Shirley Gross-Moore says "Stay Focused and Confident"

When Shirley Gross-Moore entered the Chrysler Corporation’s newly instituted minority dealer development program in 1986, she encountered many who believed women, especially African-American women, had no place in auto dealer ownership.

Gross-Moore purchased the dealership several years later and turned it into a thriving business with 50 employees in two locations, averaging 145 car sales per month and some 63 million dollars in annual sales. She transformed Barrington Dodge into a “five-star” dealer, the highest ranking possible from the manufacturer. To cap off her success, Shirley sold her business two years ago—and has much to say about personal beliefs, preparing for one’s departure and overcoming the words of naysayers.

“I think one thing we don’t think about as women business owners is how we will exit the business. That should be a very early part of your planning. I often say there’s only a few ways you can go – you can allow your heirs to inherit the business; you can just close it down if you decide to do so; you can sell the business; or you can be carried out on a gurney. That last alternative isn’t one I wanted!” exclaimed the successful entrepreneur.

“I had grown my business to the point where I had to do one of two things –infuse additional cash in it, build a new facility and acquire state-of-the art technology—or sell it while it was at its peak. And I chose to sell it.” So that’s the end of Gross-Moore’s story, right? No way…she’s getting ready for Round Two using a “new” technique: networking, “For 14 years I operated in a vacuum, working as hard as I could, not having the opportunity to really interact with other women business owners. I’ve been to a few networking events recently, so by the time I’m ready to start my next business, I’ll have already made all the contacts necessary.”

When she started her dealership fellow dealers took bets she would only last 6 months but she was focussed on making her business a success. Today, Shirley says "As women we have to be brave enough to take a chance. Speak up for yourself! Have confidence in your capabilities. Women must have enough confidence to step out and just do it!"

Listen to my interview of Shirley Gross-Moore on the new JAD Communications Podcast at http://www.podcastpickle.com/casts/?1822

Part 2 of the interview airs next week. Subscribe to the PODcast by visiting www.jadcommunications.com