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Pepperdine Voice Magazine

Pepperdine Voice Magazine Summer 2005

Women Who Mean Business

by Jenny Rough

FOR EVERYONE WHO HAS WANTED TO TURN A HOBBY INTO A CAREER, TAKE A LOOK AT THESE ALUMNAE. EACH HAS PINPOINTED HER TRUE PASSION AND FORGED A PATH TO SMALL BUSINESS OWNERSHIP. THEY SHARE THE UPS AND DOWNS OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND OFFER VALUABLE TIPS FOR ANYONE WHO DREAMS OF BEING THEIR OWN BOSS.

Laurie Wiard

As the daughter of a television director, she worked in the film industry before graduating from Pepperdine's Graduate School of Education and Psychology in 1994. The motivation to change careers began when she was 24, very depressed, and needing help. "I prayed to God and said, ‘If you can heal me, I'll give back tenfold,'" says Wiard.

Laurie Wiard

God did heal her and gave her tremendous empathy for others struggling on a personal level. "I was working in hair, makeup, and wardrobe, and because those things are personal and hands on, people would open up and talk," she says. She realized that instead of focusing on the external person, she wanted to fix their pain inside.

Pepperdine gave her the tools she needed to practice professionally, teaching her how to research her areas of interest and how to treat individuals using the most current treatment plans available. Not long after graduation, she opened her own psychotherapy practice in Brentwood, California, but because psychotherapy is an intimate endeavor, Wiard did not advertise. Instead, she told her patients she was opening a private office and many followed. She also credits her supervisors, mentors, and teachers for their tremendous support.

What did not work was taking patients for extremely reduced rates. "It gave them the feeling that, if they weren't paying a substantial amount, they weren't getting decent therapy," she says. "People need to know you put a price on something because it's valued." Yet even today, Wiard has a hard time charging clients the high fees that many psychotherapists demand. "I'd do this for free. That's how much I love it," she admits. Now thirteen years and counting, she claims that maintaining a balance between her work and personal life is critical to a successful practice. She takes calls outside office hours and works two nights a week to accommodate patients with full time jobs, but she also finds time to do yoga, run, and rest.

For Wiard, finding a sense of fulfillment is essential to establishing a meaningful life. "Don't lose sight of the fact that you can follow your passion and offer something valuable to the world," she offers. "Women today can step into the workplace and play a vital role in our community. The magic that unfolds before you is simply the result of loving what you do." To contact Laurie Wiard, please e-mail her at .

Yifat Hassid

Yifat Hassid

She thought her future was in real estate law, but after graduating from Pepperdine's School of Law in 1998, she began working at a criminal defense firm. "The first time I went to court, I was completely hooked," says Hassid. When she absorbed all she could from the firm, she opened her own practice but soon learned that it involved more than just renting office space and getting a license.

The most important step was setting up a network of contacts. "I learned the value of being there for others and the value of allowing others to help me," she says. Bar associations were good places to start networking, as well as keeping in touch with her former Pepperdine professors. "I still e-mail [my professors] with questions and they respond immediately," she says. She even finds herself in court referring to lessons she learned in her evidence and trial prep classes.

In addition to professional support, Hassid suggests building two other support teams: one emotional and one professional. "You need a cheerleading squad to tell you you're the most amazing lawyer, even if they have no idea what you do. Then you need people you can turn to for straight answers, like how much to charge a client," she says.

When it comes to defending criminals, Hassid says, "Most of my clients are sick to their stomachs about what they did but we all have the right in this country to acknowledge our mistakes and clean up. My job is to make sure my clients are protected and get a fair sentence." Although her business turned a profit by the end of its first year, that's not how she views success. "I feel most successful around Christmas when I get cards from clients and letters from jail. I love them," says Hassid who keeps a stack in her office to read on a bad day.

Pepperdine's Christian mission is something she appreciates as well. "I'm Jewish but the concept of the mission is identical in both faiths," she explains. "There's so much gray area in the law. It's good to turn to my faith and remind myself there is black and white – right and wrong – and there are things I shouldn't do just because I can." To contact Yifat Hassid, please e-mail her at .

