Christy Haubegger, Magazine Entrepreneur

profession: founder, president and publisher of Latina, the first glossy national mag for Hispanic women in the U.S.

the numbers: Started in 1996, the magazine made it to the newsstands. In 1996, it’s circulation was 300,000, and not yet profitable. (Few magazines are in their first year.) Latina went monthly in July 1997.

born: Aug. 15, 1968 in Houston, Texas.

education: BA, Philosophy & Spanish literature, University of Texas. JD, Stanford Law School.
the magazine: Headquartered in Manhattan, Latina covers a range of women’s issues — with a Hispanic flavor. Recent features include a cover piece on “La Bombshell” actress Salma Hayek, and the first all Latina sex survey. The main articles are in English (features are summarized in a Spanish sidebar), and many of the ads are in Spanish.

Aimed at a range of Latinas, aged 18-49, the magazine find its readers in areas of the U.S. with large Hispanic populations, such as LA, NYC and parts of Texas.

beginnings: Born to a Mexican-American mother, Haubegger was adopted as an infant by an Anglo couple who strove to raise her with a strong awareness of her ancestry. She started learning Spanish in pre-school.

the inspiration: Haubegger says the blonde, blue-eyed models she saw in women’s magazines as she was growing up did not reflect her body type or her beauty concerns. And when she went on to college and law school, she found that she and her fellow Latinas had trouble finding professional role models.

“I wanted to change the way Latinas see themselves, as well as how others see them,” she explains.
CHRISTY HAUBEGGER
“I felt it [a Hispanic women's pub] was the one women’s magazine that I’d want to read, and I kept thinking, ‘Somebody should do it.’ And finally I realized that that somebody was going to have to be me.”

the way up: At Stanford she took several entrepreneurial classes while getting her law degree. Spent her first year out of law school doing her financial homework and looking for the financier most likely to support her niche.

the backer: Edward Lewis, CEO of Essence Communications, Inc., and founder of Essence Magazine (which 25 years ago was the first publication targeted specifically at African-American women) vowed years ago never to start another magazine from scratch. And he didn’t — until he saw Haubegger’s proposal. “It was one of the best business plans I had seen in almost 20 years in this business,” he said. “It was extraordinary for a person her age [27].”

Judith Regan, Polymedia Mogul

who she is: Maverick publisher whose clients include Howard Stern and Rush Limbaugh.

recent claim to fame: Posed on the inside cover of her ReganBooks catalogue wearing a pink Vera Wang dress.

profession: President and publisher of the Regan Company, a “polymedia” division of News Corporation Ltd., a Fox enterprise run by media entrepreneur Rupert Murdoch.

education: Vassar

Regan on polymedia: “Poly means many, and one of my authors, Doug Coupland, described me as a polymedia person because I am doing it all: books, TV and movies.”

revenue: From 1994 through 1997, company revenues totaled approximately $100 million. For the fiscal year ending in June 1998, the Regan Company is projected to make $20-$30 million.

basic story: As VP and senior editor at Simon & Schuster, Regan was dissatisfied with the publishing world’s grueling hours and less than great pay. But meeting Rupert Murdoch turned her career around. During a power lunch with the media guru, she asked for it all — and she walked away with a book deal, a production company and her own weekly TV show.
recognition: In 1996, ReganBooks was named one of the most successful imprints in the publishing industry. In 1997, Entertainment Weekly listed Regan as one of entertainment’s most powerful people. Also in 1997, The Hollywood Reporter included her in its “Women in Entertainment” issue as one of the eight “females who wield clout in publishing.”

book projects: Howard Stern’s “Private Parts,” Judge Robert Bork’s “Slouching Towards Gomorrah,” Christopher Darden’s “In Contempt” and Wally Lamb’s “She’s Come Undone,” a New York Times best-seller and Oprah Winfrey’s pick for book of the month, plus her follow-up novel “I Know This Much Is True.”

on the way: A reporter and editor for the National Enquirer and TV producer for “Geraldo” and “Entertainment Tonight”

TV projects: Hosts her own one-hour talk show, called “This Evening with Judith Regan” on the Fox News Channel.

