March is Women’s History Month

by Betsy Bekhemer-Credaire, President

Being a woman business owner for four decades kinda makes me a role model for women, and I’m proud to be one.

March is Women’s History Month, which causes me to take note of the many ways women business owners enjoy greater self esteem and wider circles of influence than if they worked for someone else.  There are ten million women business owners in the nation–large and small companies–and over one million are here in California–more than any other state in the nation.  It must be the entrepreneurial energy, pioneering spirit and the weather that fuels the women in our state to start and build companies.

For me, I started my first company–a public relations agency–after I had been a traveling public relations representative for Disney and NBC, and previously had been a writer at the daily newspaper in Ventura CA and wannabe TV reporter.  After being on the road doing publicity around the country for Disney, I came home to LA, but couldn’t find a job that would be a growth opportunity way back in the 70’s, so I started my own PR agency out of my apartment.  As more and more companies hired me to do PR, I rented my first office, and hired freelancers to work with me. Quickly they became full time employees, I added a partner, and we grew to become the largest independent agency in LA.  A Chicago-based firm acquired my PR firm, and after the five-year earn-out, I missed being an entrepreneur. So I launched a new company–this time a retained executive search firm with my business partner of 20 years now, Fred Clayton.  We find corporate communications, investor relations executives and board members for our client organizations.

I thoroughly enjoy my company, and am proud to be a woman business-owner.  I hope my story helps other women take the plunge.  It just takes the first step–you don’t have to grow a huge company in order to be successful, provide jobs, and create a happy workplace for yourself and your people  Just think about Women’s History Month too, and chart a new path for yourself as an entrepreneur.  Owning your own company means owning your own life.