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WomenIn Business
2014
San Marcos Daily ecordr
WOMEN IN BUSINESS • San Marcos, TX • Sunday, September 28, 2014Page 2 •
Published every Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at 1910 I 35 South, San Marcos, Texas 78666. Combined with the Hays County Citizen on July 6, 1978. Entered as second class matter May 10, 1973 at the Post Office in San Marcos. Member Texas Daily Press Associa-
tion and The Associated Press.
DON MOORE - Publisher/[email protected]
(512) 392-2458 ext. 225DAVID SHORT - Executive Editor
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(512) 392-2458 ext. 226
KAREN GEORGE - Circulation [email protected]
(512) 392-2458 ext. 248RIGO VARGAS - Pressman
(512) 392-2458 ext. 236ANITA MILLER - News Editor
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Copyright 2014. All rights reserved. All Property of San Marcos Daily Record no part hereof may be reproduced
without prior written consent.POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to San Marcos Daily Record, PO Box 1109, San Marcos TX
78667-1109.ISSN 1079-0357
San Marcos Daily ecordr
Table of ContentsFrost Bank — 3 Stitches & Such — 4PakMail — 4Barn House — 4Embassy Suites Spa Botanica — 4Hays County Bar-B-Que — 5Regent Care — 6CTMC — 6The Floral Studio — 7TSO — 7Hawkins Personnel Group — 8N&S Domestics — 8Brenda Damron — 9Guaranteed Appliances — 9Second to None — 10San Marcos Chamber — 11Dr. Angela Morgan — 12Quick Facts — 14Rhea’s Ice Cream — 15
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WE SALUTE OUR WOMEN IN BUSINESS
221 Wonder World Dr.231 N. Guadalupe St.
1011 Highway 80
San Marcos, TX • 512.393.5600
WOMEN IN BUSINESS • San Marcos, TX • Sunday, September 28, 2014 • Page 3
Lacie Orsak, Monnie Walker and Carol Camarillo are three of the women who make Frost Bank the success that it is in San Marcos.
And each are bound by a common theme of “hard work and determination” as the reason for success in their personal careers in banking.
“Watching, asking questions and absorbing information from long term bankers,” Orsak said about her growth in the business. “It is also important to listen and build relationships with co-workers and customers.”
Camarillo finds importance in the team aspect too.
“Always be accountable for your actions and those of your team. You cannot be afraid to get things wrong, you must own a mistake to learn from it,” Camarillo said. “I’d also say, it’s important to focus your attentions where you have influence, you cannot waste time worrying about a problem or issue over which you have no control or input. Instead spend your time on where you know you can make a
difference.”Walker added that it is important to re-
member that banking is a service oriented business.
“Being in a service business we must remember to always be inviting and re-member the customer is first and respect-ing the privacy of the information they share with us as professionals at Frost,” Walker said.
As for her advice to other women seek-ing business careers, Walker said “Ded-ication, honesty, consistency and asking for what you want and don’t be afraid to discuss issues with your superiors as they
will appreciate your interest in the organi-zation and possibilities for improvement.”
Orsak tells future women business leaders “ask questions, be confident when speaking to others and become involved.”
Gaining perspective from what others see, Camarillo also finds inspiration from her granddaughter.
“I’m inspired by my granddaughter! Seeing the world through the eyes of a child again is very refreshing! And it’s motivating to me personally to know that the roads I’ve traveled will one day benefit her as she begins her own career,” Camarillo said.
Each of these successful Frost Bank women finds their job rewarding.
“In addition to helping customers on a daily basis, the most rewarding part of my job is closing a loan,” Orsak said. “Many times, closing a loan not only helps the customer, but it also helps our commu-nity.”
Camarillo finds it rewarding to develop talent at Frost.
“We have employees who are just beginning their career. It’s a pleasure to
Lacie Orsak, Monnie Walker, Carol CamarilloFrost Bank
Carol Camarillo Monnie Walker Lacie Orsak
•••see frost bank
page 15
WOMEN IN BUSINESS • San Marcos, TX • Sunday, September 28, 2014Page 4 •
Poleste Thompson is a native of San Marcos and treasures the loyalty of her clients, some of whom have been with her for more than 20 years.
“I learned the business at a very early age from my grandmother, Minnie Mae Howard. And I followed the advice of my mom who taught me to never give up, that you can do anything,” Thomp-son said.
“Right now my goal is to continue to grow the revenue flow of Spa Botanica and to work for JQH assisting their oth-er spas and salons throughout the United States. I would love the opportunity to fly and train others.
