Nearly 200 people attended the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) annual luncheon July 11, which honored three women for their achievements as business owners and leaders in the community. Called Visionary Awards, the women that receive them are innovative inspirations to the next generation of women business owners.
The record number of attendees, a mixture of members and guests, were there to applaud the honorees and gain insight into what has made them successful.
This year’s honorees were Jamie Parman, president of the Parman Group Inc., Lisa M. Cini, founder and president of Mosaic Ltd., and Sandy Fekete, president and sole owner of Fekete & Co.
During the luncheon, each woman discussed her road to success and what it has taken to reach that level.
“I don’t have time for a vision. I’m too busy,” says Cini. “I just show up and move on to the next obligation.”
However, Cini notes that her hectic work pace, which she named “survival mode” might be considered extraordinary by others.
“I consider a vision as having the ability to focus on a path or direction,” she says.
And Cini’s company has become an integral part of commercial interior design in the area.
Fekete earned her stripes through the school of hard knocks.
“I started out as a corporate secretary,” she says.
She worked her way into the development of her own $4 million marketing communications firm.
“Despite the fact that I have no children, I compare growing a business with raising a child,” she says. “You want the best for your company to succeed.”
Jamie Parman says running her disability management services business can be a round-the-clock task.
“My job can go 24/7,” she says. “We don’t often stop and acknowledge our success. I am grateful to be appreciated by such a great organization.”
