The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Western region will honor five outstanding Hispanic Minority Business Enterprises (MBE’s) at an awards ceremony in San Francisco on August 15. One of the nominees, Lydia Work, President of American Paper Converting, Inc. talks to us about how she turned her two person venture into a 70 employee 15 million dollar company.

Her journey actually began thirty years ago when she came to the US to learn English. As she was about to return to her native Nicaragua a devastating earthquake hit there which forced her to extend her visit by six months. During that time she met her husband and despite wanting to return to her country agreed to stay until her husband learned to speak Spanish. That was thirty years and two sons ago. Today this entrepreneurial Latina calls Woodland Washington home and her business has shaped not only her life but her family and employees who she considers her extended family. As for her husband, well, he's still trying to learn Spanish.

Paula: How did you finance your business in the beginning?

Lydia : In two ways, one was personal savings the other was through a bank loan. The state of Washington has a program called Link Deposit where you can obtain a lower interest rate than the market rate.

Paula: Tell us about American Paper Converting Inc.

Lydia : We are manufacturer and suppliers of paper towel and tissues to janitorial and food service distributors. American paper specializes in private labels and we also make environmentally friendly papers. What attracted me to this line of business is that the products are recession proof: People will always need paper products!

Paula: What are some challenges you overcame in the early stages of your business?

Lydia : One was hiring and developing the right people. We pride ourselves in hiring and training people from diverse backgrounds. That goes beyond just ethnic to include disabled and family assisted. Another challenge was penetrating the market. In our industry there where a lot of mergers so it created an opportunity for us to make custom made products. For example, packaging of a product that fits dispensers customized for a specific distributor. This was something we could be unique in offering.

Paula: What challenges do you face today?

Lydia : One challenge is growing without increasing working capital. Also, we are very focused on retaining our employees as this allows us to keep a steady growth. Lastly, we always are innovative and have solid marketing to attract customers.

Paula: When it comes to growth strategies, where do you seek guidance?

Lydia : Initially I attended a seminar at SCORE and as I grew I formed an advisory board. I have 3 people that help me see the forest from the trees.

Paula: How do you balance your work and life?

Lydia : In the beginning it’s hard; you have to have an understanding partner that knows that the company and the customers need you. My family understands and for that I’m grateful. Now that my kids are grown and I’ve asked them if they’ve missed out on me being there and they say no. The company has helped them too. The good thing is that they have been a part of the business; they know how to run a business. One is about to graduate from the University he studied business the other is in engineering. He probably won't go into the business.

Paula: What books have you read recently that helped you and you can recommend to us?

Lydia : Stephen Covey, Seven Habits of Highly Effective people; I attended a seminar that he gave that was very helpful. I practice the Habits and share them with my people.

Also The One Minute Manager by Kenneth Blanchard.

Paula: Who do you admire most?

Lydia : My mother was a very entrepreneurial person and she taught me a lot. She was in Nicaragua in a business selling cookware she started by herself and recruited people and became the national manager.

Paula: What is you advice for a woman wanting to start her own business?

Lydia : Identify a business you are knowledgeable in and from there be persistent in networking. Join an association to stay on top of industry trends and be flexible about your customers. Do research on the community resources you have available to help you develop your business, the plan, etc.

Interview by R. Rodriguez

“A breath of fresh air.” That’s how I would describe this week’s featured Latina . Ariela Nerubay is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for TuTv, a joint venture between Televisa and Univisión and she is based out of Los Angeles , California. But this is not the end of the road for her. Born in Mexico City , Ariela has a very carefully planned agenda that includes success, work/life balance, pride, professionalism, and humanity. Above all, if I were to describe her personality in one word, I would definitely say “Humanity”. You do not have to be a cutthroat, controlling woman to be successful. All you need to be is focused, open to new experiences and brave enough to have your say, and say it with respect and assertiveness.

We had a very pleasant phone conversation where Ariela shared with me her “Camino al Éxito” in a proud and humble manner.

Ariela, what is the secret to your professional success?

Being focused. My career choice was Marketing and Advertising and every job choice I have ever made in my career path has been made to add to the goal to becoming Vice President (which she currently is) and eventually Chief Marketing Officer.

My passion has always been Communications. It allows me to work in the areas I feel strongly about: Public Relations, Marketing, and Advertising. If I’m going to be at the top I need to focus my choices to contribute to that goal and where I want to go.