“Owning a business requires the ability to grow clientele. I worked hard to gain trust which in turn created a strong bond of loyalty,” Thompson continued when talking about what it takes in this busi-ness climate to succeed.
For Thompson, one of the greatest benefits in her job is the satisfaction she gets from helping clients to feel better in a stressful world.
“I am in this profession because of my desire to make people feel good. I want them to feel relaxed and rejuvenated. Seeing my clients smile is every bit of my reward,” Thompson said.
Thompson worked at Spa Botanica for four years before the opportunity arose to take over management of it and for JQH that decision has paid off well.
“We have improved our revenue,” Thompson said. “And I’m especially proud of the team I have put together. I encourage everyone to come by, share the experience of our unique service and hospitality.”
Even casual visitors have remarked how relaxing and stress reliving just sitting in the waiting room is at Spa Botanica.
Poleste ThompsonEmbassy Suites Spa Botanica
From left are Berenice Campos, Maraya Dunn, Monica Castillo, Greta Crane and Poleste Thompson.
For 11 years PakMail has followed the philosophy of “having a servant’s heart” in their approach to fulfilling customers needs.
“We put hard work, determination and prayer into what we believed was God’s mission field for us,” Judy Johnson said. “We are truly blessed to have such a wonderful community that continuously
supports local businesses such as ours.”“The most rewarding part of our job
is seeing and hearing the stories that our friends, aka customers, tell us about what they are shipping or how much the recip-ient loved what we shipped or just letting us know we made a difference and how much they appreciate whatever it was we did.”
As an organizational consultant, executive coach, entrepreneur, corporate executive, speaker, and author, I have worked in companies, non-profits, en-trepreneurial start- ups, and run my own business for over 25 years. I have built an exciting and purposeful career and I know one thing for sure. I did not do it by my-self. Every step of the way I had coaches, mentors, colleagues, and girlfriends to
help keep me inspired, committed and moving forward. The Mastermind Col-laborative gives you the experience of the power of intention and focus to take your business to the next level in an intimate custom coaching group, led by the best - one who’s been there. Call me. I’d love to hear your story, your aspirations, and see if a Mastermind Collaborative is right for you, too.
Judy JohnsonPakMail
Dr. Eileen S. Morgan, Ph.D.Barn House
Central Texas Medical Center (CTMC) is gearing up for its annual “Think Pink” activities in October, which is nationally recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
On October 2, CTMC will host a grand opening event for its newest service line – the Women’s Center for Breast Health. The event will kick off at 6 p.m. on the patio next to the hospi-tal’s main entrance.
The new center is a collaborative effort that combines diagnostic imag-ing, surgical services and reconstruction
in one convenient location. The center will be the first-of-its-kind “one stop shop” for women’s breast care between Austin and San Antonio and will offer easy access and extended hours.
“Because a prompt diagnosis is key for winning the fight against breast cancer, we want to provide a more convenient opportunity for women to get their yearly mammograms,” said CTMC Director of Women’s Services Margie Lieck.
Visit ctmc.org for a complete list of the 2014 “Think Pink” activities.
CTMC’s new Women’s Center for Breast Health will provide a ‘one stop shop’ for breast care
Editor’s note: This is an updated ver-sion of an article printed in Discover magazine in 2013.
Andrea Acosta is a great example of a person who wouldn’t give up on a dream. She followed her heart and pas-sion, without giving up even when the window of opportunity was closing fast.
And because she didn’t take the easy way out and give up, she succeeded. Not only achieving her dream but setting an example to others of the old saying by William Edward Hickson, ‘If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again.’
Acosta did just that and now is a proud member of the San Marcos Fire Department.
“I tried sitting behind a desk. My mom wanted me to be in an office environment, but I realized I couldn’t stay confined to one area,” Acosta said. “I just love helping people, being out and being involved, understanding what people are going through. I wanted to make a difference in someone’s life and as firefighters we are there when they need someone. We’re here to serve you. That is the oath we took.”
An athlete in junior high and high school, the San Marcos native went to a job fair in Austin in the early 9-’s after graduation and happened to stumble upon booths for the Austin police and fire departments.
“I looked at the police department, but quickly realized that wasn’t for me,” Acosta said. “And I began thinking about the fire department, what it had to offer and how it tapped into my goals.”
For the next few years, Acosta pursued her dream, taking multiple tests—both written and physical-- at various fire departments around the area including San Marcos three times.
“There were a lot of obstacles. But I have a deep faith in God and I knew what was in my heart,” she said. “For one, I’m not a good test taker because I tend to second guess myself too much on testing.”
