Women discuss entrepreneurship experience

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been changed to correctly attribute quotes to Rebecca Best, owner of Emineo Marketing.mwA panel of women talked about the ups and downs of running their own companies during the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce Women in Business program Tuesday.

Angela Swarts, the owner of Spherion Staffing; Kat McCall, the owner of Kat McCall Papers; and Rebecca Best, the owner of Emineo Marketing, participated in a question-and-answer session. It was moderated by SMR Leadership Solutions owner Stacy Roberts.

"Everyone has a unique gift and talents," Swarts said. "If you want to do something that is fulfilling, pay attention to the things that you already know and love."

Best  recommended avoiding overthinking an idea. not fearing taking chances and   being open to change.

"You are going to make mistakes; nothing is always going to be perfect," she said. "Without making mistakes, you won't innovate. And the only way you innovate is to allow yourself some breathing room to fail, learn and grow."

The group discussed barriers to female leadership such as fear and self-doubt and how to overcome them through collaboration.

"It's that inner voice that talks from time to time, 'You're not good enough, you're not pretty enough, you're not smart enough, you don't have enough money,'" Swarts said. "You've got to just push those distractions out of the way.

"We're women – barriers will find a way, but we've got to find a way under it, over it, around it – whatever we need to do."

The businesswomen also discussed different ways to stay motivated, such as keeping in touch with supporters and family.

"Have people around you that breathe life into you and can listen to you vent and also tell you the hard stuff that you don't want to hear sometimes," Best said. "It's good to have those people in your life."