We talked with three entrepreneurs about the changes and
challenges women face in male-dominated industries.
The panel: Cristi Cristich,
41, is CEO and founder of Cristek Interconnects Inc., a $15 million Anaheim,
California, company that makes connectors and cabling for medical
and military applications. Sheri L. Parrack, 53, is president and
CEO of Texas
Motor Transportation Consultants, a $5 million-plus
professional registration, tax and title service company in
Houston. Terrie Jones, 46, is CEO and owner of AGSI, a $16.5
million provider of IT technology resource solutions in
Atlanta.
Have women business owners "come a long
way"?
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Jones: In 22 years, I've
seen the business world evolve tremendously. [Women entrepreneurs]
are not a novelty anymore, and in the same way businessmen helped
their "fraternity brothers" in the past, they are more
willing to help women today. We've also changed our
expectations of girls. Parents, employers and our communities
expect girls to go to college and achieve. And now there are far
more female mentors and role models to support the female
entrepreneur.
"There are far
more female mentors and role models to support the female
entrepreneur."
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Cristich: Access to capital
and the acceptance of women in the workplace and as business owners
has improved dramatically over the past 15 years. While there are
still obstacles, most of them are not structural in nature, but
more the result of societal conditioning and old norms that just
haven't cycled through yet.
Parrack: In 2003, I find
that being female does nothing but help me to grow my business.
What was once a negative has become a positive.
Do you still face challenges due to gender issues?
Jones: My business partner
is a man. When I tell people he's my partner, they assume
we're married. At a professional event or a first meeting with
clients, people often direct their attention to him. We are both
very aware of this, and we've come up with a formula to clarify
our relationship and the fact that I am the one who's the
majority stockholder of the company.
Cristich: It is still
unusual for a woman my age to have the competencies and
accomplishments I have. I went into a presentation for a major
project knowing we would be viewed as a "lightweight"
company without the technical expertise to do the job. I overcame
this by anticipating it and including the substance needed to
demonstrate [our expertise]. This wasn't expected, because the
other bidders were just assumed to have [the substance], while I
was assumed not to. By putting it in, I not only demonstrated my
competence; I also demonstrated that [I had done] extra
preparation.
Any advice for women trying to succeed in male-dominated
industries?
Parrack: [You] must work
twice as hard and twice as long in order to be equal. There is no
way a woman is going to be successful in a male-dominated industry
unless she is very strong. Insensitive men in that industry will
break you down if you don't believe in what you are doing-and
show it!
Jones: Secure your funding.
Know your industry. You are the company. You are the person who is
most dedicated to the company, and there is no better investment
you can make than the investment in yourself.
Cristich: There is no field
where a woman who is qualified, smart and persistent cannot excel.
Whenever I run into an obstacle-gender-based or not-I see it as an
opportunity to become better at what I do. There are no unbreakable
glass ceilings.
Aliza Pilar Sherman (www.mediaegg.com) is an author, freelance
writer and speaker specializing in women's issues.