Add to that the fact that fire depart-ments traditionally have not been a career path for women, Acosta had her work cut out for her.
During this time she began working in the Hays County Sheriff’s office, first
in criminal investigations and then in DWI’s, getting paperwork ready for cases. From there she moved to the city of San Marcos and the Planning Department working with Geograph-ical Information Systems (GIS) before going to the city of Lockhart in the same capacity.
Finally, just before she would “age out” on even getting to apply again. Acosta got in at the San Marcos Fire Depart-ment in 2005.
Her dream realized, Acosta has pro-gressed through the ranks and is now a captain in the SMFD.
“Whatever is in my future, that’s in God’s hands. It was just a dream at one point, but now it’s a reality,” Acosta said.
Her day, like that of other firefighters, starts very early on shift days.
“I get up at 5 a.m. and get to the station about 6:15 to 6:20. Out check-
in is at 7 a.m. First thing we start with a truck checkout, making sure equipment is ready and the truck is full of water. Usually there is discussion about a safety topic and then we train on different skill sets,” Acosta said, pointing out that fire-fighters must be able to get fully geared up in two minutes from the time a call comes in.
And sometimes the training becomes all too real.
“I remember back in ‘05, we were training near Salt Grass (steakhouse). It was a swift water rescue tech course and a group of us went in near the caverns. I lost my grip and the full force of the falls grabbed my PFD (personal flotation device) pulling me down. Captain Jay Horton lunged, grabbed my PFD and we were both taken by force, pushed way down,” Acosta said.
“It just got darker and darker. Jay
pulled with all his force. I thought for sure I wasn’t going to make it. I knew I could either give up or fight back. Jay, he never let go, just kept pulling, risking his life to save mine. We finally popped up down stream. God works in mysterious ways. I’ll always be grateful to Jay, he’s a remarkable firefighter and I learned a lot that day.”
Acosta, like all firefighters, also has had her days when she became that “right person at the right place and time.”
“I was at Station 3 in 2012 when the call came in on the structural collapse at Thermon. The people working on site were Mexican nationals and didn’t understand English. One of their coworkers, tragically, suffered fatal injuries. During the time our units were
WOMEN IN BUSINESS • San Marcos, TX • Sunday, September 28, 2014 • Page 5
Making a dream a reality
Preparing lunch for the crew are Engineer Greg Sherrill (a top chef outside the station) and Captain Andrea Acosta. San Marcos firefighters, who work 24 hour shifts, purchase and cook their own meals during shifts.
•••
david shortexecutive editor
•••
•••see acosta
page 12
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WOMEN IN BUSINESS • San Marcos, TX • Sunday, September 28, 2014Page 6 •
Gina Ryan is proud of her team at Regent Care Center and wasn’t surprised at all when their rehab department was named “Best Rehab Center in Hays County” this year.
“We help families cope when tragedies occur in their lives,” Ryan said. “I have a great staff of compassionate individuals working with me here in this facility and every day we make a difference in someone’s life. What can be more rewarding than that?”
Ryan, a licensed Nursing Home administrator, gained much of her leadership experience while serving in the U.S. Army for six years as a supply sergeant.
“I loved my time in the military but when I be-came a single parent of two small children I made the decision to return to civilian life.”
Even then, life wasn’t always easy but she had a clear goal in mind.
“I drove two and a half hours one way five times a week just to complete my degree while also working full time and with two kids in high school. I also did a one year long internship, with no pay. Like many other women, I faced several hardships including the fact that many still did not think women belonged in leadership roles. But
the best advice I ever received was from my First Sergeant in the Army. He told me that you have to do what you love to be successful.”
“With the help of the GI Bill I was able to attend college and work in the Alabama State Employment office under a Veterans Work Study Program,” Ryan said. “The contacts I made work-ing in the State Employment office helped me find my first job in Elder Care and I worked for HUD Housing and Urban Development as a Service Coordinator where my job was to assist senior cit-izens to be better able to ‘Age in Place’ and stay in their homes as long as possible. In that job I found that I had a passion for working with the elderly and assisting the through this stage of life.”
As for her future career goals, Ryan sees herself in five years working in a more regional role, “helping others learn how to become great administrators.”
“I am inspired everyday by the work my team does. It’s amazing watching them interact, change someone’s life and to see them grow in both their personal and professional lives. This can be a very stressful job and knowing how to keep your life balanced is hugely important. I try to set aside time every day, to just not think, to sit, walk the dog, just take time to allow myself to regroup.”
Gina RyanRegent Care
Like many of today’s success-ful businesses, Stitches & Such had to endure a rough econo-my when they first opened in 2009.
