By Carolyn A. Schultz

Starting and maintaining a business by yourself is an overwhelming process. I’m not afraid to admit it, because I know that’s a normal feeling and many of us have been there.

As a longtime marketer and writer, but a recent newcomer to the women entrepreneurs “club,” I’ve been inspired to get involved in ChallengeHER and WIPP, and I appreciate this opportunity to introduce myself with a thank you message and a plan.

I am a marketing consultant and writer, and started my own business in 2015, after 15+ years putting small businesses and nonprofits on the map. With Carolyn A. Schultz Marketing & Communications, I provide personalized services from start to finish for articles, proposals, brochures and other winning marketing materials.

While I have helped numerous other businesses navigate and win multi-million-dollar project proposal processes and contracting with local, state and federal governments, and I look forward to continuing helping others, I am also determined to help myself and my own business grow. Starting everything from scratch on your own is tough, but doable with the right support system and guidelines that work for you and your goals.  

That’s where ChallengeHER and WIPP come in. ChallengeHER’s program in New York in November was a helpful, inspiring call to action that jumpstarted idea development for my business, and introduced me to a new powerful network of government resources and fellow women entrepreneurs in a variety of fields. The “Give Me Five” webinar program with WIPP has also been extremely helpful, as I’ve discovered recently. Wherever you are, you can hear words of wisdom from experienced experts during hour-long presentations that help us divide and conquer the many steps needed to win work and grow our businesses.

During my 15+ year career and during the first two years of my business, one of the most important marketing lessons I’ve learned is that new opportunities don’t always come to you automatically. While chance and good luck certainly play key roles, success is usually something you have to work for, as you make your own opportunities. That’s a big reason why networking and learning through ChallengeHER and WIPP have become key strategies for growing my business.

I look forward to seeing you at an upcoming event soon, and continuing our journey together as women entrepreneurs building our businesses!