Women entrepreneurs share triumphs

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When Doreen Janvier returned to her reserve two-and-a-half years ago, the normally prudent 29 year old threw caution to the wind and quit her job with Syncrude Canada.

Janvier, who returned to her namesake's reserve after a 15-year absence to

support family members enroled in drug and alcohol awareness counselling, said the visit awakened a strong desire to help her people.

"My vision was to help my people in the community, help them overcome their unemployment and alcoholism and help them start to care for themselves," she said.

Eight months later, Janvier established DMJ Enterprises. Now a contact firm with the oilsands based Syncrude, DMJ is responsible for the daily operation of three heavy equipment washbays - a contract worth more than $1.5 million in 1992. In keeping with her vision, the soft-spoken entrepreneur created full-time employment for 26 members of her community, who, on average make $16.40 an hour.

"Now the employees are constantly looking for ways to improve their lives," she said. "They often discuss their hopes and plans with me and ask my advice."

Janvier's success story was one of several heard recently during the three-day national Aboriginal Women in the Workforce Conference 1993. More than 150 delegates from across the country attended the conference at the Convention Inn in Edmonton, Alberta.

Speaking during a workshop on creating business, Janvier stressed the importance of not giving up even when faced with seemingly overwhelming odds.

"Don't ever lose sight of your dream," she says. "If you have a dream, you can succeed," she told the audience.

For emphasis, Janier touched on the hardships she encountered on her way to the top. She left the reserve in 1978 at age 14 to complete her education - and was the only one of 10 siblings to do so. Subsequently, she lost touch with her community. Forming DMJ was a nightmare, she says, basically due to a lack of business experience.

Being the only female in an all male work crew initially posed some problems. She has also experienced resentment, anger and jealousy from people in her community since forming DMJ.

"It's like they think that now I am in business and I'm too good for them," she said. Likewise, her relationship with her band has fallen through.

Still, Jauntier says fulfilling her dream has been worth the pitfalls.

"It's a big responsibility because I know that I'm an example for young people in the community," she said. "I know that many people look up to me."

Pitfalls are also something designer Carol Starlight-Mason knows about. After nearly a decade of constant business failures, Starlight-Mason, 37, has finally hit the big times with her Native and western style clothing company, Starfire.

Today, Starlight-Mason's company makes $28,000 to $30,000 a month. Her husband works for Starfire full-time. Her collections have been shown throughout the U.S. and Canada, and the clothing line is being sold in exclusive, high-priced boutiques in Japan and on Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles.

But it wasn't always that way. Starlight-Mason didn't seriously begin to experiment with designs and patterns until after marriage and infant rearing. She enroled in Form and Function Design Academy in Calgary and though she graduated two years later with top honours, her goal of designing clothes was interrupted by an unexpected divorce.

Starlight-Mason spent the following years scrambling between a day job at a clothing manufacturers to support their kids and sewing her designs at night for a small clientele. But the hard work paid off - in 1988 she landed a contract as the Winter Olympics fashion co-ordinator.

"That experience alone taught myself much about time management, organizational skills and most importantly about people," she said.

Two years later, Starlight-Mason formed Starfire, and admits that she was very naive about government funding." Starlight-Mason submitted five business plans over three years, all of which were rejecte. In turn, she took out a persona loan. Though business was brisk, delivery dates and businesses failing to pay caused cash flow problems, resulting in the cancellation of a significant order from department store giant J.C. Penny and pressure from the bank. "I felt beaten. I just didn't want to go on," she said. But with the help of two close friends and much determination, Starlight-Mason was able to turn her fledgling company around.

"I can't begin to tell you how important it is to do your homework," Starlight-Mason told the all-female audience. She implored participants to develop and hone their creative skills, and learn all aspects of running a business.

"And when it comes to the point when you are ready to start your own business, go ahead and do it. Don't stop to think about it because if you do, you'll talk yourself out of it because there are more cons than pros."

Starlight-Mason added the experience has taught her a lot about being a Native woman.

"As Native women, I've found that we've had insurmountable odds against us like broken marriages, broken homes, abusive relationships," she said. "But I've discovered that we have staying power and we take what comes and get through it he best we can."

Eleanor Grandjamb shares that sentiment. She started her marketing and media services business three years ago after a surprise divorce.

"I said it's either do or die. I either go on welfare or do something about my situation," she said.

Grandjamb, who had worked for the Alberta Indian Investment Band for nine years, decided to put her B.A. degree to work and started up PDQ (Pretty Dam Quick).

Things went so well at that business that she set up another, with most of her work coming from her own Saddle Lake Reserve. Grandjamb says the experience has been gratifying.

"There are some difficulties when getting started, such as working 16 to 18 hour days, seven days a week," she said. "But it's been fun, it's been exciting."

She explained the importance ofnetworking, and told participants that now is an exciting time to be in small business.

"We are not stuck in the traditional business. Women are now getting into trucking, and I think you're going to see more and more of this," she said.

Like Janvier, Grandjamb says her successes have resulted in resentment, put-downs and anger from some members of her community.

But she doesn't let it get in her way.

"Sure it's there," she shrugged. "But you don't have to be a part of it."