A feature about women who overcame obstacles, faced challenges head on, who dealt with work and home demands, climbed to a place of influence, and took their own path to success.

WBDC Entrepeneur of the year, September 2008
Inc. 500 - 5000 fastest growing companies, 2007
UIC Entrepreneur of the Year, Induction into the Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame, 2007
Economic Club of Chicago member in 2007;
Crain’s Chicago Business Largest Women-Owned firms ranked 28^th , 2006
Motorola Bravo Award, 2006
Motorola Distinguished Challenger Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award,1990; Haworth’s President’s Circle Award 1998-2003 and 2005-2006.

Kayhan International, Limited is a Certified, Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE). National Certification is through Chicago’s WBDC and its affiliation with the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). Kayhan International is also certified by the City of Chicago as a Woman-owned Business Enterprise. The Chicago certification is through the City of Chicago.

Kayhan International was ISO 9001 Certified in 1995. ISO 9000 is a series of five international standards published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Geneva, Switzerland.

When you first started your business did you feel passion for your work?
I worked for a transportation company and I really didn’t have a passion about it.  I knew I was capable and I was positive working my way up from billing clerk to top salesperson within the company.

I was in line for the position of vice president and the president of the company was less than supportive with my application for the opening. "He sent a letter saying that the company would hire a woman vice president over his dead body."

I was not deterred by his declaration, but rather used it as incentive to become an entrepreneur. "I knew the only way to be successful was to work for myself," she explains. I took a job at a furniture company for a few months before taking a year off to do market research. "I knew I had the skills and knowledge to start my own company," she said. "So I put together my business plan."

My plan was a bit unorthodox--I hired people who were just beginning their careers and had never worked in the furniture industry before. "I wanted fresh blood, so that I could train them myself.

Kayhan Hellriegel has developed a team of dedicated professionals.  The senior management team has an average tenure of more than 17 years. ‘I attribute this loyalty to the strong bonds I form with everyone who works for Kayhan International, Limited. My people know how to build and maintain strong relationships." I believe in flexibility in the workplace so that employees never have to choose between work and family.

When you first started were you able to visualize your final outcome?
Yes, I took some time to do market research and put my business plan together.  I knew at that we lived in a global economy.  My background gave me a unique capability to do work internationally. Kayhan International, Limited became the first furniture dealership to do business in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which are now the fastest growing countries in the world! 

What were you top three obstacles or challenges?
#1 The challenge of being a woman-owned business competing in a male dominated industry. There were not a lot of ‘women’ entrepreneurs at the time. I knew that I could pursue my passion and overcome this obstacle and build a very successful business.

#2 The second obstacle was to save money with my husband and not borrow from any financial institution. The concern was whether we had the financial strength to work with just our own money. 

#3 The third obstacle was the political and economic climate of the 80’s and whether it would interfere with the operation of my business.   Jimmy Carter was president when I started my company and interest rates were 22%! I learned quickly not to pay attention to those factors.
 
How did you deal with doubt, fear, and self recrimination?
I never doubted my abilities.  Because if you worry too much and allow yourself to have fears, you become negative and you cannot perform properly.  You must always have a positive attitude about everything-no matter what.

Did you feel that the traditional male dominated workplace affected you at all?  If so, what did you do about it? 
I have learned that the best ways to deal with a male dominated workplace is to be a strong person, hard working woman, and to build business relationships. I believe men will respect you if you carry yourself with confidence and you demonstrate that you are knowledgeable about your own business.

Did you have mentors?
One of my mentors was my ex-boss who recommended me for the VP position in the transportation company. He was my mentor, my family, the second father who believed in me always and taught me certain things. My best mentor, however, is my husband. He believes in me and supported my every effort when I started my own business.

Do you feel you were traditional in terms of your steps to your Optimal Level?
One of the most important things I did when I put my business plan together was to include hiring educated women.  I planned to find women who were not only good at their job, but they had to be positive and be all-around qualified as a whole person.  Being good at just their work was not enough. After I hired them, I mentored them.  They had to be sincere and they had to demonstrate that they were willing to do whatever it would take to do the job. 

I also had a policy – I interview everybody, personally.  Interestingly, I can always tell who has that extra something that sets them apart from the others.  My daughter is a labor attorney and I know there are certain questions you cannot directly ask a potential employee.   I don’t ask them about what they did at their last job.  I talk to them and ask them to tell me their stories - never direct questions.  I ask them to tell me about themselves and their families.

As you look back, what is the one thing you wish you knew when you started?
Any regrets? I don’t regret anything in life. I believe that life is a learning tool. Mistakes only make you a better entrepreneur. One of the lessons I learned was when I first started the company. I spent a lot of time on one big account and I didn’t diversify as much as I should have in the market. 75% of our total business came from this one big account and when the economy went down, that affected us pretty heavily.  It was a tough lesson but I turned the company around to do much better.
 
Do you believe luck had something to do with your rise to where you are now?
No – because I had to work hard and have a positive attitude.  My husband worked for a different company for seven years because we needed the paycheck.  For the first three years we made very little money and everything we made went back into the business. For twenty years, my husband and I entertained clients, every day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  We knew we had to take care of our clients, reach out and do whatever it took to get to know them.  All of my clients had my cell and home phone numbers so that they could get in touch with me whenever they needed.

Do you feel you paid a price to be as successful as you are now? 
I have never felt that I paid a price to be successful. My husband and I are fortunate enough to work together and we feel grateful that we were able to give our daughter a college education. Today, my daughter has her own successful law practice.

What is the best piece of advice you have for other women on their way to their Optimal Level?
My advice to women on their way to their Optimal Level would be to be positive and don’t let anything get in the way of your dream.  I knew I had to exceed my own expectations.  It is much harder to work for yourself than for somebody else.  As a business owner, you are responsible not only for yourself, but for other people. I have learned to be strong for myself and also for the people who work for me. So, I believe in being strong, positive and having a strong work ethic.

Do you have any other tips for career or business women?
Don’t be afraid! Many women achieve their career goals and perform as well as men or even better. Have a positive work ethic and be healthy in life.

What do you think is the biggest mistake career/business women make?
The biggest mistake is giving up your career before you have the opportunity to learn from the challenges. There will always be obstacles in life. I have known many people who have given up too easily… before their success. I believe that you have to persevere to achieve your goals. I have learned from my biggest mistakes in life. Challenges make me work harder! Never give up.