“Through perseverance, deter-mination, hard work and a lot of prayer we made it through the first three years,” Pam Dal-try said. “At that time, we were bursting at the seams and in desperate need for more space. An opportunity arose, we expanded, moved locations and our business really blossomed.”
Daltry compares owning your own business to being “married to your business.”
“You had to be prepared to handle difficult situations. Be strong, stern and determined, yet polite, kind and willing to learn. Sometimes in the wee hours of the morning, when we have been working all night trying to get orders out, it can
be tempting to rush through and just get things completed, maybe without putting forth 100 percent effort,” Daltry said.
“Our faith and teachings from God’s word keep us grounded and on track. We always try to remember to be good stewards of the talents and opportunities God has giv-en us, like it says in Colossians 3:23 ‘Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”
Daltry also believes in treat-ing employees right and taking care of them.
“Usually after a long fall or Christmas season or special event, we will take our employ-ees for pedicures, massages or manicures together. Working with our hands on detailed custom designs daily results in tight muscles and stressful situations,” Daltry said.
Pam DaltryStitches & Such
(512) 392-4656thefloralstudio.netThank you
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Clearly Classy Events is proud to offer our unique and professional planning services to corporate clients who want to make a superior impression at their upcoming functions. Trade shows, product launches, team building events, and holiday parties all fall into our area of expertise. Clearly Classy Events is happy to supply the knowledge to create a world-class corporate event for our clients! Packages start at $1500 for corporate events.
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WOMEN IN BUSINESS • San Marcos, TX • Sunday, September 28, 2014 • Page 7
“(I got where I am today after) a lot of hard work and determination. I was raised with the mindset to never settle and that anything was possible,” said Johnell Huebner of Clearly Classy Events. “Over the years I have been faced with many obstacles but I was determined to never take no for an answer.”
Growing up in Paris, Texas, Huebner moved away when she chose Texas Tech University as her college and because her family couldn’t afford to send her, it was up to her to work her way through school.
“After college I wanted to start a company, with very little knowledge of how to actually achieve that, I looked for guidance among the Internet, the com-munity and industry leaders to help me.”
Huebner started her business but the timing was less than perfect as the econ-omy “was crashing so I had to weather the storm to bring my company through the hardships and stay the course until it passed.”
And the best advice she ever received?“One thing that does stand out comes
from my father-in-law. I had planned an event for my mother-in-law’s 50th birth-day and he offered to pay me for my services. I told him that wasn’t necessary. He said, ‘No, I am paying you because I want you to see that you can make mon-ey doing what you do, because you are great at it.’ That has always stuck with me, I have always loved planning events and have done it since I was little, but I never really looked at is as a business opportunity until he said that to me.”
As for her advice to other women starting businesses, Huebner said “the biggest piece of advice I could offer is to let them know it is OK to accept help. So many times women want to do it all themselves because we know we can. But the world of business is so much easier when you take the advice and help of the people around you. I have had so many individuals advise me on marketing, financial matters, operational stuff and the list goes on.”
Having won “Best in Hays” four years in a row, The Floral Studio appears to have had an easy road to success but in reality owner Maxine Schaffer had to overcome some major obstacles to achieve it.
“I didn’t realize until later that I was purchasing a business with a poor rep-utation, to say the least, and it what it would take to turn that around,” Schaf-fer said. “Flowers are tied to emotions. You are giving gifts which touch the hearts, they are part of the most joy-ous occasions and some of the saddest occasions which marks ones life. People have to trust you to do a beautiful job. So it took time and effort to gain that trust back. I make sure I carry very high quality products, do the best that we can to deliver something worthy for the occasion, each and every time.”
“It took lots of hard work, getting my name and face out into the business community, belonging to a wonderful networking group, BNI, where there are other small business owners who want
to help and give moral support.”Schaffer also recognizes that there is a
major difference between working for a company and being the owner.
“A business is different from a job. Similar to having a baby, you don’t neglect it, you are still thinking about it, even if your are hundreds of miles away,” Schaffer said. “Before starting out look at how you handle mistakes. Realize we all make mistakes but it is how we take care of them that could be the difference between success and failure in our business. Take ownership of any errors, analyze what went wrong, figure out how to fix it, how to make sure it never happens again and then grow from it.”
As to what inspires Schaffer in her daily work life, she says the Bible.
