Kudos to these incredibly accomplished women in business, who have proven their grit and commitment to success during today’s unique challenges. Here, they share advice, success secrets and inspiration with the world—You Go Girl!
Brynne DesMarteau-Ray, CFO/Escrow Operations Manager
Affirmative Escrow
Residential and commercial real estate escrow services
Brynne loves the feeling of accomplishment that comes from handling a challenging escrow.
“I enjoy troubleshooting and resolving issues that arise and knowing that I can truly make a difference,” she says, noting that “Success comes from truly loving what you do for a living and caring about how you affect others with your actions. I keep that in mind in all that I do.”
She advises women to “take pride in your work and expect the same from your team and always ask yourself, ‘Can I do better?’”
The secret to her success: “I always treat others the way I want to be treated and give the benefit of the doubt.”
805.496.7254 | AffirmativeEscrow.com
Stephanie Harrison
Aurora Salon
An upscale and modern salon, where stylists are always striving to make every client feel their most empowered, best version of themselves
805.370.0001 | AuroraSalonWLV.com
Stephanie Kordan, Owner/Creative
The Beautiful Painting Co.
Decorative interior painting and Venetian plaster wall treatments
Stephanie loves creating beautiful living spaces with paint and plaster.
She advises women to “bring joy to your clients by listening to what they want and collaborate together on making it happen” and encourages women to know their value.
“Ask for your worth and avoid giving discounts on your services if it doesn’t sit well with your gut instinct,” she notes.
310.309.9469 | TheBeautifulPainting.co
Kim Maselli, Artistic Director
California Dance Theatre and Pacific Festival Ballet
Cultivating a love for the performing arts with the finest in dance education, performing opportunities and community outreach for 35 years in the Conejo Valley
Kim enjoys working with her colleagues to inspire and train students, “giving them a lifelong love and appreciation for dance, whether recreationally or in pursuit of a professional dance career” and “creating and presenting beautiful ballets at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center for our community to enjoy!”
She advises women to “Pursue your vision and follow your dreams. You can achieve whatever you set your mind and heart to. Believe in team effort and surround yourself with like-minded professionals” and “treat people with kindness and respect.”
818.707.3267 | CalDanceTheatre.com
805.906.2086 | PacFestBallet.org
Candace Newland, Artist/Designer
C Newland Designs
Interior design services, including design consult, furniture and accessories, custom window coverings, installation and remodeling
Candice loves working with clients to create one-of-a-kind interior spaces that reflect their lifestyle with function and flair. Approaching each design project as a creative process, she takes pride in helping clients identify their unique needs and create their ultimate living spaces. Candice and her team provide personalized service aimed to transform your environment and achieve a perfect balance between inspiration and tranquility in your home.
805.460.4161 | CNewlandDesigns.com
Kristina Jones, CEO/Lead Designer
Cat in a Hammock
Outdoor living design and build construction company
“Designing dreamy projects that enhance the lifestyle of each family” is Kristina’s passion.
“I love redefining the roles of women in society and what is considered a ‘woman’s’ or a ‘man’s’ job,” she says, noting, “Some would say that construction is a man’s world, and I say that it’s complete with a woman in it.”
She advises women to “be your feminine self even if your work environment is pulling for more masculine way of being. And be persistent; you might lose a battle, but you’ll win the war. Shake it off and keep going!”
805.263.4200 | CatInAHammock.com
Rosemary Allison, Director of Estates
Coldwell Banker Realty #00545184
Redefining the art of marketing luxury estates
Combining her unique marketing techniques and negotiating skills, Rosemary is a leader in Prestige Estate sales throughout Ventura County.
Noting that the “road to success is always under construction,” Rosemary advises, “the key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but on the goals you have achieved each day.”
Providing “Quality customer service is the most important key to longevity in this business,” she notes, adding, “How does one rate their quality of service? By rating what you did, not by what you said you would do.”
805.479.7653 | CallRosemary.com
Christine Wilson, Owner/Audiologist
Conejo Hearing Center
Providing hearing testing and solutions for children and adults with hearing difficulties
Christine loves “being in business for myself in order to make the decisions that are in the best interest of our patients. I am always learning about new technologies that I can bring to our patients,” and “I enjoy seeing the success patients achieve and their ability to continue doing the things they love by improving and restoring their hearing.”
She advises women to “Stay focused on what you love to do and know there will be ups and downs. Focus on your successes, not the failures, and keep moving forward. Be open to new ideas, keep learning and be willing to adapt to change.”
