WE South - Summer 2022 by WBEC South

SUMMER 2022

WESOUTH

Sister Act

FOUR SISTER-OWNED BUSINESSES SHARE THEIR BEST PRACTICES

Connections2Contracts WBE2WBE COLLABORATION PAYS OFF

WBE Rising MYLA REESE POREE IS TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

bp is committed to delivering greater diversity, equity & inclusion for our partners.

We positively contribute to social mobility and the ecosystem of DE&I by buying inclusively and aim to spend $1b with certified diverse suppliers by 2025.

WESOUTH What’s Inside 4

Message from the Chair

President’s Letter

Connections2Contracts

WE ARE FAMILY By Dave Feldman

THE NEW NORMAL By Phala K. Mire

WBE2WBE COLLABORATION LEADS TO HOME DEPOT CONTRACT By Julie Lilliston

ConnectandThrive WBC SOUTH CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING IN MEMPHIS

WBESuccess PALCO’S UNEXPECTED GROWTH IN A PANDEMIC By Julie Lilliston

WBERising

NPOSpotlight

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS By Julie Lilliston

LegislativeUpdate WIPP REFLECTS ON NATIONAL SMALL BUSINESS WEEK By Candace Waterman

COLLECTIVE

WBEShining ENTERPRISING WOMEN OF COLOR ARE BREAKING BARRIERS

By Marigny deMauriac

MovingForward SILVER LININGS: FINDING OPPORTUNITY IN

CYBERSECURITY BEST PRACTICES FOR WOMEN

CircularEconomy

TrailBlazer

FUELING GROWTH: Q&A WITH JESSICA A. FINDLEY

YOU SHOULD KNOW: APRIL INDEST, CEO, SOUTHERN TANK TESTERS

NextLevel

CrushingIt

WBENC CELEBRATES 25 YEARS! By Pamela Prince Eason

MAKING WBE CONNECTIONS THAT COUNT By Courtney Ballard

FinanceMatters SCALING YOUR BUSINESS: CASH FLOW IS QUEEN

CyberSavvy

CoworkandConnect NASHVILLE’S RISING STAR - SHOWCASING THE WB

CoverInfo SISTER ACT: SisterWESOUTH 26 owned and operated companies thrive across WBEC South. Learn what works, what doesn’t and when to call a family business consultant.

VIRTUAL & HYBRID EVENTS By Allyson Wynn

GetSourced OPPORTUNITY ABOUNDS! INCREASING OPPORTUNITIES FOR CERTIFIED WBES By Lance Mitchell

DigitalMarketing THE 3 MOST COST EFFICIENT WAYS TO REACH YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE By Whitney Lee

BUSINESS OWNERS By Theresa Jones

SUMMER 2022

WBCS: SUPPORTING WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS NATIONWIDE By Ashlyn Roberts

Tracy Dunn, Hip Hues

Sister Act

FOUR SISTER-OWNED BUSINESSES SHARE THEIR BEST PRACTICES

Connections2Contracts WBE2WBE COLLABORATION PAYS OFF

WBE Rising MYLA REESE POREE IS TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

Pictured l-r: Ashley Herbert, Alexie Thibodeaux, Kasie Thibodeaux and Courtney Davis of Bart’s Office, Inc. in New Orleans. Photo: George Kuchler, gkphotography.com

WESOUTH SUMMER 2022 | 1

WESOUTH

Ad Index

A WOMEN’S ENTERPRISE CUSTOM PUBLICATION Ampirical Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Apple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Back Cover Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana . . . . . . . . . . . 17 BP America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Front Cover Brewster Procurement Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Chevron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 CoreCivic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Delta Personnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Entergy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 ExxonMobil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover Imagen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Julie Lilliston Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Mayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Nissan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 PALCO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Personalized Payroll Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Phillips & Jordan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Safe Haven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

FOUNDER & CHAIRMAN Don McKneely EDITOR & PUBLISHER Phala K. Mire MANAGING EDITOR Julie Lilliston ASSOCIATE EDITORS Kelsey Cunningham Susan Stentz ART DIRECTOR Karen Cronin, Cronin Creative CONTRIBUTORS Courtney Ballard Marigny deMauriac Pamela Prince Eason Dave Feldman Theresa Jones Whitney Lee Lance Mitchell Ashlyn Roberts Candace Waterman Allyson Wynn PHOTOGRAPHERS Tina G. Photography Abigail Volkman Photography

Shell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Southern Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Telecom Transport Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Televergence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Thomasson Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Toyota . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 UAB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 WB Collectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

WESOUTH Published Annually by Diversity Publishing Group 2150 S. Central Expressway, Suite 250 McKinney, TX 75070 Telephone: 214.369.3200 wbecsouth.org

WBEC South 2022 Board of Directors . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 WBEC South 2022 Champions Circle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

WBEC South’s Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

WBEC South Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 WBENC 2022 National Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 WBENC Regional Partner Organizations . . . . . . . . . . 57 Wynning Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

2 | WBECSOUTH.ORG

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: WBEC South 401 Saint Joseph St., Suite 2A New Orleans, LA 70130

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

We Are Family By Dave Feldman, Chevron

became the Board Chair for WBEC South the end of 2019. It has truly been one of the highlights of my career to have been a part of this dynamic, innovative, “can do anything-no matter-the-challenges” organization. The Board of Directors, the community of women business owners, the corporate members, and the staff have each been a blessing to me. I am so appreciative of their talents and energy that have contributed so mightily to the success of the organization. WBEC South is special. Not just because we are guided by our mission to advance and enhance business opportunities between corporations and women-owned businesses through a reputable certification program, education and professional growth opportunities, but also because we are not guided by what’s been done in the past or what others are doing. We recognized, way before I became

“We needed to be bold in our thinking and unafraid in our decision making. And, we had to set aside our egos and personal agendas to deﬁne a culture which values activism, inclusion, empowerment and be willing to challenge and question our thinking.” the Chair, that to stay true to our mission, in the ever-changing world in which we live, we were going to have to do things differently. We needed to be bold in our thinking and unafraid in our decision making. And, we had to set aside our egos and personal agendas to define a culture which values activism, inclusion, empowerment and be willing to challenge and

4 | WBECSOUTH.ORG

questions our thinking. The programs that have emerged and continue to evolve in the WBEC South portfolio reflect the dynamic nature of the organization—always changing, always looking to do things better and differently, and always with the interests of our constituents tops of mind. The WB Collective, the WB Marketplace, the Women’s Business Center South, and the Enterprising Women of Color—each in their own rather unique way contribute to our mission. And each program is being led and managed by the dynamic WBEC South staff, under the leadership of President and CEO, Phala K. Mire, who is ever enterprising, ever passionate, and ever capable, enthusiastic, accommodating, and hard-working. The recent past has been difficult. We’ve endured a global pandemic, social unrest in the aftermath of tragedies that have highlighted the inequities that exist in our society and in our institutions, and natural disasters—seemingly one after another that impacted South Louisiana and the greater Gulf Coast, and the physical and mental toll that all this has taken on us. Yet, through it all WBEC South has not just persevered, but grown and flourished. We have 985 certified WBEs and growing, 40 corporate members and growing, five states, four offices, and two federal grant programs. It makes me tired just saying it. While we may be tired, mostly we are proud of work that is happening within the WBEC South family. I’m intentional in the use of the word “family”—just recently described by the great poet who is my daughter, Gabbi Feldman, as “a living organism that expands and contracts and re-organizes itself to make sure everyone in attendance has a place to sit and to share and to listen. A recognition and preservation of the idea that fellowship need not take itself too seriously in order to be essential and influential in one’s life.” Yes—that is my family and that is WBEC South. WE

Women’s Business Enterprise Council (WBEC) South is a regional partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the largest certifier of women-owned businesses (WBEs) in the U.S. and a leading advocate for

CERTIFICATION

women business owners and entrepreneurs. Serving Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and the Florida Panhandle.

WB COLLECTIVE WOMEN’S BUSINESS COLLECTIVE

Nashville | New Orleans Built for Women Executives & CEOs to connect & thrive! Providing coworking memberships, private

COLLABORATION COLLABORATION

offices, package receiving, event space & more.

wbcollective.com

WB MARKETPLACE

CONVERSATION CONVERSATION

The largest visual marketplace for women-owned enterprises to connect. Search now at #MeetHerInTheMarketplace.

wbmarketplace.com

504-830-0149

wbecsouth.org

info@wbecsouth.org

PRESIDENT’SLETTER

The New Normal By Phala K. Mire, President & CEO, Women’s Business Enterprise Council South

he new normal. We’ve all heard and used the term countless times since March of 2020 when the world shut down. It’s almost cliché at this point, but what does it really mean? As we roll into our post pandemic world, only time will tell. I do think it’s safe to say that at WBEC South, the “new normal” is filled with possibilities. The past two years have challenged Corporate America in myriad ways, but beyond the financial challenges, we have seen a commitment to social responsibility that eclipses any preceding efforts. As part of that movement, corporations have doubled down on their efforts to engage and include more diverse suppliers and the disparities for women owned businesses have never been more apparent. The good news is that once a problem has been identified, it can be addressed, and our corporate community is responding to the call. As the levels of corporate support and involvement grow, new business opportunities present themselves. We welcome the influx of new corporate

I can talk about the value of WBEC South more than anyone wants to listen, but the success stories in this edition of WE South magazine will show you better than I can tell you. Women business owners in the southern region are thriving. members to WBEC South with open arms and embrace the resulting challenge to present our growing number of women-owned enterprises in new and innovative ways. From We’ve Got Company! to our new Show & Sell sessions, we will continue to introduce creative ways to

6 | WBECSOUTH.ORG

bring our buyers and suppliers together. In our new normal, the resiliency of our small business owners has never been more apparent. We lost several—some by circumstance and some by choice—but that number pales in comparison to the number of new business startups that have joined our community through WBENC certification, our SBA funded Women’s Business Centers, the Enterprising Women of Color Center, and the WB Collective coworking spaces in New Orleans and Nashville. Two years later, this organization has moved beyond certification and established paths to affiliation for every business owner. From startup to growth, to sustaining business stages; we have programs and coaching options to help every entrepreneur where they are. What hasn’t changed is our unique value proposition as a premier resource for women-business owners. We highly value our partnerships with the many great organizations in our region that support the growth of women-owned firms, but we are clear that our singular ability to put clients in front of corporate influencers and decision makers on a recurring basis is a game changer. Only the WBENC network allows for the high level of corporate/WBE interaction that cultivates relationships. And, as it has been proven time and time again, strong professional relationships are the key to sustainable business. I can talk about the value of WBEC South more than anyone wants to listen, but the success stories in this edition of WE South magazine will show you better than I can tell you. Women business owners in the southern region are thriving. They have pivoted, rebounded, and reinvented themselves within a strong ecosystem that supports their growth. WBEs are leading the way through an unprecedented period of business recovery, and we will continue to play a starring role in uplifting women-owned firms in the South. So, bring it on 2022. We’re ready for you! WE

Fairness. Respect. Inclusion. With multicultural roots, Nissan is committed to providing an inclusive space that encourages innovative ideas from our diverse workforce and supply base. We not only respect, but eagerly welcome, the varied perspectives of these talented men and women. Nissan believes our commitment to our core principles of diversity fairness, respect and inclusion - is essential to creating quality and innovative products.

