BY LANA MICHELIN
ADVOCATE STAFF
Thirteen years ago, Red Deer businesswoman Judy Lee followed her intuition and opened a downtown cafe with a business partner.
The successful Cafe Millennium has now outlasted even Lee’s involvement in it. The entrepreneur recently decided to sell her shares in the going concern to her partner in order to follow other pursuits. But she remains proud that a cafe she thought could draw downtown workers for lunch has “turned into an amazingly successful place.”
Lee is sharing her business secrets in a new book that taps into the experiences of 19 female entrepreneurs from around the world.
The No B.S. Truth: What it Really Takes to Run a Successful Business is a collection of stories from 19 business owners that hit upon some universal truths, said Lee, one of the “co-authors.”
After reading the various accounts in the self-published book that will be available on Dec. 7, Lee found that “the No. 1 thing is to trust your feelings and listen to your gut.” She believes having faith an idea helps connect entrepreneurs to the right people who can get their new businesses going.
Lee knows many people who talk themselves out of things. “They think I don’t have time, I don’t have a degree, or I’m too old…” But opening a business requires an optimistic leap of faith, then a lot of passion,” said Lee, who’s now taking training courses and volunteering with the women’s shelter.
Before opening the Cafe Millennium, “I didn’t know what would happen… but I knew I had to go for it. You have to believe in yourself and be strong.”
The book will be available through Amazon, or by emailing Lee at judylee65@hotmail.ca.
lmichelin@www.reddeeradvocate.com