Today we’d like to introduce you to Janet Steiner.

Janet, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
The way I see it, I wasn’t passed down my father’s company when he died. I inherited an opportunity when his health failed. I took over the very small company and was fortunate enough to redeem my dad’s shareholders, including my mom, after my father passed away in a capital-intensive business and grow it to just under 40 million. I didn’t even own 5% when my dad died.

One of our early Board of Directors shared with me in a private conversation: “Your dad could not have done what you did. And you could not have done what your dad did.”

I chose to sell the company in 2018, which took a couple of years to wrap my head around. I did a lot of research on business brokers and narrowed it down to the top 3 and finally chose 1 broker to find a strategic buyer – a buyer who would respect the company as it was, its employees, and maintain the location where it was (Corona, CA). Someone who wanted a whole business so they could expand their market.

Today, I am retired from Thoro but I am fully immersed in helping other women stand in their own power and build successful businesses. It is my passion to help women Make Dust in the business world.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?

It has not always been a smooth road. As a matter of fact, as a woman in a male-dominated industry – manufacturing – it was the opposite of smooth.

There were a lot of challenges, but I took one challenge at a time and proved that women can be just as strong, just as tenacious and just as successful in any business when they work hard and give their all.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Make Dust/ TradeWorks USA?
I mentor professional women in male-dominated to help people grow.

What sets me apart from many other businesswomen is that I grew a manufacturing company to just under 40 million.

I’m most proud of seeing the people I’ve worked with growing and seeing them be the best they can be.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Running a business is not always easy… There is a perception that it is glamorous. You’ve got to go in, roll up your sleeves, and build your team and be able to build and develop your people. You’re going to get criticism all the time. You must develop not only your internal team but your external team. Your banking team is SO important. Learn from these people! People will share their knowledge. It doesn’t mean you have to take all of their knowledge. You filter out what doesn’t work and take what works.

Be the best you can be for your company and for yourself.

If you make a mess with someone, try to clean it up.