CONNECTIONS2CONTRACTS

WBE2WBE Collaboration Leads to Home Depot Contract by Julie Lilliston

t the onset of the pandemic, Sue Watkins, CEO and President, Telecom Transport Services based in Birmingham, Alabama, had expanded its commercial warehouse from 7,000 to 20,000 square feet. The company provides specialized transportation and commercial storage solutions across the Southeast for AT&T, Battery Solutions, General Electric, VanKirk Electric, KGPCo and Motion Industries, among others. Telecom Transport needed to find ways to get the word out to clients and prospects about their increased capacity as the world was heading towards lockdown. “We like to say in trucking, when the world shut down, we kept moving,” says Watkins. “And that’s what WBEC South did during the pandemic and I’m grateful for that.”

top, Sue Watkins below, Amanda Dyer

“I never would have met Amanda and get this opporutinity with Home Depot if I had not attended the Meet Her in the Marketplace virtual event. 8 | WBECSOUTH.ORG

During that time, Watkins attended the “Meet Her in the Marketplace” virtual event hosted by WBEC South and connected with another certified Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE), Amanda Dyer, President and Creative Director, Landslide Creative in Nashville. Landslide provides website design and development for missiondriven organizations. Watkins says, “We began with a consultation and meeting her team. Then they came up with a marketing strategy for SEO. I look at this partnership as an investment in my business to create more opportunities.” Watkins likes partnering with another woman-owned business, as a “woman in trucking,” she’s usually on an island. Watkins began her trucking career nearly 30 years ago, succeeding her late father at the helm of a trucking line founded by her grandfather. She accelerated the growth of Telecom Transport by applying the same business principles as her predecessors in recognizing agility, innovation and adaptation are critical tools in the rapidly evolving transportation marketplace. As Landslide Creative and Telecom Transport began to build the brand online, Watkins learned

how important it is to be at the top of the page in search results. The Landslide team did an initial audit and identified opportunities for improvement. The two companies collaborated over the course of several months to continually refine SEO for Telecom Transport, making steady progress. They adjusted key words on the website to influence their ranking in search options. Dyer says, “Telecom Transport is a great partner! Sue provides insight about her business and goals and trusts our team’s expertise and recommendations.” Watkins’ investment proved to be profitable when in the Fall of 2021, she was unexpectedly contacted by the Home Depot Regional Operational Manager, Trey Thomason. Home Depot is a national corporate partner with WBENC. Thomason reached out to learn more about the company after a Google search for a partner in the Birmingham region yielded WBENC certified Telecom Transport. Thomason reviewed their capabilities, toured the warehouse, and Telecom Transport earned a contract to store pre-construction materials through a partnership with CDS Logistics. They receive new pre-fab construction materials, inspect products, create daily inventory and auditing reports, and build custom racking systems for products to be pulled, protected and loaded. Telecom Transport started delivering to construction sites and their opportunity with Home Depot has expanded. “We couldn’t be more pleased. Being certified is a wonderful investment. Building a team behind me to do all that we’ve been able to achieve with Amanda’s team would have cost tens of thousands of dollars.” Watkins shares the following advice with WBEs, “I tell women business owners to get involved with their RPO. I never would have met Amanda and get this opportunity with Home Depot if I had not attended the Meet Her in the Marketplace virtual event.” WE

TRANSPORT SERVICES

SPECIALTY SOLUTIONS Battery-Centric Logistics & Recycling Final Mile Deliveries Expedited Transportation Inside Deliveries - Exact Placement Commercial Storage Inventory Management

Cross Docking Construction Staging Craning, Hoisting, Rigging Haz-Mat Hauling Kitting Project Consolidation

www.telecom-transport.com

160 Distribution Drive, Birmingham, AL 35209

Sue Cole Watkins - President

scwatkins@telecom-transport.com

CONNECTANDTHRIVE

Women’s Business Center South CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING IN MEMPHIS

l-r: Jessica Taveau, Victoria Ragland, Cynthia Terry, Jan Cable, Cassandra Williams, Phala Mire, Natalie Maderia Cofield, Vonesha Mitchell, Joann Massey, Corinne Hodges and Reid Dulberger

standing room only crowd of more than 300 women business owners, corporate partners, elected officials, and community partners gathered at the Crosstown Concourse in Memphis on August 23rd to celebrate the grand opening of the Women’s Business Center South (WBC South). Presented by WBEC South, the celebration included a ribbon cutting ceremony and remarks by the following city officials and business leaders: Lee Harris, Shelby County Mayor; Joann Massey, Director, Office of Business Diversity and Compliance, City of Memphis; Jessica Taveau, President, Epicenter Memphis; Corinne Hodges, CEO, Association of Women Business Centers; Vonesha Mitchell, Executive Director, WBC 10 | WBECSOUTH.ORG

South and Phala K. Mire, President and CEO, WBEC South. A keynote address was delivered by Natalie Madeira Cofield, U.S. SBA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Women’s Business Ownership. Attendees had the opportunity to network among womenowned businesses to learn about their products and services including the following: Alcenia’s, Associated Benefits Consulting, BrainTrust, LEO Events, Mobile Mommy, New York Life Insurance Company and Oteka Technologies, LLC. Award-winning author and founder of BrainTrust, Sherry Deutschmann, gave away copies of her book “Lunch with Lucy” during the event. An SBA grant funded center, WBC South serves women

entrepreneurs across the region by providing them with business coaching, tools, and resources to sustain and grow their ventures. Since launching in 2021, WBC South has received hundreds of coaching applications from womenowned businesses, conducted several workshops as well as lunch-and-learns, and hosted programs co-sponsored by the Enterprising Women of Color initiative and WBEC South. “We’re overjoyed with the enthusiastic response we have received by women entrepreneurs since opening our doors,” says Vonesha Mitchell, Executive Director, Women’s Business

Center South. “We have conducted dozens of coaching sessions and are excited to help women-owned businesses achieve the next level of success.” WE If you’re interested in WBC South programs, visit brojure.com/wbec-south/womensbusiness-center/ or click on the QR code at right. Stay connected by following WBC South on Instagram or Facebook at @ womensbusinesscentersouth. WESOUTH SUMMER 2022 | 11

WBESUCCESS

PALCO’s Unexpected Growth in a Pandemic by Julie Lilliston

Janice Migliore, Chairman and CEO of PALCO

hen the pandemic hit the U.S. in March 2020, Janice Migliore, Chairman and CEO of PALCO, a Tier I supplier and nationally certified Women’s Business Enterprise by WBENC and a Woman Owned Small Business by the SBA, had already been experiencing the impact on their reverse logistics operations in Penang, Malaysia and The Netherlands. The company was seeing a surge in demand for their services from clients across the U.S. and globally. This was due in part to competitors in China being unavailable and PALCO was ready to step in and repair, recycle, and reintegrate telecommunications and data equipment for Fortune 500 companies and government clients. “We had a customer in Maryland that shut down their facility to transfer all of their circuit board recycling work to PALCO, including shipping their proprietary equipment to our headquarters in Huntsville, Alabama,” says Migliore. “The additional work required that we hire six new employees who were trained on the new equipment and processes. We’ve also been able to pursue new opportunities on the installation side with data centers in Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta.”

The influx of contracts resulted in an unexpected increase of revenue and customers in 20202021 for the 36 year-old company. Additionally, PALCO has helped “No one could have predicted telecommunications clients achieve the pandemic and what matters significant cost savings by outsourcing is how a leader responds to their inventory rapidly changing conditions,” management and order fulfillment. For example, PALCO helped reduce operating expenses for a client by $1.5 million annually. This strategic move helped streamline operations to improve inventory efficiencies and shipping 12 | WBECSOUTH.ORG

time, allowing the customer to pursue additional sales and revenue opportunities in broader geographies. As a result, PALCO has experienced 63.6% revenue growth in their Value Added Reseller segment from 2019 to 2020. PALCO was strategically positioned to manage this growth by expanding operations around the globe to better serve international customers in Venlo, The Netherlands in 2011 and Penang, Malaysia, Juarez, Mexico and El Paso, Texas in 2014. In 2017, PALCO purchased a 200,000 square foot building in Huntsville to expand its logistics and repair operations and increased tech talent. PALCO employees are available 24/7 to customers globally and the company leads the industry in reverse logistics and returns supply chain management. PALCO and Migliore have received numerous business awards raising the company’s profile over the years including WBENC 2011 WBE Star, Minority Business Entrepreneur magazine’s 2018 WBEs Who Rock, WBEC South 2019 Outstanding Service Award and Huntsville Madison Chamber of Commerce 2019 Small Business Award, Professional Services Business of the Year, and Enterprising Women magazine’s 2020 Enterprising Women of the Year. Migliore has spent decades in leadership roles serving the community and the needs of women in business as a board member of the Huntsville Madison County Chamber of Commerce, Women’s Business Council, Huntsville 100, Women’s Business Economic Development Council and as a WBENC Forum Member and Team Leader on the Government Committee. “No one could have predicted the pandemic and what matters is how a leader responds to rapidly changing conditions,” says Migliore. “We were extremely fortunate to have the right team and capabilities in place at the right time to meet the needs of our customers and respond to opportunities in the market.” WE

Bridging the world’s post-sales supply chain

WHAT WE DO

THE SOLOMON2 ADVANTAGE POST SALES SUPPORT & REVERSE LOGISTICS PALCO specializes in post-sales managed services (RMA, Life-Cycle Management, and Sustainability) that enable our clients to optimize efficiencies, improve profitability, and deliver exceptional customer experience. PALCO services enable our clients to optimize their businesses by aligning Post-Sales Support models to realize their operational objectives, achieve long-term business goals while reducing risks and lowering total overall costs, and utilize global service deployment strategy maps and optimized methodologies. PALCO’s approach provides consistent global processes and assures post-sales supply chain predictability.

PALCO

Solomon2 SOLOMON2 is PALCO’s proprietary data acquisition and management software. This superior technology is designed

INTEGRATION SERVICES

specifically to support and improve post-sales

PALCO offers customers a total solution to their system integration requirements. Products are delivered to you or your customer fully integrated, racked, stacked, cabled, labeled, with OS and custom imaging installed, end-to-end test validation, and extended burn-in. PALCO also offers white-glove services.

operations. Through SOLOMON2 clients receive actionable, real-time global information. They also get business intelligence specific

to post-sales supply chain services

MANUFACTURING SUPPORT SERVICES

(RMA, Product Life-Cycle, and Sustainability)

PALCO leverages over 30 years of servicing leading-edge technology. We offer some of the most technically advanced circuit board rework, repair, and ECO implementation in the industry; as well as testing, troubleshooting and repair services that meet precise OEM specifications. Additionally, PALCO performs 3rd party inspection services.

helping them better support the most demanding mission critical service agreements.

www.gotopalco.com | O: 256.883.3408 | M: 256.426.5272 | Email: info@palcotelecom.com

WBERISING

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

By Julie Lilliston

yla Reese Poree, Founder and CEO, MRP Coaching and Consulting, based in New Orleans, is on a mission to help women and minority owned businesses build wealth in their families and communities. She helps business owners achieve their goals both personally and professionally, to figure out their next steps to move forward, or make a significant change that will be a better fit for where they are in their lives. Poree says, “As women we’re spouses, mothers, business owners, professionals and PTA presidents—we’re juggling many things and it’s hard to take a step back. We may not feel well, be thinking clearly, or prone to stress. When we’re not well, our businesses are not well. We’re the captains of the ship, every business owner, and it’s imperative to have self-care and put those measures in place.” She explains that today’s business environment is very different than just a few years ago. “Staffing and retention is the number one issue most business owners are dealing with right now,” says Poree. She hears business owners routinely ask ‘Is it time for me to make a pivot? I have a great business and love what I do, but should I be thinking about other options? Should I use what I have and create different streams of income needed to have options A, B, C and D?’ Those questions are at the heart of the oneon-one coaching sessions that Poree conducts with her clients who are primarily women and minority owned businesses. She spent 14 years at TruFund, most recently as Director of Business Resiliency, and had an inside look at the struggles small business owners deal with on a daily basis such as business development and access to capital. She discovered the financial analysis didn’t always add up. “Why is this person being denied a loan, no

14 | WBECSOUTH.ORG

assets, in business for 10 years but they don’t have the financials to provide capital on paper?” says Poree. “When they finally do get a loan then you see the impact it can make on their business. What I did learn was there are steps that need to be taken by business owners before they come into a financial institution.” It was important to Poree to help business owners understand those steps and fill in the gaps. “They may know their craft but the business aspect is something new for them. Once they handle that and learn it, the sky is the limit.” Poree knows something about business resiliency. She is surrounded by a supportive family of lifelong entrepreneurs in New Orleans. Her grandmother, Leah Chase, who passed away in 2019 at 96 years-old, was the culinary genius behind legendary Dooky Chase’s Restaurant. The restaurant has been in existence for more than 80 years and has a new generation at the helm. Poree “She was a phenomenal woman who did business on her own terms and along with my grandfather, they left a legacy. They created an impact on almost anyone they came in contact with.” Another significant influence on Poree was her father and football coach, Wayne Reese Sr., who died of the coronavirus in April 2020. Losing both her grandmother and father within a year had a significant effect on Poree. “Those two major life experiences triggered me to start this business. They are two people who made a great impact on the lives of others. My dad left a tremendous legacy to shape young men into great leaders and citizens, many who went on to the NFL and created businesses and jobs.” When she decided to launch her business, Poree reached out to Phala Mire, President and CEO, WBEC South and Tiffany Carter, Director, Enterprising Women of Color Business Center. According to Poree, they were both just as excited as she was about her business. MRP Coaching and Consulting has been part of the programming for the Enterprising Women of Color CEO Retreat and Financial Empowerment seminars in Birmingham, Alabama, and Jackson, Mississippi. She is a member of the WB Collective New Orleans and says “When I walked in, I felt like a million bucks. Every person, from staff, visitors and other women businesses owners, welcomed me with open arms. I felt like a star. It’s good to get a dose of that positivity and empowerment. Everyone at the organization

truly believes in and cares about sharing success and helping other women business owners identify and pursue opportunities.” Poree shares that her relationship with WBEC South goes beyond certification as she has experienced the benefits of building relationships, networking and introductions to corporations, even to the point of being prompted by the staff to showcase to onsite

She [Poree] is a member of the WB Collective New Orleans and says “When I walked in, I felt like a million bucks. Every person, from staff, visitors and other women businesses owners, welcomed me with open arms. I felt like a star. visiting corporations while they are in town. Poree hopes to hire 2-3 individuals by the end of the year to keep expanding her offerings and staying true to her mission. Poree is learning about hiring and pacing herself as she’s growing and evaluating client criteria to determine a good fit. “My dad used to tell me ‘Get what you want, Myla’ and he believed that. If there’s something that you’re passionate about, pursue it until you’re able to get what you want out of it. As my grandparents lived their lives, they always did for others. You do that and you’ll get what you want, eventually.” WE

WESOUTH SUMMER 2022 | 15

CELEBRATING 70 YEARS AS A HEAVY CIVIL AND POWER INFRASTRUCTURE CONTRACTOR

As a Women-Owned Business, we know that seeking out and contracting with diverse suppliers can increase sustainability, promote innovation, and support our local communities. That’s why we build relationships with suppliers throughout the country to lift up small, diverse, and capable suppliers who help build the projects that benefit the places they call home. Celebrating 70 years in business doesn’t just happen – it takes a commitment to grow, change, and influence the marketplace one relationship at a time.

