Name: Bonnie Schnitta

Business Name: SoundSense, LLC

Type of Business: Acoustic engineering, products, and installation

Website: http://www.soundsense.com/

Reason for starting: I started my company for two reasons. First I needed to create a work environment which allowed me, as a working mother, to control my schedule for the flexibility I needed to be there for my young children. Secondly, I wanted to use my math and scientific skills to create ideal acoustic environments. I wanted to not only reduce or stop disturbing noise, but also improve the sounds in a room for better speech intelligibility in a less noisy room.

Biggest success: I have had numerous successes in my quest for providing my clients an ideal acoustic environment. These successes included engineering acoustic walls or ceilings in multi-family homes so that someone sleeping would not be disturbed by plumbing, voice, or music sounds from a neighbor. Properly engineered room perimeters also prevented disturbing mechanical noise from interrupting a person’s or students’ concentration. I felt that my most satisfying success was in engineering room surfaces for seniors and the hearing impaired so that they could naturally hear better in a less noisy environment and as a result enjoy conversation and music again.

Biggest challenge: My biggest challenge was to communicate the importance of my engineering in a predominately male environment. The good news is that after a successful installation the acceptance and understanding began.

The one thing you would do differently: I now know that teaching to architects helps to provide a better understanding and acceptance of what I engineer. I have also found that many people do not know that what I do is possible. Networking and marketing has helped address that problem. If I would do anything differently, it would have been to do both of those sooner and more often.

Momtrepreneur Brings Jobs Back to US
Amy Davis ‘aha’ moment came when she nearly drove her car into her neighbor’s fence. After getting her Kiss-u tissues into Walgreens, she’s moving production back to America. Read more on The Story Exchange.

NEWS

Female Business Owners More Confident and Less Likely to Defer Business Decisions in 2012
A new study finds female business owners more confident about the business outlook than their male counterparts and are less likely to defer significant business decisions. Read more on PRWire.

Women Don’t Support Each Other in Leadership Jobs
Women in leadership roles often don’t support other female candidates as potential peers due to a perceived “threat” (hopefully with time, these type of stories will go away.)
Read more on the Business News Daily.

U.S. Department of State Announces International Exchange to Connect Women Entrepreneurs in the Americas
The Women’s Entrepreneurship in the Americas program aim to increase women’s economic participation in Latin America by offering access to business training, finance, and networks. Read more on the U.S. State Department website.

OPPORTUNITIES

American Express Leadership Award—Nationwide
The American Express NGen Leadership Award honors one accomplished nonprofit leader age 40 or under. Nominate a leader by May 21st, 2012. Read more on the Independent Sector.

Tory Johnson’s Spark and Hustle Tour – New York City
This event is for aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners looking to hear advice from successful businesswomen, network, learn how to build their business, and use social media and marketing effectively. The event will take place May 22nd at Columbia University. Read more on Tory Johnson’s Spark and Hustle website.

Winning Government Contracts workshop—New York
Learn how to win contracts from the government, which has over $40 billion set aside for women-owned businesses. The workshop takes place May 22nd, 2012. Read more on Women’s Venture Fund.

NJ Social Entrepreneurship Summit—New Jersey
The summit aims is to raise the profile of social entrepreneurship in NJ by bringing together social sector leaders with entrepreneurs who address social/environmental problems in their businesses. The event takes place May 24th, 2012. Read more on the NJ Social Entrepreneurship Summit website.

Springboard 2012—Nationwide
Springboard has just launched its search for the next big thing in digital media and technology, which will induct a new class of promising women-led companies. The deadline to apply is June 5th, 2012. Read more on Springboard Enterprise’s website.

SCORE Offers Free Lessons During Small Business Week—Nationwide
SCORE and Constant Contact Inc. are sponsoring workshops across the country and an online seminar that will offer tips on how to increase sales through sites like Facebook. For more visit Constant Contact Inc.’s website.

For a full list of our opportunities, click here.

TRENDING TOPICS

A Youth Entrepreneurship Program Goes International
The nonprofit, Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) started with the modest goal of teaching business skills to local children. Now it has graduates worldwide. Read more on the New York Times blogs.

