New group invites women to share the victories and hardships of owning a business

Cynthia Wilson, owner of LumpiaPalooza Food Truck, was going through a difficult time juggling the many hats she wears as business owner, wife, mother, grandmother, and friend.

“Before I started my businesses I had so many friends and social activities and it went down to zero. And I’m a very social person,” Wilson said. “Friends stuck by my side, but I didn’t have time to see them. And then when I would see them they just didn’t understand my new life.”

Wilson started a group in April called Women of Wichita in Business - or WOW - to bring women together to celebrate their victories and the hardships that come with owning a business. She thought it would attract only a handful of women.

In less than a year, it has grown to almost 500 members.

“I thought well 12 of us will have this nice little side. We’ll talk about our woes and support each other, and immediately the group just got huge,” Wilson said. “I thought it would just be a handful of us to do it. But I think I really found a need. These women have made true connections and gotten real help from each other.”

A popular event in the group is the monthly potluck. A woman from the group offers to host the potluck at her place of business and members are asked to bring what they can. These potlucks not only serve as a place of fellowship for the women, but also a place to learn new skills and pass on knowledge.

Andrea Stang, owner of The Hive Wichita, hosted a recent potluck and helped lead a discussion on utilizing Instagram as a business owner.

“What’s so great about being a part of organizations like this is the age diversity. It’s like cross mentoring. There are ways, of course, that women older than me are mentoring me but also vice versa, especially when it comes to technology,” Stang said.

While networking is a benefit to the group, Wilson said she asked the women to find a balance to keep the group personal.

“What makes this group different and special is that it’s intimate. We want to keep it intimate,” Wilson said.

Tanya Stull, an agent with David Allen Capital, acts as co-moderator and runs the directory for the group, said she’s a part of other networking groups, but WOW offers a unique experience for its members.

“This is not one of those groups where everyone posts ads and maybe you get a like or two. This is a group where women know it’s not one of those types of groups. They know they’ll get to know other women. They’ll get to learn more about other businesses; maybe they’ll get referrals too. A referral is just priceless,” Stull said.

Recent member Cornelia Stevens, a business owner with shop.com, said she has enjoyed the “unfiltered support” the group offers one another.

“Being an entrepreneur is hard, regardless of gender. Most of us are moms, we are grandparents, we have other jobs and we have a life. What I appreciate more than anything was that there are people to support each other through all of that and how to make all of that work and still be successful,” Stevens said.

With nearly 500 members, the group has many women working in the same industry. But long-time member Paula Glenn, owner and photographer for Paula G. Photography, has noticed there is no competition among members. Glenn said she has found the directory especially helpful when searching for props for her shoots.

“Being a one-women business is very isolating for me, and I needed the group of girls to tell me that I’m doing right. If I needed help I could easily go to the directory and find what I need,” Glenn said. “I’m not competing with them. I’m competing with myself.”

The group is found on Facebook as WOW (Women of Wichita) in Business. Wilson said women don’t have to be business owners to join but just need to be in business somehow.

Wilson said she hopes the group continues to grow and would like to host an exhibition for the women in the group to show off their businesses.

This story was originally published January 6, 2020 at 5:01 AM.