“It is a great touch stone to see where you can improve in your life. It’s my self help book filled with wisdom and guid-
Johnell HuebnerClearly Classy Events, TSO
Maxine SchafferThe Floral Studio
•••see floral studio
page 15
102 Wonder World Dr.Suite 304San Marcos, Texas 78666
We are PakMail of San Marcos, the shipping experts. We offer you exceptional customer service and expert advice when shipping or packaging your precious items. We also offer you choices: UPS, FEDEX,USPS & DHL.We ship anything, anywhere.
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How many teenagers go to work at a bank, thinking one daythey may be bank president?
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And most important, I’ve learned to take time to enjoy relationships created along the way. From family to colleagues, they make the journey worthwhile.
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WOMEN IN BUSINESS • San Marcos, TX • Sunday, September 28, 2014Page 8 •
Elizabeth Hawkins of Hawkins Personnel Group is among those who place value on starting at the bottom to really know your business and thus become successful.
“Be honest, dedicated and sincere. Success does not happen overnight. To truly master your profession you have to learn every aspect of the business so it is important to start at the bottom and work your way up,” Hawkins said.
“By becoming an extension of our client’s human resources department, we are able to partner with their company to help it grow. We got our start by endless days of cold calling door to door sales. It’s about relation-ship building, people want to build a
relationship with someone that they can work with on a daily basis, in person, long term. Together we work to find a solution to recruit and staff top candidates that will contribute to the company’s success.”
Hawkins finds her work quite re-warding.
“Employing people and helping them search for a new career,” Haw-kins said. “Also getting a call from my clients to hear that they are promot-ing an employee or taking them on permanent. It’s nice to know I made a difference in someone’s life.”
As for the future, Hawkins hopes to expand their offices into new markets and offering additional services to their client base.
Elizabeth HawkinsHawkins Personnel Group
Sylvia GalloN&S Domestics
Sylvia Gallo attributes her success to her mother who “believed in me and allowed me to have the first yard sale in my area.”
With a dedication to helping others, Gallo started N&S Domestics four years ago on a volunteer basis, assisting elderly clients with their everyday needs and challenges.
“Family and friends were constantly asking for my assistance with organizing and de-cluttering their homes. I saw the need for this type of work and skills so I launched N&S Domestics with the en-couragement of my longtime friend Nora Sosa,” Gallo said.
“My advice to other women in the business world is to stand strong in what
you believe in and never stop learning. Link up with other like minded business professionals to help each other grow.”
A hard worker herself, Gallo is up at 5 a.m. every morning and heads to the gym to work out.
“It gives me a head start with my day and also time for myself. My work is my life. I love what I do so much that I have recruited most of my family and we spend a great amount of time together helping in the community, sponsoring events and volunteering.”
Gallo says one of the most enjoyable parts of her business is seeing her clients “have their joy back by having a clean and organized home or office.”
512-392-38821920 Corporate Drive, Suite 101
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WOMEN IN BUSINESS • San Marcos, TX • Sunday, September 28, 2014 • Page 9
Finding something you love and “that doesn’t seem like a job” are keys to a successful career said Brenda Damron, a real estate agent with 30 years experience.
“I was a high school teach-er in Pflugerville when my husband Bill and I decided to move to San Marcos in 1977,” Damron said. “We were expecting our first child and so we decided that it was a good time for me to step away from the teaching profession and stay home with our baby.”
In 1984 Damron, who had worked since she was 15, wanted to get more involved in the community and began looking at new career options, settling on real estate.
“I started my first 10 years with David Glover at San Marcos Real Estate where he provided me with great
training and passed along his knowledge of the industry and it’s principles,” Damron said. “He stressed to me that it isn’t all about ‘making the deal’ that it is most important to treat every customer and client hon-estly and fairly. I then moved to Randall Morris Real Estate in 1994, a company that has grown to over 100 agents in a four county area now.”
“I love what I’m doing, building relationships and helping people buy and sell homes,” Damron said.
Last year she and her hus-band form the Damron Group and during the Century 21 In-ternational Convention in Las Vegas the Damron Team was given the #1 production award for the Southwest Region, a territory that encompasses south Texas and southern Louisiana.
Brenda DamronReal Estate Agent
Kristen MortensenGuaranteed Appliances
Kristen Mortensen is a successful female in a male dominated industry, but loves what she is doing.
“I love working on appliances and owning a business in a very male dominated indus-try,” said Mortensen who owns Guaranteed Appliances. “Women, especially, get a big kick out of having a female service tech come to their home to work on their appliances, so it is gratifying daily. I love being able to solve people’s problems, so I feel like I get to shine every day, doing something I enjoy.”
But life hasn’t always been easy for Mortensen.
