BIV MAGAZINE
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WOMEN IN BUSINESS—SPRING 2020 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER
MIND YOUR MENTORS Mentorship can be a ‘game-changer’ for entrepreneurs
Programs at Women’s Enterprise Centre range from mentoring to leadership conferences to networking events • MAXINE BULLOCH PHOTOGRAPHY
KATHRYN HELMORE
J
anie Hungerford, founder and CEO of Hungerford Interior Design, is perched on a stool in a spacious and light-filled office at Fir and West Second.
A born-and-raised Vancouverite, Hungerford has worked on projects ranging from Victoria’s Times Colonist building to Shaughnessy heritage homes. She has won awards from the Architectural Institute of British Columbia and is a 2019 Best of Houzz winner for service and design. Last year, she won a Business in Vancouver Forty under 40 award, which recognizes outstanding young professionals in the Vancouver area. Hungerford started her business a decade ago, working from a home office. A mother of four, she juggled running a startup and the demands of full-time parenting. She overcame these challenges with the help of a family connection, Lisa Turner, a veteran interior designer. Turner
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helped Hungerford establish good systems, manage clients and find a good work-life balance. She also offered other, less tangible forms of support. “Lisa told me to envision the clientele that I want and make it happen,” Hungerford says. “You have to focus on what you want, what you’re good at and what inspires you.” Hungerford is one of about 52,000 female business owners in British Columbia, according to Statistics Canada data from 2018. While these women work in vastly different industries, many have found success using the same tool: a sharp and experienced mentor. “Mentorship is about sharing knowledge and expertise based
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