Today we’d like to introduce you to Carol Gooch.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was a 2003 Leadership Montgomery County graduate and I decided to take my leadership skills to another level by organizing and directing a professional business networking group for women. I have lived in Montgomery County since 1986.
For many years, I heard women say to me that they needed a networking support system to help balance their personal and professional life. There are women coming back to the world of work after their children have grown and left home; then there are the single Moms who work and need all of our support. Let’s not forget the young woman who has just launched her career. All of these groups of women need to network together and help each other to grow their businesses. This is the main reason I founded the Montgomery County Association of Business Women in 2005.
I want women of all ages and diverse backgrounds to come together and draw on each other’s resources in order to reach their highest potential, both personally and professionally. MCABW’s membership has grown from 52 ladies in 2005 to approximately 200 ladies. MCABW also has a charitable arm called the MCABW Foundation that awards college scholarships to deserving female graduates of Montgomery County high schools. I was formerly a high school guidance counselor and I know how important it is for young ladies to have a chance to go to college to pursue their academic dreams.
Has it been a smooth road?
It was very time consuming starting an organization and getting all the particulars in place like by-laws, a board of directors, financial aspects and everything that a regular business has to do before the business opens. Forming the leadership team for MCABW was a challenge in the beginning because the ladies are all volunteers and sometimes they would commit to responsibilities and then not follow through. That always falls back on me who then has to carry the load. Getting responsible ladies to fulfill their roles have become less of a challenge as the years go by.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Montgomery County Association of Business Women are proud of all we do for each other in helping grow our businesses through business events, networking, social events and educational events and in what we do for the community as a whole.
What sets us apart from a lot of networking groups is our commitment to each other and the success of the organization. The ladies that join MCABW really care about each other and we are like a family. We work hard to support other nonprofits in our community as we help them with their causes. We call ourselves “Your local business sorority.” Giving the college scholarships to deserving female graduates of Montgomery County high schools is one of the things we are most proud of. We are also very proud of the MCABW cookbook we published as well as our MCABW Magazine which features photos of events, advertisements of our ladies businesses and community partners businesses as well as articles of interest to be shared with the community.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
The city of Houston is a good place to start a business or organization like MCABW, but it might be best to start several chapters all over the city due to the large population. A mission statement and a vision are two things that must be thought about before starting an organization like MCABW. Time and dedication are the next two things to be sure you have before starting out in organizing anything.
Pricing:
- As of today, the membership fee for a year for MCABW is $75.00.
Contact Info:
- Address: MCABW
13921 Hwy. 105 West, Suite 130
Conroe, TX 77304 - Website: www.mcabw.org
- Phone: 713.256.8002
- Email: carol.gooch@mcabw.org
- Facebook: mcabw
Image Credit:
Bree Kidd
Breez Photography
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