“I started out as a pregnant 17-year-old, answering the phone for a start-up used ap-pliance business in Denver. I did the typical female things; place newspaper ads, wait on customers, write up sales, clean and price machines, etc.” Mortensen said. “I picked up a lot of information from taking service calls and waiting on customers, being around the servicemen, and after some years of doing the ‘girl stuff’, an opportunity presented itself to repair and sell appliances myself,
and I jumped at it. That was almost 30 years ago.”
“My teenage and early adult years were very turbulent and unstable. I had 2 children by the time I was 21 and divorced at 22. I sur-vived because I had to: 2 small children-an ex-husband in prison. But, I had hope and faith that things would work out. The next year, I met John and we have been married now, for 33 years. Best thing to ever happen to me was when God put John in my life and the impact he has had on me and the many lives we have been able to touch because of his willingness to take on challenges and his big, big heart.”
It’s not always easy to overcome past hard-ships and bad experiences but Mortensen has found a way that works for her.
“I struggled to find peace with the past. That is why I volunteer every month at a program called Discovery-Austin--which coincidentally, has moved to the Embassy
•••see guaranteed
page 15
WOMEN IN BUSINESS • San Marcos, TX • Sunday, September 28, 2014Page 10 •
All in the familyEditor’s note: This article was origi-
nally printed in the Jan. 5, 2014 edi-tion of the San Marcos Daily Record.
What do a WWII gas mask, antique furniture and an Arabian horse saddle have in common? All have made their way into San Marcos’ original consign-ment shop, Second to None. The shop has been family owned for 15 years by Mev Allen, her daughter Karlin Clark and Clark’s daughter Terrell Walsh.
Allen and Clark found themselves in San Marcos with a convenient storefront at their disposal.
“Originally Mom and I had the talk about, ‘Oh, wouldn’t a boutique be cute?’” Clark said, “But that was pretty short lived. That didn’t seem to be what the market was demanding at the time.”
Indeed, consignment stores were trend-ing and Allen noticed the distinct lack of the businesses in San Marcos.
“It was kind of at the period when
consignment was the up and coming thing rather than donation your clothes,” Walsh said. “(Allen) had just moved from Waco, and came to San Marcos and said, ‘I can’t believe there’s no consignment store here.’ Because there were several where she lived.”
At the time, there were two nonprofit thrift shops in the area that ran pure-ly off donations. So, Allen and Clark went with the idea of the consignment shop, despite little experience managing business.
“We did join the National Association of Resale Professionals our first year and that in itself has saved us from making so many mistakes,” Clark said. “Not that we still haven’t made some along the way. None of us had had any retail or resale background at all. It’s a national organi-zation; they have local workshops and regional workshops every year we go to the national conference.”
The association also allows the owners to network with 500 other shop owners and gain national recognition.
“We had no idea when we started what
our audience would be, no idea what would be available to us or anything. It was a trial and error,” Allen said.
The trio said in the beginning they took most everything that came to them. They didn’t know what would sell or how much they would be able to attain. Over the years, however, the store has been able to become more and more selective with the items it sells and able to provide customers with better quality items.
Over its 15 years the store has also expanded its merchandise from a simple women’s clothing consignment to selling furniture, men’s clothes, children’s items and more rare and unusual items.
“It’s changed. We’ve raised our stan-dards a lot as far as what we carry through trial and error,” Walsh said.
candice brusuelasfeatures editor
•••
•••see family
page 11
From left are Mev Allen, Terrell Walsh and Karlin Clark.
Quick Facts• Women make up 47 percent of the U.S. labor force, and 59 percent of college educated entry level workforce• Women earn almost 605 of undergraduate degrees and 60 percent of all mas-ter’s degrees• Over 9.1 million firms are owned by women, em-ploying nearly 7.9 million people and generating $1.4 trillion in sales as of 2014• While women owned firms account for 30 per-cent of all businesses, 905 of women owned business-
es have no employees oth-er than the owner herself• Women entrepreneurs are less likely to be funded by venture capital firms• In fortune 500 companies women hold only 14.6 per-cent of executive officer positions and 16.9 percent of board seats• The percentage of wom-en on all U.S.. corporate boards has been stuck in the 12.1 to 12.3 percent range over the past decade(Above facts from U.S. Chamber of Commerce)• Women with five or
more mentors rank 20 percent higher on per-ceptions of success and feelings of confidence than their peers with five or fewer mentors. (the Hot Mommas Project and George Washington University. School of Business, Center for Entrepreneurial Excel-lence)• One in five firms with revenue of $1 million or more is woman-owned. This number grew 2,000 percent between 1977 and 2002.
