March celebrates many things: the arrival of spring, March Madness, International Women’s Day. On March 8th, women from around the world are celebrated for supporting one another, crossing barriers, and breaking glass ceilings. It’s not lost on us that court reporting might be an anomaly in the world of careers and glass ceilings. And perhaps this is one of the reasons we are so passionate about court reporting. One visit to a court reporting class makes it quite obvious this is a women-dominated field. As of February 2018, the NCRA reported 89% of its membership was female.
It’s also not lost on us that we are a female-owned and operated company with an all-female staff. Again, this might not be strange inside the court reporting community, but in the world of business ownership, this is rare. The camaraderie within Susan Frye Court Reporting is perhaps stronger because of the all-female team. Many of the court reporters juggle being a mother, wife, and full-time employee. We understand the never-ending struggle to achieve work-life-family balance. We forge bonds based on this sisterhood and the sometimes unspoken truths of being a working mother. But, we’re also very proud to stand shoulder to shoulder as females and defy the standards or limitations put on us. And, we’re proud to celebrate with the other strong, do-it-all business women in Iowa!
Three years ago, Iowa ranked last for number of female-owned businesses, but at the beginning of 2019, the state moved up to 8th! There’s so much pride in the fact that our little state of Iowa has innovative women who are willing to toe the line and risk it all to start a business. There’s also a lot of joy that our state supports women-owned businesses and helps them not just survive, but truly thrive.
For the month of March, we hope you support the women-owned businesses in Iowa. We hope you thank the strong and powerful women in your life. We hope you recognize the trailblazers who enabled us to break glass ceilings. We hope you spend time with your female friends and colleagues and forge stronger bonds. And remember, when women support each other, incredible things happen!
