Announcing the 2020 SOE Winners
Arts & Entertainment
FINALISTS
Gail Hansen
SOhO Restaurant & Music Club
Erika Martin del Campo
ME Sabor Dance Studio
Teresa Kuskey Nowak
La Boheme Professional Dance Group
WINNER'S QUOTE
"The best advice I could give someone that is starting their own business is to surround yourself with a community of encouragement and knowledge. My secret weapon has been my partner. He encourages me to take those scary leaps while being a small business owner. I think it's important, and even crucial, to have a community that reminds you that you can do it, especially in overwhelming moments. Create your own cheerleading team!"
Green & Social Entrepreneurship
FINALISTS
Catalina Esteves
Cat Therapy
Jessica Simon Baggarly
Tinkle Belle Diaper Service
Michelle Stevens
The Refill Shoppe
WINNER'S QUOTE
"Never stop learning. Think deeply, often. Take time to create. Be true to yourself."
Health & Wellness
FINALISTS
Karen Atlas
Atlas Rehabilitation for Canines
Melodee Meyer
Martial Arts Family Fitness
Cynthia Torres
New Dawn Counseling and Consulting
WINNER'S QUOTE
"To keep start-up costs low, you need to be a 'Jill-of-all-trades' and do a lot of things yourself...BUT, it is important to find balance to ensure your strengths and talents are being properly leveraged. Surround yourself with a support staff who share your vision and believe in you and the cause."
Hospitality & Tourism
FINALISTS
Charlotte Andersen
The Andersen's Danish Bakery & Restaurant
Nicole Dailey
HEAT Culinary
Elubia Orozco
Elubia's Kitchen
WINNER'S QUOTE
"Make sure you have time for yourself and don't sacrifice your whys."
Media & Communications
FINALISTS
Denise Bean-White
Consortium Media
Emily Solomon
The Food Marketer
Jeanne Spencer
Idea Engineering
WINNER'S QUOTE
"In marketing, clearly learn the mix of media and creative that will speak to all your customers and public. Persevere, understand why what you do will effectively help others and never stop helping your fellow entrepreneurs."
Nonprofit
FINALISTS
Kate Carter
LifeChronicles, Inc.
Sue Eisaguirre
NatureTrack Foundation
Victoria Strong
Gwendolyn Strong Foundation
WINNER'S QUOTE
"Host a fundraiser before you start a nonprofit. If you can't ask for money or don't enjoy the process involved in creating a funding source, it's not going to feel good. Also, be authentic and listen to your instincts. So much of what we did was not the traditional nonprofit way and yet because it was authentic it worked well."
Professional Services
FINALISTS
Brenda M. Allison
Coast General Insurance
Courtney DeSoto
Channel Islands Fiduciary Group
Melissa Sayer
Matilija Law, Inc.
WINNER'S QUOTE
"Plan your work, and work your plan. Research as many elements of the business as possible and seek out thought mentors and leaders who can help you anticipate any challenges that might arise and manage realistic expectations. Look to women’s business organizations, like NAWBO and Women’s Economic Ventures, and take advantage of resources offered by these organizations. Write a business plan so that you have a living, breathing document that can become your guide. And, finally, sometimes you just have to close your eyes and jump."
Retail
FINALISTS
Roxanne Barbieri
Roxanne’s, A Wish and A Dream
Sarah Lockwood
College Outside
Leslie Person Ryan
Letter Perfect's Ink Design & Nature
WINNER'S QUOTE
"Prepare for all aspects of your business. Write a good business plan. Get organized. Get help where you can. Keep your goals in mind. Some things will go wrong, roll with it. Always do what is right, not what is easy."
Science & Technology
FINALISTS
Jenna Berg
JobAps, Inc.
Courtney Lane
Anacapa Clinical Research Inc.
Martha Townsend
Market Ready Rx, Inc.
WINNER'S QUOTE
"Don't let fear drive your decisions. Believe that no single event will be the end of your business. Turn unfortunate events into opportunities to learn and to make changes and occasionally even win back a customer. Don't believe it is over until it is."
Wholesale, Manufacturing & Online Retail
FINALISTS
Hannah Duncan
Well Products
Kelley D'Angelo
Lark Ellen Farm
Kerry Mellin
Mellin Works LLC DBA EazyHold
WINNER'S QUOTE
"I am leery of giving advice as the journey is a personal one for each person. If I had taken the advice of people of around me, when I first started out, I would have never embarked on this journey. In my opinion, the most important thing is to soul search as to how you want to spend your life, what is important to you, and to build your end game around that. If you want to work tirelessly to build something amazing, be on the cover of O magazine or change the world then set your sites on that but if you want a balanced life with more time with your kids then ensure that your end game matches that. It is easy to let the ego drive you but at the end of the day you must ask yourself "what makes me happy?" "How do I want to spend my time on this earth?". Being honest with yourself about the answers to these seemingly simple questions is the best advice I can give. There is no right or wrong answer only what is right for you."
Rock Star: Lifetime Achievement Award
Lynne Tahmisian
La Arcada Investment Corporation
Thank You to Our 2020 Sponsors