(National Women’s Business Council)• 83.3 percent of the ap-proximately 8 million women-owned firms in the US are non-employer, meaning “solopreneur.” (National Women’s Business Center)• 69 percent of adults think women and men make equally good leaders. (Pew Charitable Trust)• 89 percent of Ameri-cans are comfortable with women in leadership, yet only 18 percent of women are in leadership positions.
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Balloon release, Survivor Walk, Lady Riders motorcycle club revving engines for breast health
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WOMEN IN BUSINESS • San Marcos, TX • Sunday, September 28, 2014 • Page 11
Behind the scenes…you’ve heard that line before. There were people behind the scenes who really made things happen. If it wasn’t for the folks behind the scenes, nothing would have gotten done. When it comes to the San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce, we know that there are plenty of volunteers and staff that are out and visible in the com-munity. However, every event we put on, phone call we receive, information requested, membership question asked and so much more…we have Eselda Rodriguez and Marisol Gomez behind the scenes. From phone calls bordering on the absurd to lost folks looking to find the Outlet Malls, Eselda and Mari-sol embody what it means to work for a professional business organization. Both of them are mothers with growing, school-age children, and they deal with the day to day stress of child care and much more, but when guests enter our doors, these champions of the chamber,
greet folks as if nothing else is on their minds other than helping someone out!
When we factor in our Membership Director, Margaret Lindsey and her years of experience and leadership in San Marcos, the Chamber’s one-two-three punch of women in business are making their presence felt throughout the community. In addition, for the past 18 months, the Chair of the Board of the San Marcos Chamber, Amy Stan-field with TSO-San Marcos has pro-vided stellar leadership and is another reason why the organization continues to add businesses, create new events and increase value for the membership. We are fortunate to have all of their talents and leadership qualities as part of our team, and we take this opportunity to thank them for their contributions in making the Chamber a better place to work and a better organization for business.
San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce salutes their
women in business
And the shop won’t stop with three generations. According to Clark, her granddaughter, and Walsh’s niece, has taken a great interest in the store at the age of eight.
“My granddaughter, if you encounter her here on a Saturday afternoon, you will think she’s the one in charge,” Clark said. “She thinks she’s the one in charge. And she loves to be in the middle of it. What fueled that fire is one Saturday I had acquired all these really cool kid’s books I wanted to put in our children’s room and she got wind of it and she said, ‘Grandma, can I have a book sale?’ And I said, ‘Sure,’ so we got her all set up, we cut up little pieces of paper and she taped them on and made her price tags. By the end of the day the kid had $40. And so I said, ‘OK, time to turn your money in, and she was like, ‘What? This is my money!’”
Walsh says her niece has started to regularly weed out items from her room that she has outgrown to put on her account and regularly check her balance.
Walsh started selling items in the store when she was fairly young as well.
“I made jewelry, both embroidery thread and beading. It was just some-
thing I did in the evenings, watching TV or whatever, and I had a storefront to put it in,” Walsh said. “I was lucky in that regard. It really was my gas money as a teenager.”
The store provides consignment as well as trade-ins, and in-store credit for items. Walsh has been working hard on the store’s online presence and regularly promotes their new items on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Craigslist. The owners say at least a fifth of their custom-ers come in after seeing them online.
“We have great quality stuff. We have great labels, great prices. I like to shop here,” Clark said.
In the future, the store may remodel it’s floor plan by taking out some walls.
“It was a music store, so it has a lot of little lesson booths,” Allen said. “By the time you take some of those out you’ve got a big room.”
Though they already have blueprints for the new floor plan, the store has yet to take the time to close to carry out these plans.
“As far as future plans, as long as we’re here, just to bring San Marcos the best in retail shopping. That’s the idea, “Walsh said. “A big part of where we are right now is growing with San Marcos, be-cause for better or for worse, San Marcos is growing and changing a lot.”
•••family
from page 10
WOMEN IN BUSINESS • San Marcos, TX • Sunday, September 28, 2014Page 12 •
The women of Frost Bank
administering CPR and other life-saving procedures, they were all standing qui-etly, watching us and not understanding what we were doing.”
“After all advanced measure were done, and the victim didn’t survive, we packed up to leave. I asked the captain if I could go back and talk with them, to explain what we had done and what had happened. They didn’t understand why we hadn’t transported their friend. That was hard, pretty tough. But I’m glad my grandfather told me it was important to know both languages when I was growing up.”
Acosta said today the San Marcos Fire Department even has one firefighter who can use sign language.