Supporting Women in Business

Diversity is what makes Louisiana an extraordinary place to live and work. We take pride in our diverse workforce and business relationships and are committed to supporting growth and development opportunities across the state.

01MK4539 R09/18

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and is incorporated as Louisiana Health Service & Indemnity Company.

NPOSPOTLIGHT

WBCs: SUPPORTING WOMEN

ENTREPRENEURS NATIONWIDE There is a lot of hard work being done in Washington—and across the nation—to help women entrepreneurs succeed, scale, and grow. If you have not heard about the Women’s Business Center (WBC) program or Mrs. Corinne Hodges, the CEO of the Association of Women’s Business Centers (AWBC), then we hope to inspire you to share this impactful program with the female entrepreneurs in your life! You may be asking yourself, what is AWBC and what are WBCs?

By Ashlyn Roberts, Government Affairs Manager, Prism Group

WBC is an organization that works diligently to secure economic empowerment and entrepreneurial opportunities for women by supporting and sustaining a national network of women entrepreneurs and program staff for 140 WBCs across the nation. These centers help women start and grow their businesses by providing counseling, training, mentoring, networking opportunities, and access to capital. The WBC program is a public-private partnership with 34 years of success in providing training, counseling, mentoring, networking opportunities and access to capital to women entrepreneurs across the country. The 140 WBCs that make up the national network are hosted by a myriad of non-profit entrepreneurial development organizations and community lenders that serve economically and socially disadvantaged clients, in as many as 38 languages.

Corinne Hodges

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While each WBC operates out of a brick-andmortar location, many have opened additional satellite locations and all of them offer virtual services. When disaster strikes, whether it is earthquakes in Puerto Rico, fires in California, or a global health pandemic, WBCs provide real- time support to small businesses affected and provide them with ways to build resilience to the challenges at play. WBCs also help prepare clients for unforeseen circumstances, supporting them through their challenges, and helping them rebuild and grow towards sustainable success.

A core focus of the association is advocacy; AWBC is committed to ensuring that WBCs continue to receive the support needed to serve women businesses across the nation. For example, Mrs. Corinne Hodges, the CEO of the association, testified in February 2022, in a U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship hearing to advocate on women’s entrepreneurship and the WBC program. The hearing focused on a conversation centering around a “Review of SBA Entrepreneurial Development Programs and Initiatives,” which explored the ability of SBA resource partners to service small businesses, including a discussion on the experiences from the SBA’s resource partners in support of the small business community. Other witnesses during the hearing included representatives from America’s SBDC, SCORE and SBA’s Office of Entrepreneurial Development. During the hearing, AWBC focused on the WBC experience during the pandemic, the influx of clients as entrepreneurial starts reaching an alltime high, and how investing in women business owners through the WBC program has delivered well worth the return on investment for local economies. Mrs. Hodges explained how WBCs have proven that they can have a greater impact on women-owned small business community with additional resources. Through the additional funding received from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES Act),

WBC impact skyrocketed across every metric, including a 36% increase in clients served, despite the challenges of remote work. Furthermore, for every federal dollar invested in the WBC program in 2020, at least $2.28 flowed back into the economy in excess of $61M in business revenue generated by businesses served. The AWBC CEO outlined the newest centers in the program and the needs they face as they start serving women entrepreneurs, the dire lack of capital access for many women businesses and the ways in which WBCs work to remedy that gap, the strain on the workforce that women entrepreneurs are feeling every day, and a critical role that federal funding continues to play in uplifting women and other diverse owned small businesses. Mrs. Hodges highlighted the WBC program has been in place and served more women entrepreneurs each year since its establishment in 1988, and yet, has never been reauthorized at the federal level. In conclusion of her testimony, she advocated for the reauthorization of the WBC program to enable WBCs to expand their capacity to help women entrepreneurs and all small business owners. Specifically, the AWBC CEO called for complimentary WBC reauthorization legislation that has recently been introduced in the House of Representatives by Sharice Davids (D-KS) and Claudia Tenney (R-NY), the Women’s Business Center Improvement Act of 2022 (H.R. 6441). This bill would reauthorize the WBC program, increase the role of AWBC in the administration of the program, and provide additional programmatic guidelines to help WBCs bolster their support of women entrepreneurs. Legislation like this would modernize the WBC program for the first time in 34 years, bringing the WBC servicing capabilities into the 21st century. This legislation was recently passed out of the House Small Business Committee. Next it will be sent to the Rules Committee

Lea Bonzer, Pexels

Corinne Hodges, CEO, Association of Women’s Business Centers, testifies in a U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship hearing to advocate for women’s entrepreneurship in February 2022.

to decide whether the legislation will go to the floor for a vote. To further set the scene, the same process will then have to take place in the Senate. Once the bill is approved by both Chambers of Congress and any legislative differences between the House and Senate versions are resolved, this bill will be sent to the President to

... for every federal dollar invested in the WBC program in 2020, at least $2.28 flowed back into the economy in excess of $61M in business revenue generated by businesses served. be signed into law. Despite the significant need for reauthorization of the WBC program and the mounting evidence in its favor – there is still a long way to go to for this legislation to become law! While the hearing held last month on SBA resource partner programs sets the stage for broader discussions in favor of the WBC reauthorization and the WBC program at large, there is still plenty work to be done to support the WBC program and America’s women entrepreneurs. The WBC program plays a vital role in uplifting women-owned businesses across the country, and we hope that Congress will join us in our efforts to improve the program and ensure that women-owned businesses in America continue to access top-quality services for decades to come. WE WESOUTH SUMMER 2022 | 19

L E G I S L AT I V E U P DAT E

Women Impacting Public Policy REFLECTS ON NATIONAL SMALL BUSINESS WEEK

By Candace Waterman, President and CEO, WIPP

Candace Waterman

or the last 50 years, the first week of May has been recognized as National Small Business Week, which recognizes the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners. This year, the Small Business Administration celebrates “the resiliency and tenacity of America’s entrepreneurs who are doing their part to power our nation’s historic economic comeback.” Women Impacting Public Policy takes this important week to recognize the contributions and achievements of women owned small businesses and entrepreneurs, as well as how policymakers can do better for this critical demographic. We frequently discuss the state of women entrepreneurship at WIPP, and National Small Business Week is as timely as ever to revisit the discussion.

The State of Women Entrepreneurship Get involved by becoming a member of WIPP at wipp.org/join.

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It’s no secret that women owned businesses and entrepreneurs are navigating a challenging environment as they continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. In spite of this, they continue to be a strong force in the nation’s economy, they employ over 10.1 million workers who generated $1.8 trillion in receipts in 2019 alone. Furthermore, women owned businesses are growing at faster rates than those owned by men and this is notably true among minority owned businesses, which grew at a rate of 14% between 2014-2016. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, many women were able to pivot their businesses to meet demands, whether that was through the use of digital tools, altering their business models, or starting new businesses altogether. It’s true that women are resilient and

highly capable of overcoming the odds, however, not all women owned businesses share the same success stories. Many women have been forced to close their doors or leave the workforce to care for children and loved ones, or because they lacked the access to critical resources.

What Needs to Happen Next As we always tell policymakers, the best way to support women owned businesses is to listen to their stories and understand their needs. It’s important that policymakers craft small business oriented policy with the needs of women owned businesses at the forefront. Congress must also improve current mechanisms that are in place to support small businesses— particularly for those owned by women and minorities. For example, WIPP is constantly in talks with policymakers about how programs such as the 8(a) lending program can be improved to be more accessible and to reach more women and minorities who need that critical funding. A key piece to improving existing programs and resources is availability of reliable data on small businesses. We must have an understanding of where resources are flowing, which communities are being supported and which ones need more support. Policymakers and stakeholders on the Hill must continue to work together to develop a more equitable environment for all small businesses. We are grateful to have the opportunity to take this time to recognize the achievements and contributions of America’s small business owners. To that end, we’re appreciative of our leaders for acknowledging women entrepreneurs, as U.S. Senator Joni Ersnt (R-Iowa) did through her resolution to mark the achievements and contributions of women owned businesses. WE

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IF YOU’RE MAKING AN IMPACT, YOU’VE GOT OUR ATTENTION Our most productive meetings are with suppliers who bring achievements to discuss and new ideas to explore. If you’re among this group, we have some common ground to cover. There’s always a window in our schedule for those who can deliver great results and anticipate new challenges, let’s connect. www.shell.us/getconnected

Co-Work & Connect

New Orleans, LA Nashville, TN

www.wbcollective.com

COWORKANDCONNECT

Nashville’s Rising Star

COWORKING FOR WOMEN DEBUTS IN MUSIC CITY

he stars aligned over Music City to showcase the latest co-working space exclusively for women CEOs. The ribbon cutting ceremony at the WB Collective on August 19th, located in the INK Building in SoBro, featured beverages, bites and selected women-owned pop up shops including Kinimi Kitchen, Kandles by Kierra, Bryla J Couture Clothiers and Ash + Clay for an evening of networking, shopping and celebration. The ribbon cutting ceremony highlighted remarks by city officials and business leaders including: Courtney Pogue, Director, Mayor’s Office of Economic and Community Development; Veronica Johnson, VP, Member Value, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce; Ronda Brown-Quarles, Manager, Supplier Diversity/Procurement Strategy, Nissan North America, Inc.; Joan LaGrasse, CEO, Imagen and Phala K. Mire, President and CEO, WBEC South. The WB Collective Nashville is an interactive work and networking environment dedicated to connecting women CEOs to stimulate creativity and collaboration. The membership plans include a range of amenities such as a hot desk, dedicated offices, conference room, high speed internet, office equipment use, mailboxes and state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment. Learn more atwbcollective.com or click on the QR code at right. WE

Guest and Jasmine Dary, Twisted Corks

Krisney Flory, Televergence and Robyn Bass, WBEC South

Sue Watkins, Telecom Transport Services and Kierra Perkins, Kandles by Kierra

Shelia Horvath, Heavenly Treats 4U

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Karen Chan, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and Kirbee Miller, KiNiMi Kitchen

Veronica Johnson, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce; Courtney Pogue, Mayor’s Office of Economic and Community Development; Deb Ward, Televergence; Ronda Brown-Quarles, Nissan North America; Phala K. Mire, WBEC South; Joan LaGrasse, Imagen; Julie Lilliston, Julie Lilliston Communications and Haley Hatchell, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce

Veronica Johnson and Haley Hatchell, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce

Debbie Barber and Veronica Clark, PTAC

Name Here, Name Here, Name Here

Vonesha Mitchell, WBC South; Katy Collins, WBEC South; Colleen Collins, Televergence; and Lamisa Hasan, WBC South

Aja Price, Notably Gray and Cameo Bobo, Cameo Bobo Coaching & Events WESOUTH SUMMER 2022 | 25

COVERSTORY

Sister Act:

DO SIBLINGS MAKE GOOD BUSINESS PARTNERS? By Julie Lilliston s a WBE in WBEC South, we like to say that we’re all sisters in business but what if you’re actually sisters in business together? How does that dynamic work in day to day interactions? Does sibling rivalry find its way into the boardroom? What do you need to have in place for a successful business endeavor with two or more sisters at the top?

Ashley Herbert, Alexie Thibodeaux, Kasie Thibodeaux and Courtney Davis, Bart’s Office, Inc.

