One of the automotive industry’s top women, three entrepreneurs and a nonprofit leader were honored Thursday at the Business Journal’s 13th annual Women in Business Awards luncheon in Irvine.
The five winners shared stories of how they built their businesses, balanced work and family and struggled early on. Along the way, they joked about dating, husbands and a gave shoutout to Julia Child.
The winners:
– Anne B & #233;lec, chief executive of Ford Motor Co.’s Volvo Cars of North America in Irvine.
B & #233;lec, one of the few women leaders in the auto industry, is considered a rising star at Ford.
Her first automotive job was correcting dealer orders at a Ford assembly plant in Canada, where she grew up.
These days, B & #233;lec oversees the biggest part of Ford’s Premier Automotive Group, which has its U.S. base in Irvine.
Volvo sold 115,807 autos in North America last year and hopes to sell 120,000 this year.
– Zov Karamardian, founder and executive chef of Zov’s Bistro of Tustin.
Born in Israel of Armenian descent, Karamardian started her catering and later restaurant business as a way to be able to spend time with her son and daughter.
Twenty years later, she has restaurants in Tustin, Newport Coast and one due in Irvine this year.
“I’ve been cooking all my life,” Karamardian said.
Growing up, Karamardian’s favorite show was “The Julia Child Show.” A few years ago, she got to cook alongside Child and Emeril Lagasse.
– Terri Sjodin, president and founder of Sjodin Communications in Newport Beach.
An author and speaker, Sjodin has made a business out of coaching others to be more persuasive in presentations. She started her business in 1990 out of a spare room in her Fountain Valley home and now runs it from Balboa.
Sjodin, who’s been on CNN and other national media, talked about her early, lean days.
– Genette Eaton, chief executive, HomeAid of Newport Beach.
Eaton runs a nonprofit that works with homebuilders and others in real estate to build and renovate homes for people and families who find themselves temporarily homeless.
HomeAid, which oversees 21 chapters, has helped some 70,000 people and has about $100 million worth of housing, Eaton said.
Supporters include Lennar Corp., Standard Pacific Corp. and Hovnanian Enterprises Inc. Backers have given some $40 million in money and services.
– Sue Parks, chief executive and founder, WalkStyles Inc. of Laguna Hills.
A former top Gateway Inc. executive in Orange County and onetime No. 2 at Kinko’s, Parks this year started a company that sells walking clothes, a step-counting device and runs a Web site for walkers.
Parks said she started the company out of her own love of walking. The shift from corporate life to startup has been an adjustment, she said.
“Some days I say, ‘Why did I do this?'” Parks said.
Cookie Lee, founder and chief executive of Irvine’s Cookie Lee Jewelry and a women in business award winner in 2006, was the event’s keynote speaker.
Lee said she gave up a corporate life that included positions at Mattel Inc. and Johnson & Johnson to pursue her love of jewelry and to be able to spend time with family.
The daughter of Chinese immigrants, Lee said she and her brother were latchkey kids growing up as her parents worked to support the family.
“My mom couldn’t do PTA meetings and Camp Fire girls,” she said.
That led Lee to vow to never miss a single event for her kids, something Cookie Lee Jewelry has allowed her to do, she said.
The jewelry company, which works on the home party, direct sales model used by Mary Kay Holding Corp. and Tupperware Brands Corp., has grown from Lee designing and selling her own jewelry as a personal interest to some $150 million in yearly sales by consultants.
(Cookie Lee’s own revenue comes from selling jewelry wholesale to consultants. The company is estimated to have yearly sales in the $50 million range.)
Lee advised other women in business to set a goal, but not just any goal. It has to compelling, she said, something that “makes you want to get off the couch” or “get up everyday.”