Investors Less Likely to Back Women-Led Ventures
A new study shows that businesses trying to raise money by going public may have a tough time finding investors if a woman is at the helm. Read more on the Huffington Post.

Doing it for Themselves
CNN profiles 10 female founders and one mentor who are passionate, ambitious and inspirational. Read more on CNN Money.

We are actively looking for new women to profile for a series of upcoming films and to blog about! If you’ve started your own business take our five minute survey and your story will appear on our site. Submit it here.

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Are you interested in blogging for The Story Exchange? Send an email to karin@thestoryexchange.org to share your story, startup tips and/or lessons learned.

Amy Davis, founder of Kiss-u Tissue Tube

The Story Exchange is devoting the month of May to profiling mom entrepreneurs.

While taking her children to school one day, Amy Davis’s daughter needed a tissue. She leaned over and searched for one on the passenger seat floor. “My car veered to the right and I nearly took out my neighbors fence,” she says.

Soon after she had the lightbulb moment that drives many entrepreneurs to come up with a new product. “I thought there must be a way to easily access a tissue while behind the wheel, which would keep drivers from becoming distracted,” Davis told The Story Exchange.

From there, Davis – who was an MBA student at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut – came up with the idea for the Kiss-u Tissue Tube, a refillable tissue dispenser that fits in the cupholder of a car. She then began looking for a company to produce a prototype, but it wasn’t easy.

“At the time (in 2008) it was very difficult to find an American company to make a prototype for my product,” she said. She contacted several companies in China who Davis says were “more willing to facilitate new concept development” and produce lower orders.

Davis chose a Chinese supplier, who delivered a successful prototype for the Kiss-u, which she then took to Walgreens, and they liked it. Her product was soon stocked in thousands of Walgreens and the orders were coming.

Coming to America

When Davis was able to offer American factories 60,000 units or more to produce, they became interested. And Davis was interested in them.

“Last spring the economy was terrible and I felt that if it were possible for me to produce in the US and still make money then it was my responsibility to do so,” she told The Story Exchange.

She didn’t know how many factories were involved in manufacturing her product in China because “they take care of everything.” The only thing Davis had to do was to arrange shipping for her product from China.

When she decided to produce the Kiss-u in the US she had to find five American factories for it to work (for the top, the cylinder, the plug for the bottom, tissues, and packaging/fulfillment.)

But they wouldn’t consider her unless she had a business loan (to help her gain financial legitimacy.) With help from the Women’s Business Development Council in Stamford, Connecticut, Davis was able to secure a line of credit with a major bank and she was ready to move forward.

The Kiss-u is now manufactured in the US, which is helping to employ people in facilities in Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Connecticut.

Late orders, missed opportunities

But the challenges of coordinating production are nothing to sneeze at, especially since her orders are ad-hok. Davis says regular customers — who have items scheduled for production each week or month — get preference at the factories.

This has resulted in late order fulfillment, which may have cost Davis dearly.

“In China, because of the way the factories are structured with most of the factories housing the employees, people want to do the over time hours it takes to produce a product like mine [on time],” she said.

Last summer the Kiss-u tissues were supposed to be on Walgreens shelves in time for the back to school shopping season. But factory delays meant her product was not in stores until mid-October.

Davis says the delay had “a snow ball effect on everything” with her product getting lost amongst the the Halloween and Thanksgiving merchandise.

Staying Local

Still, Davis says she prefers working with US factories. “There are things about use and consumer preferences that are obvious to US factory managers that would not be obvious to Chinese factory managers,” she says. And she’s happy she no longer has to coordinate shipping from China: “it was a real headache and a lot of work.”

Davis plans to continue manufacturing in the US, although for orders less than 60,000 she still uses manufacturers in China. “I will always prefer to produce a product as close to the end users as possible … It’s an environmental issue as well as a moral issue for me.”

She says producing the Kiss-u products in America is a bit more expensive but she says it’s worth it.

“Bringing manufacturing jobs back to the US has been incredibly satisfying.”

What’s been your biggest challenge you’ve faced in producing your product? Share your story with us.