We asked some of our most prominent sister-owned businesses in the WBEC South network to see what they have to say on the matter: Bart’s Office, Inc., in New Orleans, La.; Hip Hues in Nashville, Tenn.; Associated Benefits Consulting in Metairie, La. and 4Sisters Rice in Mer Rouge, La. Read on to learn how they got started, what advice they have to share for future sisters-inbusiness and a few lessons learned along the way.

Bart’s Office, Inc. – New Orleans, Louisiana

Bart’s Office, Inc. is the only women-owned and operated, full-service commercial and office moving company in Louisiana. It was founded in 1978 by Bart and Kathleen Thibodeaux who always dreamed of starting a business. Bart’s Office began as an office furniture repair shop and they quickly expanded their services. Bart hoped to pass the family business on to a future son someday—but that was not in the cards. He had four daughters, Courtney, Ashley, Kasie and Alexie, who would step into running the business day to day alongside their mother Kathleen while Bart was managing a debilitating chronic illness. Bart’s Office provides comprehensive services including relocation, commercial moving, project management, inventory management, transportation services and decommissioning services. Vice President of Business Growth and Administration, Courtney Davis, handles business development, manages the sales team and administrative functions for Bart’s Office. She says one of the most challenging aspects of working with her sisters is “We all have very strong Type A personalities and we see business differently.” Alexie Thibodeaux is the Chief Training

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Officer and trains all of the operational staff. She offers this advice for sisters and any family members in business together, “Not all families can work together. In fact, it can tear families apart. You want to think long and hard about this decision and ask, is it worth it?” She suggests creating distinct positions and responsibilities within the company for each family member (with minimal overlap) to prevent disagreements about who’s the boss. “Create clear job descriptions and update them as you grow. It’s not impossible but can be difficult.” Davis shares spending time together as a family— away from the business—is critical. “Don’t allow the business to take over your personal relationships. This is very difficult at times because you tend to talk shop at family functions. Don’t do it!” There’s a lot to talk about regarding the family business. The sisters have achieved incredible growth together including hitting and surpassing the one million dollar mark. “We were flying by the seat of our pants,” says Davis about reaching the milestone. And when Bart’s Office says “no job too big or too small” they mean it. The company recently relocated Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans to its new $1 billion MSY terminal. Ashley Herbert, CEO of Bart’s Office, told WWTLV-TV about the airport move, “We’re making history. You’re going to be able to tell your grandkids, your children that you were part of this event.”

Hip Hues -

Nashville, Tennessee Sisters Sondra Noble and Tracy Dunn took a leap of faith 10 years ago by leaving their corporate careers to pursue a new venture in the events industry. Through Dunn’s love for creative pursuits and Noble’s background in marketing, they co-founded Hip Hues, an interactive screen printing company in Nashville. “We started our business when we were 25 and 26, with just a few years of corporate experience under our belts,” says Noble. “I worked at Google and had a background in marketing, and Tracy was in Mergers and Acquisitions at SunTrust Investment Banking. We wanted to do something unique, impactful, and entrepreneurial, and we figured if we didn’t do it then, we would always regret not trying!” They first started with a BYOB class model similar to paint and wine classes but for screen

printing. The duo quickly pivoted when they realized the experience would be great for interactive marketing and branding at events. Hip Hues sets up custom, brandable Swag Bars at events. Attendees customize and print their own gift by selecting the product, design, and ink color. The sisters now run a successful million dollar business and serve clients all around the U.S. Noble shares, “Entrepreneurship is a lot of work but it’s literally in our blood. Our parents are successful small business owners, and we grew up watching and internalizing that. Tracy and I value hard work, creativity, community, and impact. If you believe in something so much that you will always regret NOT doing it—then do it!”

Tracy Dunn & Sondra Nobel, Hip Hues

Noble leads business development for Hip Hues and Dunn handles operations with the team. Noble says, “When we first started our business, our entire family was shocked. Not only were we not close growing up, but we actively didn’t get along! We’ve always been polar opposites, and we could barely be around each other for a few hours without arguing. However, we had a shared goal in entrepreneurship, and we started our business because we each respected what the other person brought to the table.” Noble says one of the best gifts through this experience has been the opportunity to forge an unbreakable bond. “It’s brought us closer than I ever could have imagined. We are both so grateful for that.” Another revelation is they are both incredibly different people. “We can be in the same

WESOUTH SUMMER 2022 | 27

conversation and hear completely different things and have opposite takeaways,” says Noble. “This is both an asset and a frustration for us. It has forced us to communicate differently and focus on respect, which can be hard when you’re working with family. It’s all too easy to revert back to old patterns from childhood.”

together. “For 10 years we’ve chosen to show up for each other as business partners, friends, and family. We’ve chosen to work through the misunderstandings and tough conversations. This experience has been as much about building a life together in a city we love, as it is about the business itself.”

Noble stresses to lead with kindness, respect, and transparency as good business communication practices for siblings. “Tracy and I both know that

Dunn advises, “Don’t let yourself get too caught up in the day-to-day! It’s so important to step back and refocus on what it is you’re trying to accomplish in the long term and staying aligned in that vision.”

Associated Benefits Consulting of Louisiana – Metairie, Louisiana

Associated Benefits Consulting of Louisiana provides customized member insurance benefits and products for associations. The company was founded in 1998 by Bill Heine who named it ABC so it would appear at the beginning of the phone book. President and CEO, Cindy Heine, admits that times have drastically changed since then but the business is still family owned and run with her two sisters, Marcie O’Dwyer and Susan Ellender. “Our brother was already working with Dad so it was assumed he would take over the family business,” says Heine. “As our brother’s life moved into a different direction, we reminded our dad that he has three daughters. Shortly thereafter, each of us made our way into the family business.”

Marcie O’Dwyer, Cindy Heine, Susan Ellender, Associated Benefits Consulting

we couldn’t do this without each other, and we have massive respect for what the other person does every day. Tracy is one of the smartest and most creative people I know, and I am honored to be on this journey with her.” Dunn serves as head of operations for the business and feels it’s the perfect fit, “My role is amazingly well suited for me because I get to do the creative graphic design but also the operations and process building.” She explains the sisters really hit their stride when they got to the point of each owning their side of the business and collaborating when needed but trusting each other to play to their strengths. Dunn admits she didn’t know how much she had to learn about communication and relationship building when they first started in business

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Heine shared several challenges about being in business with her sisters. “We are a very close family and we take care of one another. So if one of us is sick or has a family issue, we want to be there as sisters and as friends. We also like to travel together as a family. Balancing those needs with the ongoing needs of a business cab be a challenge.” Secondly, Heine stressed the importance of seeking outside counsel when needed. “Let’s face it, we are from the same gene pool, so we constantly have to watch out for blind spots, check our perspectives and seek alternative views.” She credits their team for keeping them in balance. Heine says it’s important to set up ways to be accountable to each other. “Discuss the hard stuff, early and often. Have rules for fair fighting. Have a succession and buyout plan. Make sure you have outside voices when you need them.” Vice President of Business Development, Marcie

O’Dwyer, agrees the best advice they ever got came from a family business consultant. “She encouraged us to create rules for fair fighting. It seemed silly at the time but we drafted these rules and continue to refer to the fair fight rules when we disagree.” Susan Ellender serves as the primary consultant on the company’s longest tenured client, working closely with the Chief Financial Officer/Chief Administrative Officer to manage the book of business. She handles vendor vetting, selection and management and enjoys working with a variety of businesses and establishing great working relationships. “It is always fun when a new prospect or partner realizes we are sisters! Sometimes it may be because one of us is taking food off each other’s plates or something crazy like that!” Ellender offers the advice to assume the positive in each other and be able to move on from an argument or disagreement to tackle the next challenge together.

4Sisters Rice –

Mar Rouge, Louisiana Kennedy Companies, makers of 4Sisters Rice brand, has been in the agricultural community since 1964 when their father, Elton Kennedy, founded the family farm. He first grew rice in 1969 and today the 4Sisters Rice brand can be found in over 4,000 grocery stores nationwide, plus online on Amazon. CEO and Founder, 4Sisters Rice brand, Meryl Kennedy Farr, shares one of the most memorable experiences working with her three sisters Chantel Kennedy, Felicity Kennedy and Patchez Kennedy, was the launch of the retail rice brand. Meryl Kennedy Farr says, “My sisters and I launched our retail rice brand, 4Sisters Rice, which hit grocery store shelves in March of 2020. With 4Sisters, we envisioned the need to sustainably bring organic and natural rice products to consumers nationwide, while also improving the environment.” They brought this idea to life by working with local suppliers and family farmers who share the same vision of growing select rice varieties that consistently cook and taste the best. “Being able to team up with my sisters on this very special project, honoring our father’s legacy is just so incredibly meaningful to us,” says Kennedy Farr. “The overwhelming sense of pride

and gratitude I get when seeing 4Sisters Rice on the shelf is unparalleled.” She elaborates at the end of the day—”sisters are sisters” —and it’s important to have clearly defined roles that accentuates each of the sisters’ strong suits and customize roles based on skill sets.

Meryl Kennedy Farr, Chantel Kennedy, Felicity Kennedy, Patchez Kennedy, 4Sisters Rice

“This thought process made it easy for us to support 4Sisters Rice in each of our own ways. We wanted to all play a meaningful part in supporting our father’s legacy, and we wanted to have fun while doing it!” says Kennedy Farr. Her advice is to make sure to focus on the

“Don’t allow the business to take over your personal relationships. This is very difficult at times because you tend to talk shop at family functions.” –Courtney Davis family—especially since it’s the basis of their 4Sisters Rice brand. She says, “It is so incredibly rewarding to build something together with those you love most. Enjoy the ride! Apply for the Women’s Business Enterprise certification through WBENC. The relationships, connections and support from likeminded women in different industries is essential to your success.” WE WESOUTH SUMMER 2022 | 29

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WBESHINING

Enterprising Women of Color are

BREAKING BARRIERS

By Phala Mire In 2021, WBEC South became one of the inaugural operators of a Minority Business Development Agency Enterprising Women of Color (EWOC) Centers in the country. According to Director, Tiffany Carter, “this program has opened up a direct pipeline of diverse women business owners who had not been exposed to the wealth of resources that WBEC South offers, and the response has exceeded all our expectations.” Certainly, the influx of new WBE applications from EWOC clients tells the story. “We knew when we applied for the grant that this program would impact our organization in the areas of outreach and business development, but we’ve really been blown away by the response. There are so many diverse women turning to entrepreneurship as a viable alternative to traditional work options and they need resources like ours to help start or catapult their business to the next level.” With over 250 clients registered in the first year, there are many stories of success, but the women featured on this page are experiencing extraordinary growth in their respective fields.

Angelica Rivera Founder & CEO, Colmex Construction

| Industry Sector:

Construction Angelica Rivera, Founder and CEO of Colmex Construction, attributes her 15+ years of success in construction to the core values of her company. She takes great pride in sharing the success of the Colmex family-oriented work culture and loves planning various events for her team and their families to show her appreciation. The Colmex team’s success has made them one of the fastest growing residential and commercial contractors in the South. Understanding the difficulties in navigating new business as a women-owned firm, Angelica and her team have launched a new outreach initiative for women in construction and construction-related fields. She knew subcontractors that knew other subcontractors and thought it was time to bring them together with the first Women in Construction networking event, designed to bring women-owned construction businesses together, to strengthen their network, and to create awareness with regional prime contractors. WBEC South, SBA, Home Builders Association and other regional stakeholders have taken notice and are offering advice, best practices, and resources to this initiative. Angelica’s example of “paying it forward” and creating a space for women in construction to better connect is a great example of business leadership by doing well while doing good in the community.

WESOUTH SUMMER 2022 | 31

Nubian Simmons Founder, The Pink Bakery

| Industry: Food Manufacturing

A quick visit to The Pink Bakery website and one immediately understands what makes this company special. As the country’s first premium, top allergen free baking mix company in the United States, The Pink Bakery is poised to be a global leader in allergen free food manufacturing, but the road to success has not been a smooth one. Nubian Simmons founded The Pink Bakery after years of childhood suffering due to food allergies, and not wanting anyone to be excluded from celebratory treats. After five years of intensive research, she launched her company in 2017 in Memphis, Tennessee. Nubian used a local festival as a test market and sold out of products almost immediately. It was clear that there was an unrecognized demand, and she was determined to meet the need. After three years of local success in Memphis, Nubian had just received her WBE certification when the global pandemic brought everything to a screeching halt. “Due to the enforcement of COVID regulations, we had to make the devastating decision to shut our doors. I could no longer afford my current living situation or business expenses, so I had to move back home to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. To keep a part of the business alive, we pivoted from selling baked goods to manufacturing baking mixes which meant I had to learn a whole new business model.” It’s a good thing she learns fast because this new iteration of The Pink Bakery has garnered international attention from the likes of the James Beard Foundation, Essence Magazine, snacksafely.com, and celebrities like Beyonce and Tabitha Brown. Today, The Pink Bakery is thriving as a member of the Milwaukee business community and their products can be found on the shelves of local markets who have met TPB’s strict retail requirements. Nubian’s unwavering vision and her strategic pivot to manufacturing have multiplied TPB’s consumer reach and positioned her as a leader in the growing fight against food allergens in America.

