Women Today

This month Women magazine visits Green Bay's Broadway for its Women Who Inspire feature. The business owners and employees on this street give the business district an exciting atmosphere. Here is what Mary Rydell of SCANHOME Furnishings and The Primal Eye has to say:

What made you choose Broadway? Twenty-five years ago Broadway was a very different place, down on its luck. But it was a central location, across the river from an
active Port Plaza Mall and easy for out-of-town traffic to find.
Based on travels to major markets, I had become familiar with business districts that experienced a rebirth, giving way to an interesting mix of owner-operated shops and services.
I felt Broadway had this same potential, so I staked my claim, and opened shop. Fifteen years later I opened my lifestyle store, The Primal Eye, hoping to help expand the retail element on the street and complement the offerings of SCANHOME.

What do you like about being on Broadway? I have always thrived on change and growth. Now I am in the midst of a changing and growing business district that attracts thousands to events, and visitors from everywhere.
It is exciting to be a member of a diverse group of entrepreneurs in a central business district joined in a common cause to offer great customer service.

Do you have advice for women interested in business ownership? For me it boils down to two words: passion and dedication.
If you have the passion for your enterprise and the dedication to follow through in all aspects of the business, you have a great chance of succeeding. It is cliche, but very true in these economic times that "when the going gets tough, the tough get going".
Many new businesses are springing up out of this economy, difficult as it may seem.

What do you enjoy about being a business owner? I really enjoy interacting with my customers, sharing a joke, exchanging stories and learning of experiences.
Sometimes it requires comforting words after a personal loss, or words of encouragement in a new endeavor.
Whatever it is, I try to allow time for it because my customer has a need for conversation.
I tell my staff that without our customers, we have no reason for opening our doors every day. Shopping at SCANHOME should be an enjoyable experience.

Mary Rydell
SCANHOME Furnishings and The Primal Eye