WBOA: 25 years strong

By Nina Berman When Katharine Graham's husband died, the family business that her father passed on to her husband was now in Graham's hands and she was not prepared. In her autobiography, she said "What I essentially did was to put one foot in front of the other, shut my eyes and step off the ledge." Graham's description of her precipitous start as publisher of The Washington Post resonates with many business owners who, at one time or another, have felt they were doing the same. This is particularly true with small-business owners who wear so many hats, many not in their areas of interest or expertise. The juggling of hats is a lonely job and one of the downfalls of "being your own boss." Twenty-five years ago, the same year Alexander "I'm in Charge" Haig resigned as Secretary of State, and two years before the term Glass Ceiling was coined, a group of women felt the impact of the juggling-of-hats syndrome and saw the need to form an organization to support women business owners in the Pioneer Valley. As luck would have it, the first meeting for the Women Business Owners Alliance of the Pioneer Valley Inc. (WBOA) landed on the day after a January snowstorm in 1982. When women showed up for the meeting, the founders knew they were on to something important. "For many of us, WBOA represented a safe haven; a place to discuss the challenges we faced as business owners and to try ideas without being judged," says Barbara Foster, a founding member. "It was a catalyst for professional and personal growth." According to the Center for Women's Business Research, women and men business owners have different management styles. Women emphasize relationship building as well as gathering facts, are more likely to consult with others, including experts, employees and fellow business owners, and may take more time to make decisions. Intuitively, the founders built the organization encompassing these needs. They knew what they wanted but there was nothing around to fill that void. They were their own best research subjects and built an organization of friends, mentors, colleagues, experts and business contacts to achieve and maintain successful businesses. Twenty-five years later, the organization is still strong and growing. WBOA is a support structure for its members. Members, which now include allied women professionals, seek advice, share experiences, mentor fellow members and provide referrals. They listen to guest speakers, join in community events and outreach and share ideas and concerns with others who have similar interests and goals. Membership fees are affordable so that price does not become an issue. Monthly newsletters and WBOA.org keep communications flowing. The opportunity to take on leadership positions on the board and to be awarded Woman of the Year and Outstanding New Member are also part of the benefits of joining. Because WBOA was established during a time where there were not many organizations catering to women business owners, the organization was built as a well-rounded, multi-faceted organization instead of a single focus organization. It was built to meet the growing needs of women business owners and to address changes as they occur. "When one of our founding members, Cheryl Reed, owner of Cheryl Reed Travel, died much too early in her life, we honored her leadership by establishing the Cheryl Reed Memorial Loan Fund," says Renate Oliver, another founding member. The loan fund allows members to take out small, low-interest loans. This year, in celebration of the WBOA's 25th anniversary, the organization is reaching out to a broader community. It has put in place a special membership drive that will reward new and referring members with the opportunity to win a one-week stay in one of two vacation properties in Cozumel, Mexico, courtesy of WBOA members Jodi Quinn and Shirley Simolari. The organization has also invited internationally known stress management consultant and humorist Loretta LaRoche to speak at a luncheon on May 10, open to the public, at the MassMutual Center. The goal is to celebrate the 25th year with laughter and philanthropy by filling the seats with 1,800 business owners and guests, and then giving away several $1,000 grants to non-profits in the Pioneer Valley. The opportunity to determine which local non-profits get the grants will be given to guests who are randomly selected with the help of Loretta LaRoche. For WBOA's 100 plus members, putting one foot in front of the other, closing ones eyes and walking into a WBOA meeting is a much better option than stepping off the ledge.