Women-Owned Business

KADDAS: My advice is that surrounding yourself with positive people who you can learn from is critical. Education is also important and you can get it in any form. And have a passion for what you are doing.

RICE: Be relevant. What I mean by that is understand the transient industry. Understand, like Kim said, to add value. Give yourself the key to unlock the chains we put on ourselves.

Having the education, not only your formal education if that works for you, but at the same time knowing truly where you are going and identifying where you add value, and then promoting that.

JACKETTA: I used to worry about passion. I used to think, “How can I have passion? I’m sweeping parking lots.” But I do enjoy the business aspect of it. And the way I have turned it into passion is I feel like I’m providing a good living. I pay my guys fairly well for their industry and I’m providing health insurance. I have a passion for helping my employees get things accomplished in their lives, as well as just the everyday challenges of running a business and problems that come up. And then the positives, too. When something goes really well or you have a new contract, those always make me feel good.

AKERS: I’d say join local groups. I have been the co-chair of the Cache Entrepreneurial Council and there are two women and about 40 men that come to that. But everybody has been incredibly supportive in helping me bounce ideas off them or actually having them as mentors, helping me find other people that help. Doing that has allowed me to serve in that way to help others. Starting a business, it’s really important to find your local connections.

RICE: I still think as women in business, we still have to kick, fight and scratch for what we have. We will always have to do that.