movie projects: “I’m producing a movie for Universal from Doug Coupland’s book ‘Microserfs,’ about a bunch of genius kids who work at Microsoft and have no life. I’m also doing a film for DreamWorks about a custody case; and for Lifetime, ‘How a Gentleman Should Treat a Lady,’ which aired in the winter of 1998. It’s based on my own idea. When my son started dating, he asked me what he should do and how to behave. I told him the bottom line is to treat a woman with respect, put her on a pedestal and worship the ground she walks on.”
picking best-sellers: “You try to make an informed decision, but this is not a business that does research. I think it’s a combination of intuition and good fortune. I also think I have a guardian angel, my grandmother, who is watching over me to make sure.”

doing what you love: “Basically, I have fun all day long. Everything I enjoy I’ve incorporated into my work, except for cooking. And I am trying to figure out how to incorporate that into my job by doing a cookbook. With what little time I have left, I like to play with my daughter. We go for walks and play games.”

advice for women entering the field: “If you want to be in television, film and publishing you have to know what’s going on. I read a zillion newspapers, a zillion magazines and watch a lot of television. You have to pay attention and keep your eyes and ears open. Then you’ve got to listen to your friends and family — what people are saying and not just what is being reported. Basically, you have to work your tail off.”

handling frustration and rejection: “I just say, ‘NEXT!’ I don’t waste a second. I don’t focus on what isn’t happening.”

Shelley Day, Kids’ Software Wizard

profession: President and CEO of Humongous Entertainment, makers of the popular “Freddi Fish,” “Putt-Putt” and “Pajama Sam” CD-ROM titles for kids.

the basic story: Day’s brainchild, a purple cartoon car named Putt-Putt, was born of the bedtime stories she told her toddler back in 1992. That was the year that she founded the Woodinville, Wash.-based Humongous, which makes clever, animated CD-ROM titles.

Humongous — which Newsweek has called “the Disney of children’s software” — now surpasses Broderbund, Living Books, Microsoft and Edmark in its share of the fiercely competitive children’s software market. Acquired by GT Interactive Software in July of 1996, Humongous inked a deal in spring 1997 with Lancit Media Entertainment to create TV programs, movies and videos based on Putt-Putt and friends.

her reach: Three million of her CDs have been sold around the world.
SHELLEY DAY
on the acquisition by GT Interactive: Day insists that her small, independent multimedia company hasn’t been swallowed by a big, greedy fish; rather, as a wholly owned subsidiary, Humongous has gained valuable distribution channels and deeper pockets without having to sacrifice integrity. “GT Interactive is actually younger than we are,” she explains. “Running their own business keeps them busy, so they don’t want to fiddle around running the companies they acquire.”

her biz philosophy: When Day co-founded Humongous with creative director Ron Gilbert, they focused intently on the quality of their products, “rather than on the money we would make.” Boatloads of awards are testament to the wisdom of that judgment.

her hiring philosophy: Day’s a stickler for working with the right people. “You’ve got to find the best people you can for every position in the company, even if you have to wait to hire them,” she says. “I’d rather hire someone I have to rein in than having to push them forward. And if something’s not right, you have to walk away from it, even if it’s at the last minute.”

coming attractions: Look for an online multi-player game for kids in fall 1997, courtesy of the Humongous web site.

Barb Weidmann Music Maker

Who She Is: Owner of Baby Music Boom, Inc.Babymusic, a Minneapolis-based children’s record label that has put out eight albums and a video since 1993. The company has won numerous Parent’s Choice Awards and the Family Channel Seal of Quality.

Born: 1953

First Break: More than 20 years ago, Weidmann “got a job as a receptionist in a recording studio. I had absolutely no background in music.”

Learning the Biz: Weidmann spent 20 years working in the field. In 1983, she became an executive at dmp, a high-quality audiophile jazz label in New York City and, ultimately, a talent agent for musicians.

The Big Idea: The Baby Boom concept came to Weidmann after her first child was born in 1992. “I started getting gifts of children’s music and I noticed there was a big gap in the quality [between that and adult music]. I decided to dive in.”

Secret to Her Success: “We work with artists who are well established in the adult music world.”

Biggest Hit: Baby Boom’s top seller is Peter Himmelman’s “My Best Friend is a Salamander,” which one reviewer described as “rib-tickling, at times soulful flights of fancy.” In the title song, a child learns you shouldn’t judge a pal by how he looks (kinda slimy) and what he eats (grasshopper feet and roasted flies).

On Music: “Kids are used to getting things so fast on TV and the computer — completely visual. But music comes at them a different way and really stimulates their imaginations.”

Favorite Bands: The Grateful Dead, the Beatles and Blind Faith

Lucia Watson Restaurateur, Chef & Sommelier

Who She Is: Owner of Lucia’s, an upscale, Lucia Watsonuptown restaurant recently named one of Minneapolis’s best by the StarTribune food critic.

