Lida Hayes-Calvert took a painting job on Trade Street and little did she know at the time that it would eventually lead to starting her own painting company. Today, Hayes-Calvert is the CEO of S&L Painting and Decorating, and recently she won a $1 million contract with Dell.
“Taking risks (proved) the hardest thing to do in order to begin a business,” said Hayes-Calvert, who started her business with $200. “Being an entrepreneur is like constantly running a marathon.” Hayes-Calvert was one of four entrepreneurs that served on the panel at a seminar tilted “Mining G.O.L.D.: Goals, Ownership, Leadership and Dreams.” The seminar was sponsored by the School of Business and Economics and held in the R.J. Reynolds building. Other guest speakers included Dana Suggs, owner of Body and Soul, a boutique on Trade Street, Theldora Williams, co-founder of TES Engraving and Signs, and Sandra Miller-Jones, founder and chairman of Segmented Marketing Services, Inc. Miller-Jones is also publisher of Urban Call, a trade publication that reaches urban Retailers.
The program’s moderator was Alderman and Mayor Pro Tempore of Winston-Salem, Vivian H. Burke. The purpose of the seminar was to guide and inspire future business owners, to embrace the importance of ownership, to hone leadership skills, and to nurture and support business dreams. Suggs said the most important thing any entrepreneur needs is a plan. “In life you have to have a plan…the world really is yours!” Suggs said.