INDIANAPOLIS — The pair addressed the group, discussing topics such as equality and the economy, giving the women in attendance lots of think about.

“I am looking for growth or a plan from a small business perspective,” said Lindsay Farlay, owner of Strategy Nest. “To see are there places for education for women business owners, for minority business owners.”

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“Laura applied for a part-time office assistant position; I did not want to hire her because she had no experience or knowledge in an office setting,” Janet said. “She was persistent and determined, so I gave her a task (alphabetizing dusty boxes full of old bid proposals) with the intention of her quitting.”

However, Janet found that Laura did the job promptly, with a great attitude, eager to start the next task. “We joke about this now,” Laura added. “They hired me just to get me to stop harassing!”

Today, Janet sees Laura’s persistence for what it is: a strength. She characterizes Laura as a leader and innovator who is not afraid to take risks. “She is tenacious and passionate about business and the coatings industry,” Janet said. “Laura’s leadership, knowledge, and experience, is equal to and often beyond that of a seasoned industry specialist.” While Laura may have started by simply tackling daily office activities, her hard work and determination persevered.

She began attending networking events and trade shows, learned the sales process by shadowing their business development person, and went on to earn a business degree from Harrison College. Though she had no interest in paints and coatings before arriving at DECO, as her career developed, she began to recognize her love for the field, as she is “learning something new every day and facing tough challenges — the coatings industry is ever-changing.”

Today Laura oversees all operations at this industrial and commercial coatings contractor company — project development (bidding and design), scheduling, execution, and closeout. She hopes to lead the industry as a coating specialist through coating specification language and innovative application methods.

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