Most people expecting a child would look for ways to make life less
complicated. But not Stacey McClenathan, who, while pregnant with her third
child, created a business that's not only thriving, but also allows her time
with her family.
Three years ago, while on bed rest from her job with Motorola due to a
problematic pregnancy, McClenathan had some forced thinking time. She realized
she wanted to use her energy and resources in a way that allowed her to spend
time with her family while also providing a fulfilling career and opportunities
to work for charitable causes she was passionate about.
She assessed her strengths. Because of her background in senior-level
leadership positions for major companies, she had the skill set to marry two
very important business functions--identifying growth opportunities and
understanding the marketing mix needed to achieve growth. And as a veteran
corporate marketer, she saw a big business opportunity.
McClenathan, 37, also realized that with a home based business, she could
spend more time with her children, work with her husband and control her
schedule. If she built the business the way she wanted to, everyone in her
family would eventually be involved. It would also allow her to spend time
helping charitable organizations she cared about by volunteering her business
savvy and donating a portion of her revenue to fund those organizations.
Still, McClenathan returned to work after her maternity leave and spent four
months working her day job, and nursing her child and entrepreneurial pursuits
in the evenings. "It was a tough period of time to be working full time, being a
mother to three children and laying the foundation for my business," she says.
But after that period, she launched her new company, Bee-Line Communications
Inc., which helps organizations grow. "Every client is different and has
different needs based on their years in business, market opportunities and
competitive environment," says McClenathan. "It's my job to help them navigate
that and be a voice of reason to help them plan for achievable and realistic
goals."
After McClenathan helps her clients articulate their growth objectives, they
often rely on Bee-Line to help implement the marketing components of their
programs. This may involve PR initiatives, product packaging changes or channel
distribution incentive programs.
Making a graceful exit from her job also helped McClenathan's business; one
of her first clients was her former employer. And to grow Bee-Line, McClenathan
relied on word-of-mouth and referrals.
For McClenathan, a key to success is to grow at a steady, manageable pace.
"If it's too fast, systems are taxed and great employees can be hard to find,"
she says. "To keep a healthy, balanced perspective, both in work and life, it's
important to have that plan in place. The whole payoff in having your own
business is designing it to fit the life you want."
The 3-year-old company will gross more than $1 million this year, which has
allowed McClenathan to bring her husband, Mike, into the business full time.
With his background as a financial comptroller, he takes care of all the
"hassles" that come with operations, as well as all the accounting and technical
issues.
The company also has 10 full-time employees, and because the business is
global, it's a 24/7 operation. There are usually three or four employees in
McClenathan's home during the day, and some of her employees are stationed at
her clients' businesses for convenience. They work under tight deadlines, and
since much of the information comes in after hours, employees also work at night
in their homes.
So what's McClenathan's secret to success? She firmly believes that you need
to put aside your fears because they get in the way of creative thinking. She
also believes in following your passion and setting the bar high. "Articulating
the goal, writing it down and verbalizing it is the first step in making it come
true," McClenathan says. "You have to make life balance happen. You may have to
create it and it might be painful, but it's basically up to you."