NFIB California Podcast: Women in Business Leadership. Three Stories of Success.

July 6, 2022

NFIB California Podcast: Women in Business Leadership. Three Stories of Success.

This podcast is a story of perseverance, determination, and success as told by three women in business leadership roles who came from different career paths. They are:

Shannon Deary-Bell, president and CEO of Nor-Cal Beverage
Donna Lucas, founder of Lucas Public Affairs
Leigh White, chief revenue officer for Vydiant

All three shared their driving force and offered recommendations to other women working their way up the ladder of success. Just as interesting were their thoughts on the state of the economy and where they see it headed. For Shannon Deary-Bell, it was “learning to pivot and changing strategies along the way” that was the fuel for her business success. “Surround yourself with the right people,” she counsels others. “Listen. Always take things in. Have courage and confidence to go after your dreams.” For Donna Lucas, it was “having a vision, not just a business plan, but a vision of what you want to reflect. What does success look like.” To those starting out, she advises to “have courage and confidence. That’s what I love about being an entrepreneur. There’s no closed doors. You can do anything you want to do. [But] Be smart about it.” “At the end of the day,” said Leigh White, “we are all judged on our business results whether you are male or female or whatever your background may be.” For her, doing your homework, being prepared, being there, and participating were the ingredients in her success. The Economy Observations about the economy included:

“You just can’t put $9 trillion or $10 trillion of stimulus money into the economy and expect everything to just be fine … There’s so much swirling, I think it’s going to take a couple of years for things to settle down.”
Why the Sacramento region is recovering faster than the rest of the United States, and how the guests’ industries have changed from the days it was an old boys’ network.

Click the graphic below to listen to the 35-minute podcast. Click here to listen to all prior podcasts.

Topics:

Economy

State:

California

Get to know NFIB

NFIB is a member-driven organization advocating on behalf of small and independent businesses nationwide.

Learn More

Split-screen live news: female anchor left, man in vest right; economy alert banner and stock ticker visible at bottom.

June 23, 2026

West Virginia Small Business Owner Joins NewsNation to Discuss 20% Small Business Deduction

Watch NFIB Michael Ervin on NewsNation.

June 22, 2026

VIDEO: On NewsNation, NFIB Member Discusses How 20% Small Business Deduction Has Provided Certainty For Small Businesses

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 22, 2026) – West Virginia small business owner and NFIB member Michael Ervin joined Markie Martin on NewsNation Thursday to discuss the …