Ohio Based Youngstown Business Incubator (YBI) Conducts Event for Women Business Owners

Women business owners came together for a lively and inspiring discussion at the Youngstown Business Incubator (YBI) on the topic of resilience and the transforming potential of failure. The event, organised by the Minority Business Assistance Centre (MBAC), a well-known organisation under YBI, sought to change attitudes about failure and motivate female business owners to realise its potential for advancement.

Tanisha Wheeler, the keynote speaker and Regional Director of the MBAC at YBI, addressed the podium and recounted her own experience as an inspiration. Wheeler's narrative perfectly reflected the struggles that many women go through, such as balancing parenting and seeking professional fulfilment. She experienced difficulties along the way, including a first hiccup when she was pursuing her education at the University of Akron. "At that time, I simply believed that my life was finished. I believed that I would never succeed and that I would never be able to recover. Then I went home, and that's when everything changed," Wheeler recalled.

After triumphantly returning to her Valley roots, Wheeler completed her undergraduate studies. This enabled her to advance to a leadership position as the Regional Director of MBAC at YBI. Failure is viewed by Wheeler as a catalyst for advancement rather than a discouragement, which is a transformational viewpoint on the subject. Her story struck a deep chord with the audience and inspired them to accept their own setbacks and see them as stepping stones.

The entrepreneur of All Spruced Up Cleaning Company, Paige Collins, shared her experiences throughout the debate as well. Collins discussed her transition from running a solo business to leading a team and the associated difficulty of losing customers who appreciated her individualised attention. Collins used this setback to spark change rather than giving in to defeat. She was inspired by the experience to use new organisational techniques, which helped her grow her small clientele of 10 into an amazing roster of 80 clients.

Collins confirmed, highlighting the opportunity for development present in times of struggle, "It is that failure that just kick starts the wheels and puts you forward and allows you to change what you need to change and make it better."

The incident emphasised the necessity to view failures as priceless lessons along the way to success. Tanisha Wheeler and Paige Collins encouraged female entrepreneurs to change their mindsets and see failures as chances for innovation and progress by sharing personal stories and ideas. The Youngstown Business Incubator is still essential in promoting these conversations and developing an environment that encourages women to persevere and succeed in their business endeavours.

After the conference, participants departed with a renewed feeling of purpose and a greater understanding of how failure can change the course of their entrepreneurial journeys.