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Category:
Published: March 2007
Jennifer Joseph-Perry, VP of the Saratoga County Chamber, talks about her role in starting up the Women's Business Program.
Success Magazine: Jennifer, you are in charge of the Women's Business Program here at the Chamber. Could you explain the Program and its goals?
Jennifer Joseph-Perry: There are actually two different components to the Program. One is a Women's Business Luncheon and the other is a Women's Roundtable. We designed the Program based on a lot of feedback from our women members.
SM: What do these programs comprise?
JP: The Women's Business Luncheon has dynamic women in leadership positions from a variety of industries in our region. It gives an opportunity for the attendees to hear how these women got to where they are and any obstacles that they overcame to achieve success. I have found that there is a theme to their stories. This theme seems to be finding that balance between your work and your personal life. While I don't think that this only applies to women, I think their standard role as primary caretaker makes it more of an issue. The other theme that is constantly discussed is giving back to the community. Any leader that has spoken at the Chamber is very specific that you must give back to your community.
SM: Have you found the topics discussed at the meeting different from ones that have both genders attending?
JP: That is a good question. There is a different dynamic when there are only women in a conversation. Women tend to be more communicative and women might share their findings with other women at the roundtable discussion more readily. I am not saying that men and women do not have similar issues, but women tend to more easily address them.
SM: The fact that women have to weigh the cost of childbearing makes their career path very different from men. Do you often hear discussions on the difficulty of balancing work and family, especially from single mothers?
JP: That topic is brought up at meetings on a regular basis. Women from that perspective are forced to have greater time management skills to try to handle the additional responsibility of being the mom on call at all times for the children. The family/work balance is very critical in a woman's life.
SM: What are you trying to achieve as the facilitator of these meetings?
JP: I want to give women a network. They are given an opportunity to get more involved with the Chamber and with Saratoga County. I want them to have the opportunity to share leads and referrals that will help everyone. It is an opportunity to learn from other women and their successes. It is an opportunity to develop new ideas and strategies from other successful women. Perhaps most importantly, it is an opportunity to use the group as a sounding board as they are trying to grow their businesses.
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