I worked on Public Relations early in my career, then Journalism, then Advertising for 6 years and now Marketing. I never took a job just for the sake of it. It had to be part of the plan and relevant to my career path. Nowadays, people do not take their time to look for options. You have to find the job that will allow you to build up a resume that will lead you to your career goal.

You have to be confident enough to step up to the plate and suggest ideas, when you help your company grow you automatically grow with it. Two other important traits every business woman must have are commitment and loyalty.

You can’t be afraid of making decisions. Every time I made a decision I was never afraid of being accountable. At the end of the day, if you are manager or in charge of a department, you are ultimately responsible for your team’s actions. You just can’t just point fingers and avoid repercussions.

Also as manager, you have to empower your employees. You have to ensure that they know how the team works and that you are all speaking the same language. That will avoid misunderstandings. The same way you face the music when something goes wrong, as manager, you will also feel utmost pride for all the praise you will get for a job well done by you and/or your team.

In a man’s world, women should be careful not to emulate the wrong qualities. Ariela states, “I can be assertive without being aggressive. You can be direct but you always have to consider the other person’s standpoint. Do not beat around the bush, but be respectful. It is not about being pushy, but being firm. Not about bullying but about being fair. It’s about playing the game with kindness and respect. You cannot judge a situation because of how you feel, but you need to assess it based on the facts available to you.

How do you achieve work/life balance?

I don’t believe in working hard, but working smart.

I work non stop from the moment I sit at my desk until the moment I leave. I get things done efficiently and productively. Many people waste their time on chit chat, breaks, web surfing, etc., and by the end of the day they discover that they still have a lot of work left to be finished. That compromises their ability to leave on time and enjoy their personal life.

Also, people sometimes think that you have to do everything in one day. Prioritize, meet your daily deadlines and everything else can wait until tomorrow. On the other hand, I believe that if your day’s work can not be accomplished in 8-9 hours, you need to reach out and ask for help. Ask for a re-evaluation of your responsibilities, more staff or extended deadlines.

Who is your role model and why?

I have lots of role models! Throughout my life I have observed behaviors that I want to emulate. I’ve picked up attributes from my Mom, my Dad, my jobs, my fellow co-workers. Very early in my career remember meeting a peer, he was so organized… Everything was labeled and in its place. If you went to him and asked him for a document, he’d open up a drawer and know exactly where it is. I would look at his organization and I admired that. I’d say, ‘I want to be that way.’ I am not as organized as he was, but that’s what I strive for.

If I see a quality on a person that I admire, I strive to emulate them. If want to be thought of as a kind person and I work towards that.

You also get mentorship through bad experiences. They teach you what not to do. If you meet an individual who is condescending towards others, people will not want to work with him or her and you don’t want to be like that.

How important was mentoring to you? And do you in turn mentor other Latinas?

I joined The Patrick L. Mellon Mentorship Program, which is organized through the National Association of Multi-ethnicity in Cable. NAMIC is an organization that supports people of color in the advancement of their careers in the cable industry. The mentorship program matches mentors with mentees in the industry to help them grow professionally. When I joined I specifically asked to be matched to a Latina .

One of my hobbies is doing voiceovers. I’ve done it for maybe 5 or 6 years. I was able to enter into that world because I used to enjoy watching actors in the studio. I used to drive a long way just to sit and watch them. Then one day I got the chance to do a small job. Little by little I was able to do more and more work. You have to understand that in order to achieve your goals, you have to start at the bottom and be patient. You should build your resume to focus your path towards your goal. If you are going to start at the bottom, start at the bottom of the career that you want. Create a resume, go to the company you wish to work for, offer them an internship. Say, ‘I want to do an internship with you. I will work for free for the next month.’ This will give you the opportunity to proof yourself and learn at the same time and this will open doors for you.

You have to be determined but not stubborn. You have to be fearless. You have to believe in your capabilities. It is all about actions. When an employee approaches me with a situation, I want to know what course of action they will take. And above all, be honest. We can sniff dishonesty miles away. Be truthful to the people you work for, be truthful to yourself. Work smart and show results. You also have to create metrics. You have to develop a measuring mechanism for the tasks that you achieve to prove that you have met your goals. If you show me results, I will support your growth.

