By Mayte Penman, Bicultural Business Strategist, and Carrie Vestrand, Retail Strategist

Women’s History Month is celebrated in March every year. We take this opportunity to acknowledge the successes and challenges unique to our female entrepreneur clients, recognizing one month is not nearly enough to honor the contributions women bring to our families and our society. The following women entrepreneurs share what makes them outstanding leaders in our community and why they should be celebrated.

Janica Smith

Janna Kay Charcuterie Boxes and Boards 
(Online only)

What made you want to start your own business? 

My aspirations to become a business owner were cultivated in my high school years. I recall a teacher telling me, “One day you’re going to own your own business,” and that really stayed with me. As I went through college and into my career, I always gave 100%, however, the appreciation never seemed to match the time and energy I put into my work. At that point, I came to the conclusion that I would take the culmination of my experiences and training to follow my passion to create Janna Kay. As a business owner, I am passionate about my product, and I find satisfaction in knowing that I can provide people with an outstanding experience every time they indulge in one of our charcuterie boards.

What makes you most proud of being a female entrepreneur?   

Being a Black female entrepreneur is rewarding because I am a representation of the shift of new entrepreneurs in America. I can say that I am most proud that I am building a legacy as my company Janna Kay continues to evolve and expand. Janna Kay offers a unique style in the field of charcuterie, which has led to our success. Our company’s legacy is something that I am proud my daughters will be able to witness. They will be able to know that their mother decided to take her future into her hands and create her own lane, and that is intrinsically fulfilling on so many levels.

What resources can you recommend for female entrepreneurs? 

I would strongly encourage female entrepreneurs to really spend time building a tribe. It is so important for women to talk and share with one another, even if it’s not in the same niche. As you launch into the field of entrepreneurship there are so many moving pieces and it’s great to have other female entrepreneurs that you can form a bond with and lean on when issues and concerns arise. Additionally, look for subject matter experts and know that it’s OK if you don’t know everything because you are not supposed to. Every day at Janna Kay we are learning and growing. Our company’s goal is to provide each customer with a world-class experience, and the support of my tribe has been a great resource during the journey.

Veronica Vela

Natures Compliments
1741 Green, Detroit, MI 48209

Tell us about your business – what do you do and why do you do it?

Natures Compliments empowers divinity through self-love by creating healthy and affordable herbal products while reducing landfill waste.

What is your biggest professional motivation?

Our community inspires us as a business, nonetheless, our motivation comes from internal and external happiness of creating natural resources that better our community environmentally, mentally and physically. We hold 18 local creators in our storefront. They all believe in a healthy and sustainable Detroit. Products like hand-wrapped smudge sticks, organic cold press soap and CBD lube.

What makes you an outstanding leader in your community?

This planet is my home, my peace of mind is my home, and my body is my home. Southwest Detroit is my home. This community strives for greatness and Natures Compliments storefront is an example of what this community can do together when an opportunity is given. We are creators, we are women entrepreneurs, we are Latinas, and we are here to empower our community.

Shirley Rawlings

Wesley Scott’s
2356 Joslyn Ct., Lake Orion, MI 48360

What made you want to start your own business?

I started my business because I needed to start a family legacy. I’ve spent a lot of my life working for others to help them meet their goals and create generational wealth. So, I asked myself, “When am I going to start doing that for my family?” I took my passion and experience and turned it into a company. This is where I can cultivate a culture of people with standards, excellent customer service and avenues to their dreams of owning a business.

As a female, what unique challenges do you face when running a business?

Being taken seriously to be able to run a business, get business loans and survive in any industry. Most women have to use their own funds to kick start their dreams for years to come.

What resources can you recommend for female entrepreneurs?

The internet is where I get all my information. Join groups of those that are doing the same thing you want to do. Groups are where I was able to network and find trades that weren’t in books or that you could easily research online. Most had YouTube channels and they talk about the reality of ups and downs.

Mary Ortega

European Perfumes
2213 Springwells, Detroit, MI 48209

What made you want to start your own business?

I always wanted to be independent. If I could work for someone else, why not work for myself? I really like aromatherapy and I knew I could serve the community and have direct contact with clients. So, the idea came out of the need of the Detroit community where the perfume market had not been explored. We had this idea of a place where people can buy beautiful, exclusive gifts of perfumes as well as esoteric and special gifts.

What is your biggest motivation?

My main motivation is that I am working for myself and every day I experience something interesting with the clients that they like; the aromas, the personalized customer services, and that they leave satisfied that there is a place in the community of fragrances. When the idea of European Perfumes was born, I always thought about the challenges that were going to arise. But I stayed faithful in my conviction, continued ahead, and brought something new and exclusive to this beautiful city. We need to continue to invest in local businesses and the community in Detroit. When someone wants to purchase a gift, they should be able to do so by investing in their community. We know the Detroit community is going to support us as a local business made with great effort and love.

