Chippewa Valley 5ive for Women The Chippewa Valley’s Premier Magazine for Women!
Related Articles
By Katie McKy
Many women dream of launching a business one day, of rolling the dice and being their own boss. Given that almost 20% of new businesses fail in their first year, and over 30% percent fail in the first two years, where does a fledgling entrepreneur summon the courage? Amy Wahl is a local woman well-positioned to answer this question, for she launched a business. Then another. And another. And another.
“I have Pink Orchard Salon, a chair rental salon for independent stylists, Pink Orchard Boutique, Banbury Candle Company, and a brick and mortar art studio where I paint, melt glass and make jewelry,” Wahl said.
Wahl also has a husband, four adult children, and two grandchildren, and also recently made a move to downtown Eau Claire. If it sounds a bit like juggling a hippo, a feather, a flaming torch, and a kitten, it is.
“It can be a challenge to balance this many businesses and everything else, however, I don’t feel like I have to devote the same amount of time to all of them at this time,” Wahl said. “The salon and boutique are my main focus, and my art studio and candle company are where I create paintings, jewelry and candles to sell in the boutique. My art studio is definitely where I go to clear my mind and recharge my soul.”
But before the businesses were up and humming, Wahl had to muster the moxie to start from nothing. She had to be a steel magnolia. What was the source of her mettle?
“I have always been a pretty positive and self-confident person and was raised with the belief that you can do anything you are willing to work for,” she said.
Wahl was also raised to aspire with élan, describing herself as “a glass half-full person who tries to see the good in people and in the world.”
“I had great examples of courage growing up, which included the trials and tribulations of hard-working parents who juggled a family, a business, and a career,” Wahl said.
However, the entrepreneur’s path typically comes with potholes and icy stretches.
“I have struggled with anxiety and depression throughout my life due to some pretty life-altering, drop-to-your-knees moments that really shook me to my core and made me wonder how I would go on,” she explained. “There was a failed first marriage, being a single mom in my twenties, a traumatic miscarriage, and the devastating loss of a brother, just to name a few.”
Just getting out of bed in the morning took courage, but Wahl remembered that she needed to get up “even if you don’t feel like it, as life goes on around you even when you think it shouldn’t.” Wahl didn’t emerge embittered by the challenges.
“The toughest moments of my life have given me so much empathy and courage to live my life to the fullest, as tomorrow is never promised,” she said.
That empathy manifests in generosity.
“The best thing about founding a business is when you succeed you are able to give back to your community and organizations that give so much to others.”
The salon allows other women to be their own bosses.
“In my salon business, I have had the privilege to work with many amazing women and give them a place to be independent and run their own businesses and their own schedules, so they can be there for their families,” Wahl said.
Wahl has found that being your own boss is the best.
“You get to make your business completely your own, do it on your own terms, set your own goals and see your vision through,” she said.
However, most female entrepreneurs have to keep one eye on their business(es) and the other eye on everything else.
“The hardest thing about founding your own business is finding a work-home balance,” Wahl said. “It’s easy to drown yourself in your business, which I have been guilty of, but I’m starting to navigate that better by hiring and asking for help.”
Negative thoughts can also drown you.
“It’s easy to get caught up in listening to the negative self-talk, second-guessing and doubting yourself, and listening to others’ negativity,” she said. “Once you make up your mind to do something, you just need to go for it and see if it sticks. Get out of your own way!”
Even if you fail, there can be positive takeaways.
“You learn from it and move on,” Wahl said. “If you learn from your mistakes, it was never failure, just a steppingstone to what you’ll do next.”
If you’re thinking of following in Wahl’s footsteps, she shares her entrepreneurial acumen here:
“Opening your own business is scary, and it should be! Still, you need to jump out of your comfort zone, believe in yourself, and do it scared anyway,” she said. “If you truly have a passion for something and you’re willing to put in the hard work, you can achieve it, but do it for the right reasons. Do what you love, and the money will follow. If you just do it for the money, it won’t be sustainable in the long term.”
And form a peer group to have your back.
“Surround yourself with supportive, forward-thinking women that will be your biggest cheerleaders by joining women’s organizations and networking groups,” Wahl recommended. “Enter into your business with an abundance mindset and not a scarcity one, as there’s plenty for everyone and collaboration will always be better than competition.”
Perhaps surprisingly, friends and family might not be your biggest supporters.
“That’s okay if they aren’t,” she said. “They don’t have to understand your business or ideas, and you may also lose friends along the way, but stay true to yourself, your vision, and values.”
And don’t forget to pay it forward.
“Be there for other women entrepreneurs who need you, lift them up, support them and encourage them.”
Entrepreneurship has encouraged Wahl.
“Being an entrepreneur has taught me that with determination and grit I really can achieve anything I set my mind to, and to not dismiss my gut feelings, as they’re usually spot on,” she said.
Parting advice?
“A wise woman, who has been a client of mine for over 25 years, once told me when I was struggling to take the leap into entrepreneurship, ‘You’ll never do it any younger!’ That really hit home for me and was the push I needed to open my businesses,” Wahl said. “I use that quote on other entrepreneurs every time I can and love to see their reactions.”
