Women hear words of wisdom from the W.I.S.E.
- posted: 11 Mar. 2008
- scrollcampus@byui.edu
Women attending BYU-Idaho and some community gathered at the W.I.S.E. (Women Igniting Spirit of Entrepreneurship) conference last Saturday, which was intended to inspire women to be more active entrepreneurs.
This was the culminating event of the entrepreneur week put on by SIFE (Students In Free Enterprise). The networking forum, entrepreneur movie premiere and the elevator-pitch competition were events SIFE hosted earlier in the week.
“In SIFE we complete projects based on 5 pillars: market economics, success skills, business ethics, financial literacy and entrepreneurship,” said Nicole Holme, a senior studying university studies and head of entrepreneur week.
W.I.S.E. was created to fulfill the project under the pillar of entrepreneurship.
“We teach classes,” Holme said, “and try and help students know more of what they are getting into after college.”
Three entrepreneurially-minded women from the community were invited to speak. Linda Porter, co-owner of Porter’s Craft and Frame; Sherri Harrison, BYU-I College of Business and Communication adviser and co-creator of Salsa Buena; and Mary Zollinger, owner of Derma Chic Laser & Skin Care Center, spoke on the important things entrepreneurs should know before starting their own companies.
“[You must] have childlike interest in everything; never get tired; never get bored,” Porter said.
Porter and her husband travel all over the world attending conferences and produce shows to find things to bring home and sell in Rexburg.
Zollinger worked in the medical field but never had a desire to start a business in derma care before the business opportunity approached her. She said she had to teach herself a lot about business and skin care before opening.
“You need to be the expert in your business to be able to answer questions,” Zollinger said.
Harrison gave advice on how to succeed.
“The busier you are, the more you get accomplished,” she said.
Harrison also said she has made things that people loved, namely, her famous salsa and flower arrangements, and she remembers thinking, “Why couldn’t I make this a business?” So she did.
Takara Priesteley, a senior studying university studies, who organized the W.I.S.E. conference, said “This [is] a male dominated field, but [women] don’t need to be afraid to break out of the box, go for their dreams and love doing it.” 