Ann Mehl, Certified Life and Career Coach

Ann Mehl is certified life and career coach. Bringing together her experience in recruitment, sports psychology and the development of human potential, Ann works with her clients to help them discover their purpose and develop a strategic plan.

A little over fifty years ago, a young American president stood in front of the United States Congress to give his inaugural address, exhorting the crowd to “ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” That famous quote – attributed variously to Kahlil Gibran, Cicero, General Omar Bradley or Milton Friedman, depending on who you talk to – is now a part of our shared history. It was a rallying call to a new era of responsible citizenship, one in which our participation is required if we want a different experience of the world we live in. These are not “liberal” or “conservative” values, but a belief in the simple idea that as adults, we each have an obligation to pull our own oar.

Being an adult at work means that we bring conscious choice and awareness to our responsibilities. And I believe the future of work demands that we all need to grow up a bit. During my years as a recruiter, and now as an executive coach, I have seen behavior that wouldn’t be tolerated in the playground, somehow pass for “normal” in the boardroom. I’ve seen passive aggressive behavior, as well as “active” aggressive behavior: temper tantrums, tossed tables and chairs (as well as the odd tossed Caesar salad). “Oh, but she’s under a lot of stress!” “He’s juggling a lot of things at home!” Well, guess what? We’re all under a lot of stress. But getting people to stop treating you like a child means that you have to stop acting like one.

I recently conducted a workshop with my friend and fellow coach, Jerry Colonna, where we spoke to a number of executive leaders on this very subject. A lot of these young companies are in an early development phase, and there are tensions and growing pains associated with that. But so many people, in avoidance of individual responsibility, throw up their hands and say, “Well, this problem was caused by somebody else, not me, therefore it’s up to him to solve it.” No great company, or country, was ever built on this faulty premise. Hence, we have the “new” rules for Grown Ups.

No Whining

Just as Tom Hanks famously declared, “There’s no crying in baseball!” There is to be no whining at work. Are there people who enjoy certain advantages over you? Of course there are. Some people are born on third base and think they hit a triple. “But it’s not fair,” you wail. Well, life’s not fair either. Complainers are always making some kind of excuse for why things aren’t working out the way they should. Sometimes they will have elaborate and highly “logical” reasons for this. But complainers are rarely successful. You have to be a doer instead. Take all of the latent energy that you put into moaning and divert that into positive forward momentum. Audit your output for one day, and see where you’re putting your mental energy. If you’re complaining more than you are doing, then it’s time for a tune-up.

Clean Up the Mess (Even if You Didn’t Make It)

How many times have you heard someone say, “Don’t look at me, that’s not my job!” We cannot solve a problem by hoping that someone else is going to figure it out for us. Yet this simple irascible fact is seemingly beyond the comprehension of much of the human race. If there is something that you have the capacity to fix, that will improve working conditions for you and others around you, then it is your responsibility to do something about it. Don’t wait for them to do it, do it for yourself! Gandhi said we must “be the change we wish to see in the world.” If you see an opportunity where you can positively impact your situation (without infringing on others’ freedom), then do it. And don’t look for accolades. Instead notice how you tend to like yourself more when you choose to act in an adult way.

No Blaming Others

The moment you apportion blame away from yourself and onto someone else, you give away your power. You’ll often hear it in the rationalizing phrase: “But I can’t do X because of Y.” People find it amazing when I point out to them, that by and large, where they find themselves is often the result of an earlier decision they’ve made. We are the authors of our lives, and until we realize this, we will always blame someone else for what is or isn’t working about it. When things don’t go your way, instead of protesting and complaining “Why me?” instead ask yourself, “Now what?” This is a giant step into adulthood because our focus is on how we can move on with our life, not on how immobilized we are as victims.

Being an adult isn’t easy, especially in the world of work where things may not always go as we would like. But by taking personal responsibility for our choices, we grow and act in ways that we can be proud of. The extent to which we avoid taking responsibility for those choices, is the extent to which our lives and relationships will remain dysfunctional.

Your life is not what the stars, your boss, genetics or the economy decide it will be. It is what you decide it will be.