Firefighters in San Marcos, like most
departments across the county, work a 24/48 schedule meaning they are on-du-ty 24 hours then off 48 hours. While their sleeping quarters at the station are furnished, the basic necessities are not and must be paid for by the individu-al firefighters including sheets, linen, detergent, etc.
Even food, which is not always under-stood by the public.
“Yes, when you see us at the grocery store buying food in uniform, that’s something we pay for ourselves, it’s not a city benefit or taxpayer funded item,” Acosta said.
And at times, that can even mean they get back to the station, fix dinner and suddenly have to leave for a call.
“It’s what we are here for. It’s our pas-sion. To be there when people need us most, usually at the worst times in their lives,” Acosta said.
•••acosta
from page 5
(Clockwise from top left) Pictured from left are bank tellers Jordan Moreland, Jessica Mejia, Samantha Gon-zales, Senior Personal Banker Dana Blagg and Assistant Vice President Barbara Castleberry; Pictured from left are bank tellers Julia Ramirez-Tristan and Glenda DeLe-on; Pictured from left are bank tellers Martha Urrutia, Diane MacGregor, Lisa Jasak and MJ Prows; Pictured from left are (front) bank tellers Patty Thielepape, Rosa-linda Contreras, FWA Administrative Officer Laura Da-vila, bank tellers Stacie Delgado and Lori Oritz, (back) Assistant Vice President Dianne Davis, personal bankers Shalon Kincaid, Sheryl Sierra, Relationship Adminis-trative Officer Marchia Find, Administrative Assistants Minerva Perez and Priscilla Cost.
•••
WOMEN IN BUSINESS • San Marcos, TX • Sunday, September 28, 2014 • Page 13
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WOMEN IN BUSINESS • San Marcos, TX • Sunday, September 28, 2014Page 14 •
In the simplest terms, occupational therapists and occupational therapy as-sistants help people across the lifespan participate in the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities (occupa-tions). Common occupational therapy interventions include, helping people recovering from injury to regain skills, and providing support for older adults experiencing physical and cognitive changes, helping children with disabil-ities to participate fully in school and social situations.
Occupational therapy services may include comprehensive evaluations of client’s home and their environments (e.g. workplace, school, home), recom-mendations for adaptive equipment and training in its use, and guidance and education for family members and caregivers. Occupational therapy prac-titioners have a holistic perspective, in which the focus is on adapting the environment to fit the person, and the person is integral part of the therapy.
Our occupational therapy team in Deer Creek of Wimberley pres-ents many years of experience and is serving local residents in inpatient and outpatient setting.
Christine Foran OTR, LLC, RMT is lymphedema certified therapist and has been treating patients with lymph-edema for many years. She has been working as a occupational therapist for 38 years with 18 years of her own hand therapy practice in Austin.
Christine is highly skilled in making custom designed to patient needs dy-namic and resting hand splints. I am very pleased to know her and have her
as our OT in Deer Creek for 7 years.She is working with Anna Kunkel
COTA who is in training to become
OT. Anna’s Deer Creek tenure is 6 years.
Nancy Huffman COTA has been
sharing her experiences with Deer Creek for eight years.
WOMEN IN BUSINESS • San Marcos, TX • Sunday, September 28, 2014 • Page 15
Deer Creek occupational therapists are here to help
see them grow and know that I have some influence on shaping the work ethic and job knowledge that will serve them well as they move on,” Camarillo said.
And Walker sees helping clients resolve problems as a key reward in her work.
“Knowing they appre-ciate my help as well as knowing so many in our community through the years and seeing them at work or outside of the job as I recognize them and remember their names,” Walker said. “Name rec-ognition makes them feel important and appreci-ated as a customer and a friend.”
•••frost bankfrom page 3
ance which helps me to make decisions or handle situations which arise,” Schaffer said.
Stress happens in almost every job and the floral business is no different, but for Schaffer the very act of creating floral arrangements is
itself a relaxing one.“If I am problem
solving or stressed out I enjoy working on an arrangement. Working with the different flow-ers and colors, creating something different really relaxes me, lets me step away from the problem for a while and concen-trate on designing.”
Suites here in San Mar-cos. One of the biggest things standing in the way of success is that backpack full of rocks (junk )we carry around with us, commonly known as “our past.” Discovery showed me how to lay down
that backpack, let go of the past, and that it is okay live in, and enjoy, the present. ‘If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you will keep getting what you’ve always got’ is one of the motto’s from the Discovery program,” Mortensen said.
•••floral studio
from page 7•••
guaranteedfrom page 9
Pictured from left are Nancy Huffman, Christine Foran and Ann Kunkel.•••
