Welcome to our second annual Women in Business issue, highlighting the achievements of local entrepreneurs who have made a mark in the Ventura County business community. These high achievers and committed individuals never cease to inspire me. Vision, hard work and ability will always be a solid foundation on which to build success, and these women certainly demonstrate all three. But what really stands out to me, when I take a step back to see the forest through the trees, is their adaptability in the face of changing circumstances.
On our cover is Lane Staniland, founder of Harper Lane Productions, a Ventura-based marketing agency. Staniland took a nontraditional route to get there, starting off in the culinary world and event planning industry. The long hours of hospitality weren’t conducive to family life…but her innate creativity coupled with solid problem-solving skills lent themselves to the ever-changing world of digital marketing. This allowed her to develop a thriving business while also having time for the relationships in her life. Staniland continues to thrive, and loves helping her clients do the same.
Genie Tuttle (Profile) worked in Corporate America for a very long time, wearing a lot of hats for a publishing company. She had an impressive skillset, but never could make it into the male-dominated C-suite. After she was laid off, she took her business and communications expertise and built a highly successful dog training business. With Dog Genie, she isn’t just working for herself; she gets to work with dogs and their humans on a regular basis — a constantly rewarding experience.
When the 2007 recession hit, Angela Rosales (Shopping) lost her job as a human resources professional and suffered a huge financial setback. What she did have was time, so she used it to explore her hometown of Ventura…and fell in love with it all over again. Eventually, she was able to share that love through Very Ventura Gift Shop & Gallery, selling a wide variety of quality goods that celebrate the city she adores, and the California coastal lifestyle.
Before moving to Ventura County, Natalie Albertson (About Town) lived in Sicily. It was a transformative experience in many ways, but one key takeaway for her was a deep appreciation for the ancestral methods used to make wine. When she came back to the U.S. she brought those techniques with her, opening Wildflower Winery (soon to be renamed Native Bloom) to offer light, fresh, low-intervention wines to the community.
None of these women had a straight line from Point A to Point B, but each of their journeys provided the skills and knowledge upon which they could build their own successful businesses. Like death and taxes, change is inevitable. Knowing when to pivot will always give you an advantage.
– Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer
nshaffer@timeslocalmedia.com