Editor’s note: For our annual Women in Business issue, we invited women in our local business communities to share insights they’ve gained through their work in Western North Carolina.
Salomé Loomis is the director of and a teacher at the Spanish Academy of Asheville.
Xpress: What piece of advice do you wish you’d been told prior to launching your business?
Loomis: This is a hard question. I feel we can’t wait for someone else to say or do something for us. Life is a continuous learning experience which never ends. This is ingrained in me, making it difficult to wait for instructions from other people. I think the best way is to encourage yourself to resolve the obstacles and try to find the solution right away, even when it is not the easiest option.
How do you feel women in leadership experience their roles differently today than they may have in the past?
Fortunately, I never experienced any differences from traditional gender roles growing up. I think everyone can dream as high as they want without exception of gender. I feel no matter what kind of person you are, the most important part is to have the desire to approach new opportunities in life and challenge yourself to keep working while constantly improving. I feel very blessed to have a supportive husband whom I can count on every day. I could not have been the leader I am today without him.
What is your most memorable experience as a business owner, and what have you learned from it?
The most memorable experience is the loss of “trust” in a person. I have learned that all of us are very different, therefore we can’t always change other people. We have to move on and continue learning to achieve our goals in life, regardless of who surrounds us.
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