818.991.3800 | ConejoHearingCenter.com
Cindy Pavin, Owner
CycleBar-Camarillo & Thousand Oaks & Pure Barre-Camarillo
Boutique fitness brands that focus on inclusivity, inspiration and community; classes are rhythm-based, exciting and fun!
Cindy loves “watching so many people transform their physical and emotional health through our workouts, especially during Covid, when we are all looking for the ‘new normal.’”
Believing in the power of women: “If there is to be revival in the world, it will come through the influence of women,” Cindy advises, “Every young girl should set for her great central aim in life to be a woman, a true, noble, pure, holy woman, to seek ever the highest things. That should be her aim—to realize in her character all the possibilities of her womanhood.”
Further, “Accept your duty, and do it. Accept your responsibility and meet it. Be true in every relation you are called to fill” and “Always have vision for what could be!”
805.358.8350 | CycleBar.com
Stacey Dorenfeld
Dorenfeld Law
Serving a wide-ranging clientele in the areas of business law, real estate and insurance law for more than 30 years
Stacey enjoys working with the firm’s business, real estate and insurance litigation attorneys to help clients.
“I love it when we have a successful outcome for a client. Knowing that we were able to solve a client’s legal problem definitely is the highlight of my job!” she says.
She advises women to “be courageous enough to know who you are from within; know your strengths and your talents and visualize what you want and then be brave enough to take risks to get there. A successful businesswoman knows she can be so impactful that she can change the world. Confidence sometimes is difficult to find, but once you grab a piece of it, you will learn and grow into anything you want.”
818.865.4000 | DorenfeldLaw.com
Danielle Block
Epicurean Olive Oils
Offering a carefully selected assortment of 100% extra virgin olive oils, flavored oils, aged balsamic vinegars, truffle oil and gourmet nut and seed oils from around the world
805.383.6489 | EpicureanOliveOils.com
Ashley Wright, Owner
Fetch Pet Care Conejo Valley
The nation’s largest and most trusted franchise provider of professional pet-sitting services, including private daily dog walks, puppy care, cat sitting, overnight care, pet waste removal, pet wedding services, boarding and pet transportation
Ashley enjoys “meeting pets and their humans all throughout the Conejo Valley” and providing “peace of mind to my clients when it comes to their pets' care so they have one less thing to worry about.”
She achieves success by “treating my clients as if they are family, being honest and doing the little things that set me apart.”
805.401.0744 | FetchPetCare.com/ConejoValley
Nancy Marks, Owner
Glass Arts Collective
Wonderful studio teaching classes in glass—fused, stained and mosaic—and a gift shop of beautiful handmade gifts
“This truly is my dream job! I love sharing it with everyone,” says Nancy, noting her joy at “seeing people experience glass as an art for the first time.”
She invites others to try a class: “Time spent creating in the studio is therapeutic, and you get to take home your masterpiece” and visit the sparkling gift shop: “It’s full of colorful inspiration and positive energy.”
She advises women to find others for “your 'Board of Directors' Everyone has a different perspective, and I had to get my ego out of the way and really hear their input. It was invaluable!”
818.318.1462 | GlassArtsCollective.com
Melissa King, Certified Health Coach and Personal Trainer
Honeybee Wellness
Focused on creating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle that helps minimize anxiety and depression
Melissa guides women through the process of creating personalized sustainable healthy lifestyle habits to minimize their anxiety and depression so they can be lean, strong and energetic. She most enjoys being alongside her clients “on their health journey and watching them transform into a healthier version of themselves physically and mentally.”
She advises women to “Be your authentic self and be direct in asking for what you want.”
775.250.5218 | MelissaKing.net
Linda Braunschweiger, CEO
Housing Trust Fund Ventura County
Nonprofit early-funding lender for developers creating affordable housing options in Ventura County
Housing Land Trust Ventura County
Preserves donated land for the development of affordable communities
Linda loves “being creative and collaborative to solve the affordable housing crisis.”
She advises women to “Be an innovator of ideas, a connector to others, builder of collaborations, and be honest. Know your God-given talents and use them as your unique asset. Never give up!”
805.384.1144 | HousingTrustFundVC.org
Jennifer Francis
In It's Proper Place
Simply, declutter, organize
818.632.0465 | InItsProperPlace.com
Kim Pagano, Business and Media Coach/Radio Host
The Kim Pagano Radio Show
Bringing listeners “The Brighter Side of Life” for more than 16 years
I have been interviewing and learning about what makes people feel their best in Business and in life and how they succeed.. Sixteen years ago I was fortunate enough to be asked to be a host on the Kim Pagano Radio show KVTA.com, where I have a voice to help the community and have the opportunity to dig deeper with guests from all over the world and share their life lesson throughout my radio shows and podcasts and in my business coaching.
