Celebrating Women in Business

Women in Business

By Kelli Charlton, Director of Business Development at Stapley Pharmacy Celebrating Women

The 2020 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report showed that women have surpassed men in the workforce in the United States at 50.04%, and Washington County is no exception to that data. The portrait of the working woman encompasses single and married women with and without children; each one is striving to surpass previous levels of excellence in all occupations and in any and all positions, especially positions that were once considered a job only a man could do. The modern-day working woman is extraordinary in her own right. Hard-working and goal-oriented, women play pivotal roles in our community and are found in every segment of the workforce, including the healthcare, legal, education, hospitality, construction, and sales industries. If you couple these statistics with the fact that in multiple surveys, women are the major influencers of large purchase decisions for the household, the term “work-life balance” takes on a whole new meaning for working females. Recently, LeanIn.org and KcKinsey & Company released their annual report. During the course of their research, they surveyed more than 400 companies and more than 65,000 employees in professional jobs from the entry to the corporate level. The results found that, despite the tremendous stress placed on them during the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing struggles for both gender and race equality in the workplace, at all levels, women were more effective leaders, encouraged fellow employees to excel, and supported diversity, equity, and inclusion. According to the report, women managers were more invested in helping employees navigate work-life challenges and ensuring workloads were manageable, both of which are necessary for the operation of a successful business. Other research suggests that women are endowed with strong communication and networking skills. They listen carefully, readily share their ideas, and give advice to encourage teamwork and collaboration, all while maintaining their professionalism. The proverbial “glass ceiling” is in the process of being shattered with proof at the highest level: a woman is currently holding the United States Vice Presidency position. Additionally, there are more female CEOs, CFOs, and COOs than ever before.

Jana Stapley: Embracing Change, Inspiring Others While many business owners found themselves in pivotal positions during 2020, the new owner of Stapley Pharmacy and Compounding, Jana Stapley, had been pivoting since the untimely death of her husband, Brad Stapley, in February 2019. That pivot included surrounding herself with people who could assist her transition from homemaker to CEO almost overnight. The learning curve was steep and fraught with bumps and bruises. As she came to grips emotionally with the loss of her husband and helped her family learn to cope, she was also the guiding light for over sixty staff members who needed to recover from the loss and subsequent grief of their boss. Meanwhile, Jana had to navigate the pharmacy and other licensing changes, which included local, state, and federal regulatory organizations. With grace, she set an example for every woman in Washington County and showed them that embracing

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change instead of fighting it lends to the achievement of what initially appears impossible. Her dedication and drive to find and follow her own vision makes her a force to be reckoned with. In addition to the responsibilities of running her home and the largest privately owned pharmacy west of the Rockies, Jana’s leadership in strategically placing staff in the community to sit on boards and advisory committees and her engagement with opportunities that encouraged economic development have played important roles in establishing her vision. Ruth Bader Ginsberg once said, “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.” Jana’s actions have shown thousands of women that they must stand firm in their convictions, and they must never let others distract them from their goals. Jana will tell you that she is inspired by others, but she has learned to listen to the needs of her family and employees and be an inspiration to them. Jana Stapley epitomizes the following quote by John Q. Adams: “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.” We stand in awe of the accomplishments of the women in southern Utah, and Stapley Pharmacy is proud to be the sponsor of the Women in Business section of Southern Utah Business Magazine. We honor and applaud the business women making a difference in our community.

Kelli Charlton is originally from San Diego, California, but has been a resident of Washington County for twenty-five years. She is the Director of Business Development for Stapley Pharmacy and the owner of Core Solutions Center. She also enjoys her association as a Board member of the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce, Chairperson of the Women’s Initiative, and a variety of other advisory boards and committees. As an entrepreneur, visionary, motivator, leader, author and public speaker, Kelli believes in paying it forward and accepts every opportunity to help those with a dream find a way to achieve it. She believes in always pushing the boundaries for growth, never accepting no as the final answer, and living life as if there is no tomorrow.

Women in Business Section Sponsored By Women in Business