This blog first appeared on AnnMehl.com.

Name: Kristen Petroff

Business Name: Abington Kids Creative Arts Studio

Type of Business: Children’s Art Studio

Website: http://abingtonkids.com

Reason for starting: I started the Art Studio for kids because of my love for both. I had spent 25 years as an independent bookkeeper running everyone else’s business and I woke up one morning and decided I wanted to finger paint for the rest of my life. I sold my bookkeeping business and began working on the studio. I found a great open location with a wonderful feel to it.

Biggest success: My biggest success was hiring my amazing instructors who manage to remain very flexible even if I forget to tell them something. They have adapted to what the studio has morphed into and I could not have done this with out them. All of us brainstorm together to come up with new ideas to keep our kids creative.

Biggest challenge: My biggest challenge was getting people to find out about us. I was lucky enough to be courted by Groupon. Before them, I had no kids at the studio but with Groupon we sold over 4700 hours and people finally heard about us. Now we hold birthdays, get the Girl Scouts their pottery badges and more! We have continued to use them and Living Social to promote events and Summer Camp which is almost sold out.

The one thing you would do differently: I came into this way too structured. I hired the wrong Art Instructor based on structure and that was a mistake. I realized my errors and changed things around and fired the first instructor. I have learned that we must be ever changing, we must always come up with new projects, new materials and new ideas for our kids. We now offer “Guided Instruction” and are much more flexible with our kids.

Name: Bea Arthur

Business Name: Pretty Padded Room

Type of Business: Online therapy on your own time and in your own space

Website: www.prettypaddedroom.com

Reason for starting: As a therapist, whenever I would mention my profession, people always seemed curious about it so I wanted to make therapy more available and affordable. By putting this service online, we make a potentially intimidating experience convenient and confidential.

Biggest success: We’ve been very lucky when it comes to press: Daily Candy, the New York Post, and soon, Entrepreneur Magazine. The nicest praise comes from our clients though. We’re able to get counseling for people who wouldn’t have been able to otherwise.

Biggest challenge: Marketing. We have to toe the line between our personality and our professionalism. So we can’t just run a Groupon special and cheapen our service. Getting out the right tone as credible yet personable has been tricky.

The one thing you would do differently: I would’ve stayed in Beta longer. There were so many unanticipated tech issues that required a lot of revisions and subsequent refunds, so we didn’t make the greatest impression on our first clients. We’re experts in the mind not in computer code! It would’ve definitely helped to test more.

Name: Melissa Heydon

Business Name: Paisley and Spindle Cloth

Type of Business: Paisley is modern baby blankets, Spindle Cloth sells fabric

Website: www.handmadebypaisley.etsy.com / www.spindlecloth.com

Reason for starting: Paisley began four years ago as a tote bag company. I have always enjoyed design and sewing, but it took a layoff from teaching last summer while on maternity leave to push me into pursuing my passion. I made a few modern baby blankets for my daughter when I was pregnant, and had a lot of praise for the style and size, so I thought I would set up an Etsy shop and start selling, and it’s been amazing! I also must add that I have an incredibly supportive husband who encourages me to take the risks needed to start your own business.

Biggest success: By far the biggest success is my customer feedback. Each sale is special, and I treasure the interaction and value my customers so much! I love doing custom work, and I have been inspired by their ideas to develop my products, and try new fabrics. Besides the feedback, I have been highlighted on a few fabulous blogs, which is such an honor and a thrill!

Biggest challenge: Right now, my biggest challenge is balancing my role as a full time mom and wife, and as a full time small business owner. I have been approached by some online and “brick and mortar” boutiques to sell wholesale, which I really want to do, but it’s important to me that my products remain handmade, here in the US. So I am slowly looking for opportunities to do this, without losing the core values of my brand.
Adding Spindle Cloth to the mix has been fabulous, as I am able to provide gorgeous fabrics to people who love to sew and craft. I love the challenge of providing interesting, unique fabrics that are not available in the big box shops!

