Worcester Business Journal

36 Worcester Business Journal | October 29, 2018 | wbjournal.com LET'S SIMPLIFY Being a Woman Is Complicated – Your Care Shouldn't Be. UMass Memoria l Hea lth Care provides women of a ll ages and stages access to exceptiona l care throughout our system. Congratulations to all Worcester Business Journal's Outstanding Women in Business honorees and alumni! www.umassmemorial.org/simplywomen 855-UMASS-MD (855-862-7763) F O C U S O U T S T A N D I N G W O M E N I N B U S I N E S S Guest Column BY AMY LYNN CHASE Successful women shape our community W hen WBJ Editor Brad Kane called and asked if I would share my thoughts about the business women who have come before me, my first thought was, "Wow, what an honor!" My second thought was, "Honestly, where would I personally be without some of these women?" at thought stuck in my head for the rest of the drive home from e Haberdash in Hudson, the location of my fourth busi- ness venture in Central Massachusetts. People regularly ask me about my business background. I hope it's because I look younger than I am (thanks for the good genes, Dad). I'm oen asked how I got started in antiques and how I opened a wedding venue. e answer usually goes like this: "One day I got a crazy idea and decided to run it by someone." Most of the time, that some- one is a female in business I look up to. Having smart females in your corner is so powerful. When a strong woman has faith in you, you never feel like you're going it alone. You know they are invested in you and there to help you succeed. I can't even count the number of times another female business leader in Worcester has offered me a helping hand. Five years ago, I wanted to start a farmers market in Worcester's Canal District. With the nearest grocery store more than a mile away and a steady stream of customers at my shop, Crompton Collective, I knew it would be a huge benefit to our neighborhood. But with my store just starting out, we didn't have the funds to start this under- taking alone. When I mentioned my idea to Kate McEvoy at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, she immediately jumped in and helped me create a packet for potential sponsors. at packet showed area businesses how it valuable it would be for them to get involved with our project, and it ultimately allowed me to create Massachusetts' first year-round farmers market. Kate's guidance was instrumental in making that happen. A year later, I had the idea to open a wedding venue in the 5,000-square- foot warehouse space next to Crompton Collective. I reached out to a number of local acquaintances in the event indus- try but was discouraged by the advice I received: e business is difficult, and I shouldn't pursue it without experience. Despite these warnings, it was Struck Catering founder Barbara Cotter who said, "Just do it, Amy. It will be great, you will be great, and we will help you learn the wedding business as you go." e White Room is now an award-win- ning venue and hosts multiple weddings a month alongside Barbara and her team at Struck, and I'm so appreciative to Bar- bara for her inspiration and support. Susan Mailman at Coghlin Electri- cal Contractors is another powerful Worcester woman who has literally offered me a seat at her table. When she learned we share a passion for trade school education, she reached out to me and encouraged me to get more in- volved with trade schools in Worcester. I began offering internships at Crompton Collective in collaboration with my alma mater, Worcester Technical High School, and this program provides valuable job experience for several students each year. Sue showed me I could give back to my community, and in ways I would have never thought of. I'm so thankful for her mentorship. Very early on in my business quests, I noticed Worcester was filled with women who were not afraid to follow their dreams. With endless examples of females leading fields once thought of as male-dominated, it made it so much easier for me to picture my success. e contributions of the Outstanding Women in Business and other success- ful females in Worcester have shaped our city and our lives in very positive ways. Whether it's savvy small business owners or our fearless elected leaders, champions of the arts, or commu- nity advocates, we owe a lot to these women, past and present. When we work together, we share in each other's successes. We can pave the way for future generations. We can guarantee the future is female. Amy Lynn Chase is the owner of Crompton Collective and the White Room in Worcester and e Haberdash in Hudson. She is the 2018 WBJ Innova- tive Business Leader of the Year. W

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