Bronwyn Jacoby

Bronwyn Jacoby

If you ask Bronwyn Jacoby for her definition of a "foodie," first she will point to herself. In broader terms, she will explain it as the "culinary obsessed," going far beyond watching the Food Network. "Foodies have an ingredient-based mentality. They don't just want to know that a dish contains asparagus. Was it green or white? What season?" she says.

Food and restaurants have always been part of Jacoby's life, but she never thought she would own a business within the industry. As a student at Pepperdine, Jacoby had no idea what she wanted to do, so she created a major in publications and took a variety of classes to develop skills in numerous areas. After graduating in 1999, she headed to New York where she met her mentor, Todd English of the OLiVES restaurant group. When he encouraged her to open her own shop in the D.C. area, "I told him he was crazy," Jacoby says. But English's words stayed with her. "He said I could bring a level and edge to the industry that was unknown there."

Now, she is one of the founding partners of 2911 Productions, a food and wine public relations and consulting firm based in Alexandria, Virginia. The name 2911, whose logo is designed in the shape of a fork, spoon, and two knives, comes from Jeremiah 29:11, which reads, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jacoby has discovered that her plans include giving her clients personal attention. "God created us to serve each other," she says. "As a business leader, that priority needs to stay in mind."

She spends her days helping clients gain recognition at events such as the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, in magazines like Gourmet and Bon Appetit, or on television like when she appeared with Matt Lauer on NBC's Today Show. She monitors restaurant openings, conducts tastings of new menus and even helps with restaurant design. For more information, visit www.2911productions.com or e-mail Bronwyn Jacoby at .

 


She's She's the Boss

FROM PERSONAL TRAINING TO PUBLIC RELATIONS, THESE ALUMNAE ARE MAKING WAVES IN THE WORLD OF BUSINESS.

Shana Daniels (B '85, Leisure Science, SC)

  • Occupation: Personal trainer who conducts body makeover challenges for DIVAs (Divine Individuals Vitally Alive). Her clients call it a life makeover challenge - it incorporates mental, physical, and spiritual aspects.
  • Advice: "Commit six weeks of your life to something positive (e.g., workouts, Bible readings)."
  • E-mail:

Nina Curtis (B '97, GSBM; MBA '99, Business Management, GSBM)

  • Occupation: President/founder of three companies: The Niles Institute, which offers beauty and wellness services; Curtis Communications, which hosts conferences, teaches classes, and consults; and Nina Curtis & Associates, where she represents skin care products from Italy, Hungary, U.K., and Germany.
  • Advice: "Keep your femininity. Women are nurturers. They are in touch with their feelings and can get frustrated with the male-dominated corporate ladder. But a woman's innate attributes should give her confidence because they are her greatest strength."
  • E-mail:

Shannon Casey Celia (B '98, Journalism, SC)

  • Occupation: She paints watercolors of people's favorite homes. She also published a children's book and has six manuscripts circulating.
  • Advice: "Be fearless with the creative desires God gave you."
  • E-mail:

Jennifer Beever (MBA ‘90, Business Management, GSBM)

  • Occupation: Marketing consultant for New Incite.
  • Advice: "Don't back down on your values just for the mighty buck."
  • Web site: www.newincite.com

Evelyn Aleman (MPP ‘00, Public Policy, SPP)

  • Occupation: Founder of Media Image Public Relations. Combining her public relations background with her degree, she helps clients get their key messages into the media. As a student at Pepperdine, she helped establish the Women in Public Policy Forum.
  • Advice: "Be careful with your spending. The top reason small businesses fail is debt."
  • E-mail:

Deborah Claire Paskin (B '97, Speech Communications, SC)

  • Occupation: Owner of Open Window Creations and Deborah Claire Paskin Designs. She creates executive stationary, greeting/gift cards, and framed art pieces using paper.
  • Advice: "Be ready to take advantage of the open windows in your life."
  • Web sites: www.openwindowcreations-paperart.com | www.deborahclairepaskin.com