Samata Shah Founder, Kopri Promotions

| Industry: Marketing/Advertising

Data shows that most new businesses fail within the first five years. So, when a woman-owned business celebrates 25 years in business, it’s a milestone that speaks volumes. Samata Shah, Founder and President of Kopri Promotions, a specialty items and embroidery company, began her company twenty-five years ago, but she credits her involvement with WBEC South and the corporate support that she has received as a certified WBE, with the phenomenal growth she has experienced in the last five years. Samata’s success is an example of what’s possible when you have a determined leader at the helm. Having recently obtained American citizenship, her story of entrepreneurship is one shared by countless women of color who simply refuse to let obstacles stand in their way. Never at a loss for words or without a smile, Samata excels at customer relationships—a trait which allows her to stand out from her competition—but it is her capacity to deliver on her promises that keeps customers coming back. Her reputation also guarantees new customers, having added major automotive and other corporate clients to her roster during a pandemic. As her staff grew, Shah made the decision to move into a larger space that now serves as a customer showroom while housing several new printing and embroidery machines. These machines have more than doubled her capacity to produce branded clothing, printed signs, banners, and marketing items on site. Where other business owners might be looking to slow down after 25 years, Samata Shah is proving that Kopri’s best days are yet to come.

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F I N A N C E M AT T E R S

Scaling Your Business: Cash Flow is Queen RECOGNIZING CASH FLOW PROBLEMS BEFORE THEY START By Marigny deMauriac, CFP®, AAMS®

alf of all small businesses fail within their first five years. You won’t be one of them. You won’t because you’ll master your personal and business cash flow management. Difficulty with cash-flow management is one of the primary reasons businesses fail. You are going to recognize when your business has the potential for cash flow problems and proactively address these issues before they compound. The following outlines five problems areas you should be concerned about and next steps to stay positive and grow your revenue. 1. Lower Bank Balances (or, even worse, you’re not closely monitoring your bank balances)

Running out of capital to work with is a huge red flag. Even if you’re making a profit month to month does not mean you are in the clear. Next Steps: You need consistent income Marigny deMauriac

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(steady payables), as some money coming in will need to be spent on ongoing operational costs, taxes, etc. Be forward looking with your cash flow to determine what your revenue cycle will look like in the coming months, quarter, and year. Regularly perform a self-audit of this information to maintain accuracy and accountability. If you notice you have plenty of clients and revenue, but expenses are still hindering your income, it’s time to re-evaluate your pricing or service model to identify possible additional revenue streams. In short: if you’re making income but you’re not retaining most of it, then it’s time to revamp your strategy by identifying all income sources and closely evaluating expenses (both personal and business) to see where the money is going out. Regularly evaluate cost versus benefits provided among your own service providers to make sure you are getting what you need from the services you

are paying for and routinely revisit expenses to reduce when possible. Many people don’t realise that earned business revenue can assist you in creating passive income sources for yourself, so that 100% of your income doesn’t rely on consistency of business revenue. You can diversify where your earned income is reinvested to provide passive income before the day that you retire. Realistically, you can only work so many hours in a day to earn income. Money properly invested works 24/7 for you, so you can spend time on things you care the most about. 2. Fast Business Growth Having a growing company can be amazing, however, if you’re growing too fast, you may not be able to keep up with the demands and costs of day-to-day operations. That’s an issue. Next Steps: You need more working capital and

you may need to purchase more inventory. You may need more staff to truly get the job done! This is why you hear so many business coaches focusing on effectively “scaling” a business, not just growing one. Scaling means setting the stage to enable and support growth. Identify means of streamlining your work and delegate responsibilities where you can (do, delegate or delete from your agenda if it’s not relevant and move on). Train appropriate staff with systematic onboarding processes and determine redundancies that exist to reduce overall cost. Above all else: if it’s something you do, you need a teachable, established process for it. You might not be the one doing that task forever. The business needs to be able to run without you in it. 3. Funding Employee Recruitment & Retention It’s extremely challenging in

today’s environment to be competitive in the marketplace and hire the right person for the right position, or, frankly, to hire in general. It’s even more difficult to retain your best staff as

there is stiff competition for highly qualified employees. the best, you have to get creative, but that doesn’t mean it has to be expensive. Ask your staff what would put a smile on their faces every day. What would be most attractive to you if you were looking for a new job? Benefits such as extended parental leave, caregiver assistance for loved ones (including aging or sick dependants), reduced summer hours, four day work weeks, flexible asynchronous work, remote or hybrid work schedules, company sponsored retirement plans, company sponsored personal financial planning/coaching resources, child and elder care assistance, paid volunteer days, experiential rewards, profit sharing, limited partnership or stock options are all possibilities. Get creative. Isn’t it better to have a joyful, reliable workforce than none at all? Your employees are essential to your business survival. What is the cost of not providing great benefits? Spend some serious time in this area. If you genuinely care for the people who work with you, you need to demonstrate that through clear communication and your intentional actions. See how your business begins to thrive as a result. 4. Slow Client Payments or Collections The

gap between paying your bills and getting paid is a crucial part of monitoring cash flow. If it is getting difficult to collect on your accounts, this will prevent you from being able to pay your own outstanding bills. Next Steps: Having a plan in place and a

customer relationship management system to document contacts can automate some of your tasks such as prompt billing, payment collection when due, confirming payments received, and following up on overdue invoices, is essential. It is important to track invoices and payment received religiously. This is one area where you can use technology to reduce staff workload, automate and streamline receipt of funds. 5. Excessive Debt Leveraging effectively can be essential when scaling, however, when used the wrong way, debt can quickly become a problem, especially regarding short term, variable interest rate debt. We have seen over the last two years that situations change quickly and without prior notice. Balance sheet health is a huge factor in a firm’s ability to weather storms. Highly leveraged companies may have no choice but to lay off people when there is a halt in revenue due to an

Karolina Grabowska, Pexels

Next Steps: If you want to attract and retain

economic downturn because they have limited financing options. Next Steps: Go through your operational

revenues and develop an accurate forecast to determine future cash streams and expenses. Maintain a realistic view of where you are right now and your vision of where you would like to be financially. Build out contingency plans should there be business interruptions, continued supply chain woes, inflationary pricing pressures, etc. Are there certain vendors that it would be more beneficial to pay the expense upfront on an annual basis rather than monthly, 12 months from now, should pricing continue to increase? Do your vendor due diligence to see where you may be able to reduce cost. You want to have a clear view of what your debt is, what your interest rates are (variable or fixed) etc. If you don’t have a debt paydown plan, you need one, and that plan may not be paying off all the debt at once. It may mean smart leveraging of debt to scale. Set a recurring calendar date for yourself using Google Calendar or Outlook to review your income, expenses, and debt each pay period to ensure accuracy and identify overall opportunities for improvement. Operate from an opportunity mindset, rather than a scarcity mindset. How might you be smart with debt paydown, best utilizing the assets you do have to make informed financial decisions moving forward? This is truly where working with a certified financial planner and a tax professional can assist you by building out and updating a comprehensive financial strategy that takes into consideration what is important to you, both personally and professionally, when it comes to growing your business. WE WESOUTH SUMMER 2022 | 35

WE make events s SIMPLE! In-Person

Hyrbrid

Virtu

ALLYSON WYNN

CEO, The Wynning Experience

Strategic public relations & marketing agency based in Nashville, TN. www.julielilliston.com • 615.663.2121

Transparency | Credibility | Trust

“Julie made doing business with her so easy. She spent the time on the front end to understand my needs.”

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M OV I N G F O R WA R D

Silver Linings: FINDING OPPORTUNITY IN VIRTUAL & HYBRID EVENTS

By Allyson Wynn, Founder & CEO, The Wynning Experience

he lifeblood of an event is the planning. But the heartbeat of an event is the people. Most businesses have had to shift from in-person to virtual events, and most have done so with a feeling that they are “making do.” We somewhat agree: there is nothing like being physically present at an event that connects a cross-section of people. But we have also seen virtual events provide opportunities that in-person events never could. There is a massive chance to capitalize on the access, engagement, and attention of people who are logging in from anywhere. Virtual events aren’t a necessary evil; they could be your greatest amplifier for brand presence and future success. At The Wynning Experience, we have witnessed this firsthand and offer the following perspective to make the most of your virtual or hybrid event experience. There is a clear business case to be made for the benefit of virtual events. Whether you are advocating for an event or leading the finance department and see a proposal for a virtual event, know this: real revenue is connected to these types of events. Due to the uptick in virtual events, GrandView Research performed a market analysis report in July 2021. They estimate that the global virtual events market, currently valued at $94 billion, will surge at a compound annual growth rate of 23.7% between 2021 and 2028. This meteoric growth is contributed to by both small and large-scale events, and an important signal of wide scale adoption. In itself, this is compelling evidence that virtual events are worth it, but so are lesser tangible factors.

takes to travel to an event and instead focus their investments on content upgrades, premium access, and ancillary products. Event planners, sponsors, and keynote speakers also cost less when you don’t have to host them. This decrease in spending frees up funds to use toward marketing, software, graphics, workshop add-ons, and digital networking facilitation. With fewer arrangements to make, and a typically lower cost of admission, registration rates tend to be higher for online events. Personalized Experiences

Consumer demand for hyper-personalized experiences has never been greater. Virtual events give people the opportunity to self-select an experience that’s relevant to their interests and background. With the ability to implement different breakout sessions, event hosts can address niche topics without worrying about space limitations.

For example, virtual events are maximally accessible and inclusive. Very few people are left out of virtual events, with minimal barriers to access and no need to book travel or accommodations. The possibilities inherent in virtual events could result in more diverse, more accessible, and more personalized experiences for all.

Instead of missing out on interesting panels or keynotes, event guests can attend the live session of their choice and then choose to watch everything else later. The ability for attendees to view recorded presentations multiplies exposure. The success of each session isn’t just measured by live attendance, but by on-demand views later.

There are plenty of other items in the “pro column” for virtual events. Here are some of our favorites:

Reliable Event Analytics

Cost-Effective Attendance

Virtual events may be less expensive to host and are definitely less expensive to attend. People can save the time and money it

Most corporations that host regular events are left data-hungry. • What did attendees think? • How were the presentations perceived? • What information did people retain? WESOUTH SUMMER 2022 | 37

HERE’S A COMPARISON: Data metric

In-person

Virtual

Attendance

Single point: sign-in

At every point: virtually track every action and see exact attendance numbers (with demographics!) for every session

Engagement

Subjective and difficult to aggregate/report on

Immediate feedback in a high-touch, digitally tracked experience

Feedback

Challenging: paper or digitally based, can be hard to gather on-site, and almost impossible to gather after the event

Easy: feedback can be collected throughout and easily tied to other digital activities and communications

It can be near-impossible to get salient feedback from event attendees, and no one has cracked the code of flawlessly acquiring this relevant information. One of the most revolutionary aspects of virtual event platforms today is analytics. Online engagement is easily trackable, whereas in-person events require direct surveys for observable attendee feedback. In a virtual gathering, you can view user statistics to gain a wealth of insight into current and future events. An event platform can shed light on how many attendees are watching live, what demographic markers they have, and offer up real-time responses from users. Data reports can be as general or as detailed as needed. Analytics dashboards become a handy resource for shaping future event strategies. Getting a clear picture of what gained the most attention and what resulted in a noticeable engagement drop-off can even help speakers and instructors deliver better presentations in the future. Empowered Networking Options

Humans are social creatures, and a frequently heralded objection to virtual events is that they don’t adequately facilitate networking. Make no mistake: the virtual world is full of expansive networking opportunities. What a virtual event is not doing is replacing a golf outing. What it is doing is giving you greater access to people at more times, not to mention the ability to glean data from social listening. Hosts and attendees alike can find the people they need to connect with, focusing on shared interests, intersecting fields, or likeminded ventures, which actually equips them to “get to the point” much faster. Industry-specific meetups give people greater chances at engaging 38 | WBECSOUTH.ORG

in meaningful interactions. Female entrepreneurs, tech startup founders, remote recruiting experts, and diverse leaders are all examples of targeted network groups that can easily find each other at a virtual event. Broader Information Sharing

Fast-paced information sharing is a major benefit of a virtual event. No more scattered piles of handouts or waiting in long lines for freebies. Event materials, such as pamphlets and workbooks, can now be shared widely—and instantly. With download links and convenient file sharing across the event platform, attendees obtain the resources they need when they need it. This saves management team expenses, not to mention immediately pinpointing the MVP content. Additionally, digital materials have a significantly lower impact on the environment, decreasing waste and supporting sustainable practices. Prioritizing Diverse Perspectives

