Role Model Videos: Career Options for Women -- Entrepreneurship

The “Career Options for Women: Emerging Opportunities” videos introduce your female students to high-wage careers in traditionally male-dominated occupations. Each program reveals the personal experiences and insights of successful women in technology and trades occupations, and sends the all-important message to women and girls that the sky is the limit!

Entrepreneurship

This 24 minute video features profiles of three women who have embarked on careers in the entrepreneurship industry.

• Lisa Nadeau, a maple syrup producer whose company started as a side business to her dairy farm
• Christine Zacharko, an optician who runs a mobile optical dispensary
• Jessica Dawe, a pest control producer who breeds and sells crop-friendly insects

Additional information from co-workers and supervisors supplements each job profile.

Developed in 2006, the Career Options for Women series is an outstanding resource for schools wanting to attract women and girls to science, technology and trades.

Note: These videos are interspersed with Canadian salary and labor statistics, which are similar to the numbers in the United States. As there is a no-return policy on these publications, please make sure to look at the preview video clip for the DVD(s) you are ordering.

Lisa -- Maple Syrup Producer

The next time you have pancakes, check to see if you are using genuine maple syrup. Maple syrup entrepreneur Lisa Nadeau could taste test that for you with her eyes closed.

Lisa and her husband live on a dairy farm that also produces maple syrup. Lisa wanted to do something creative to enhance the character of the farm and started the Sugar House. Now, she makes all sorts of maple syrup products and exports them to the United States and Europe. She also runs her farm as a tourist spot for families with a sweet tooth.

After seven years at her business Lisa is starting to see a profit from her work. She doesn’t know how many hours she works and can only say that it is a lot. She does manage two weeks off in the winter and in the summer though. In the future she would like to do her Ph.D. in medicine or maybe open a similar farm elsewhere. Whatever she does, she will always look for a challenge.

“It’s a different way to live when you’re in agriculture. You need a good sense of organization.” Lisa says it takes passion to have your own business. It’s challenging, creative and very fulfilling. She really enjoys it.

Lisa has about 2,700 maple syrup taps on the go all over her farm. She still manages to find time to relax though. Lisa takes time out to sing in a choir and is an avid reader of classic novels.

Christine -- Optician

Optician Christine Zacharko is always on the go with her mobile optical dispensary “Glasses to Go.” She’s drives around in a mini-van, helping seniors, disabled people and whoever can’t or won’t travel to the optician. She provides all the services a regular optician does except she goes to her customers.

Christine’s future goals are to pass her business on to her children. “Glasses to Go” is her dream and she wants to keep it alive as long as she can. Christine is also considering setting up a chain of businesses in other locations.

"You have to be very self-motivated. I didn’t realize how difficult it was to run my own business. You constantly have to be out there getting business."

While entrepreneurship is a great idea for women, Christine knows that it’s important to take time off away from the business as well. You can burn out and lose focus. Time off helps you to be positive, energetic and more productive.

Jessica -- Pest Control Producer

Biological Pest Control entrepreneur Jessica Dawe has more crawly creatures in her back yard production center than you’d ever want to see. But she raises “good” bugs. Jessica supplies an ever-expanding market of organic farmers and other growers with bugs that attack crop pests. They are a natural alternative to pesticides. The business is a good fit for Jessica’s nature-loving approach to life, and it’s why they call her the “bug lady.”

Biological pest control producers can make a very good living. Jessica is still working hard at establishing her company, but she is certain to be making money soon. Her future goals include succeeding at her business and sharing what she knows. Eventually, Jessica would like to establish some kind of scholarship fund for women who want to get involved in agriculture.

The bugs Jessica starts with lay eggs. She gathers the eggs, feeds and cares for the bugs as they grow, then packages them up live for sale and release. “I love my insects. I love watching the way they interact with each other and in the crops.”

Jessica’s business keeps her very busy. She works about eight to ten hours a day, seven days a week. Jessica doesn’t mind the long hours because she gets to stay close to home. And for Jessica, home is where the heart is.