What obstacle(s) have you encountered and how did you overcome it?

At the beginning of my career I had an incident where I started my first job in Advertising. Coming from Public Relations, the internal processes were very different, thus, the learning curve was deeper than my supervisor expected when he hired me. When time came for my review, it was less than stellar. He even went as far as saying that I was not made for this job. And at that point I knew my days were numbered.

I could have given up, but instead I wrote up a proposal addressing each and every one of the issues in my review. It was an action plan that offered solutions to the problems addressed. I took the plan to the president of the company. I said, ‘I really enjoy working here and I know I can be good at this. I shared with him my review and the plan, and asked if he would support me. He said ‘not to worry.

That week I was offered to move to different account group, however, with a pay cut and a demotion. I took it!

Within six months I was back into my original position and got a raise. My new boss saw my value and was very supportive. So the moral of the story is: Do not let any challenges detour you from your destiny. Fight for yourself and don’t let anyone bring you down.

How do you define success?

To me success is feeling happy. If you are happy in your life, in your job and in what you do…, and you enjoy doing what you do… you are successful.

When Colombian graphic designer Juliana Ramirez Navia, 28, shopped for the perfect pair of jeans, she could not find them. The “fit” was literally missing from every major retailer.  Juliana had a hunch that many other Latinas where having the same problem. She decided to introduce the first line of jeans designed with curves in mind.  Today Fiorana is poised to become a key player in the fashion retail market. Juliana Ramirez Navia shares her journey with us as well as future plans for Fiorana.

Why does a pair of jeans designed for Latinas make sense?

Let me start by saying that my intention is not to generalize a “Latin body type" because that is impossible. But you know, there are some features that are notable and standard, generally designers create for a target group; we do always have a target, well sometimes we can adjust or adapt. A pair of jeans for Latinas made sense because as a Latin woman I know we always have to try on many pairs of pants until we find one that barely fits.

What type of woman embodies your target group?

Our target group is a focused and assertive woman that wants to always look her best. A woman between 18 and 45 years old, that besides buying a “pretty pair of pants” also wants comfort and quality.

How did you identify the need for a pair of jeans designed for Latinas?

All my life I have struggled with jeans, my curves don't fit well in what I find in stores. Most jeans fit well on my hips but not in my waist or otherwise. This is all because the ones I like and look for are made for other body types, very different than mine. When I talk about curves, I don’t mean overweight. Some friends that are very thin also struggle with the same problem. So it’s simple, even bodies that are very different, all have similar proportion. Fiorana has studied these proportions and for that reason are sure we can give our costumers satisfaction guaranteed.

How did you become involved in fashion?

I’ve always had such a fixation on fashion! Ever since I was in college I have been very critical about trends. I guess it is something I was born with. Now, because of my company, Fiorana, which we founded three years ago I have learned a lot of things and I have become one of those people that value a quality garment. I am now involved in the fashion world because of destiny and I think destiny will bring great things in the future.

What other products can we expect from Fiorana?

Fiorana’s plan is to grow in the denim market, and focus on that product so we can provide something better everyday.

How do you stay competitive in the volatile world of fashion?

The most important thing to stay competitive in the fashion world is to always innovate, and never ever forget about the most important thing: THE CUSTOMER.

What is the best part of having your own company?

Well, you work for your interests. You work for yourself, and so you do everything with love. One of the best parts of having your own company is to apply your personal ethic to your business, to feel free to express your opinion, to never fear proposing something new.

Where can we buy Fiorana clothing?

At this moment you can find Fiorana’s clothing at our website: www.fiorana.com

What are some current fashion trends you love/stay away from?

Personally, I am very classic but I like vintage and alternative applications on denim. Color processes are very interesting. I don’t like anything too exaggerated. All trends are respectable, there’s always something for everyone.

Most of us go on vacation to get away from work and the responsibilities of daily life. Perhaps that is what Lilia Pantoja had in mind when she traveled to Taxco, Mexico’s capital of silver, enjoyed the beautiful scenery and bought some jewelry at the local market.

However, what happened afterwards has kept her working even more ever since. The reason? Those beautiful pieces of jewelry Lilia brought back caught the attention of friends and family who literally bought them right off her.