Born: 1954

Education: On the job, with periodic chefs’ seminars and wine-tasting classes.

Following Your Passion: “I love food — I love to eat it; I love to cook it. And I love the business. There’s a wonderful camaraderie in restaurants that makes me feel so at home.”

Getting Started: Lucia launched her restaurant on Valentine’s Day 1985, and worked 80- to 90-hour weeks for many months.

Advice to Future Restaurateurs: “Find a restaurant you admire and go to work there. Then do everything, from dishwashing to waiting tables to cooking. And while you’re doing that, find out everything you can about how to run a business.”
Downside to Being Your Own Boss: “Tough hours, certainly [she currently works six days and at least 45 to 50 hours a week]. And you can never rest on your laurels. In this business, you’re only as good as that meal you set down in front of a particular customer on a given day.”

It’s Worth It: “The best thing about my job is that it requires spontaneity at all times. There is high value placed on thinking on your feet.”

Future Entrepreneurs: “Widen your expectations of what is success. Do research on companies and be smart enough to know that you can shop around and find a place that’s good for you.”

Anne Tynion Healthy Profits

who she is: President and CEO, Unicorn Financial Services Inc. She founded the firm with her significant other, Steven Deli, who serves as chairman.

the biz: Unicorn is a start-up loan company for the medical industry. Doctors contract with Unicorn to offer patients financing on medical services not covered by insurance, such as cosmetic surgery. Average credit charges to patients is about 10%, and Unicorn, not the doctor, assumes financial liability for late payments.

clients: The fast-growing company has signed up 300 doctors’ offices as clients since December 1997, and financed 1,300 elective patient procedures in March 1998.

how she got there: After graduating from Georgetown, Tynion got her start at a New York advertising agency and skipped across several industries on her path to starting Unicorn in 1997. She was vice president of global marketing and brand management for Harley-Davidson Inc. and was a senior officer in two major corporate-identity firms, Anspach, Grossman and Portugal and Siegel & Gale.

big break: As a 25-year-old advertising agency vice president, Tynion was tapped to work on a “think-tank” project with industry legend Mary Wells Lawrence, who became her role model. “She had a tremendous amount of capabilities, but also the ability to be a woman. I learned from her to be smart, have a presence about you, be loyal to clients and know your business.”

secret to her success: A”I always asked for more work, and I changed careers a couple of times to become well rounded. If you’re going to do that, though, you have to have a road map so you don’t get stuck somewhere where you’re not learning.”

current challenge: “The biggest challenge is to develop a strategy and stick to it. Every day you say you could change this or that, but you have to resist that to move forward.”

Christy Ten Eyck Bridge to the Outdoors

What She Does: Landscape architecture

Born: 1959

Landscape Architecture Her Biz: In 1997, Ten Eyck opened her own firm and, with her staff of three, is working on some 30 projects, including the design of the public park that will go on the 77-acre site of the former Phoenix Indian School.

The Profession: “A landscape architect creates the transition between the building and the natural world.”

Secret to Her Success: “It’s important to be able to put yourself in the clients’ shoes, speak their language and look at the project from their perspective.”

Local Landscaping Trends: Because of the water situation, Phoenix is a forerunner in using indigenous plants.

Breaking the Mold: “In the past, this field has been male-dominated, but it’s changing. One of the toughest things to get used to is being on construction sites, which are pretty macho. It’s a matter of learning how men communicate in that environment. The discrimination I see more often is the perception that landscape architects are totally subservient to architects.”

Advice to Aspiring Landscape Architects: “The only prerequisite is a love for the outdoors. Explore all the different facets of the field — from large-scale master planning to residential garden design to working with a golf course architect.”

Pet Peeve: “Circular driveways. They force you to give up your front garden to the automobile.”

Her Own landscape: “My yard is totally wild. I’ve got coyotes and javelina sitting on my patio. The previous owners had planted a lot of things that didn’t belong here so I’m trying to bring the desert back.”