Online experiences remove any excuse to hear only from a “select crowd.” Going virtual can put a mic in the hands of diverse leaders. Speaker selection is limitless, and event leaders can gain access to a broader talent pool for all types of presenters. With a digital event, invites are easier to send, speaker arrangements are flexible, and thought-sharing exists outside of the box of physical proximity. Content delivery can also be mixed up, with an array of long-form lectures, captivating debates, interactive Q&A sessions, or shortform “popcorn style” storytelling. Virtual events are inclusive, cost-effective, and personalized. They offer rich data sets, enhanced networking opportunities, and broader information sharing. It’s clear that virtual and hybrid events are the new normal. Rather than feeling like a second string decision, virtual events represent a blue ocean opportunity for businesses. WE

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GETSOURCED

OPPORTUNITY ABOUNDS! Increasing Opportunities for Certified WBEs

By Lance Mitchell, Director of Certification and Sourcing, WBEC South

Lance Mitchell

BEC South strives to provide our corporate members with certified WBE suppliers who can meet their procurement and service needs. The primary way we connect our WBE suppliers with corporate opportunities is through our strategic sourcing program. The sourcing program connects suppliers and corporations in three ways: 1) our weekly “Opportunities and Resource Report” 2) matchmaking events including our new “We’ve Got Company” program as well as our traditional business-to- business matchmaking, and 3) our strategic sourcing program. Each provide an integral link between corporate contracting opportunities and our certified WBEs and one of the biggest benefits of WBE certification. Opportunities and Resource Report

The weekly Opportunities and Resource Report is distributed electronically every Monday, 52 weeks a year. The OR Report is a collection of municipal, county, state, and school bid listings from around our region of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and the Florida panhandle. The OR Report brings multiple procurement and bid listing sites together in one, easy to navigate email. In addition to the public bids listed, our corporate members will often advertise a bid opportunity as well, making the Monday morning OR Report required reading for all WBE firms seeking bid opportunities. B2B Matchmaking

Business-to-Business Matchmaking is another way we provide opportunities to our certified WBEs. We utilize traditional business-to-business

40 | WBECSOUTH.ORG

matchmakers—brief one-on-one meetings between corporate reps and WBEs—as well as virtual events made necessary by the COVID-19 pandemic. The traditional matchmakers are generally held in association with conferences or events, or sometimes during a WBEC South “Industry Summit,” where we focus on one segment of our corporate base. Energy, Utilities, or Technology industries, for example, have all been featured in our matchmaking efforts. WBEC South hosts the largest WBE matchmaker in the southern region annually during our WE Summit Conference and Awards, making a return in fall 2022. During the 2020 and 2021 shutdowns, WBEC South was able to successfully pivot to more virtual events, providing our WBEs valuable online matchmaking opportunities, while in-person events were on hold. We’ve Got Company

In 2021, WBEC South debuted our new “We’ve Got Company” hybrid matchmakers at our New Orleans and Nashville WB Collective offices. The series features a WBEC South Board Member or Corporate Sponsor, visiting our New Orleans or Nashville WB Collectives, taking one-on-one or round table meetings with strategically sourced WBEs. The flexibility of the WB Collectives allows these meetings, both in-person and virtually, to occur in an intimate and highly professional setting. The program has been met with rave reviews and WBEC South is committed to offering more moving forward. Since 2021, we hosted three “We’ve Got Company” matchmakers featuring Glenda Thomas representing Southern Company, Dave Feldman representing Chevron, and Dr. Scott Vowels from Apple. While these meetings are no guarantee of a contract, the exposure our WBEs receive is invaluable, providing crucial business development experience in the procurement space. During the sessions each representative engaged multiple WBEs on procurement best

practices, what their respective corporation is seeking from suppliers, and graciously answered supplier questions. WBEC South is grateful to have such committed corporate and board members who frequently engage our certified WBEs and bring added value to the WBE Certification. Strategic Sourcing #YouGotSourced

The final and not as well-known component is WBEC South Strategic Sourcing. We are continually receiving sourcing requests from our corporate members and other WBEs. The inquiries can be based on keywords, NAICS codes, or commodity/services descriptions. In 2021, WBEC South compiled more than 120 sourcing lists for our corporate members and WBEs. More than 2,000 certified WBE referrals were made during that time. Our corporate members, utilizing WBEC South’s expertise to assist in their mission to increase diverse supplier opportunities, including (but not limited to) the following companies: Apple, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Memphis Light Gas & Water, Metro Nashville, Mobile Area Water and Sewer System, Nissan, Shell, Southern Company, Toyota, TVA and more. In addition, WBENC national corporate members requesting sourcing from WBEC South included Brasfield & Gorrie, Ford, Waste Management and The World Games 2022. Corporate member, Donovan Casanave, Support Services Manager, Shell, shared his thoughts about sourcing, “WBEC South is a great partner; they ensure that Shell has access to talented WBE suppliers to support our supply chain.”

An often-overlooked component of sourcing is WBE to WBE engagement. We encourage all our WBEs to “act intentionally” and utilize other certified WBE firms for their procurement and service needs whenever possible. If you’re a WBE seeking assistance with HR, consulting, payroll, or professional services, or require subcontractors to help you meet diversity goals in your own contracts, please reach out to me with your requests. I can provide you with certified WBE suppliers who can meet your business needs.

While these

In 2022, to keep our WBEs better informed on when they’ve been included in the sourcing process, WBEC South created our #YouGotSourced alerts. These alerts are email notifications to our WBEs that they’ve been sourced to a corporate member or another WBE supplier. Keep an eye on your inbox: If you receive an email with #YouGotSourced as the subject line, you can know that WBEC South is working to grow your business and increase your company’s exposure and opportunities.

providing

meetings are no guarantee of a contract, the exposure our WBEs receive is invaluable, crucial business development experience in the procurement space.

If you have questions about the WBEC South Strategic Sourcing program or wish to be added to the Opportunities and Resources Report, or are seeking certified WBE suppliers for your opportunities, contact Lance Mitchell, Director of Certification & Sourcing, WBEC South at lmitchell@wbecsouth.org. WE

Sourcing lists are executed in several ways. Primarily, corporate members will request a list of certified WBEs based on commodity, NAICS codes, or keywords. WBEC South takes pride in our 24-hour turnaround for all sourcing requests and can usually accommodate emergency or urgent requests as well. These lists are distributed to the corporate member, and they reach out to the prospective WBEs on their own. In addition, corporations will often request that WBEC South disseminate a specific bid or opportunity directly to our WBEs. In these cases, the bid will be posted in our weekly OR Report, and I will distribute the bid to our WBEs who meet the capabilities required. WESOUTH SUMMER 2022 | 41

Mayer is one of the nation’s largest wholesale distributors of electrical products and equipment, connected solutions, lighting, digital tools, datacom technologies, power distribution and automation and control systems. Mayer, a Rexel USA banner company, serves contractors, industrials, OEMs, integrators, government entities, utility providers, commercial businesses and residential customers.

42 | WBECSOUTH.ORG

A Nationwide Telecommunications Carrier Deb Ward has been a pioneering leader for women in technology for over 32 years, being a formidable trailblazer in creating the first female-owned nationwide telecommunications carrier. Televergence's success comes from Deb's passion for excellence, constant thirst to learn and love for giving back.

TOLL FREE | LONG DISTANCE | CLOUD PBX Our niche is providing premium Toll Free, Long Distance and Cloud Phone System services to companies with mission-critical needs, high call volume, and/or in-house or outsourced Contact Centers. With over 32 years in business, we have a rock-solid reputation. Our Executive Team has been together for over 12 years. Seventy percent of Televergence's revenue is derived from high volume users. Televergence is 100% committed to protecting your brand and giving you the confidence to build a trusted relationship with us on your terms and timing. Our expertise and innovative service delivery model enable you to increase your diversity spend with the option to keep your existing carrier. We are an additional resource and valued partner to your IT Team; driving savings and results through innovation, best and next practices, in operations, compliance, disaster recovery and business continuity.

VALUE DIFFERENTIATORS Trusted Industry Leader: Services over 4.7M Toll Free numbers, which is 9% of total active numbers in the U.S. Superior Network / Premium Call Quality: Network uptime of 99.999% in the last five years Highly Innovative: Creating new methods to deliver service while adding layers of redundancy & business continuity Expertise: In Contact Center operational efficiencies, improving customer experience and regulatory compliance Omnichannel Solutions: All-in-one Contact Center Software, cloud or on-premise and bi-lingual BPO services Direct Access: To C-Level executives with immediate support from highly trained Televergence team members Exceptional Service: Average customer retention exceeds 15 years, clearly proving Televergence is a valued partner 10-30% Savings: Significant wholesale purchasing power with every Tier 1 Carrier which is passed on to you

No-Risk & Ease of Implementation: Conversion requires minimal effort, time or resources. A simple paper change and exchange of IP addresses to try a small piece of business with Televergence while keeping your existing carrier Support Remote Workers: Cloud Phone System supports work from home, mobility and expansion of your national footprint through regional telephone numbers

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D I G I TA L M A R K E T I N G

The 3 Most Cost Efficient Ways to Reach Your Target Audience By Whitney Lee, Founder & Principal, Sociallee PR & Digital Media

Get right to the inbox of your potential customer! If they have given you their email address, obviously they have some level of interest in your business. If you are a business that involves online booking, this can be simple to acquire your past customers email addresses. In other situations, you will probably need to incentivize people to sign up. Enter to win a free item, stay or service—this usually does the trick! You can promote this via social media and website, and link directly to a sign-up form. If you are a brick and mortar establishment, utilize a QR code that customers can scan and go to the sign-up form. You do want to make sure they acknowledge that they are opting in. Pro tip: Make sure you keep your contacts on separate lists—not just all lumped together. This is called email segmentation and can definitely keep your subscribers much happier. For example, if you have multiple locations, segment your list based on location. If you’re offering something special at one location, you can just distribute an email to people in that area. If subscribers get info that isn’t relevant to them, they are much more likely to unsubscribe.

Below are our top three digital marketing strategies that businesses can take advantage of now to bring in the most results for the lowest cost:

Fully Alive Photograhy

Whitney Lee

1 | Email Marketing

ollowing the Covid-19 crisis, businesses are seeking out cost effective ways to stay in front of their audience—even large corporate brands. Between the struggle of hiring qualified talent and limited budgets, businesses are having to get crafty with their marketing tactics now more than ever.

44 | WBECSOUTH.ORG

Most importantly, when you do send out emails, don’t make the entire message around selling. I preach this incessantly to my clients about email marketing, social media and more. Stop selling and start storytelling. People latch onto feelings and outcomes—not just a price tag. No one wants to be targeted with sales. What value can you give to them? Share knowledge about your industry, your geographical area or current events related to your business. Also, some low hanging fruit is automations. Almost every email software has the capability to set up automations—everything from a message that sends automatically to new subscribers, birthdays, or even on the anniversary of their last booking or purchase. Many businesses think they can rely on social media to reach their audience,

but just remember, those platforms could shut down at any time. You need another avenue to reach your customers—a database that you truly own. If you haven’t started email marketing, this is officially a sign!

2 | Social Media Ads Many businesses see social media as a platform to blast out free messages, but it has definitely evolved into a “pay to play” world. Can your post go viral organically? Absolutely. But even a little paid budget on social goes a long way. The capabilities of targeting are truly incredible. You can serve your ad to an incredibly specific audience. Is your target audience working moms that love astrology, have elementary age kids and live within 10 miles of your business? Piece of cake. Many clients sometimes see smaller reach numbers on the ad results and say they want to reach thousands and thousands. My response to them is “Why would you want to pay for thousands of eyeballs that will never purchase from you?” The beauty of social ads is that when you really narrow down your audience, you are speaking directly to that special someone who may buy from you. And, since your target is so specific, you can spend less on the ads. Can we reach thousands? Sure. But wouldn’t you want to use a small budget to get to the right person? No brainer! A few other important details about paid social media campaigns: • Boosting on Facebook is a trap! Will it

help your post get more likes, comments, and a higher reach? Sure. But that’s it. Find someone who knows how to work within Facebook Ads Manager—that’s where the true magic is. You’re missing out on so many capabilities if you just simply hit the boost button!

all the divas all over Instagram. They email your business just asking for free stuff in the promise they will promote you. But don’t let these freebie seekers ruin you. If you truly vet influencers and establish clear expectations, this can be the

What value can you give to them? Share knowledge about your industry, your geographical area or current events related to your business. cheapest form of advertising out there. So a few key points when you’re looking at working with an influencer. • Do they get engagement? Look at their

past posts. If they have 50,000 followers and they are getting 5 likes and no comments on their posts? Those are probably fake followers. • Have they done other collaborations with respectable brands in your industry? If

they are a makeup influencer and they come looking for a free meal at your restaurant… probably not a fit. Her audience is following her for makeup content—not cheeseburgers. • Are they your target audience themselves? Birds of a feather flock together.

