Growing up, Donna Deetz's family had business in its blood. Her parents owned a business, and all five of her siblings went on to do the same.
Deetz, however, took the family vocation to a new level: she owns nearly as many businesses as the rest of her family combined.
Even if you're one of the few people left in town who hasn't heard of Donna Deetz - and with the alliteration, how can you forget the name? - you've probably heard of some of the businesses she owns with her husband, Michel: Click2Sell4U, Kay's Collectibles and The Trolley Company.
She also operates High Street Retreat, a turn-of-the-century Victorian home she rehabbed and now rents to families and small groups as an alternative to staying in hotels. The spacious home offers amenities such as a big-screen TV, game console and a kitchen, so visitors can cook their own meals.
In her spare time, she operates Performance Plus Associates, which offers management training for businesses - similar to what she did when she worked at Scholastic.
"I work when I want to, which is a lot," she said. "I could be a workaholic if I wanted to. I like to keep busy; I'm passionate about some things I like to do."
In the remainder of her spare time, she also rehabs other east-end properties with her husband, through Deetz Enterprises. Somehow, she's also found time previously to serve on the Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce board, the East Side Business Association, and as president of Zonta and the Jefferson City Downtown Association.
We're not saying Deetz is a workaholic in denial, but if she had this much passion for unhealthy habits, an intervention might be in order.
Q. Who has invested in you and your career?
A. "I guess my family has made the biggest investment. My mom and dad had their own business and instilled in all of my five brothers and sisters a strong belief in work ethic and family values. It was my husband who supported our first adventure with Click2Sell4U when I left Scholastic to the two of us purchasing the trolleys to open The Trolley Company or my brothers and sisters and their families helping rehab The High Street Retreat and back to my mom working with me now at Click2Sell4U/Kay's Collectibles. All of us have worked to fulfill our dream of making a difference in a community through hard work and a sense of responsibility."
Q. What choices have you made to invest in yourself and your own success?
A. "The investment that I made was first to equip myself with the knowledge necessary to run a business - college and learning from mentors. Then we looked at what was already in place and what difference we could make in our community by offering our particular brands of service. It's all a life-long learning process in that you always have to take stock of what is around you and then get the knowledge that you need to get things accomplished. Sometimes it's a community or school-based class or lots and lots of reading. It can also mean traveling to see what other people are doing as we did when we opened Click2Sell4U, going to California to check out eBay and its franchise stores or riding on numerous trolleys around the country doing city tours. Or even going to Rocheport to visit an overnight center called "Girls Night Out" before we ventured into the High Street Retreat. Knowledge is powerful - whether classroom or experience. It's that information that can empower an entrepreneur and give them the resilience to keep going when that new business doesn't take off right away."
Q. What do you think are the biggest issues still facing women in the workplace?
A. "Of course, there are always going to be persons who think women can't accomplish as much as men and still, for some reason, believe that women don't NEED to work or earn as much as a man. I had that in my very first job - working in a medical lab where women weren't given life insurance and medical coverage nor earned as much as men because 'they were the bread winners.' As we move beyond that, we as women need to realize that other men and women aren't our competition - there's plenty of room for everyone - but they can be our allies and mentors. We need to do a better job of networking and demonstrate that we can be as valuable to the community as an entrepreneur as the corporate entities and governmental agencies. Our businesses can make a difference to a community if we realize that we are part of that community and support our community through excellent service and a drive to succeed for all."
Q. What drives you most in life and in your career?
A. "That's easy. To be the best I can be at whatever I try. I have a lot of passion and believe that each of us can make a difference in our world. When Mike and I looked at where we wanted to settle in our move to Jefferson City, we settled on a place where our rehabilitation of a home could make a difference to the neighborhood. My mom and dad came to live with us two years ago, and we rehabbed a house built in the 1850s and cleaned up half a block of the historic east side of Jefferson City. We've already seen the difference as other folks have taken up that cause.
"I look at my career in the same way - Gandhi had a great quote, 'Be the change you want to see in the world.' I always want to make change for the better in our community and have created businesses that weren't here before but have now made a difference in our community. They are not 'earth-shaking' changes, but having a trolley to do historic tours or shuttle kids for field trips gives a different outlook at what is out there. Helping families who want to sell their collections and such allow them to move on and others to benefit from those sales. Then to be able to mentor other entrepreneurs though programs like Start-Up Jefferson City or doing a community workshop on diversity all can make a difference to others."
Q. What advice would you give to a woman entering the workforce?
A. "Work your passion. It doesn't make a difference if it is starting a new business, working for a corporation, having a professional career or being a homemaker - unless you really want to be doing what you are doing, then it's just a job. I believe that you can work hard all your life and it's just work - but if you find your passion and a way to pursue that passion, then you'll be fulfilled. I love mentoring folks who are trying to start up a new business. The first question I ask is why? If the quest is 'to make money,' then I ask them if that is their passion. But if they say, 'I've always wanted to' then we talk about how we can bring that passion to life. One of the training sessions I do is on generations in the workplace and the one thing that the boomers have learned from the millennial is their identity is not in their 'JOB' - it is in their experience and what they believe in. That's why the largest number of new small businesses are being started by the baby boomers - they've discovered their passion and are 'working' at it before it's too late to make a difference. And that's the same advice I'd give to anyone - male or female, young or experienced."
See the full October 2016 edition of #jcmo Inside Business here.