Influential women of NAWBO Chicago share keys to their success

Influential women business owners always have blazed a trail for up-and-coming female entrepreneurs to embark on their own journeys with confidence.

With an ever-changing business landscape, women consistently have demonstrated their ability to adapt, challenge, and rise to even greater heights.

However, according to data from the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), only 4% of all women business owners have reached revenues exceeding $1 million. As 2024 approaches, the NAWBO Chicago chapter is on a mission to grow that percentage and help more Chicago-area female entrepreneurs reach their goals.

Building a successful career and growing into an influential woman business owner doesn't come without facing setbacks.

NAWBO Chicago member Isoken Ogbomo, CEO of Complete Health Service Inc. in Bolingbrook, said she leans into others who support her vision and believes in the vastness of her potential. As a female entrepreneur and immigrant, Ogbomo said she has faced hurdles along the way. However, it's how she learned to frame those challenges as teaching moments that continues to guide her to future milestones.

"These experiences have only fortified my determination and dedication towards achieving my objectives. I've adopted a mindset where I view challenges not as barriers, but as opportunities for growth and advancement," Ogbomo said.

NAWBO Chicago President-Elect Angie Noll, founder of Reconciled Solutions in Elmhurst, said women especially are responsible for maintaining so many critical life roles in addition to running their companies.

"We cannot keep all these balls in the air without dropping one. Which ball can drop and bounce back, and which ball will shatter and never recover? I think this framework helps me prioritize my roles as a woman business owner, wife, mother, friend, and find time for me," Noll said.

When it comes to using her influence to benefit her team and other women in her network, NAWBO Chicago President Cheryl Vargas, creative-in-chief of Art Studio 928 LLC in La Grange, said she is intentional.

"It's not just about fostering business acumen; it's about nurturing leaders and independent thinkers. Encouraging this mindset among my team is a deliberate strategy to contribute to a culture of innovation and forward-thinking," Vargas said. "It's important that I use my influence to connect, support, and mentor other business owners."

NAWBO Chicago members come from diverse backgrounds and experiences. The organization comprises leaders representing a wide variety of business sizes, service sectors, and stages of business development. But one common thread that ties the members together is community. No member of the organization will claim they made it alone.

Member Shital Daftari, founder and CEO of Saris and Things and SNT Biotech in Plainfield, advises entrepreneurs finding their way to connect with a strong and experienced community.

"Deliberately surround yourself with individuals who possess greater expertise and knowledge than you. This is because the company you keep profoundly influences your personal and professional growth," Daftari said. "By aligning with people who excel in various areas, you're more likely to absorb their wisdom and skills, fostering your own development and enhancing your chances of success in the business world."

Vargas said one key to her success as a woman business owner is tenacity.

"There will always be hurdles and obstacles in front of your dreams. It's important to have a mindset that is focused and relentless in achieving your goals," Vargas said. "Entrepreneurship, like life, is a roller coaster of extreme highs and dark lows."

Vargas added the NAWBO Chicago community aided in obtaining her Minority and Women-Owned Business Certification, as well as introducing her to the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program from which she graduated - all keys that have contributed to her success as a woman business owner and leader.

Throughout history, women business owners have fought for their voices to be heard in leadership roles at companies and in board rooms. They continue to seek equal pay and fair treatment among their male counterparts. And for 48 years, NAWBO has stood as a strong and unwavering advocate.

Only 35 years ago, a woman was required to have a male relative or husband co-sign a business loan. That changed in 1988 when President Ronald Reagan signed The Women's Business Ownership Act into law with an enormous contribution and effort by the National Association Women Business Owners. H.R. 5050 addressed the needs of women in business by giving women entrepreneurs recognition and resources and eliminated discriminatory lending practices by banks that favored male business owners.

"One of our witnesses for the H.R. 5050 hearings didn't have a husband, brother or living father available, so her teenage son had to co-sign the loan for her," said Virginia Littlejohn, a NAWBO national past president and one of the architects of this legislation. "The absurdity of this surprised the House Small Business Committee and propelled us to put language to change this into the legislation."

Member Sue Harrawood, founder of Peace of Mind Virtual Assistance in Orland Park, said her involvement in NAWBO Chicago has cultivated exceptional business and personal connections. But you cannot be a silent observer.

"That's the key - You must take advantage of the opportunities that come your way because they may not come back. It's been a tremendous joy to be on the board of directors and a volunteer on several committees," Harrawood said. "I've received clients and team members from these commitments. When you are working shoulder-to-shoulder, in the trenches of an organization you love and respect, you truly see people and get to know them. The relationships I have made through the years of my NAWBO Chicago membership are some of the best of my life."

The influential women in business are part of a community. They are leaders. They take everything they can learn from those who went before them and then they pay it forward to empower other female entrepreneurs and keep the momentum growing.

"This is a community of women who support each other. In a world where there is so much polarization between differing viewpoints, NAWBO Chicago is a haven of women supporting women," Noll said.

NAWBO is the voice of 12 million women-owned businesses. The NAWBO Chicago chapter is the largest of the 60 chapters nationwide. It is the only member-based organization representing women entrepreneurs in all sectors, sizes and stages of their business development. For more information about NAWBO Chicago, visit nawbochicago.org.