What Men Don't Tell Women About Business 2012 (3-26-12)

Positively Pittsburgh Live

What Men Don't Tell Women About Business 2012
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3-26-12

Guests:
Susan M. Stephens, Owner of Stephens Flagging LLC
Valerie Tierno, Fixed Operations Director at Dave Smith Autostar Superstore
Betsy Benson, Publisher and Vice President of Pittsburgh Magazine
JoAnn R. Forrester, founder SI Business Associates

Stephens Flagging LLC is locally owned and operated by Susan M. Stephens, and is 100% woman owned and operated. Stephens was established on September 10, 2001 and has over 50,000 man hours of experience in traffic management and control. The business is a registered Business Partner with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Transportation, Bureau of Construction and Material Prequalification Office. As of August 2007, PennDot now refers to Stephens Flagging as a services provider. Although located in Southwestern Pennsylvania, Stephens has served a geographic region from Pennsylvania to the Canadian Border. Clients range from construction companies, fiber optic companies, drilling operations, aerial and antenna installation companies, as well as companies that work on gas lines.
 
Stephens has extensive experience in both rural and city environments and will provide certified flaggers at needed sites, equipped with safety gear, radio communication and stop/slow paddle.
 
Susan says she never had a text manual on how to run a business or how to deal with men in a business field. “Men think that when women are thoughtful and nice, it also means they are weak. I have gone to those who have great wisdom, and their guidance helps me take care of difficult situations.”
 



Valerie Tierno

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Valerie Tierno is the Fixed Operations Director at Dave Smith Autostar Superstore and has been a professional in the automotive industry for 25 years. Her experiences ranges from fleet and commercial sales of trucks and cars, consumer sales of vehicles, managing the service department and working as an advisor on the service desk, to managing the body shop as well as the parts department.
 
Val has been instrumental in navigating Dave Smith Autostar through the challenges of losing their Chevrolet franchise in 2009. As a result of the restructuring of GM, Val manages 15 men in the various departments. She finds the best way to get them to do what she wants is to bake them homemade cookies! Another few things that Val has learned, “You are not supposed to ask men 20 questions about what they are doing even if you need that information to take care of a customer. And also, no two or more women should be in charge of an area that should be managed by a man.”

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Betsy Benson

 Betsy Benson is the publisher and vice president of Pittsburgh Magazine, where she oversees operations at one of the region’s top media organizations. Pittsburgh Magazine has served its community for 42 years and today provides content through a monthly magazine, pittsburghmagazine.com and more than a dozen events hosted throughout the year. A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Betsy has worked in journalism and publishing for 25 years, including 15 years at the Pittsburgh Business Times where she served as editor. Betsy was honored as a Legacy Laureate at Pitt in 2000; as a Woman of Achievement by Celebrate & Share in 2010; and has supported numerous causes, including WQED and the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women and has served on the board for the PNC YMCA, Downtown, and on a Powerlink advisory panel.
 
Betsy’s tip for being in a leadership roll is that “one must always be the Chief Selling Officer in the organization.”

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JoAnn R. Forrester

 JoAnn R. Forrester founded SI Business Associates, a growth management firm established in 1975. JoAnn has secured 40 million dollars in loans for her clients and in 1998 she co-developed the PRICE IT PERFECT™ cost management program. In 2008, JoAnn started the Empress of Biz Talkcast Show, “Re-Inventing in Rugged Times.”
 
JoAnn consulted for the Women's Entrepreneurial Training Program for the City of Pittsburgh and the State of Pennsylvania. From 1991 to 1995, she served on the Pennsylvania Governor's Task Force for the development of a strategic growth plan for women business owners. A member of the US Small Business Administration's Small Business Advisory Council for the Western Pennsylvania District, she was appointed the first woman Chair of the Council in May of 1993.
 
JoAnn is co-author of STEPS TO OWNING YOUR OWN SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS and is a nationally certified site reviewer for the National Women’s Business Owner Corporation. In 2004, she was appointed a Program Loan Coordinator of the M/W/D.B.E. Working Capital Loan Program of Allegheny County.


JoAnn served 5 terms as President of the National Association of Women Business Owners and also served on National Board of NAWBO (1990-91) and National Nominating Committee of NAWBO (2007-2009). She twice received the U.S. Small Business Administration Award for SBA Woman Business Champion for Pennsylvania. In March of 1996, JoAnn was elected to the Pennsylvania Honor Roll of Women from the PA Department of Commerce. She was chair of the Global Partnership with Pennsylvania in 1997,1998. In 1999, she received recognition as one of the Top 50 Women Business Owners in Pennsylvania.


JoAnn currently serves on the boards of the Business Loan Review Committee of the Urban Redevelopment Authority of the City of Pittsburgh and the Greater Pittsburgh Chapter of NAWBO. Previously, she served on the Advisory Council of the Small Business Administration and The Women’s Enterprise Center.


Joanne has learned that “men gossip, complain and whine. I was a partner in a remodeling company and when the guys were on the job and did not know I was there they would be talking about the people who owned the house, their wives, their neighbors, just chewing the "fat.” When I came over, they would get very quiet and just make grunting noises. The double standard is alive and well and a woman needs to be very aware of that. Do not play in the sandbox with the guys if you have any ambitions about being boss.”

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This was reported as a reproduction of PositvelyPittsburghLive news done by Joanne Quinn-Smith. (c) Joanne Quinn-Smith and PositivelyPittsburghLive(TM) 2012 All rights reserved.

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Tara Darazio is a Positively Pittsburgh Live reporter, an independent copywriter, blogger, article writer, and social media strategist. If you are in need of writing assistance, or need help with your social media efforts connect with Tara on LinkedIn here.