the camaraderie. I went to work full-time for almost four years at a nonprofit in Virginia as the director of meetings. As a part of their executive team, I became more involved in not only the day-to-day meeting planning from nuts to bolts, but also the business-management side of things — working side by side with the governance body, and learning more about the intricacies of association man- agement. My involvement with PCMA assisted in honing those skills as well. Then I knew I was ready.

I knew from the beginning of going out on my own that it would be suc- cessful. But I didn’t know how long it would take or if there would be income. I had set aside money to live on for the first year. The stars really aligned in so many ways…. I put my house on the market and sold it within 24 hours. I moved three weeks later [back to Texas].

outside of my family. The thing I turned to is what I knew, which was PCMA. I went to chapter meetings and met a couple of people. One of my goals was to get the name of my business out there. And a challenge was being able to best articulate my business and why it stands out. PCMA allowed me that platform

— a comfortable environment to teach myself how to talk about the business. And also, I just wanted new friends in the Dallas community! Then I joined a local networking group of women busi- ness owners and leaders. That has been fantastic. I found one or two clients through word-of-mouth in that group. I also found some great friends. Now I’m getting referrals.

‘It’s important not to pigeon- hole yourself. Be willing to jump to another segment of the industry.’

Both of my parents were successful entrepreneurs. I always had that in my blood. I credit both of my parents for my work ethic, and I know that is one of the reasons my business has been so suc- cessful so quickly; and my dedication to the client. Being able to figure out what they really need and find that niche.

[I had to relearn] howto be efficient working from home, because I hadn’t done that in a couple of years. The challenge is twofold. You don’t get that socialization every day from having lunch with your coworkers, or seeing people in the hall. On the positive side, I get so much more done, because you don’t have those interruptions. I am very organized, am a list maker, and I self-motivate. It works!

At the beginning of [starting my] busi- ness last spring, I had just moved to Dallas. I didn’t know a lot of people

PCMA.ORG

I look at my core clients. There are a couple of corpo- rate and association clients, and a large insurance com- pany. I do a little bit of work for a marketing firm. But the majority of my current cli-

ent base is medically oriented groups. I started in a biomedical engineering com- pany and then at APTA. Now, 10 or 15 years later, I’ve come full circle and most of my clients are in the medical field.

I love what I do. I really enjoy the details

— my days as a technical writer right after college assisted me in editing and being able to adeptly review contracts, and I maintain a love for writing and editing to this day. I’m very good at and enjoy hotel contract negotiations. Those skills came naturally to me. My father always told me that I should be a lawyer because I loved to research and write. And I’m fair, to a fault.

I like working with many different people and learning about different jobs and industries. And I love [the bigger-picture aspects of meeting plan- ning]. I have one client right now who has given me carte blanche to design a meeting for her. It’s coming to fruition

later this year, and I can’t wait to see it. It’s a women’s empowerment retreat.

I think it’s important not to pigeonhole yourself into one type of experience. Be willing to jump to another segment of the industry. Get as much exposure as you can. Getting involved in com- mittees and learning I think is very important — to make those contacts and make new friends.

Now I’m at the point where I need some help. I need to hire a few contract planners. I’m calling my independent meeting professional friends that are successful in the D.C. market, saying, hey, I need to hire someone. Are you available? Or, do you mind if I call someone that works for you that I know? They’re very supportive.

I really believe that how you treat people is so critical — my approach involves honesty, providing as much information up front as possible, and having a sense of thoroughness and calm. The nature of our business is details and adaptability. I’m particu- larly excited about new data — we have so much data at our fingertips now. It’s a matter of learning how to sort through and best utilize it.

Mentorship is very, very important to me, as is community service. I know we’re all so pressed for time, but I think it’s so important to give back to your communities. Find something you’re passionate about or involved in. I’m involved in two groups here in Dal- las — one has to do with dogs and one is with a women’s shelter. If I were to narrow down what’s most important to me, I’d say giving back comes right after family.

. — As told to Michelle Russell

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SEPTEMBER 2013 PCMA CONVENE 29