25 years in business deserves a party

I attended the 25th anniversary party for HKA (Hilary Kaye Associates), a PR and marketing firm located in a wonderful historic home in Tustin. Founder Hilary Kaye is one of the most respected women in Orange County business today.

Not only does Hilary know how to deploy an effective PR campaign, she can sure throw a party. I was greeted by "Joan Rivers" at the entrance to the Tustin Golf Course County Club. (The look-a-like was the best Joan Rivers I've ever seen!) Inside, overlooking the course, was a room packed with HKA fans - clients, friends, NAWBO pals and media. All came to celebrate Hilary's success and longevity, I think, with more enthusiasm than ever, in this current economic climate.

In the middle of it all, looking like a beautiful little girl in her birthday party attire, was Hilary, dressed in a stunning navy blue cocktail dress. She never looked better!

Just got a moment to do the kiss-kiss greeting before she had to turn her attention to her other guests, but I was glad to have been able to tell her how much I personally appreciate all that she has done for women in business in Orange County. She is a smart business woman (you'd have to be to last 25 years), she is a great mentor to young PR wannabes, and she is an example to all women of how to do it right.

Congrats to Jacquelyn Tran, founder and CEO of Beauty Encounter

I've been following Jacquelyn Tran, founder and CEO of Beauty Encounter for several years and I continue to be impressed. I wrote about her while I was covering women in business for OC METRO magazine. At that time, she was president of PerfumeBay, a company that eventually became Beauty Encounter after a court battle with eBay, who claimed that customers would be confused by the name. I remember her telling me that she came up with the name Perfume Bay because her vision for her company was like that of a ship coming into a harbor or bay filled with spices and oils it found from some distant land. She wanted customers to feel that way when they shopped her store.
In a David and Goliath lawsuit, she eventually was told she needed to change the company name, a move that could have greatly impacted the company which she had carefully branded. But even with the name change, the company has continued to grow under Tran's leadership. Beauty Encounter was recently named to Inc. magazine's list of the 5,000 fastest growing companies in the U.S.
Congrats Jackie, on fighting the good fight. Look out Avon.