Women Entrepreneurs

Mentor Program Client Reviews Year - Tina Dettman-Bielefeldt

Date
Thu, 2013-04-04 08:59

During the past year, this column has followed Gail Okray, a Green Bay Packer Mentor/Protégé program client who was mentored by Green Bay SCORE volunteers. As she reflects on the year, Okray, owner of Key Elements for Health, says her business is going in the right direction.“

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A New Dawn Natural Solutions, Inc.

Dawn Burnett Webb is a recognized leader, and founder of A New Dawn Natural Solutions, Inc. She provides natural health consulting to those who are frustrated with their current health situations and are ready to look to natural healing solutions. She first approached SCORE looking for pointers on differentiating her services from her competitors’ and finding new customers.

www.anewdawnnaturalsolutions.com

Owner/Founder
Dawn Burnett Webb
My Location
Orlando FL
United States
Year Company Formed
2007
My Successes

Dawn, shortly after meeting with Linda, was asked to appear on TBN Joy In Our Town and Praise The Lord. But her media appearances didn’t begin or end there. Dawn first started with a brief audience participation segment on the Dr. Oz show followed by an appearance on Orlando’s FOX 35. Dawn continued with local appearances when she produced and hosted the Night Of Life commercial which aired on channels 45 Good Life and 55 WACX TV. Her passion to pay it forward continued as she teamed up with The Whole Planet Foundation in providing them with recording artists to raise funds for micro loans assisting women in poverty with the opportunity to start up their own companies.

Passionate about positively impacting the world, Dawn teamed up with Jocelyn Buchanan who worked with Oprah for 10 years and was contracted with Motown and Death Row Records. With over 30 percent of America’s children being overweight or obese, Jocelyn and Dawn wanted to write a message that would appeal to both children and parents, encouraging them to take control of their lives in hopes of preventing them from becoming another statistic. Right Now nutrition song is currently under review by the White House, Childhood Obesity Awareness (Healthierkidshealthierfutures.org), Medifast and many others. Dawn received an invitation to Dr. Oz’s Healthcorps Gala and continues to pursue other prominent health organizations. Linda’s continued advice for Dawn is, to stay focused on her main purpose while pursuing quality leads and the rest will fall into place. Dawn’s focus is to positively impact the world through all of her current achievements and projects under the direction of A New Dawn Natural Solutions, Inc.

Her many achievements include honors graduate of Alternative Medicine from Everglades University, TV appearances including FOX 35 and TBN, TV commercial production and hosting for Night Of Life, Published Author of True Confessions of The Heart, Whole Planet Foundation affiliate in the support with providing recording artists for Micro credit to women in poverty, anchor writer for SIBYL magazine, Executive Co-Producer of Wake Up And Listen TV show, Co-Writer of Right Now nutrition song, and Regional Supplement manager for Richard Clement nutrition; providing supplement contracts with nutritional retailers.

Dawn has open product reviews with GNC, The Vitamin Shoppe, Whole Foods, and QVC. She is in the process of her book True Confessions Of The Heart proceeds partnership. Her TV show Wake Up And Listen is in the hands of two different networks for review and her “Right Now” Nutrition song is waiting contracts. I have no doubt that with all of her continuous work efforts, integrity and ethics that Dawn’s company will soar to new Heights in 2013. 

What's Great About My Mentor?

Dawn first approached SCORE on February 8, 2012, where she met with Linda Shaheen. Dawn was full of aspirations but the first thing Linda mentioned is that she needed to focus on one main thing for her business and let everything else be a branch from the main selection. Dawn started with website restructuring which helped to clearly define her company’s purpose. The next step she took was securing retail contracts for Dr. Clement’s Pro-Colos wellness formula. Dawn successfully secured a contract with Chamberlin’s/Akins natural market and the pro-colos is successfully stocked, sold and replenished today. Linda also suggested that Dawn pursue other mass retail markets such as QVC.

Dawn said, “Linda Shaheen is an amazing person to work with. She was direct, to the point and practices great listening skills. Linda knew exactly what I was trying to achieve and offered up some great suggestions on how to get there. Her out-of-the-box thinking with QVC was a brilliant suggestion and the lead I obtained through her recommendation will no doubt prosper over time. Linda understood that to build relationships that will grow strong takes time and that anything that is achieved overnight is a gift. She offers great follow up skills and I not only feel like I gained a great mentor but a lasting friend. Her expertise having served decades in Corporate America really shines through. I appreciate her knowledge, feedback and advice. When the accounts are finalized my area of gratitude will be deeply expressed to Linda. She is a major asset to SCORE!”

How SCORE Helped

When Dawn first came to SCORE she was struggling with standing out above the competition. She had many aspirations and although she was personally focused, her business steps in achieving her end goal were not. After several mentoring sessions, Dawn clearly defined her company’s purpose and did not waiver. Giving back to the community in the process, Dawn became passionate about building business relationships that would take A New Dawn Natural Solutions to a whole new level. Door after door began to open as she became clearer about her company’s end goal.

Living Life with Panache

Date
Wed, 2013-04-03 11:32

Before you notice the labels at Panache Vintage & Finer Consignment in Brighton, you may notice the hats.  Yet, the hats are more than decorations; they represent the incredible entrepreneur behind one of Rochester’s most unique and successful female owned boutiques: Joan Lincoln.

