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"We also have a philosophy that we always adhere to that the success in this kind of business is determined not so much by the amount of money an event brings in, but by the level of satisfaction of the customer."-Lucy and Gail-
Written By: Betrice Coleman-Sweet
Posted On: July 10, 2008 @ 1:44 AM PST
Category: Interviews
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Lucy A. Debardelaben and Gail P. Christian, A.K.A Lucy and Gail, are living legends. These phenomenal women have laid a strong foundation for all lesbians of color in life, business, togetherness and most importantly love. They have sustained, maintained and obtained the utmost respect within the community for many years. Lucy and Gail gives Treazuremag.com an exclusive interview in which they give nothing but knowledge, respect and most importantly L.O.V.E!
How it all started and where they are now
Lucy and Gail met 20 years ago when they were selected to act as escorts for the author Alice Walker who was appearing at a women’s music festival in Washington DC . They have been together ever since. Lucy is an accountant, Gail a retired television newscaster. Lucy was born in from Birmingham , Alabama , Gail in Los Angeles . They lived in Washington DC for 15 years and now reside in Palm Springs , California .
For the past six years they have promoted an event called Dinah in Color. It is designed to bring women of color, their partners, and friends to Palm Springs during the Dinah Shore weekend to participate in a series of entertainment and culturally oriented events. The motivation for starting Dinah of Color was to bring lesbians of color together from around the country to network and exchange ideas and expand their contacts.
About Dinah of Color
At this juncture about 500 women participate in the various events offered during the four day event. The goal is for Dinah of Color to attract a couple of thousand women of color from around the world. For the first time women from the U.K. , Canada and the Caribbean attended the event.
Challenges in starting a business
The challenge is starting this business and any business is to have sufficient capital and a realistic business plan that addresses the fact that there are no quick money schemes and that you have to develop a business over time for it to be successful. Too many people fool themselves into thinking their business will return a profit in the first year when that is almost never the case and then don’t have the resources to see it through.
Changing the name
The event changed its name to Dinah in Color to better reflect its audience of women of color.
Running a business together
Running a business with your domestic partner is challenging. The answer is to divide the work. Lucy being an accountant handles all of the financial and legal matters. Gail does the day to day planning and the promotion. They meet on a regular basis to bring each other up to date. Lucy also works out of the home while Gail has a home office. This does not give them 24 hour a day contact. Unfortunately, “familiarity breeds contempt” can become a reality when partners work together and live together.
Keys to Success
The key to the success we have had to date is that we started out with a sound business plan. We also have a philosophy that we always adhere to that the success in this kind of business is determined not so much by the amount of money an event brings in, but by the level of satisfaction of the customer. Businesses that put the dollars ahead of customer satisfaction will have a difficult time sustaining and growing their business over the long haul.
Their Message for the Lesbians of Color
Lesbians of color, both young and old, can strengthen themselves by using the times they are together in numbers to engage themselves in activities that are empowering and allow for an intellectual exchange that shapes and defines the lesbian community.
To contact Lucy and Gail or get more info on Dinah in Color go to www.lucyandgail.com
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