrant businesses.
The Legacy at MK Ranch holds weddings and events mainly on the weekends, and Marak credited interns from Northeastern State University for why her business is thriving.
“NSU has been very vital for us. I personally don’t want to work every Saturday night for events, and that’s typically when weddings happen, on the weekend. We’ve been fortunate enough to find some interns from NSU, and that’s been a great find for us,” she said.
The women were asked what was one thing they wish they had known when they first began their businesses, and Crager said it was important to know her worth when it came to her prices.
“Just because you’re new and you may feel inexperienced, that does not mean you get to charge less. You don’t have to be the cheapest, you don’t have to be the most expensive. You can also play around, follow them and see where you fall in that market,” said Crager.
Marak advised those in the audience to always keep it local when constructing and obtaining materials. Eubanks said her ambition and excitement may have gotten in the way of proper planning when it came to inventory for spring clothing, as she ordered those in January.
“That’s something I think I deserve the opportunity to learn, and while I appreciate everyone’s advice, the best way to do it is get your feet wet,” she said.
Brandt said patience is key when growing a business, and she had to tell herself to keep going.
“It’s just a matter of time, and you can’t change the fact that it’s going to take time. You just have to be patient and continue to believe the success that you want to achieve is inevitable,” she said.