If the influencer fits the profile of your perfect customer, it’s likely their followers are too.

3 | Influencer Campaigns

Once you identify someone that could be a good fit, ensure you have an agreement in place—even if it’s just an email that clearly states what you are giving them and what they need to provide in return. How many posts will they share and on which platforms? How many stories will they share? Will they tag your business, use your location tag and hashtag? Usually, if you are very clear about what you are asking in return and they put it in writing they agree, they will do it. Pro Tip: If you have the capability, give them a trackable link to see how many visitors they are sending to your site. Awesome. If you’re able, give them a specific offer and code Even better. If an influencer brings in an amazing number of sales for you, maybe it could become an ongoing relationship. There are many influencers out there that will work completely in trade and they provide incredible content you can also share on your platforms.

Influencer campaigns get a bad rep because of

And that’s a Win-Win!

• You can put any budget to it! We have

clients who see results with a budget of $5/ day and we also have clients spending $5,000+ each month on social ads. The more money you put into it, the more results you will get. • Use a pixel! When you find someone to set up

your ads within Ads Manager, also ask them to install a pixel to your website. When someone clicks through from your ad to a page on your website, it will create an audience of those people. Then you can serve ads directly to those people that are now warm leads!

WESOUTH SUMMER 2022 | 45

C Y B E R S AV V Y

Cybersecurity Best Practices for Women Business Owners By Theresa Jones, CMMC-RP, Principal at Evalv IQ LLC

ur worlds have become so connected and reliant on both the internet and technology, it is imperative that we understand the risks involved. Cybersecurity should be a top priority for any business. It’s not just the global and national companies that are being targeted by hackers but small business have also become victims. The great news is there are steps you can take to have basic cyber hygiene in place for securing your assets, employees, data, suppliers and finances.

data that might be contained on their cell phones or laptops, not only in the office but also when mobile. 5. Protect Against Viruses, Malware & Spyware

Any device connected to the internet is at risk, so ensure you have installed the latest anti-virus protection software. Run regular checks, and make sure somebody is responsible for updating the software regularly. Check to make sure your printers, wireless access points, Bluetooth devices and monitors are protected. 6. Strong Passwords Are a Requirement

Make sure every one of your employees has a strong password on all of their devices that contain sensitive information—and this includes you as an owner. You should also put in place a policy to change passwords at regular intervals (quarterly at Theresa Jones the very least). Password vaults can be an amazing tool 1. Stop and Back Everything Up (and verify they to aid in securing passwords. Ensure all your employees are current) know the importance of constantly maintaining cyber security best Although everyone is under the impression “my stuff is in the cloud,” practices and have a set of clearly defined rules to follow. everything needs to be backed up. There needs to be at least two copies 7. Make Sure Your Vendors Are as Secure as You of your backups in two totally different places and not connected to Be wary of any customers or other businesses that may be granted your network at all. Depending on the nature of your business you access to any of your systems and ensure that they are following may even consider hard copies of certain records as well. similar practices to you. This also goes for subcontractors. It’s okay 2. VPNs for All of Your Devices to check and request they fill out due diligence documentation to Virtual Private Networks are important because internet connections aid in the cybersecurity protection of your company. can be eavesdropped easily by malicious cybercriminals. Whether 8. Nothing is FREE you are using wireless or wired connections, your data might be There are a lot of free options for anti-virus software and other visible to others who can access the network. This is even more true protection, some of which are quite reliable. Others aren’t as secure for mobile devices for mobile banking, logging into patient portals, and may even contain malware. Never cut costs with using free and quick investments via apps. tools, especially in regard to your cybersecurity. Good security 3. Physical & Virtual Firewalls software is always an excellent investment Placing a firewall on your network should be a top priority. 10. Keep Business & Personal Information on Separate There are lots of options for firewall software out there, including Devices physical hardware and virtual software. With technology evolving Where possible, avoid using the same device for your business as so fast there are a number of virtual solutions out that are cost you do in the home. Don’t store business information on a device effective to small business owners, so the investment cost should no you share with family, friends, housemates, etc. You never want the longer be a factor in not having one. dangers of having fun affect the company’s bottom line.

When protecting your business, always start with cyber liability insurance. Select the right policy to provide business interruption insurance if your internet goes out covering the missing revenue your business lost by the day.

4. Don’t Forget Physical Threats

While you may be wary of hackers trying to breach your network, don’t forget that your hardware can be stolen too. Educate all of your employees and make them aware of the importance of any 46 | WBECSOUTH.ORG

It is important to make sure all of these best practices are in place, especially with the increased level of remote working we have all started doing since COVID-19. WE

Building a brighter future Southern Company knows supplier diversity leads to opportunity. We believe in the power of local, small and diverse businesses to strengthen economic vibrancy.

Southerncompany.com/suppliers

UAB SMALL BUSINESS INCLUSION

It is the mission of the Department of Small Business Inclusion (SBI), as a unit within the UAB Facilities to increase participation of Diverse Business Enterprises in the procurement and construction process through education, advocacy, mentoring, relationship building, and other data driven initiatives.

Academic Small Business Alliance

Small Public Works

Campus Advocacy & Education

This program connects students with Diverse Business Enterprises to build employment and economic growth opportunities. We place students in internships that complement their skill sets and the needs of partnering businesses.

This initiative ensures local and small Diverse Business Enterprises receive fair opportunities to bid on smaller UAB projects. These projects are typically limited in scope, consist of interior renovations, and are $50,000 or less.

We educate students, be proactive in developing active partnerships between UAB and Diverse Business Enterprises. We understand when the local economy does well, its a win-win for UAB and local businesses.

Tamika Logan-Reynolds tamikalr@uab.edu 205.934.8040

Tony Ellis

tellis22@uab.edu 205.934.9349

CIRCULARECONOMY

Fueling Growth

Q&A WITH JESSICA A. FINDLEY, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, NEOWASTE

f you’ve been a participant or fan of the WBENC national pitch competitions, you’ve likely seen Jessica A. Findley, Co-Founder and CEO, Neowaste, deliver her compelling presentation that won her first place and $20,000 in July 2021. Headquartered in Pell City, Alabama, Neowaste converts mixed, contaminated plastic waste into diesel fuel. This isn’t the stuff of science fiction but is the world of chemical recycling. Neowaste uses Polycrack Technology that can convert one ton of plastic into 260 gallons of fuel and that has a real impact on the environment and bottom line. We sat down with Jessica to find out what’s been happening since her WBENC pitch win and ask what start-up advice she has for other WBEs.

Q: What has been going on with Neowaste since last year’s WBENC pitch competition win?

A: Where do I begin? The interest generated by our pitch competition win is always exciting. Since last year, we’ve had conversations with what feels like hundreds of municipalities and major corporations (mostly all WBENC corporate supporters) about processing various waste streams and integrating our conversion units into the companies’ actual operations, so no waste ever has to leave the facilities. We’ve expanded our processing capacity and hired a part time operator and are trying our best to strategically manage our growth so we don’t get too big too fast. We’ve also been receiving more and more sample materials from companies and municipalities from across the country to test in our pilot unit. We process these samples to (a) determine the materials’ viability as a feedstock for our conversion process and (b) to share data with the waste generators about the amount of fuel, gas and carbon we can produce from their respective waste streams.

The interest in our circular waste management solution has grown exponentially, and though we’re still working towards commercialization, every company we’ve spoken with seems to appreciate our methodical, scientific approach to scaling up. They’ve become some of our biggest champions while patiently waiting for us to increase capacity and start taking larger volumes of waste materials.

By Julie Lilliston

It’s been very exciting to garner so much support at this stage in our development. It keeps me motivated and reassured while also encouraging me to stay the course. The interest also confirms that we’re on the right track and reminds us that we were truly made for this market moment with all the increased focus and attention on sustainability and waste/ recycling initiatives. Since our WBENC pitch competition win last year, we’ve demonstrated our ability to process everything from household recyclables and electronics to shoes and jackets and even phone cases and packaging of all kinds (we also process waste fuels/lubricants). The majority of the material we’ve processed has been mixed, contaminated plastic waste from automotive manufacturers. We initially started Neowaste to address the growing waste disposal needs of Alabama’s automotive manufacturers, and we’re staying true to that original mission despite all the interest from alternative industries and regions.

Jessica A. Findley

Q: How were you able to put those grant dollars to use for the company?

A: The majority went towards upgrading our pilot unit and expanding our shredder and conveyor systems, but we also used some of the funds to hire part-time labor to help us manage the increase in activity. We probably should have put some funding aside WESOUTH SUMMER 2022 | 49

for expanding our facility—I hate to complain about running out of space for all the materials we’re bringing in, but we’re already beyond capacity and have a backlog of sample materials to process. Again, it’s a good problem to have, but not a position we want to be in for long. So, at least we know what we’ll use future grant funding for!

“I’ve found that we seem to have garnered more respect and more trust from corporations and municipalities by being completely transparent about where we are in our development and walking them through the process.”

Q: What are you tackling this year in your business?

A: Our main objective is to generate as much performance/operating data as possible by running our pilot unit. We’ve been processing different types and combinations of contaminated, hard-torecycle plastic waste into fuel samples that Sunoco LP then tests in the onsite labs at their fuel reclamation facility here in Birmingham, Alabama, to ensure the product meets certain specs.

We’re also in the process of designing a first of its kind unit that has the potential to be integrated into existing facilities and operations—whereby the waste generated on site is processed into energy products that can be used on site such that no waste or output products have to be transported outside the facility’s fence line—truly an integrated circular solution. The transportation component of waste management/recycling is most often the thing that keeps “green” initiatives like ours from being truly sustainable. Transporting waste and products around the country to achieve economies of scale will never be sustainable. By the time you’ve transported something more than 100 miles away, you’ve negated any carbonoffset you achieved from recycling in the first place! What’s more, transportation has always been the most expensive aspect of waste management. Focusing on smaller scale conversion units that can be integrated into existing operations, we’re working to tackle the transportation conundrum associated with most sustainability initiatives. We’re gearing this integrated solution toward automotive manufacturers, but we’re also adapting it to respond to interest from theme parks, cruise lines, airports, and other self50 | WBECSOUTH.ORG

contained entities that in many ways are like their own standalone cities. Q: Any advice you would give to a WBE in chemical recycling/waste to fuel technology? (Are there any others?)

A: Gosh…I’m not usually asked for advice because I’m so busy getting advice from everyone else. If I had to say one thing to someone working in this emerging sector, WBE or otherwise, I’d say that for me, it comes down to managing expectations and not saying yes to everyone right out of the gate. Chemical recycling/waste-to-fuel technologies have been around for decades, although they’re just beginning to really take hold and gain attention outside select circles. For most people, it’s a completely new concept and they get so excited about the prospect of a solution like this that they want to see it deployed and processing their waste the next day. But it’s not a one-sizefits-all solution and it requires deep collaboration with the waste generator and offtake partners to make it make sense economically. There’s a big gap between the technical ability to convert someone’s waste into fuel and the economic viability of scaling up to a commercial operation. I’m constantly educating people about this to help them understand why we can’t just start processing all their waste tomorrow. Lastly, it’s super hard not to jump 10 steps ahead when you see the revenue potential and opportunities for collaboration with major municipalities and well-known big-brand companies. I’ve found that we seem to have garnered more respect and more trust from corporations and municipalities by being completely transparent about where we are in our development and walking them through the process. I remind folks that we’re a small, bootstrapped entity and shy of a benevolent investor putting money down to build a bigger unit or more units. We have a strict course of action and key performance milestones we’re committed to achieving before scaling up again. Folks appreciate that we’re not promising the moon on day one and respect the fact that we’re honest and staying true to our original commercialization plan. By keeping them in the loop like this, they are eager and committed to staying alongside us and have even helped contribute to our solution along the way. Manage expectations and don’t over-promise. WE

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BREWSTER PROCUREMENT GROUP, INC. 401 West Main Street Lafayette, LA 70501 Phone 337-291-9009 - Fax 337-291-9010

www.brewsterprocurement.com Certified Woman Minority Business Enterprise since 1999

TRAILBLAZER

You Should Know:

APRIL INDEST, CEO, SOUTHERN TANK TESTERS, INC. By Julie Lilliston

BEC South serves certified WBEs across all industries including some traditionally dominated by men in our region such as oil and gas, construction, transportation, manufacturing and automotive. We’re proud to spotlight these WBEs in our newsletter WE South Monthly and here on the pages of WE South magazine. Read on to get to know April Indest, CEO and owner, Southern Tank Testers, Inc. and STT Services, LLC. Located in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, April Indest is the only woman in the state who currently holds both the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality Installation and Closure licenses. Q: How did you get started in this industry?