The one thing you would do differently: Sleep more? Ha! Besides that, I need to curve my Pinterest addiction! I am constantly seeking inspiration, and my creative brain is on full time. It’s amazing how an unexpected curve ball can change your perspective on life, and I definitely want to be present, and enjoy the lovely little things in my life that make it so sweet. On the business front, I crave more time for product development – I have loads of ideas I would love to see in my shop!

Name: Jennifer Downing

Business Name: Nourish

Type of Business: Family Food Plan Consulting & Cooking Instruction

Website: nourishcooking.com

Reason for starting: Raising four children as a stay-at-home-mom, I work very hard to feed them well. Planning meals and cooking from scratch on a budget were reflections of my time in the food industry. Reading, learning about our food system becoming a gardener/beekeeper/chicken wrangler and volunteer resulted a deep knowledge of seeking out the best. A result of the knowledge I’ve gained came the realization many people are seeking the same life-style but don’t know where to begin. Four years ago, I started my company, Nourish, focusing on ‘teaching you to feed those you love’. Through cooking classes, market tours, workshops and public presentation I am teaching people to regain the skills to feed their families whole foods in a drive thru age. It’s a pleasure to create interest in sustainable lifestyles, their tactical qualities and the pleasure one receives when caring for mind, body and soul.

Biggest success: I have been asked to be a presenter at the 2012 Kickapoo Country Fair, a huge annual event hosted by the Organic Valley Co-op based in La Farge, Wisconsin. This event is considered the Midwest’s large organic food and sustainable festival.
(http://blog.farmaid.org/2010/07/midwests-largest-organic-food-and.html) Needless to say, I am thrilled to be a part of something so far reaching sponsored by a company I admire.

Biggest challenge: Probably the same thing any other mother would say ~ balancing family and business. Enamored with my family and impassioned about my work, sometimes it’s difficult to say no and turn it off at the end of the day. Ultimately, the happenings around my own dining table are what matter most.

The one thing you would do differently: I would have been more aggressive with marketing and seeking publicity for my business and me. Since the beginning of 2012, I’ve actively worked to pinpoint my target market and search for new areas of growth. Feedback has been wonderful and I’m encouraged by the success I’ve had. If only I’d been more courageous and put myself out there early on ~ imagine how far I could have already gone!

Name: MaryBeth Reeves

Business Name: Scrapbook Mamma

Type of Business: Custom Photo Books

Website: http://www.scrapbookmamma.com

Reason for starting: After having quadruplets and getting laid off from my corporate job, I wanted to have my own business so I could control my world a little better.

Biggest success: There are copies of my books featured in the lobby of the W Atlanta Buckhead and getting my first yearbook client that ordered 45 copies of the same book.

Biggest challenge: Funding and time are my biggest challenges. I am a solo-entrepreneur, so I do it all. I am working on a franchise model and if I had unlimited funds and lots of extra hands, that would already be completed.

The one thing you would do differently: I would have been more aggressive on pricing from the get go and started looking for more opportunities to produce large book orders sooner. I would have also been better at managing my advertising dollars initially.

Name: Theresa Leigh

Business Name: Muse & Fox Jewelry

Type of Business: Jewelry Manufacturing and Retail

Website: http://www.museandfox.com

Reason for starting: I wanted to create a for-profit social innovation model that integrated aspects of empowered employment for human trafficking survivors coupled with living wages, vocational skills, and entrepreneurship. To assist in solving the long-term problem of trafficking, 100% net proceeds goes back to organizations combating human trafficking and crimes against children, such as UNICEF, UN.GIFT, The Polaris Project, GEMS, The Protection Project, and the Harvard Kennedy School Carr Center’s Program on Human Trafficking.

Biggest success: Winning contracts with Anthropologie, ModCloth, and other major retailers.

Biggest challenge: Setting up shop when I travel extensively for my other “real” work with the UN/U.S. government. Figuring out the legalities of incorporating, foreign income exclusion taxes, health insurance for part-time employees, and the logistics of obtaining a T-visas from the government.

The one thing you would do differently: Have more venture capital when starting up instead of starting small and having the resources be self-sustaining. Be more tech savvy in creating/designing a website!