In celebration of Small Business Week, we wanted to pause and say thank you to our clients and colleagues for your partnership. As a small woman-owned and operated business, our growth and evolution simply would not be possible without the incredible support, encouragement, and collaborative spirit of everyone we have the pleasure of working with. Looking back over the past eight years, it is thrilling to know that many of the clients and projects we were involved in 2010 continue to be clients and projects we have the honor to be involved with today. We deeply appreciate the opportunity to serve you in your efforts to facilitate open, inclusive lines of communication in support of developing well-informed and effective natural resource management.
I asked Rachelle and Sara to share a few words on what it means to be part of a small business, and here’s what they had to say:
Rachelle: What Does Working for a Small, Woman-owned Business Mean to You?
Promoting open lines of communication, building relationships, and supporting diverse voices are part of Strategic Earth’s core values that are maintained in every aspect of our work both externally and internally. I believe that those core values are able to be so thoroughly supported because Strategic Earth is a small business. Working for a small business means that I can have close relationships with my colleagues because I engage with all of them daily (hourly!) and have the opportunity to come to know them both professionally and personally. It means that I am given more responsibility in the day-to-day operations of Strategic Earth and am actively involved in hands-on experiences across a wide variety of projects and service areas. It means I can put my fingerprints on the projects I work on and help to shape projects in a way that is meaningful for our clients and my professional growth. It means that I have flexibility in my work schedule to prioritize my family, which is extremely important to me. I am so grateful to work for a small business, one that understands that by supporting its people it will help Strategic Earth grow and flourish in all that we do.
Sara: What Does Working for a Small, Woman-owned Business Mean to You?
Working at a small, woman-owned and operated business for the past two years has been an enriching experience. I have the pleasure of working with intelligent women who have grown to be close friends to support efforts that benefit the ocean and its users. Really, what more could I ask for? It is important to me to work in a growth-minded environment with women in leadership positions. At a small business, I am given the opportunity to contribute to and lead a variety of projects, each challenging me to strengthen existing skills and learn new skills. With only a few colleagues, I have a voice, and it is valued. Every day I am able to interact with our clients on a personal level and develop their trust in us that we will lead them to success. As a new mom-to-be, I am very appreciative of the fact that a small business landscape, with a supportive network of women, will allow me to have it all- yes, I can have a rewarding career and be a mom.