April Indest

A: My father started Southern Tank Testers, Inc. in 1988 at the onset of EPA regulation implementation on underground storage tanks. Southern Tank is an underground fuel storage tank compliance company. We test fuel systems for leaks and to keep them in compliance with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and EPA regulations.

My father passed away in 1998 and my mom, Charlene Indest Guidry, was left with the task of keeping the business going. In her words, ‘she went from social director to CEO overnight.’ She ran the business for 20 years and expanded it to include STT Services, LLC, fuel station construction and repair, and service of dispensers and point of sale systems. I started with STT in 2006, and worked in several positions including scheduling, accounting and management. My field experience comes from going to job sites and testing locations to further my knowledge of the underground storage tank 52 | WBECSOUTH.ORG

industry. In November 2021, I took the Underground Storage Tank Install/Repairs and Closure tests for the State of Louisiana. I initially took the test to see what my techs were up against and to be able to pull test information together. I honestly did not think I would pass this test as I know several staff members and industry friends who have failed the test either once or multiple times. I took the install/repair test, which is the hardest of the two tests, and by the grace of God passed it the first time. The same day, I took the tank closure test and passed it as well. There are a couple of women who have the closure certification, but none besides me, who hold both licenses. It was pretty intimidating going in to take this test with a room full of men, including three of my coworkers. I am pretty proud of this certification, as well as being a board member for LOMCSA and past committee chair and member of PEI Young Executives. Q: When did you become the owner? What is your role and related responsibilities?

A: I purchased Southern Tank Testers, Inc. and STT Services, LLC in 2021 from my mother, Charlene Indest Guidry. In 2018, Mom and I decided I would run operations, so I like to say nothing has changed, but that would be a lie. Several stressful items arose that I had not encountered before purchasing the business. I had a really tough time wrapping my head around “I own this place.” My attorney put it perfectly with the advice “you lose everything if this doesn’t work.” I then had an emotional meeting with all staff after reflecting on this statement. I told them this adventure was all about me taking a chance of them and what I knew we could accomplish together. I am blessed to have a very supportive

staff. We struggle together and we celebrate together. My success and profit is their success and profit. Q: How has the pandemic and recovery impacted your business?

A: The pandemic did not shut us down. Regulations still needed to be met and fuel stations still needed to be built and repaired. We were fortunate because most of the work is outside. We provide hand sanitizer and masks to employees and require them to wear masks when entering stores. Where the pandemic hurt us, and still hurts us, is in the availability of parts, manufacturer delays, and price increases. Items that normally take a couple of weeks to arrive are taking several months. As an example, tanks that would be manufactured and delivered in 10-12 weeks now takes eight months to one year for delivery. It is an ongoing struggle and we do not see an end in sight.

Q: How are STT Companies different from your competitors?

A: Southern Tank Testers, Inc. and STT Services, LLC are the only woman-owned and licensed fuel station vendors that provide storage tank installation, construction, repairs, regulatory compliance and service in the state of Louisiana. We have been in business for 33 years. Our relationship with our customers is paramount. We stay up to date on state and federal regulations and provide our customers with the latest and most current equipment in the fueling industry. Q: What’s next for STT Companies?

A: Under my leadership, we have turned the highest profit the business has seen since its inception. We have expanded our team in the past two years to meet customers’ needs. We plan to develop our employees with training and hope to add more construction crews and service techs. WE WESOUTH SUMMER 2022 | 53

Touching lives. Powering the future. At Entergy, the communities we serve are the communities we call home. That’s why we stay active and involved – because we know our responsibility reaches beyond the power grid. So, we invest in education and industry, while developing new solutions to power tomorrow. As a community, our successes fuel each other. entergy.com

We power life.®

NEXTLEVEL

WBENC Celebrates 25 Years!

ith 2022 as the 25th Anniversary of WBENC, we reflect on what has gotten us here and are simultaneously inspired to take WBE business innovation, leadership and growth to the next level. During the past 25 years, WBENC and the WBENC network have played a significant role in fueling the powerful force that is women’s entrepreneurship. The strides made during this time would also not have By Pamela been possible without the 14 Regional Partner Prince Eason, Organizations, the WBEs, our Corporate Members and supplier diversity programs, and President & many other advocates. CEO, WBENC It’s amazing to contemplate the progress that has been made. We are extremely proud and in awe of everything that WBEs and our Corporate Members, through their supplier diversity programs, have accomplished. Our WBEs shared with us that they are so proud that women’s entrepreneurship has become almost mainstream when 25 years ago, female business owners and CEOs were rarer. They also reflected that much of the accomplishments could not have occurred without the existence of a national network of

other WBEs and advocates that support and are invested in them. Right now, I am particularly proud of what everyone in the WBENC network has done during COVID-19 to work together, roll up our sleeves and get to work to survive, grow and thrive. Women-owned businesses are still working to survive—the effects of the pandemic are not over and won’t be for some time. Our WBEs continue to be optimistic. Many figured out how to pivot and grow in ways that they wouldn’t have otherwise, and that, in some ways, minimized the impact. What WBENC has put into place during COVID-19 will last. We intentionally created new programs and new ways of engaging with our WBEs and Corporate Members, particularly through new and evolved virtual education and development programs. I’m motivated every day by what our WBEs, working with our Corporate Members, are doing to disrupt long-standing norms and bring further innovation into every industry area. Innovation is a major focus for WBENC in 2022, and a critical focus for all of the industries represented by our Corporate Members. To continue to grow

WESOUTH SUMMER 2022 | 55

We have something for everyone who is passionate about helping to grow diverse, women-owned businesses and leaders for the beneﬁt of our economy and our communities. Pamela Prince Eason

a diverse supplier base, WBEs and other diverse suppliers need to know what industries are focused on innovation-wise. Our yearlong Innovate with WBENC series is facilitating knowledge, collaboration and education to spur on new innovation and opportunities. March featured the Innovate with WBENC | Discover series, where we heard insights from four of our Industry Advisory Boards: Healthcare, Chemical, Automotive and Professional & Technical Services. Leaders from the industry sectors presented key challenges and trends to help WBEs discover innovation, and shared foundational knowledge of their industry’s needs, priorities, and future direction. The innovation focus continues throughout the year, at our National Conference, June 7-9, 2022, in Atlanta, Ga., our ongoing education programming and opportunities, and at our November meeting, where select WBEs will have the opportunity to meet with Corporate Members to further the innovation discussion. Other important initiatives are around access to capital, which was already a limitation for WBEs before COVID-19 and continues now, as cash flow, reserves and the ability to obtain funding

56 | WBECSOUTH.ORG

are inadequate for women-led businesses. A number of Corporate Members, including many of the major banking institutions, are aggressively working on this issue, including with WBENC through our WBENC Lift Financial Center of Excellence. For all of these reasons and more, WBENC is as dedicated as ever to delivering exceptional virtual programs, engaging virtual events, and meeting back in person for our National Conference. We truly believe that this is just the beginning of how the WBENC Network is taking women’s entrepreneurship and supplier diversity to the next level as our network looks to the next 25 years. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the future. We invite all women-owned businesses to join us throughout 2022 to celebrate, network and engage with our bold network of WBEs, Corporate Members and Regional Partner Organizations. We have something for everyone who is passionate about helping to grow diverse, women-owned businesses and leaders for the benefit of our economy and our communities. Visit wbenc.org/events/25th-anniversary/ or click the QR code at right to join in! WE

WWW.WBENC.ORG/CONFERENCE

WBENC REGIONAL PARTNER ORGANIZATION MAP

CRUSHINGIT

Making WBE Connections That Count By Courtney Ballard, Supplier Diversity and Sustainability Manager, Ampirical

management. The waste management company we were using had stopped offering recycling services due to the recent effects of the hurricanes.

In early spring, I attended a WBEC South eople often ask, “What can I event intending to recruit qualified WBEs do to make the world a better to partner with Ampirical. That day, I met place?” This is the same question Sheila Craft, owner of ShredLink. Some Ampirical was asking once the new of the topics we discussed were paper year rolled around in 2021. Ampirical is an and cardboard recycling, can and water engineering, procurement, and construction bottle disposal, and e-waste. After speaking firm in the electric utility industry. We were with her for quite some time, we concluded simultaneously working on launching the new that ShredLink would be a tremendous asset to and improved sustainability strategy, Power-Ful Ampirical and could help us significantly improve Planet. I instantly began to research our prior efforts Courtney Ballard our recycling efforts. I left the event feeling hopeful that as a company and the environmental, social, and governance we would get Ampirical on the right track. I set out the following issues and concerns. Some of these efforts included reducing morning to have discussions with all owners and the facilities carbon emissions, water management, local spending, and waste manager. management. I had found that, just like many others have thought, we could do a better job in each of these areas, particularly waste After many months of overcoming hurdles and logistics talks, things were finally falling into place. We concluded our contract with the previous waste management company and started a relationship with ShredLink. We placed recycling bins throughout the common areas and purchased a can and water bottle compacting station. Although not in place for very long, Ampirical has seen a higher participation level from employees and guests, especially with the compacting station, as many find it fun to use. It is Ampirical’s desire to work closely with more diverse suppliers (MBE, WBE, VBE/SDVBE, LGBTBE, SBE, HUBZone) and locally owned businesses. These relationships are easier to facilitate with events like the one I attended last year, held by WBEC South. We find these connections to be some of the most rewarding, knowing that we can bring business to these companies while promoting their exposure. We are truly grateful for the effort put forth by WBENC and WBEC South in making this introduction, and those alike, both locally and nationally. If it had not been for WBEC South providing the opportunity for me to connect with Sheila, Ampirical would not be where we are today within our sustainability strategy while making the world a better place. If you are a WBE and would like to apply as a subcontractor or vendor, I would love to speak with you. Your company can submit an inquiry online at ampirical.com/about-ampirical/supplierdiversity-subcontracting/, or email supplierdiversity@ampirical. com to get started. I hope to hear from you soon! WE

58 | WBECSOUTH.ORG

2016-2020

USA

2022 Board of Directors E X E CUTIVE COMMITTEE

David Feldman CHAIR CHEVRON

Jan Cable

SECRETARY / TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY (TVA)

Ronda Brown Quarles

Scott Vowels

2ND VICE CHAIR NISSAN

1ST VICE-CHAIR APPLE

Susan Stentz

Phala K. Mire

CHAIR EMERITUS

PRESIDENT/CEO

Kya Moller TREASURER ENTERGY

Chuck Hendrix

AT LARGE, WBENC

DIRECTORS

SAFE HAVEN ENTERPRISES

Alta Baker

Bridget Carter

CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT

Donovan Casanave

Matt Green

Joan LaGrasse

Dawn Mason

Janice Migliore

Yvette Moten

Glenda Thomas

Pat Thomasson

IMAGEN

Nancy Swartout EXXONMOBIL

60 | WBECSOUTH.ORG

CORE CIVIC

SOUTHERN COMPANY

SHELL

PALCO

THOMASSON CO

TOYOTA

BP AMERICA

Deb Ward

TELEVERGENCE

Kathleen Hunt

PERSONALIZED PAYROLL SERVICES

Sharon Reynolds

DEVMAR PRODUCTS

Sue Watkins

TELECOM TRANSPORT SERVICES

2022

CHAMPIONS CIRCLE

L E AD E R SHIP

P L ATIN UM

GO LD

S ILVE R

B RO N ZE

WESOUTH SUMMER 2022 | 61

Staﬀ

Phala K. Mire PRESIDENT/CEO WBEC SOUTH

Vonesha Mitchell

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WBC SOUTH MEMPHIS

Katherine Garcia

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Alexis Brader

OFFICE MANAGER

Lance Mitchell

Tiffany Carter

DIRECTOR OF CERTIFICATION AND SOURCING

PROGRAM DIRECTOR ENTERPRISING WOMEN OF COLOR

Kelsey Cunningham

Mary Green

COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING COORDINATOR

ACCOUNTANT

62 | WBECSOUTH.ORG

DELTA SUPPORTS BUSINESSES & THE TEAMS THAT MAKE THEM WORK! Delta helps companies manage their most valuable asset, their employees… with staffing, HR, payroll, and benefit solutions, we support businesses and their teams.

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DIVERSE PEOPLE. D I V E R S E P L AC E S .

FOR ALL

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WE South - Summer 2022

Articles inside

Chevron

WBEC South’s Programs

Nissan

UAB

PALCO

Televergence

Phillips & Jordan