In Business, Together

In Business, Together

Aired Monday, 5 December 2016, 4:00 PM ET

Join Simone Milasas, author, business coach & International speaker, as she talks with Arlene Schmidek and Cathy Dool, sisters who are creating businesses together as both successful entrepreneurs and Access Consciousness Facilitators. They’ll talk about the tools they use to create bigger lives and businesses from the play and joy of it. No matter what obstacle you think you may have, get tips on how to use it to your advantage.

Arlene Schmidek and Cathy Dool are a dynamic duo that are sisters, best friends, and business partners. They own a second generation family truck and trailer dealership and their own business facilitating others to find the joy in business and life using their 30 plus years as owners along the tools of Access Consciousness ®. Don’t miss this episode to learn more about creating with family members, working with others, and overcoming the challenges that arise.

About the Guests Arlene Schmidek and Cathy Dool

Arlene Schmidek and Cathy Dool are a dynamic duo that are sisters, best friends, and business partners. They own a second generation family truck and trailer dealership and their own business facilitating others to find the joy in business and life using their 30 plus years as owners along the tools of Access Consciousness ®.

Previously, Cathy had worked in the hospitality industry from waitressing to assistant general manager, florist, interior design, marketing and public relations and curriculum developer. Arlene had been a hairdresser, retail consultant, career counselor, high school teacher and college instructor.

With seven years between them, they started out not knowing each other and then coming together in their 20s. Even though horses had been part of their growing up years, it was when they started to rodeo together that they realized they liked each other, and had views that complemented each other. When they were on the road, ideas started to pop about having a business together.

They started a part-time marketing and promotions business which developed into event planning, and then into a training and consulting company. Cathy was also working at a college and Arlene at a high school, they began facilitating a cognitive psychology program that was offered at the college. From there, they collaborated with that same international company, they travelled Northern American into businesses, K-12 schools and colleges focused on building cultures focused on people and retention.

In 1999, their father put a demand into their world. The demand was to come home and work at the family dealership so their parents could focus on his health and beating the cancer. He passed in 2000. Even though Cathy and Arlene had worked together for years, jumping into the dealership meant working with their mom, brother, and another sister. Family dynamics and conflicting styles challenged the business and family. Learning to respect each other’s talents and skills was a requirement that needed lots of communication, adjustments, and allowance. Through it all, they made the pact that the family would stay together, no matter what.

Today, the Canadian Sisters continue to lead the dealership in a changing economy while also growing their transformational facilitation business. They are very good at seeing the big picture and are aware of the necessary details to grow while keeping an eye on the continuous evolving world.

“Working together has been the best thing we have done, although it hasn’t always been a bed of roses. We complement each other and there is trust, loyalty, and respect. We know that we are in it together and can create more that we ever imagined possible.”