Caryl Bixon Gordon President Caryl Communications, Inc.
Years with company: 33 Years in field: 40 Real estate industry: 33 Real estate organizations: NAIOP NJ
What are you most confident about as a business owner? If you work hard, make changes when opportunities and challenges arise, and find balance in life and work, the business will continue to develop. At this stage, watching the next generation of employees working smart and succeeding is a great sign that the future will bring a business that may look different, but will still exist. What impact has social media / networking had on your business? As a public relations firm, we are using social media to communicate our messages and news as well as to highlight our clients and their achievements. Social media has become a very big part of today’s marketing activities. It has many advantages, and can help a company get more traffic on their website and engage new potential clients and referral sources. It is one of our busiest areas of activity. What were some of your early goals and did anything happen in you career /profession to change them? I started the business based on clear, concise writing skills and strong journalism. We write for media and readers, and that continues at the agency. The difference now is we have more than 15 people working, and all are strong writers. Our content providers are specialists, focused on news writing for press, social media and many more tools we now offer – newsletters, e-blasts, white papers, bylines and more. Writing is still my favorite part of the job, however, now instead of initiating the copy, I am the editor for the talented writers we have retained for many years. What challenges and or obstacles do you feel you needed to overcome to become as successful as you are today? The agency has succeeded through three recessions, losing clients and staff in the process and watching the impact on our finances. But after a recession, a period of growth and recovery emerges with exciting new opportunities. I learned to observe the economy through our own business activity, recognizing movement and how things were taking shape. We also used the time to advance our services, adapting to swift changes in technology and other industry trends, and staying ahead of the curve. Do you feel being a woman is an advantage disadvantage or no advantage in today’s business world? Why? Why not? It is not an advantage or a disadvantage as I have never felt my clients, male or female, view me as a woman in business – they see me as a devoted and competent public relations professional with a strong background in real estate. Tell us a little about your family. They are the best. My husband Bob is my partner at work and in life. My sons Dan and Dave are the miracle of my life, and my future daughter-in-law, Jamie, is the daughter I never had. Our dogs make it all so much fun. What keeps you going in business, especially when times get tough? The people who work for me and the clients I work for keep me going. I have strong professional/personal relationships with many of the same people for decades, and that is a great reward. Sharing challenges openly with the team and the clients creates camaraderie. It keeps you all going. What inspiring word of advice would you give to a young woman about to go into the field of commercial real estate or your allied field? Go for it. If you have the knowledge, interest and stamina, you have nothing to lose. Start the journey and enjoy the steps; prepare for the changes, challenges and successes that come with every new opportunity. n What are you passionate about and what is your life motto? I am passionate about growth -- mine and all the people who are part of my life – employees and family. I am grateful to be a mom and wife and an entrepreneur. My life is very full as a result. My motto is to live each moment and take every step with mindfulness, and enjoy the journey.