INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Women business proprietors and operators throughout the USA are overcoming challenges to development agencies that provide jobs and economic security in addition to assisting the communities where they came home. This Indiana proprietor grew up with a robust foundation that has helped her conquer adversity, create success, and develop a commercial enterprise. Cathy Stegemoller, the owner of Steg Plumbing, discovered her commercial enterprise talents at an early age. “Well, I truly grew up in an enterprise. My parents owned the Royal Motel in Martinsville, Indiana, and we lived there. So, my brothers and sisters and I grew up 24/7 in business surroundings, watching our mother and father work tough. We helped easy rooms on the weekends while the maids weren’t there and helped fill the Coke gadget while we were younger. So I have not been in an enterprise environment,” Stegemoller stated.
Cathy went on to get a companion’s diploma in commercial enterprise at Indiana Business College, which opened a door for her into finance. “I just fell into banking. They gave me a job as secretary to the financial institution president, and I improved from there to become a business mortgage officer. Ended up being a vice-chairman of personal banking at Key Bank in downtown Indianapolis. So I got my business background and understanding of finance from the banking international,” Stegemoller stated. So, how did she cross from banking to the plumbing business? “People laugh once they question me that time because that’s kind, but I married a master plumber. He always desired to start his commercial enterprise, and I became entrepreneurial from my historical past, so collectively, we started the employer.
“We did. He, every other man or woman, and I are doing paintings after hours working out of our kitchen, garage, and house. The enterprise grew to a place where I ceased my banking activity and commenced helping him with the business,” Stegemoller stated. But like many younger corporations, she and her colleagues bumped into sudden challenges. He had some health problems in 2006 and quite extreme surgical procedures. He ran part-time for some time, which changed into approximately equal time as the recession hit, virtually taking its toll on the development enterprise. In 2010, it became determined that he could not work inside the enterprise anymore and couldn’t work full time, and we had to make the dedication whether or not we closed the doors or kept going.
We had 20 personnel at that point, who I knew were relying on us for income and that they couldn’t get jobs everywhere else due to the recession. So I stepped up to the helm then, became the president, and moved forward. And we grew for the recession and came out on the other aspect. You can’t do it with the aid of yourself. You have to surround yourself with, without a doubt, sturdy humans. You should be honest. You should have empathy for your customers and compassion for your personnel.” Stegemoller stated instructions like those have helped the organization develop. “We have grown from a -private corporation into 46 personnel, and we’re over $6 million in sales. We deal with several custom builders inside the city, manufacturing developers, and home proprietors. I was characteristic of my strong control team and suitable personnel, as I got concerned in associations here in the city.
I got involved in the Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis. It’s called BAGI. I’m on the board of directors there, and there is a whole lot of networking with builders and some learning opportunities. I also got concerned with the Greater Indianapolis Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling Association. I’m the incoming president for that, for the affiliation. That’s me looking to pay a return to the enterprise that has been so true to me.” As some distance as what the destiny seems, Stegemoller sees her circle of relatives closing lively inside the business. “Well, in the future, we plan to maintain growth. I even have two energetic sons within the enterprise now, and that’s interesting for me because it’s continually been our family enterprise. We deal with our personnel like our own family. So that suits right in. I keep researching, going to conferences, and searching for opportunities to improve the corporation,” Stegemoller said. Stegemoller instructed News Eight some of her secrets for fulfillment: “You need to have thick skin, and I snort about that plenty due to the fact human beings will say, ‘Oh, I don’t need to harm your emotions,” and I say you can’t harm my emotions. I paint in a plumbing busines, and am a a round builder daily. So you need to have thick skin, you have to have self-self-assurance, and you need to keep studying. Don’t stop learning.”
