Past, Present & Future Interview Series: Part Two, Present - Meet Anne

Anne and I met about five years ago through a mutual friend and since that time I have watched her career evolve remarkably. I am always impressed when I meet a business owner and wonder how they got started, why they decided to start their own business and is this something that I can do one day. A few decades ago it would have been significantly more difficult as a women to start a company and make it successful but thankfull

y that is not the case anymore.

I would like to introduce you to Anne, Founder & Principal of Lighthouse Communications. Anne generously spent her valuable time letting me interview her and ask personal questions. Anne has inspired me to believe that my dream of owning my own business is a very real possibility and now it is my turn to figure out what the business will be. It is my hope that for any of you considering starting your own business that Anne’s interview will provide you with the courage and excitement to do so!

Katie: How and why did you decide to start your own company? What does your company do and what types of services do you offer?

Anne: I had a full time job at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and taught English to students from all over the world. I focused on helping the students communicate their ideas and enhance their presentation skills so they could be successful in a workplace setting. In addition to teaching at the Academy of Art I started conducting workshops at a large technology company in the Bay Area. The workshops included Communication Skills for Non-Native English Speakers, Presentation Skills and Workshops for Women. I noticed that Bay Area companies often have a large international workforce and are in need for English as a second language and communication and presentation skills training. It was a natural progression and I started taking on more trainings at different technology companies and there was a point where I needed to decide if I should do this full time or continue teaching at the Academy of Art. I took the jump and opened my own company called Lighthouse Communications.

“Lighthouse Communications is dedicated to helping professionals in international companies improve their business communication skills. Lighthouse offers classes and workshops for native and non-native professionals which significantly improve their confidence, their participation, and their productivity in a multi-cultural workplace.” - Anne

Katie: Did you have any fear/worry about leaving your job and to start your own company? What made you ultimately do it?

Anne: Yes, I definitely was scared to take the leap and leave my position at the Academy of Art. I carefully weighed the pros and cons before making my decision to leave and take on the new challenge of owning my own business. I worried if I could financially make this work and turn this into a successful business. At the time I was reading Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In and there was a section that I immediately related to:

“Fear is at the root of so many of the barriers that women face. Fear of not being liked. Fear of making the wrong choice. Fear of drawing negative attention. Fear of overreaching. Fear of being judged. Fear of failure. And the holy trinity of fear: the fear of being a bad mother/wife/daughter” (Sandberg, 2013, p. 24).

I thought to myself, if I wasn’t afraid I would leave my full time job and start my own company. I did just that and I haven’t looked back since.

Katie: What do you like about owning your own business, what don't you like?

Anne: The first year of owning my company was the most difficult but that was to be expected. It takes hard work, motivation and a lot of prep work to successfully run the workshops and seminars that I conduct at Bay Area companies. I do miss having co-workers and the day-to-day interactions with them but the sense of accomplishment, the fulfilling and the rewarding nature of my business outweigh the missing of co-workers.

Katie: You specialize in communication workshops for women, can you tell me a little bit about what your workshops include? Why did you decide to include workshops that are tailored specifically towards women in business in your suite of communication services? What do you hope the women will gain from the information they've learned from you?

Anne: The majority of my courses and workshops are primarily with men in attendance. There was one workshop in particular that just happened to be all women. It was surprising to see the support and encouragement the women were giving to each other and it was a wonderful experience. I decided to offer workshops tailored towards women where we could really focus on owning a room using confidence and body language to make your presence known in the workplace. Sometimes women don’t believe they deserve the success they have achieved and I attribute that to the Impostor Syndrome, which is common among high-achieving women. Some women remain convinced that they are frauds and do not deserve the success they have achieved and will credit the success to luck, timing, or other people helping them. I often bring this up in my workshops so women are aware of this phenomenon. Even when I am hosting a workshop for women, men are always invited and encouraged to attend.

“I believe that it is incredibly important for women to support one another and provide encouragement. There is a place for everyone and I want to teach women to promote one another, not compete against each other.” - Anne

Katie: Do you think advertising (digital or print) can influence and help change the perception of women professionally? Why or why not?

Anne: I recently watched the Pantene #SorryNotSorry advertisement and I just loved it. This ad is so relevant because women tend to say sorry when they shouldn’t be saying this at all. In my workshops this discussion comes up often about how women tend to apologize when they ask for something from a colleague. They feel they need to apologize up front because they are concerned they will be perceived as being rude. Don’t be afraid to be rude, odds are you aren’t being rude and you are just doing your job. Another interesting topic that is often discussed is self-discrediting emails and this is something I found myself doing at one point. Don’t start emails with phrases like “sorry to bother you but…” “hope you have time…” “hope you don’t mind but…” Be direct; get to the point in your emails because people don’t have time to read a long-winded email. Say what you need to say and don’t apologize for it.

Katie: What piece of advice would you offer women and men who are thinking about starting their own company?

Anne: Use your network of friends, family and former colleagues to help with introductions to the right people. Your network has a lot of valuable advice to offer as well, you just need to ask. People want to help each other out and if someone is able to help you, odds are you’ll be able to help that person down the road. This piece of advice is relevant to women and men in all types of jobs, not just aimed at those wanting to start their own business.