Your Name: Jana Francis

Business Name: Steals.com, a shopping discount network site

Type of Business: E-Commerce

Business Location: Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

Website http://www.steals.com
Twitter @steals
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/steals
Pinterest http://pinterest.com/stealnetwork/

Reason for starting
After 12 years in the corporate world, I was pulling out of my driveway after my third maternity leave ended, I knew I had to make a change to be financially free, and achieve a better work/life balance. An avid online shopper, I knew how hard it was to find deals on quality baby products. This was well before Groupon and other deal sites were on the market. I launched my first site, BabySteals,com, to spoonfeed shoppers the best deals on the best brands.

Biggest Success
We have stayed true to our core values since day one, proving that you can build a sustainable business with integrity and hard work. I’m so proud to have created a place where people can truly foster their career goals, be passionate about what they do, and feel proud of the company they represent.

What is your top challenge and how have you addressed it?
My number one challenge as we have grown has been learning how to delegate responsibility to others. When you’re an entrepreneur, your business is your baby – you know how to run it inside and out. It takes a lot of trust to hand aspects of that business over to someone else – someone who can ultimately do it better than you because that job is their sole focus. Giving up that control was very difficult – yet I’ve realized that it’s absolutely critical for growth.

Who is your most important role model?
Martha Stewart is proof that you can make your obsession your profession, and create an empire out of your dream. She showed me that anything is possible for a woman, and that you can be versatile/achieve perfection in many different areas. A close second is Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer, an amazing, strong business woman. She started very young, with humble roots, and achieved success through perseverance and discipline.