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Woman Goes Online to Help Businesses - Lusvardi, Churchill, Reid

Date
Tue, 2013-03-26 11:35

Elizabeth Hughes-Callison has used her work experience to start a Decatur-based business intended to help companies in need of assistance.  EHC Admin Services is able to provide administrative support for businesses, sales personnel and other busy people, Hughes-Callison said. Services include administrative bookkeeping, word processing, notarizing and accounts payable.

After taking the First Step FastTrac course offered by SCORE at Millikin University, Hughes-Callison decided her business plan was viable.

 

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Forging New Ground - Chris Cashman

Date
Thu, 2013-03-21 09:47

“Women are still forging new ground,” said Marianne Markowitz, regional administrator of the Small Business Administration.  Markowitz toured Direct Steel Thursday, a woman-owned general contractor, supply and construction firm at 3321 S. Route 31, Crystal Lake.

President Rosemary Swierk started the company in 2004.  “SCORE assigned me a retired general contractor as a mentor,” she said. “That relationship has been very beneficial.”

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NuSound Hearing Center

INTRODUCING A NEW TOPEKA BUSINESS AND ITS ENTREPRENEUR, BELINDA GONZALES.  NuSound Hearing Center has just celebrated its first year in business.  It is a family business with a Gonzales daughter, Marissa, as one of its two full-time employees.  Husband, Sam, serves as a business partner but is employed full-time as the Topeka Postmaster.  The Gonzales’ are 17 year Topeka residents.  Sam’s job as an area USPS manager brought them here from Amarillo with a few stops between.

A stay-at-home mom for many years, Belinda has since had a varied business background, including working for a local radio station but 8 years ago found her passion as a Hearing Instrument Specialist.  Working with hearing needs convinced her that providing better sound for others was her place in life.   Her greatest satisfaction is the ability to develop personal relationships with her customers.  As an entrepreneur her role is 24-7, but she nonetheless is able to break away from the office and concentrate on family and community to complete her full life.

 NuSound sells and services hearing aid products manufactured by a number of different suppliers.  It can thus tailor products to specific customer needs.  Belinda’s success is her ability to provide her customers with better sound for themselves, their families and friends.  Her radio background honed her advertising skills shown in her imaginative ads.

Owner/Founder
Blenda and Sam Gonzales
My Location
5950 SW 28th Street
Topeka 66614
United States
Employees
2
Year Company Formed
2012
How SCORE Helped

  As an attendee of the SCORE Roundtable, Belinda’s needs of SCORE were minimal because of her confidence and experience.  She nonetheless compliments one of SCORE’s volunteers for continually passing on advertising tips and tidbits that have been of help.  Find NuSound at www.nusoundhearing.com.

Education

Belinda has had a varied business background, including working for a local radio station but 8 years ago found her passion as a Hearing Instrument Specialist.

Oak Parker Works to Launch Liqueur Business - Meredith Morris

Date
Tue, 2013-03-19 10:07

The perfect way to end a lovely meal will be with a glass of Creme Di Melicello, if Oak Park entrepreneur Melissa Reynolds has her way.  Reynolds, 43, a grade school teacher and graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute culinary school in New York City, invested a year in tinkering with recipes for the traditional Italian digestif Crema De Limoncello. Now she is launching her own business, adding her name — Melicello for Melissa — to signify her personal taste twist.

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How To Articles
Published Mar. 17, 2013 application/pdf icon

 

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for downsized and I accepted an attractive buyout package. Now I’d like to start my own 
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About the Author

 

This column is brought to you by the Merrimack Valley Chapter of SCORE, with nearly 
70 current and former business executives available to provide free, confidential, one-on-one 
business mentoring and training workshops for area businesses. Call 603-666-7561 or visit 
merrimackvalley.score.org for information on mentoring, upcoming workshops and volunteer 
opportunities. SCORE is a national, non-profit organization and a resource partner of the U. S. 
Small Business Administration.

Vintage Surcees Offers Unique, Classic Looks and Handmade Gifts - Ettie Newlands

Date
Mon, 2013-03-11 11:02

Surcees is a distinctly Southern word that means “wonderful surprise.”  And that’s exactly what Surcees Vintage Clothing and Handmade Gifts in Surfside Beach is.  Owner Erin Adams says the vintage clothes “have lived and loved” and now need to be passed on to the next person who’ll treasure them.

Her natural gift for merchandising and marketing helps. So does the SCORE workshop she took to hone those skills.

 

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Peg’s Salt Has Savory Prospects - Kathy Johnson

Date
Mon, 2013-03-11 10:16

Cass Cannon is an entrepreneur. She’s followed her heart—plus gone into a lot of research and training—to start her own new business, “Peg’s Salt.”

She learned about what she was getting into before jumping off the new business cliff. “A year ago I went to SCORE,” a nonprofit association of volunteer business counselors throughout the U.S. with offices in Waynesboro and Charlottesville. Then she filled out the incorporation papers online. “Doing Peg’s Salt was like a no brainer,” Cannon said.

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