Kim loves “meeting new people and all of the events,” as well as “coaching my clients through my Finding Your Voice through my Signature Coaching Series.”
She advises women to “have a voice. If you don't speak up, life will happen for you, and it might not be the way you want it.” Also, “love yourself first and believe in your visions. You will get knocked down; learn to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and carry on with your vision.”
805.419.0008 | KimPaganoShow.com
Leah Arredondo, Owner
L.A. Hair Design
Certified REDKEN Colorist and Master Cutter in a beautiful private suite in Westlake Village
“Kindness, consistency, great work and truly listening to my clients in every way has been my key to success,” says Leah, currently offering 50% OFF an entire hair service to first-time clients.
She advises women to “Be consistent, delivering your absolute best results with a positive attitude at all times!”
805.871.9910
Laura Raulinaitis, CFP®, Senior Vice President
Lake Avenue Group Morgan Stanley
Total wealth management and financial planning for individuals, families and small business owners
Laura loves “being a trusted part of family discussions” and “building and maintaining those lifelong relationships,” noting that that the secret to her success lies in the fact that “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
She advises women, “The reason that Ginger Rogers was a better dancer than Fred Astaire is because she did everything he did, but backwards and in heels!”
805.494.0236 | Advisor.MorganStanley.com/The-Lake-Avenue-Group
Terri Hilliard Olson, Esq., Principal
Law Office of Terri Hilliard
A comprehensive trust and estate practice, centering on advanced estate and business succession planning, asset protection, special needs trusts and family protection for seniors
Terri enjoys “being a trusted advisor, building long-lasting, multi-generational professional relationships” as she and her team advocate for the elderly and those suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia.
She advises women to “stay the course and aim for the stars—you can do this and be of service.”
805.201.2552 | TerriHilliard.com
Brittney Henderson, MA, LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist), Founder of Luminous Clarity Family Therapy, Inc.
Luminous Clarity
Working with individuals struggling with depression, anxiety, addiction, complex trauma, PTSD, grief/loss and chronic mental illness
Brittney provides affordable individual, family, couples and group psychotherapy. She enjoys “being able to provide a safe, nonjudgmental therapeutic environment to support growth and healing” and “being a part of my clients’ journey and seeing their hope, healing and light in their eyes.”
She advises women to “Pursue something you love. If you are passionate about what you do, if you love and enjoy your work, then it isn’t work at all.”
805.267.1869, ext. 2351 | Luminous-Clarity.com
Janet Garufus, Chairman and CEO
Montecito Bank and Trust
The oldest and largest, locally owned community bank on the Central Coast; offers a variety of competitive deposit, lending and Wealth Management solutions for businesses and consumers
Janet enjoys solving problems and mentoring others.
“I learned early on in my career that I was good at evaluating a situation, breaking it down into smaller components, and then finding a new way to approach the solution. I am a process-oriented thinker and it has served me well over the years. In fact, most of whatever success I have enjoyed has to do with finding a better way to build a mousetrap and improving the outcomes,” she says, adding, “Now that I am in the later part of my career, I find joy in mentoring others to help them identify their strengths and build on their opportunities.”
Janet encourages individuals to “have the courage to be your authentic self and to work every day to improve on that. To always be ‘becoming’ the best version of YOU.”
Aligned with MB&T’s philanthropic commitment—donating $1.5 million annually and volunteering over 7,500 hours to local nonprofits—Janet’s secret to success is “really to share it with others. No one person can really be a success without a whole village of support…my success is the success of the team, so ensuring that every team member is performing at their highest and best is part of my responsibility.”
Also, “be willing to invest in yourself, to take smart risks, leave doors open and be ready to say YES when the next opportunity presents itself,” she adds.
805.963.7511 | Montecito.Bank
Melanie Garibay, CEO & Cofounder
Nectar of the Dogs Wine
Inspired by the LOVE of our four-legged angels and our passion for wine, a portion of sales benefit nonprofit pet rescue organizations
Melanie finds supporting pet rescue organizations to be the most rewarding part—along with researching wines—of her business. Inspired by the love of her dogs and a passion for wine, Melanie started her wine company “because doing something for a cause is very fulfilling.”
She advises women to “stay focused on your dreams, work hard to achieve them, but don’t forget to enjoy the journey along the way. Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life!”
