Meet Gwen White | Owner gwenwhite.com

We had the good fortune of connecting with Gwen White and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gwen, we’d love to start by asking you about lessons learned. Is there a lesson you can share with us?
The most important lesson I have learned is to be patient and meet people at their level. What this means is if there are inquiries about your business, answer them right away. Don’t leave the customer in a lurch, but at the same time understand what it is they are asking. If there is a problem and the customer is mad, ask them why are they mad and what can you do to fix the problem. Never get upset with them…they could be having a bad day and you were the next one in line that happened to get the bad treatment. There are times that the business will not be lucrative. Go back and see the ebb and flow of the business. Plan for those peaks and figure out how to make the low points more profitable. Most of the time the business is cyclical- you just need to pay attention.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a Teaching Professor of Business and Information Technology at Xavier University. My primary focus is information technology. From 1990 to 2015 I owned a computer company that was my first entrepreneurial experience. However, the market for hardware was not as lucrative anymore and I became a professor where I could teach the skills I learned from my business.

It definitely was not easy. Five kids and school…..it was rough. Felt like I spent a lot of time in school but in the long run, it was worth it.

I have always had an entrepreneurial mindset and this current venture is doing well. I sell Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. paraphernalia to members.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
When friends come to visit Cincinnati we always take them to Fountain Square when it is concert season. There are some really great bands that play there. We go on a tour of the Museum Center at Union Terminal – a historical location where there is still train service to this day. Of course, we have to go to the favorite locations for food and ice cream: Skyline or Gold Star chili and Greater’s Ice Cream. Also a trip to Wing Champ for the best wings in the city – can’t miss that. A trip down to the Banks to see the river and visit the Freedom Center for another history lesson. If there is time we would go to a baseball game featuring the Cincinnati Reds or football featuring the Cincinnati Bengals,

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My husband David White for being patient with me while I pursue this new career path. My daughters Whitney Stephenson, Talibah Ashe, Malika Ashe, Zakiyya Ashe and Dontez Lindsey for buying the Cricut that got me started.

Website: www.gwenwhite.com