Find ways to fund your passion. Borrow from yourself first, then from a bank.
1. Tell us more about your company and your journey.
The Women In Trucking Association is a non-profit organization with the mission to encourage the employment of women in the trucking industry, promote their accomplishments, and minimize obstacles faced by women working in the industry.
2. How did you come up with this idea and go about executing it?
In 2006 I was working for a large Midwest carrier. My role was Manager of Recruiting and Retention programs. My job was to better understand how to attract and retain nontraditional groups, which included women. I started doing my research on what attracts and retains female drivers. At the time, I was working toward my private pilot’s license and belonged to a women’s aviation group. I thought we should have a similar organization in the trucking industry, so in March of 2007 I gathered a board of directors and got the legal documents completed and WIT was born.
3. What has been the biggest challenge that you faced and how did you overcome that? The biggest challenge was establishing credibility for the organization. Any new nonprofit association will need to prove that it will be around in the years ahead, but more importantly, we had to show that we were going to provide the resources we promised. It was tough, but here we are, over fifteen years and we now have 7,000 members in ten countries. We had to prove ourselves, but we did just that.4. What are the most essential qualities of a successful entrepreneur?
A successful entrepreneur has to have a passion. I could encourage people to join and become members because they wanted to be part of an organization with a positive mission. However, they had to trust in me, the messenger. Today, I am the face of the organization.
5. What are some of the most essential factors for running a successful business?
You need to be prepared to put your social life on hold because you will want to put your time and energy into your business. It’s not easy, but if you love what you’re doing, you’ll enjoy the process.
6. What are your tips for first-time and aspiring entrepreneurs?
Be prepared to work day and night. Don’t think you can work a forty-hour week as the founder. Be relentless and work hard because it will pay off.
7. How can one overcome the hurdle of lack of funds when starting up?
Find ways to fund your passion. Borrow from yourself first, then from a bank. Save every dime and forego any extras. Don’t take a vacation or buy expensive cars or clothes. Also, find alternative funding sources, especially if you are a minority (gender, ethnicity, etc.)
- Ellen Voie (Linkedin)
- Interviewed by Deshna Jain
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