What makes you an outstanding leader in your community?

As a small business owner, it is important to continue to learn. It is important when starting a business not only to keep savings that support yourself but also to seek opportunities to continue investing in new things. Leadership is essential for diversification not only to grow as a business but to take it to a large scale, and we surround ourselves with a great work team and suppliers that support us.

Karin Risko

City Tour Detroit
(Online only)

What made you want to start your own business?

While others seemed preoccupied with all the bad things happening in Detroit, I was always intrigued by Detroit’s history. Not only the local goings-on but the city’s contribution to national and international events. I also wondered why you could visit other major cities on any given day and have access to numerous same-day bus and walking tour opportunities. Those opportunities to tour Detroit just didn’t exist here in the city.
So, around 2010 I decided to spread the news about Detroit’s fascinating history and began offering tours on a part-time basis under the name Hometown History Tours. Things were slow-going at first and I had to juggle my passion around full-time jobs. However, I kept going and accumulated more experience and knowledge with each tour. Finally, in 2016 the tide had changed. The media was saying positive things about Detroit, and both locals and visitors wanted to see for themselves all the exciting new developments underway. Demand for tours dramatically increased. I realized then, it was now or never. If I wanted to be a legit tour operator, I needed to fully commit. I rebranded to City Tour Detroit, trained a few guides, and haven’t looked back. Giving tours of Detroit is the best job in the world!

As a female, what unique challenges do you face when running a business?

I don’t know if this has anything to do with me being a female owner (maybe it does), but I don’t think most commercial leasing consultants and other business entities recognize the value tour operators, and tourism in general, add to the economic impact.  While they visualize the value of retail and dining enterprises, some can be rather dismissive of commercial space or group lunch inquiries because they perceive tourism as a vague concept and are unsure what role it plays within the community. Tourism is the No. 1 industry in the world and a major industry in Michigan, right up there with manufacturing and agriculture. In addition to purchasing tickets for our tours, our customers stop for coffee, a meal, shop, attend events afterward such as baseball games or seek out other attractions. They spend money while here!
While City Tour Detroit generates revenue through the sale of tours, customers rely upon us to be “Detroit experts” and provide recommendations for dining, shopping, lodging and things to do. There are a lot more tour operators in Detroit than when I first started. Savvy retailers, restauranteurs, bar owners, distillery operators, breweries, and those who operate activities or attractions should have all of us on their distribution lists to keep us informed on what’s new. We can help businesses bring in new customers.

What resources can you recommend for female entrepreneurs?

Seek out local business organizations with a composition of people who operate businesses like yours. Networking with those outside your specific niche can be beneficial as well. TechTown Detroit is a great resource and offers a ton of programming geared toward small business owners. I would highly recommend Retail Boot Camp! Also, I belong to several national and international Facebook groups pertaining to tours and attractions and have learned so much from these groups.

Claudia Alejandra Lara Romero & Alejandra Palma Ramos

Las Palmas Neveria Y Cafeteria
7009 West Vernor Hwy., Detroit, MI 48209

What made you want to start your own business?

As women, we needed to prioritize independence. Even though we come from another country, our businesses allow us to be self-sufficient. We wanted to show that we are women who could have our own business and fight for our dreams. We began this restaurant because we believe food is an important aspect of our culture and we want to leave a legacy that our community remembers. We are both from two different states in Mexico – Oaxaca and Jalisco -and the most important item on our menu is the pork loin sandwich (tortas de lomo), which is a fusion of both states. We feel immensely proud to have our own recipes in our own business and to be independent.

What makes you most proud to be a female entrepreneur?

During the eight years of being in business, we are proud to serve the community and survive the pandemic and all the obstacles presented, especially since we know many businesses have closed due to the challenging times we are experiencing as a community. Thanks to our work, we are still present in our business, working constantly and offering quality products. And thanks to the community, we have expanded our circle of friends; customers have become our friends and people we can count on. We continue to be as humble as when we first started. Wherever we go, there is no need for introduction since people recognize us from Las Palmas. Thanks to the fact that customers like our restaurant, they have recommended Las Palmas to others.

What is your greatest professional motivation?

Our greatest professional motivation would be to continue keeping our clients coming back for more. We want them to come back after they try something. They always leave very satisfied, and that makes us feel incredibly happy and proud. This inspires us to continue offering better service. What motivates us is that we are self-sufficient, and we use our creativity to make the dishes we want. We have a menu that satisfies all tastes, and in the future, we can add more to the menu according to what the clients want. Perhaps over time, we can expand to provide additional service.