What was your first job and what did you learn from it?
I worked as a candy striper throughout high school, as part of a community service project. I learned that it is important to contribute both time and money to your community.  I also learned that volunteer positions must be accepted with the same level of commitment as any other business obligation.

Who is your hero, mentor or person you most admire? Why?
Walt Disney is one of the people I admire most. I think it is admirable when an individual focuses on a sole purpose in life and achieves the outcome they intend. 

What is your favorite book?
"The Path of Least Resistance" by Robert Fritz

What advances in your field do you envision over the next 10 years?
Ten years is probably too far into the future for a best guess regarding the evolution of technology. However, it is becoming increasingly evident that the next two years will bring vast changes in how each of us interact with each other, with retailers, business to business relationships, etc. The business race will be won by those who take advantage of the latest / greatest tools, in order to maximize access and the flow of information to clients, vendors and within their own organizations. Everyone will be using either their cell phones, PDA's or a hybrid of the two, in order to handle both simple and complex tasks. 

What do you see as the single most interesting element of your work?
People, they are the most rewarding, most challenging and most interesting element of my work.

What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment?
Growing my company strictly through revenues. When tech firms were growing at astronomical rates, due to venture funding, we stuck to the "old fashioned" way of doing business, one client at a time. My company does not have any debt, it is profitable and growing at an average rate of 54%. We now have clients in 45 States, Canada, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Japan and England. We are continually opening new markets and it is exhilarating to see things going so well.

What was your greatest challenge and what did you learn from it?
Seven years ago, I relocated my company to Phoenix, Arizona. I knew that in order to grow and expand my company to the level I desired, I needed to be in a larger market, where it would be easier to hire experienced personnel, increased access to resources, etc. While I truly believed that relocating my business was going to be a challenge, I was not prepared for the level of difficulty I ultimately experienced--it was absolutely the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. 

I had started my company in college and always enjoyed success, both financially and from a community awareness perspective. I thought it would take me a year, two at most, to get the company repositioned and moving forward on a national level, it actually took me five years. Those were the hardest years of my life. I learned how to deal with fear, fear of payroll being due on Friday and knowing that clients had not put their checks in the mail, etc. 

I suffered from the same things that all small businesses go through in the stages of early development. Since I had not experienced those "growing pains" when I had started the company in college, these were divesting times for me. I learned a very valuable lesson; while the majority of my identity was tied to my company (and still is for that matter), my self-worth is no longer tied to the achievements and challenges that face my company. I realized that my feelings of personal value had always fluctuated with the bottom line of my company's financial worth. The real learning experience came when I realized that my self-worth had to be established and had to remain intact within me, as an unwavering belief in who I truly am. Once this shift in belief occurred, it helped me put financial and business challenges in their proper perspective. This has also assisted me in dealing with business challenges from a clearer and more appropriate position, it has removed a great deal of the emotion and personal feelings that I previously associated with both the highs and lows of business. Thus, my decision making process and my ability to plan have improved dramatically.

What strategies do you use to maintain balance in your life?
I have never had a well-balanced life. I am a individual of extremes, I only understand a 100% effort in any arena in which I am engaged. So, while I intellectually understand the value of balance in life, I have not yet placed enough personal significance on balance. Therefore, I remain clearly committed to achieving my goals, which has created a single-focused existence for me thus far.

What advice would you give to young women who want to enter your field?
My advice to a young woman who wanted to either become an entrepreneur or a woman in technology, would be to understand that the roughest times are the ones that carry the most significance in life, both as an individual and in business. Pay attention to the times you dislike the most; the way in which you handle the tough times determines the depth to which you will be able to experience the great achievements in your life.  

Be prepared to work hard, probably much harder than others around you and make certain you are always more prepared for everything--meetings, presentations, etc. People respect those who have "done their homework." Present yourself professionally, be kind and be prepared. This will give you the respect of your peers and the admiration of those around you, providing you with a level of support that will carry you well into the future both personally and professionally.