My name is Maggie Martin-McKinnie, and I am a second-year majoring in International Affairs. This was not the major I intended to pick when I first got to college a year ago. I have a soft spot for small businesses; up until this semester, I had only worked for small businesses owned by women since I was 16. The products I saw my bosses create, and the relationships they made inspired me to major in Entrepreneurship so that one day I too could start a business of my own.
Prior to COVID-19, 42% of Tallahassee businesses were women-owned. Last spring, I had the honor of interviewing one of these local women entrepreneurs, Maddison, about her business Tallahassee Picnic (https://www.tallahasseepicnic.com/). Her success can be attributed to her focus on her unmatched level of personalization of the different picnics she hosts. Her customer base is reliable, and many of her clients come to her from word of mouth, so she spends very little money and time on advertising. She drums up excitement for Tallahassee Picnic by posting Instagram reels, TikToks, and by partnering with other local businesses. Through partnerships and networking events, she has built connections that have increased the potential and quality of her luxury picnics.
While Maddison is an example of a highly successful women entrepreneur, there are many setbacks that many women face. For example, Maddison considers herself lucky to be able to pursue her passion in owning Tallahassee Picnic, but it can be challenging for many women to find a balance between work and home life. Although society has made impressive strides when it comes to women’s rights, there is still an unfair gender bias in the world of business. Women find it harder to get a seat at the table in important business meetings. Resources are often allocated towards men in business rather than women, through closed networking events. Even women who have successful businesses are questioned not if, but when they will give up their businesses for kids. These are just a small portion of the many barriers that women entrepreneurs face in the field of business.
The goal of Women Wednesdays FSU is to ensure that women in the FSU community have access to the resources and opportunities to succeed in any field they desire. Therefore, we think it is crucial to host networking events, partner with other women's organizations, and build a community of women locally so that we can achieve success for women globally.