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Meet OUR Jane: Laura Furumoto
Posted on September 16, 2009 - Filed Under Accidental Jane, Jane Thoughts, Meet a Jane
Laura Furumoto, MBA is a marketing consultant whose clients include Jane Out of the Box. From writing the Meet a Jane article for the See Jane Succeed e-zine each week to assisting in the strategic planning and design of our recent direct mail campaign introducing corporations to the five Jane types via talking stand-up representations of each Jane type, Laura has been a part of the Jane Team since March of 2008. “I met Michele through the American Marketing Association (AMA) and our national volunteer work as members of the AMA’s Professional Chapters Council. She became my third client and I have enjoyed watching Jane Out of the Box “grow up” to become this amazing persona and “voice” of all five types of women entrepreneurs.”
Laura enjoys being part of the Jane team and loves to promote Jane on a daily basis. “This is the perfect time for Jane to take off,” said Laura. “The country is looking to entrepreneurs to help get us out of the recession. As an MBA and as a marketer, I learned from the best – a former employer and someone I consider both a mentor and friend – Stephanie Kruse of KPS/3 marketing. She instilled in me and proved it time and again through her process that the best marketing is based on sound research. We have the research that helps Janes help themselves. And, through our research, we have the power to influence corporations and government agencies in creating products and programs that support female entrepreneurs’ success. This is a perfect blend of solutions.”
After interviewing over 50 Janes for the Meet a Jane articles, Laura considers herself fortunate to have been inspired by each person that has been featured. “The sheer spirit, will, and determination that each Jane has expressed to me during the interview process has just floored me. You Janes ROCK. I have taken your stories of successes and challenges and woven them into a quilt to put around me for comfort and strength to keep me going through my periods of trials and tribulations. Although there may be Five Janes, we have this common experience of business ownership that binds us together forever.” Laura also enjoys referring Janes to other Janes with whom she thinks could do business together after learning about their areas of expertise.
Laura was one of the first people to take the Which Jane Are You? assessment and discovered she is an Accidental Jane. “Accidental Jane fits me perfectly,” said Laura as she started her business due to a layoff at the association where she was a Director. The association’s contracted insurance consultant/company Alliant Insurance Services, the nation’s largest specialty insurance brokerage firm, asked her to finish some key projects on a 1099 basis because of her knowledge, expertise, and familiarity with the association’s goals and objectives. Things just took off from there. Alliant was a very prestigious first client and Laura recognizes the chance she was given. “September 2009 is the two year anniversary for my business. I am fortunate. As a female business owner, you all know the statistics, the likelihood of making it this far is slim. That’s not to say that there haven’t been moments where I wonder if we will be able to go on with the economy the way that is it. I have had to be flexible with clients who have asked me to take a month off as they are cutting back on staff salaries and need to do the same with me as an example.”
The greatest reward for owning her business is also her greatest challenge. “I am grateful that I have had this opportunity as there have been so many positive changes in my life for which I have needed the flexibility that my business affords,” said Laura. “I have a nine year old daughter with special needs, I was remarried in 2008, and I have been blessed with a healthy eight month old son. My dream of having a large family at the dining room table has been fulfilled and simultaneously wed with running my business from the kitchen table. That makes for an interesting meal time! Through Jane’s resources and guidance, I am working on systems and processes to help me run my business efficiently. I am also starting to define what I want to do in the future strategically, finally working on an official corporate name and identity package, and website, etc. now that I know I am ‘here to stay.’ It has taken a long time for me to trust myself and say that yes – although starting my business was an accident – my work has merit as I have been getting a good return on investment for the work I do for my clients.”
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