Ashland women business owners gather to talk about struggles, victories in the workforce

ASHLAND – From hot rods, funerals and financial advice, women business leaders gathered at Ashland University on Thursday to give advice to the next generation at the Women in Business Breaking the Stereotype event. 

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The Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce event included Arica Betson of Mc.B Paving; Kandi McCrea of Kandi's Rods & Kustoms; Lindsey Roberts-Gasche of Denbow-Gasche Funeral Home; Katelyn Lamb, a strategic financial coach; Sherry Butcher of AerOhio; and Mary Hartley, an auctioneer with RES Auction Services. 

Moderator and Ashland Chamber of Commerce Director Amy Daubenspeck asked the panel a plethora of questions regarding barriers women had to break in the workforce, inspirations and advice they would give to the next generation of women entering the workforce.

First question asked by Daubenspeck was how does your leadership style differ from your male counterparts.

Hartley began the discussion. 

"My leadership style is more love," said Hartley, who added that it's a mix of tough love and compassion.

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McCrea, a trailblazer in the automotive industry, cited that roughly 2% of women are in the automotive industry in the United States.

"I have to become 'the man' to be their equal," she said. "You have to be the best." 

Sometimes, McCrea said, men thought she was the secretary and asked to speak with the man in charge. 

"Ninety percent of my clients are male and most immediately assume that if you're a woman you're the receptionist," McCrea said.

This has led McCrea to lead aggressively with little room for negotiation or response of disagreement from her male counterparts, she said. 

Advice for the next generation of women in the workforce  

To close the event, the panelists gave advice to area high school students who attended. 

Answers centered around working hard, following your ambitions and standing your ground. 

Betson told the students that they don't have to know everything nor will they know everything.

"I probably say 'I don't know' more than saying anything else," she said. 

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"Break every boundary you can and rebel against the set of idealized standard," McCrea said. "You are not only the future of the workforce in America but you are the voice of change. You are a breath of fresh air in a stagnant situation. So like our mothers and grandmothers before us we can continue to step in and continue to pave the way and continue to push forward no matter the challenges we face." 

Update on Ashland child-care facility

The event also included an update on a proposed new child-care facility in Ashland from Barbie Lange of the Ashland County Community Foundation's Women's Fund, which started the initiative.

Lange read a post from a local Ashland-based Facebook community page that described a mother's struggles with finding child care.

"Can't afford to work but they can't afford not to work," Lang said. 

Lange was pleased to report there's progress being made on expanding quality affordable child care in Ashland County.

The much-talked-about child-care center, located on Ford Drive, will create 150 additional child-care spaces for infants, school age children and provide desperately needed care away from the traditional 8 a.m. 5 p.m. work week, she said.

Lange hope the building up and running by the end of 2023. 

Go to Ashlandforgood.org for more information.

Reach Grant at 419-281-0581, ext. 259 or gritchey@gannett.com 

On Twitter: @ritchey_grant