702.275.0482 | NectarOfTheDogsWine.com
Cristina Markiewitz, DDS, Family and Cosmetic Dentist
Newbury Park Dental Arts
Experience all that modern dentistry has to offer, including a comprehensive list of general, restorative and cosmetic dental services to meet the needs of your whole family; Our goal is to assist each patient in achieving and maintaining long-term health and a beautiful smile
Cristina loves delivering life-changing dentistry and putting patients at ease.
“We help our patients overcome fear and anxiety that keep most from receiving treatment,” she says.
She advises women to “Never stop learning or improving yourself to be the best for others.”
805.498.0400 | NewburyParkDentalArts.com
Eileen Smulson, Founder and Executive Director
Operations Blankets of Love
An animal welfare and emergency relief nonprofit organization in California and beyond; donates food and other vital supplies to shelters, rescue groups and pets of the homeless
Eileen loves “knowing that we are making a difference in a life of a homeless animal to be healthier and happier, which makes them more adoptable.”
She encourages women to “Go for it! If you have a deep passion for something that you would like to turn into a business—you’ll never know what could happen if you don’t try.”
818,402,6586 | OBOL.info
Missy Karjala, Certified Massage Therapist, Owner
Rejuvenating Massage Therapy
Mobile chair massage therapy and table massage service
“Building client-friend relationships” is important to Missy, who advises women to “Never, ever give up!”
909.753.4495 | MissyRejuve.com
Jill Stowell, MS, Founder, Executive Director
Stowell Learning Center
Helping children and adults permanently change dyslexia and other learning and attention challenges by addressing the underlying, lagging processing/learning skills at the root of the problem so that students can reach their potential and thrive in school
Jill loves that “every single day for the last 35 years, we have gotten to bring hope and real change to the lives of bright, misunderstood, struggling students and their families. Working with our amazing team, students, and parents is a journey of discovery, growth, and joy!”
She advises women to “build a culture within your team that makes your business a great place for humans to be—to thrive, grow, and to change the world!”
877.774.0444 | StowellCenter.com
Lyndsay Roark
Ventura Home and Design
A full-service interior design firm
805.232.8526 | VCHomeAndDesign.com
Lori Donnelly, C.HT, Owner
Wolf Creek Wellness Hypnotherapy
Helping clients achieve their goals through techniques and practices such as Hypnotherapy, Reiki, PLR (past Life Regression) NLP, MER, IMET, Yoga and massage
“The most rewarding part of doing what I do is teach clients how to remove limiting beliefs—not just about themselves but about others and the world we live in,” says Lori, who is passionate about using “hypnotherapy combined with other tools to help clients reach goals and blow the lid off old belief systems.”
Lori says believing in your vision is key to success.
“For women this is especially important, as we have so many divergent views as to what it means to be a successful woman in the modern world,” says Lori, adding, “It’s a process of imagination. Think about something you want—anything. See it, obsess over it, love the idea of having it! Imagine it in your world and how it makes you feel having ‘this.’ This process makes you feel ‘AS IF’ you already have it…Your mind has it locked in as GPS for your future. Your body can’t help but move toward it. Once you get into practice with this process, it becomes automatic and habitual, as many successful people will attest to.”
424.644.9598 | WolfCreekWellness.us
Michelle Zimmer, President and CEO
WundaBar Pilates Westlake Village
Bridging the gap between the slow and cerebral and the pound it out with no methodology, infusing the integrity of Pilates into the high-energy group fitness space
Michelle loves “interacting with my amazing clients and community,” noting that customer service is her top priority.
Excited about sharing the patented Wundformer with clients and teaching from an educational standpoint, Michelle advises women to “be passionate about what you do, because then it will show and you unequivocally will be successful.”
805.300.1124 | WundaBar.com/Westlake-Village
Lisa Zonder, Attorney/Owner
Zonder Family Law Group
Expert legal team members provide thought leadership for clients who worked hard to build wealth by protecting privacy, preserving wealth, deploying top negotiation strategies and creativity without expensive court battles
“Meeting the client where they are,” is important to Lisa, who provides support to help clients “achieve clarity, resolution and security as they move on to the next chapter of their lives.”
She advises women to discover their unique gifts.
“Don’t try to become someone you do not want to be just to compete in a traditionally masculine world,” Lisa says, instead, “Hard work, constant learning, creative thinking and a commitment to your clientele will take you much farther than cutthroat competition (and make you happier too!).
805.777.7740 | ZonderFamilyLaw.com