There are many quotes that have inspired various parts of my life, but one of the many that have driven me in the business world was said by Hunter S. Thompson: “Anything worth doing, is worth doing right.”
Something that stuck out to me about this quote was that it did not say, “Anything worth doing, is worth a man doing right.” I’m not one of those women who go around singing, “Anything you can do, I can do better,” but I do believe that women and men are equally capable of accomplishing great things — things done right.
It is from this driving force, the desire to take my business dreams and “do them right,” that Exhibit Edge has succeeded as a Women Business Enterprise, officially certified by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) in October of 2004.
I was recently humbled and honored to receive from the Women Presidents’ Educational Organization (WPEO) the WPEO Star Award for the Washington, D.C. region. The WPEO works as a regional partner organization of the WBENC, helping to facilitate third party certification for women owned businesses. WPEO’s mission simply stated is to create increased access to business opportunities for Women’s Business Enterprises.
Their mission is very closely tied to that of Exhibit Edge in that we both hope to equip businesses with the tools they need to succeed. In their case, it is to connect WBEs with certification and resources that will greatly benefit, promote, and further their businesses. In the case of Exhibit Edge, we strive to “do it right” by our clients by implementing “Intelligent Exhibiting®” into every service area and offering our clients expert design, fabrication, management, and consultation for every step of the exhibiting process.
As a part of the daily operations here at Exhibit Edge, we have had the privilege to work with many successful businesses over the years, both women and men owned. It is always encouraging to see other companies committed to excellence in their business processes, and we’ve had the pleasure of mentoring some of these WBEs, giving educational workshops to help advance women businesses, and helping to get other women owned businesses off the ground.
I didn’t start my company to prove that I could be as successful as any man, because the point isn’t whether it is a female or male owned company. The point is, rather, do you provide quality service and deliver that service with passion, professionalism, and quality that rivals the competition? After all, that is what is truly important for a company — giving your all for your client and helping them succeed to the best of your ability. By making sure you “do it right” by your client is what will keep them coming back year after year and, at the same time, help you to develop and grow your business into one of which you can be proud!