We’re knee-deep in a new era in business: full of fearless female founders. Women have been taking the professional world by storm and impacting businesses in innovative ways that must be applauded. We no longer live in a world where gender defines one’s potential. Gender should never be an obstacle to achieving one’s goals, we are all capable of great success, no matter our biology. Female founders are building new companies, developing novel business techniques, and transforming age-old industries. We must commend women for their inspiring work and embrace this new age of business development.
We’ve conducted a Q+A with Ella Messerli, hotelier, entrepreneur and one of the founders of MyWeddingPrice.com. MyWeddingPrice.com is an online service that helps brides-to-be book weddings at destination hotels and resorts within budget parameters. Ella’s extensive experiences in the hotel industry have shaped her as a leader, and below she shares her passion, challenges and advice from one fearless female founder to another.
Q: What challenges do you feel you might have faced as a woman founder?
A: I don’t believe I faced any challenges different from what a man would have faced. From the start, I had to believe in my project and myself without letting my gender affect my work. In today’s world, people are more focused on the observable results of your work. What is going to help you survive in the business world is whether you can produce the kinds of results that will impress your customers and competitors.
Q: Where did you get your inspiration for MyWeddingPrice.com?
A: The idea came from the simple concept of matching services to needs. As a hotelier, I have worked with brides on numerous occasions and I’ve noticed there is often a disconnect between a bride’s needs and finding the right service to meet those needs. MyWeddingPrice.com is a way to seamlessly connect a bride’s wishes with hotels that will fulfill her needs, ultimately achieving both parties’ goals.
Q: What is your favorite part about being one of the founders of MyWeddingPrice.com?
A: I love the idea of starting something new and original. If you want to survive in today’s business world, you constantly have to take risks or else you won’t stand out against the crowd. With this company, I have the opportunity to offer a new service that is both useful to the bride and the hotel and is changing the way destination weddings are planned.
Q: Do you feel as if you have an advantage because of your hotel industry experience?
A: Hotel experience gave me a multi-task mind. I interacted with so many departments at once and it gave me the mindset to watch out for new opportunities and challenges. I learned how to maximize strengths for the benefit of the organization. I feel that my experience in the hotel industry led me to develop a mindset that gave me the confidence to create a new business.
Q: What traits have you gained from the hospitality industry and applied to MyWeddingPrice.com?
A: Patience and tenacity are basic traits we need in hospitality, as well as a service attitude. Any new business project requires these qualities and it was important for me to utilize these qualities when developing MyWeddingPrice.com. In hospitality, I learned that I always have a chance to serve my clients until they leave the hotel; the same applies to all business customers, regardless of the industry.
Q: What is your goal for MyWeddingPrice.com in the next few years?
A: The vision is to develop a portal for brides so helpful that it becomes the first stop for destination wedding planning. We want to offer brides opportunities they would never be able to find on their own. We hope to become THE page for destination wedding and hotel selection, where brides and grooms can immediately find options that fit their needs.
Q: What advice would you give to other women in business?
A: Hard work, consistency and a belief in your project are the keys to success. These attributes will also help you overcome any obstacles you might face. Stay passionate about what you are doing and keep on going no matter what. If you believe the project is important, than it does not matter what others’ think.
A fearless attitude is common to many women in business and by viewing gender as just another physical trait rather than as an obstacle, Ella has paved a path of success. Her determination to move past the old-fashioned way of thinking demonstrates her leadership and is an inspiration to women who hope to become entrepreneurs themselves.
About MyWeddingPrice.com
MyWeddingPrice.com is an online service created with brides and hoteliers in mind. The platform allows hoteliers to find leads for destination weddings at their property and allows brides the opportunity to easily search for a destination wedding location within their budget. Both hoteliers and brides can register for the service online at www.MyWeddingPrice.com