Leadership has always been a key part of Karan Kalantzis’ journey - it actually started for her back in junior high when she joined student council. Over the years, Karan was drawn to planning and organizing activities for others in school and with her career, and she’s gained a great deal of experience in the small business community working in program development. Karan learned about the Maryland Women’s Business Center during the pandemic, which then led to her current role as the Senior Business Consultant for Frederick County.

Being collaborative, allowing others to let their voices be heard, and learning empathy have been some of the key lessons Karan has learned on her leadership journey. She loves working with women who are starting businesses in a variety of fields. Karan knows how important it is for them to have flexibility in their schedules, while still being able to make a unique difference in the world. Finding a balance with business consulting and business coaching has been essential for Karan when working with her clients too. Sometimes, they just need a cheerleader who will actually listen and share encouragement as they’re working through challenges.

If you’re looking to start a business, grow your business, or just want something special to happen in your life, the magic happens outside your comfort zone. You have to be willing to do things that will make you uncomfortable in order to succeed, and Karan has definitely experienced this on her own journey. Tune into this episode to hear Karan’s story, and the incredible work she is doing to help women dream big with their businesses!

About Karan Kalantzis

Karen Kalantzis is the Senior Business Consultant for Frederick County. Most recently, she was the Director of Community Programs for the Business Innovation Network, Montgomery County’s business incubator program, where she created training classes and provided business technical assistance to members. Prior to that, she worked for Montgomery County’s Department of Economic Development as a program manager for the Silver Spring and Wheaton Innovation Centers. She joined the small business ecosystem after starting an IT company called Corporate Network Services in 1993 with her business partner. The company was a Maryland Certified Woman Owned Small Business, named to the Inc. 5000 fastest growing businesses list, and a winner of numerous Best Place to Work awards.

A native Chicagoan, Karen earned a Bachelor of Science from the Kelly School of Business at Indiana University and an MBA from George Washington University. She is a graduate of Leadership Montgomery Core Class of 2018, and is currently participating in the 2022-23 cohort of Leadership Frederick. On a personal note, Karen has three adult children, loves to travel, and often visits our local beaches.

https://marylandwbc.org/team/karen-kalantzis/

Episode Timestamps:

• Karan’s career journey and how she eventually became the Senior Business Consultant for Frederick County {01:15}
• A key difference for women-owned businesses vs. non women-owned businesses {07:40}
• The types of businesses that Karan typically works with {8:50}
• Leadership lessons Karan has learned {10:50}
• Balancing business consulting with business coaching {12:20}
• The ‘save the world’ type of mentality many women in business have {16:35}
• What to know about the Maryland Women Business Center {17:28}
• Why magic happens outside your comfort zone {22:40}

“You can teach the technical business aspects (like the steps of starting a business), but when you uncover roadblocks that they're facing, that's when the therapy part kicks in. I think you just have to kind of be part cheerleader and part ear listening. Let them have their say, and in the end, just be encouraging.”

Connect with Rachel Harrison:

https://traumaspecialistsofmd.com/

https://www.frederickchamber.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trauma_specialist/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064008974101&mibextid=LQQJ4d

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-harrison-81a4796/