Winning Ideas from Winning Women
with Lorraine Stephens

Anthony Brandt once wrote,

“Other things may change us, but we start and end with the family.”

This quote describes exactly how Lorraine Stephens has lived her life. She credits her parents for her entrepreneurial nature; she quit her job in corporate America to spend more time with her children; and she names her son and daughter as her loving support system. Even with the great passion she has for her business, it is clear that work is secondary to family.

Lorraine’s parents were both entrepreneurs. Her mother, a dressmaker, could design the dress of your dreams, and her father operated the only minority-owned express company in Manhattan. Years later, while raising her own family, she realized that the sixteen-hour days required by her corporate job made it impossible for her to spend any time with her children. After dinner one night, she recognized that all too soon, her children would be grown. “If I continued to work for the next three years as I had for the last fifteen,” she recollects, “I would miss the rest of those precious moments.” And with that, her decision was made.

Lorraine was not exactly sure of her next move, but she knew there was a need she could fill. She had spent her past four years on a marketing and support plan that would allow IBM to tap into the education market. But she realized that the training schedules were too tight, causing the teachers to feel like it was too much too fast. From this realization came Lorraine’s new calling and the launch of L. Stephens & Associates. What started as training and consulting services for the education market grew into her current business of seminars, speaking, and authoring.

Lorraine Stephens

Lorraine considers the launch of her first book to be her most exciting business-owner moment. During her workshops and presentations, participants were amazed by the learning shortcuts she taught. So, she made the decision to write “I Wish I Had Known That Yesterday” - Increasing Your Productivity in Word. This book was the first of a trilogy which later included Excel – As Simple As It Gets and PowerPoint – Stop the PowerPoint Madness. Please!

Ever the mentor, Lorraine’s advice to women starting a business is to take time to develop the dream, which she considers even more important than the business plan.

“The dream will help you focus on what makes you feel great once you have left the office for the evening; what you wish to give; and what you wish to get.”

She suggests thinking through the things that would make that dream a reality and in doing so, defining the business you want to pursue.

Lorraine is now focused on her dream of speaking, writing, and online training. As a speaker, she helps people find the confidence to go forward through topics such as Eliminating Fear; Understanding The Impact Of The Past On The Present; and Being Able To See Through the Eyes Of Others. As a writer, she has completed her instructional trilogy and is now preparing to publish a book of inspirational vignettes. And, in September, 2005, she launched a series of Web-based seminars entitled Tackle Technology and Win! Not surprisingly, this series has received rave reviews. For a list of upcoming classes, visit Lorraine’s Web site: www.lorrainestephens.com.

But as successful as her business has become, Lorraine’s family still remains foremost in her life. Although her children, Dorrian and Tiffany, always claimed they’d never “work as hard as mom,” their work ethic makes her proud. And, there is no doubt that they are proud of their mom, as well. Lorraine is the recipient of countless honors, including the Business Journal’s Women in Business Award. She has also been inducted into the YWCA Academy of Women, was recognized by the North Carolina Justice and Community Development Center as A Friend of Justice, and she was selected as Woman of the Year by the Research Triangle Chapter of American Business Women’s Association.