“Don’t let your fears defeat you. Learn to acknowledge the uncomfortable as a sign you’re heading in the right direction.” — Sheri McConnell

On WomanEntrepreneur.com, Sheri McConnell states that to grow you must focus on releasing fear in two areas; fear of criticism and fear of growth itself. The more you practice “releasing,” the more easily the fears melt away and you move to the next stage of growth. This is true in business and in life. As women, we know our business and personal lives are interwoven completely, if not always by choice. Especially if you are a caregiver of any kind, you know you don’t get the choice to turn off “personal” to get work done. In the Crescenta Valley we have some wonderful woman owned businesses.  One such business is The Little Store owned by Jackie Choi at 2421 Foothill Blvd. It is truly a little store, with an occupancy of about four people at one time; however it is packed full of all sorts of gifts, kick knacks and necessary items. Jackie says to please stop by to see the store and say “hi” and asks that you never feel obligated to buy anything. As a woman entrepreneur, Jackie juggles the store and being a caregiver to her children, so give a call to (818) 542-9808 to find out her hours. Another woman-owned business is Back Office Business Solutions owned by Dorothy Ryan and Arlene O’Neil. Their company is your number one source for your bookkeeping needs and will simplify your back office helping you to become more effective and profitable. They utilize QuickBooks to gather your financial information in the most effective way to prepare your financial results and tax work papers for your CPA. You can contact Arlene at (661) 714-5501 or Dorothy at (818) 652-5241 or visit Backofficebusiness.com. Back Office Business Solutions is your best source for professional, value driven low cost bookkeeping service. They have over 50 years of accumulated aggregate on-the-job experience. I am sure these woman business owners have worked on releasing their fear of growth in business to be successful. McConnell also says to try some of these activities to release fear of growth, helping you move forward more swiftly: Keep an awareness journal to help you remember experiences and recognize patterns.  Surround yourself with others who “play bigger” and often walk through fear. When you’re scared, focus on those you serve instead of on your own fears. Practice not fretting over mistakes and imperfection. Exercise. And breathe. The CV Chamber wants to make sure you’re heading in the right direction.  Visit us for more information. Important Chamber dates: Sept. 8 – Foothills Community Business Expo. Sept. 25 –Running of the Foothills 5K Run/Walk. Oct. 13 – Business mixer at Bonners Equipment Rentals. Please call our office for more details on any event. How to reach us: (818) 248-4957 / crescentachamber@aol.com / www.LaCrescenta.org / 3131 Foothill Blvd., Ste. D.

Julia Rabago is the executive director of Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce.

  Crescenta, Rabago