It was there that Lilia saw an opportunity to go into something that brought together her two loves: jewelry and shopping. Lilia, with the help of her husband Carlos, founded Lilia’s Silver. A thriving business that they run only in the summer by making the jewelry available in street fairs, events and conventions. This unique approach allows Lilia to truly enjoy managing a business while keeping her life in perfect balance. Lilia spoke with me at a recent event and shared a bit of her journey.

What are some of the challenges you have encountered in the course of running your business?

We only sell through local events and for us it is important to be at the right one. Sometimes we attend events where we make few sales, our challenge is to choose the right ones. That means, with a large attendance but also where people will want to buy jewelry. Not all events lend themselves to that and like the Mexican saying goes “Hay veces que nada el pato y hay veces que ni agua bebe”.

What is the biggest reward of being an entrepreneur?

Meeting people!

How would you say Latinas are shaping the world of small business today?

I see how they are coming out more and giving it their all. Before it was strange to see a Latina managing a small business but now, when I come to events like this one I think “wow!” There is so much happening with Hispanics today and here is where you can see and appreciate that.

What advice do you give to a Latina wanting to start her own business?

If you really want it, do it and always be positive. Sometimes starting out is difficult but it is worth it because the experience of running your own business is like no other. Also, know that it’s competitive out here but if your idea is strong enough there is enough market for everyone. What is important is for Latinas to be supportive of each other.

Website: www.liliasilver.com

Born in Montevideo, Uruguay Daniela Rodriguez came in search of a better life. She found it, and then she lost it.

Daniela rose from tragedy when last year the fulfillment warehouse businesses she began twelve years ago with “piggy bank” money went up in flames. The California fires took down in a matter of minutes all that she’d worked for. But true to the Uruguayan proverb ‘Better to lose a minute in your life than your life in a minute’ Daniela is grateful for one thing “we are all alive”. Four days, after the fire, she had the keys to a new warehouse, while clients shipped new stock. Daniela talks about her journey since then.
You’ve overcome great tragedy. What was the first thing on your mind after the devastation of your fulfillment warehouse?

The first thing that came to my mind was 12 years of hard work came down in ashes. Watching it was the hardest part, nothing was there, it was all gone in about five minutes. I thought, how am I going to get this back to how it was?

I read in the newspaper article that women really pulled together and did whatever they had to including driving heavy duty equipment. Is there a new sense of unity among your team? 

My company is made of mostly women and they all work so hard. In the aftermath, one woman even learned how to work the forklift. This made us stronger. People don’t know their strength until you are put in a position of hardship. You have to go on and don’t give up. My employees had families to support and tables to put food on, I had to think of them to and make sure the business would continue to give them work.

Having lost so much. What are the things you value most today?

Life, because material stuff you can recover and we where very lucky at the time of the fire because we were not at work and there could have been great loss of life. Second I value my employees. It’s about team work and this got us through.

What advice do you give small business owner who may face a similar catastrophe? You cannot focus on the negative, focus on something positive, when one door closes there’s one that opens. Move on, have the will, the power to say OK I lost it all but life goes on.

What is is the greatest reward in being an entrepreneur? I started this business with no money, had nothing in terms of cash flow. Add to that two small children. The biggest satisfaction is building something out of nothing. I financed my business from a piggy bank of quarters and change. I had nothing and my husband was in the hospital with an injury.

What are some elements for success? Hispanics were born with the go-getter attitude. As a woman you have to juggle your life your business and your family. It’s important that behind an entrepreneur stands a pillar or strength. That is the key, a husband, a family member or a true friend the kind that will tell you the truth even if it’s something you don’t want to hear.

Qualities an entrepreneur should posses? Perseverance, leadership, vision, feel it, and know in your mind what you’ll accomplish it, trust your instinct. I will listen, take advice but I’ll make my own decision. I’m a risk taker. You can do it, if you think too much about something you may not do it. When I got my first warehouse my husband asked how you are going to do it. But I knew and I did!

Is this a good time to start a business?
If you believe, if you have the dream, yes! There really is no right time if you have the right idea it will go well. Don’t hold back, on the contrary start now because it takes a while to get it started. By the time things with the economy are better you can say “We have learned how!” If you have dreams don’t wait!

Daniela’s company Riverplate Inc. (http://www.riverplatefulfillment.com) is located in Sun Valley, California.