Meet Innovative Woman Cynthia Bazin, founder and president of SmartChic Premier Mentoring for Successful, Smart Women.
1. How/why did you begin your business?
I started my business because of my passion to help women make really smart, positive decisions in their life, to absolutely love their life. A little background: I have over 20 years of experience in the investigations industry and have a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology. I have spent the last two decades interviewing hundreds of people on decisions they have made in life, often bad ones. What I have learned in my interviews is that people often make bad decisions in their life due to one or more of the following reasons: Lack of support or mentoring, they don’t have good resources, lack of confidence in themselves, feeling stuck and unsure what to do, lack of motivation. As my career progressed in my investigative work, I knew there was a bigger plan for me. I knew I could use my interviewing experience in a very positive way, by inspiring and teaching women smart strategies to help them live their best life. We all need people in our lives that inspire us, support us and positively challenge us! I believe that as women, alone we can do a lot, but together we are so much stronger! I am blessed to do what I love, providing premier mentoring services for women!
2. What has been your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it?
My biggest challenge was getting out of perfectionist mode as I started my business. When I do something in life, I like to do things in an extraordinary way, in the absolute best way, but I learned that as an entrepreneur, there are going to be lots of changes that need to be made along the way. I overcame being a perfectionist with the guidance of fantastic mentors that held me accountable to strive for excellence, but positively pushed me to go for it and just make necessary adjustments along the way.
3. How do you define SUCCESS?
My definition of success is living life with absolutely no regrets. Success is doing what makes me happy in life. There are so many people that will have opinions about what is best for me, but at the end of the day, the people giving me advice and feedback are not living my life. So success is having the confidence in yourself to not worry about what others feel about what you are going to do. Dream big, act big, and just be yourself in life. That to me is true success.
4. If there was one thing you wish you knew before you began your business, what would that be?
Get a team of experts around you. Don’t go down the entrepreneurial road alone. And delegate areas of your business that you are not strong in, so you are focusing in on what you are an expert in. There is so much to developing a business. If I had done these things right from the beginning, I would have moved more quickly forward in growing my business.
5. What makes you an innovative woman?
I am very comfortable with the uncomfortable. I never say the words ‘I can’t’ do something. If I want to achieve something, I find a way to get it done. I know people in my life that have a lot of regrets for not doing things in life. I choose not to live that way. I make the conscious decision to go for it in life every day!
To find out more about Cynthia visit smartchic.me or connect with her on Facebook or Twitter. Cynthia is also the Today’s Innovative Woman City Director for the Sacramento area, find out more by visiting her City Page.