Although Sara had been a business owner since 1999, she was looking for guidance in making it a success. She decided to enroll in NVME’s Venturing Forth business class. The class helped her feel confident in moving forward. “The clarity I gained through the class had many layers of benefits,” Sara shares. She believes that New Ventures Maine brought her “in a direction toward success.”
“Give yourself credit for taking that first step. If you think you have no skills, think again. There are always skills you can nurture. You have to make your own opportunities.”
As a woman with a STEM degree, Rachel was highly qualified for a career in Environmental Science. Still, she faced a competitive and discouraging job search in 2011. “When I came to NVME (then Women, Work, and Community) I knew I needed a new approach to my search. My advice to anyone in a similar position is to be open-minded and patient.”
Gail credits NVME for inspiring her to build her professional image and skills, increasing her self-esteem, and making her “aware of the importance of a budget and planning for the future.” Gail also thanks NVME for their support and helping her to realize she is “capable of persevering and seeing it pay off.”
“The New Ventures Maine program encouraged me to confront who I am as a person, who I want to be in the marketplace, and what success looks like. The support from the NVME staff made this honest assessment possible.”
A New Path Forward Clay Theberge came to New Ventures Maine after the dissolution of a family business. Moving forward, she needed to devise a plan that would allow her to raise her family. Clay decided to return to school to earn a nursing degree. Healthcare always interested her, and the field had positive job outlooks. While she was in school she waitressed to support her family. “While I was …
“New Ventures Maine is a cheerleader for folks who need an extra push to awaken the potential within them that they don’t quite see. The program helped me say, ‘Here is my goal, this is how I can achieve that goal, this is my roadmap, and once the roadmap is there, I can do whatever I want.’”
Thanks to New Ventures Maine’s (NVME) Financing Your Future class and the Family Development Account (FDA) matched savings program, Gail was able to go back to college part-time while working full-time and graduate debt-free. Gail graduated debt-free in 2010 with her Associate Degree. She then went to work in the office at Lane Construction. She is currently working toward a Bachelor degree in business at Husson. Gail has been an active ambassador for …
Wanda did not seek out leadership, but her actions and attitude have propelled her into that role. Her philosophy is that “Leadership is about encouraging cooperation and information sharing. It is the ability to empower others.” She will often hear from others in the Deaf community that they wish they had the opportunity to attend workshops or could participate in an event. Wanda is one who says, “Why not?” Wanda …
From laid-off professional to self-employed employer of two. Assistance with figuring out the logistics and reassurance that she was on the right path were key.