Debra Root Mrs. Peanut Butter

who she is: Founder and CEO of Malibu-based Mrs. Malibu Foods Inc., Root invented Mrs. Malibu’s 92% Fat-Free Peanut Better, a low-fat alternative to peanut butter.

the nut of the matter: Root’s peanut product contains 2.5 grams of fat per 2-tablespoon serving, whereas regular peanut butter contains 16

the spread: Mrs. Malibu’s Peanut Better is available in health-food stores nationwide, and Root recently inked a deal with the Kroger supermarket chain to sell her product throughout the United States

mother of invention: “Just before I gave birth to my daughter, I ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and promised myself that I wouldn’t have another until I was pregnant again. Well, two years later, I couldn’t wait any longer and since there was no fat-free peanut butter on the market, I decided to make one myself.”

in the lab: Root, who has a master’s degree in nutrition, spent about a year experimenting with ways to take the fat out of peanut butter. “One day I realized, I’ve got something here! So I trademarked it.”

family matters: A former Miss Oklahoma and professional singer, Root relied upon family and friends to raise the $400,000 she needed to get herself going. “Once I had invented a fat-free peanut butter, I had to figure out how to manufacture it. I had to buy $250,000 worth of equipment.”

the grind: Root’s been at the peanut game for the past four years, but still handles most of the day-to-day duties herself, including in-store demos and trade-show trips. “I feel like a one-woman army. If anyone had told me how hard it was, I never would have believed them!”

in the works: “I’m looking into getting my own cooking show aimed at kids. Kids love to cook, plus it’s a great way for them to learn fractions!”

Elizabeth Myers Sweet Sound of Success

Who She Is: Elizabeth Myers is a songwriter and composer for commercials, independent feature films and TV themes. Elizabeth Myers Myers is co-owner with her husband of Trivers/Myers Music Inc., a multiaward-winning music company based in Manhattan Beach, Calif.

Myers composes original music predominantly for commercials, traversing genres from calypso to Italian opera to technopop for clients ranging from Pioneer to Ford to Aprilia Motor Scooters.

Born: 1952

How You Know Her Work: Trivers/Myers composed the melody for the “CBS Evening News” theme and scores for numerous major commercials, including Polaroid’s “Dog and Cat,” in which an intrepid dog documents the bad behavior of a mischievous cat.

How She Got There: Myers earned a master’s in composition and continued to study classical composition in Paris, eventually moving to New York to orchestrate ballets for choreographer Agnes de Mille. “I was lucky to have mentors who weren’t afraid to recommend me,” says Myers, who went on to score several plays and then to become musical director of “Grease” on Broadway.

Number One Tool: Her Steinway grand piano. “It’s unusual these days because it’s so cumbersome. I practiced on one every day for 20 years. Now things are different — I also have a computer as a sidekick.”

On The Process: “Music is such a personal statement. I spend a lot of time with directors and producers trying to get it right. But music has another life. If it doesn’t match this time, maybe you can use it another.”

Angela McLean Psycho Sister

who she is: Angela McLean, owner of Psycho Sisters Consignment Boutique

claim to fame: In 1993, she opened a boutique for funky, fashionable second-hand clothing. Since then, McLean has franchised five Psycho Sisters in the metro area and opened three more herself or with partners. She is now looking to launch stores throughout the Southeast and to develop a Psycho Sisters fashion label.

her routine: At work, McLean cranks up the music, changes outfits several times a day and socializes with customers. “What could be better than a job where you shop all day, have all the friends in the world, set your own hours and make money?”

on becoming her own boss: A stint at an advertising agency convinced McLean that the corporate world was not for her. “I realized I would rather wait tables and go to the beach every day than do that. Freedom was more important to me than anything.”

setting up shop: McLean inaugurated her first store, Clothing Collection, in Tallahassee, Fla., with 20 boxes of clothing culled from garage sales. She charged $1,500 worth of advertising materials and passed out flyers in nightclubs and restaurants and on street corners. When she opened, on a Friday, she didn’t have the money to pay rent. “I wrote the landlord a check and asked him to hold it until Monday. Then we opened, and I held my breath.”

McLean sat cross-legged on the floor with a shoe box until she could afford a register, and customers tried on clothes in the bathroom. But, by the end of the first week, she had made enough to pay rent and her credit card bill.

the payoff: Each of her stores averages about $12,000 a month in sales. For franchises, McLean gets a one-time payment of $10,000 to $25,000. But the rewards have been more personal than financial. And, she says, she has time off for other things she loves. “I’ve been backpacking in 20 countries over the last three years.”

on franchises: “These women have become like my wives,” says McLean of her partners. McLean has had to learn to “let go of control,” and allow each owner survive or fail on her own.

on making it in the rag trade: “It took courage to break loose from what everybody was telling me to do.”