Femme Forward – Lancaster, PA

Our personal stories are just that: personal.

I figure that it’s only fair for me to share my journey with you, and hopefully you will trust me with yours.

I grew up in a tiny, mostly conservative town. I remember for as long as I can remember wanting to move on to something new and exciting.

After graduating college with a mechanical design degree, I was thrown directly into the deep end of a male dominated industry. This was not inherently a negative experience, but I believe the atmosphere and environment of a job can make or break even the best suited employee. In this case, it was the latter. I lasted a little over 3 years in a role related to my degree, and decided I needed to change my career’s trajectory.

I am now working within the pharmaceutical testing industry as a technical writer, which I really enjoy. I have always been fond of writing and reading, but the pharmaceutical industry is very rigid in its approach to writing and I felt like I needed to branch out again. And so the Femme Foodie idea was born.

The online presence of Lancaster County is full of information about where to find the best restaurants or things to do this weekend, but I wanted to give my own twist on this idea. I believe that this town has a lot more to offer than Amish tours and buggy rides, which is all the media seems to offer to tourists or weekend visitors. Supporting small businesses has become a major focus for many people in recent years, and I believe it is a missed opportunity when marketing to this area due to the sheer amount of local shops.

In downtown Lancaster, there are small businesses on every corner but what do we really know about them? They all have unique products, backgrounds and ideas that make each one a success. I would love to highlight the female / gender non-conforming lead businesses in our community because I am joined in solidarity with them through similar experiences in a male dominated workplace and society as a whole.

Having what it takes to create a thriving business is a feat regardless of the circumstances, but I know there is more to it than meets the eye.

Please join me on my journey to peel back the layers of biases and stereotypes when it comes to these entrepreneurs, and hear what really goes into making these successful business happen.