The Secrets of My Success
What do NAWBO-Northern New Mexico members Edna Lopez of COMPA Industries, Inc., Ann Silva of Ann Silva’s Bernina Sewing Center, and DJ Heckes of Exhib-it! Tradeshow Marketing Experts have in common? They all have successful business!
Find out how these women succeeded and continue to prosper. Their stories are real and will lift you and help you in your business. Whether you are a sole proprietor or have a staff — this is a program not to be missed!
Why are they in their chosen business? What challenges did they face in starting and growing their businesses? What are their challenges now and how will they face them?
As an account executive working from her home, DJ Heckes put all her energy into creating the largest sales territory for a Seattle based company. After 12 years experience, DJ saw a larger future for herself and opened Exhib-It! Tradeshow Marketing Experts in early 2000. In the last six years, she has grown her company from a single employee to six full-time employees and three contract employees, and is well on her way to becoming a million dollar company.
DJ is recognized as a strong community leader for economic development in the Albuquerque area. She is involved with several chambers of commerce in New Mexico and Texas, is the Past President of the American Marketing Association (AMA)-New Mexico Chapter, and works closely with several nonprofit organizations, including the New Mexico chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and United Blood Drive. In 2005 she won the AMA Chapter of the Year award and the coveted Maxie Anderson Innovative Business Leader award.
Edna Lopez is the CEO and President of COMPA Industries, Inc., a 20-year old company that originated in California and moved to Albuquerque in 1993. After the untimely death of her husband in 1986, Edna was able to continue his vision to diversify and focus on specific skills sets in the areas of management services and staff augmentation for federal, state and local governments, as well as private industry. Since taking the helm in 1996, she has spearheaded COMPA into a multi-million dollar company.
COMPA has been named one of New Mexico’s Top 25 Women Owned Businesses for the past five years. In recognition of her staying power, growth, innovative service offered, response to adversity and contributions to community-oriented projects, Edna was named one of only five national recipients of the SBA Outstanding Women of the Year awards in 2005.
Edna shares the skills and knowledge she has gained personally and professionally through her continual mentorship, advice, and leadership. She serves on the board or is an active member of many organizations that support other women and small business owners, including NAWBO-NNM, Women Impacting Public Policy, Women Entrepreneurs, New Mexico Hispanic Women’s Council, New Mexico 8(a) & Minority Businesses Association, Association of Commerce & Industry of New Mexico, among others.
Ann Silva, President of Ann Silva’s Bernina Sewing Center, claims she went into business 26 years ago for “all the wrong reasons” — her addiction to sewing, her desire to continue teaching, and a penchant for top-of-the-line Bernina sewing machines. Combined with her sheer determination and a dedicated staff, however, those reasons were enough to transform the center from a tiny 900 square foot shop into the formidable operation it is today. The once-fledgling operation now employs five full-time staff and 20 part-time teachers, offers hundreds of classes each year, and in mid-September opened her second location in the Corrales Shopping Center.
Ann is a four-time winner of New Mexico’s Top 25 Women Owned Businesses and has been honored multiple times for being in the top five of Bernina of America’s single-store dealerships for 18 years. In recognition of her extraordinary success, Ann received Bernina’s Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award.
Ann has always been an active part of the community. The center regularly sponsors projects to raise funds for breast cancer research and donates quilts to veterans’ and children’s hospitals. Women’s business groups were an invaluable support to Silva in the early years; she continues to coach and mentor other aspiring business owners, and serves on the Loan Fund Committee of WESST Corp.
5:30 – 8:30 pm, Embassy Suites-Ocotillo Room
We meet at the Embassy Suites on Lomas, just west of I-25. The Ocotillo Room is at the north end of the building in the Conference Center.
Spotlight Tables
- Ann Silva’s Bernina Sewing Center – Ann Silva
- Bright Ideas! Promotional Products Galore! – Lezlie Ann Kinney
- Cannon’s Sweet Hots – Diane Cannon
- COMPA Industries, Inc. – Edna Lopez
- djLuke Enterprises – Donna Luke
- Exhib-it! Tradeshow Marketing Experts – DJ Heckes
- SGO Designer Glass – Mary Lou Christophersen
Reservations for tonight’s meeting are now closed. We look forward to seeing you next month!
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