Founder, Arzu Rugs
Author, The Old Girls’ Network:
Insider Advice for Women Building Businesses in a Man’s World
Connie Duckworth never thought of herself as an entrepreneur. Academically astute, she graduated from college with honors, earned an MBA, then went right to work for the ARCO oil company. Quickly moving up the corporate ladder she found her niche in the male-dominated finance department, enjoying a well-deserved reputation for being brainy, hard-working and unflappable, all the qualities of a successful entrepreneur. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.
After two years at ARCO, Connie took a plum job in sales and trading at Goldman Sachs, becoming managing director and partner during the course of a successful, satisfying twenty year career. But two decades were enough for this mother of four. Connie stepped back, assessed her accomplishments, and decided to “retire.”
A stay-at-home mom for the first time in her life, she divided her time between family, business interests and charitable pursuits. Finding herself drawn to women’s issues she chaired the Committee of 200 for women business leaders and joined the US-Afghan Women’s council. Her true entrepreneurial spirit came through when she founded the non-profit Arzu Rugs in 2003, employing thousands of Afghan women weavers and keeping them and their families out of poverty.
What we learned from Connie: Don’t ever look at someone else and feel inferior. You have a talent, something to give. If everybody would do the one thing they are capable of doing at this point in time there would be millions of things being accomplished.
Financial Phenom
I started looking for a job in 1979. At that time there weren’t a lot of women MBAs and I was told by some companies, “We don’t hire women.” But that was the culture back then and in my mind, it was what it was. I didn’t expect a business environment at that time to be full of women. I didn’t see discrimination because I wasn’t looking for it. I got a job at ARCO and really found my niche in their finance department. I worked hard. I liked the whole world of finance.
Spotted By Goldman Sachs
I had a lot of interaction with people outside ARCO and I was very lucky to be in the right place, at the right time, in the right job, at the right moment when Goldman was looking to hire somebody. The lesson here is that you have to show up every day and work hard, but you also have to be enough of a risk-taker to recognize an opportunity and jump on it. Luck is part of it but if an opportunity is right in front of you and you fail to see it, luck isn’t going to help you.
Numbers Don’t Lie
There was a real rough and tumble trading floor mentality at Goldman. It fit me because it was very production based, like sales jobs. If you’re hard-working, smart and apply yourself, you’re going to get results. When those results get captured and dropped to the bottom line, it doesn’t matter if you’re the only woman, no one can argue with your numbers. I don’t mean to make a gross generality but women work extremely hard and when they’re engaged in a business and in a role where there’s a score card, no one can ignore it. The facts are the facts. That’s why women entrepreneurs are so successful.
Tough Decisions
I stayed at Goldman for twenty years. I loved my career, my clients, the external interaction, the travel, being around smart people. But I was asked to move twice. The first time I did. But the second time I had four children and it was just not in the cards to de-camp that army.
Life is a Journey, Literally
I decided that instead of moving, I would commute from Chicago to New York every week. It wasn’t a great situation but it was better than the alternative. You do what you have to do. I commuted for four years up until the 20 year mark. I had had a good run and a great career but my oldest was 11 and my youngest was 5. Their needs as they got older were more complex heading into adolescence. Other people come to the opposite conclusion and stay home earlier. It’s a very personal choice and I did what was right for us.
Finding Her Passion
Women’s issues and women’s rights have always been a passion for me and I found myself migrating towards this passion. I was asked to be the business representative of the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council and it was there that I realized that Afghan women are one of the most abused groups in the world. I knew I had to do something so I founded Arzu Rugs to help create jobs for thousands of Afghan women who otherwise would be living in poverty.
Going Against The Grain
We’re facing the worst consumer market since the depression but we’ve developed a successful business in a conflict zone with no infrastructure, no power grid, no internet, no roads. If we can do it there, we can do it anywhere. There is positive energy to our rugs. People feel connected to the women weavers on a very human, basic level.
Brilliant Business Model
When I was working full time I couldn’t volunteer. Now I can. We all think about the world through the lives of our children. This is what makes the Arzu business model so sound. No matter where women are in the world or what their culture, we all want the same thing – to educate our children, keep them safe, and to make the world a better place for them. The rugs represent Afghan women working to create that.
This Featured Lady was profiled by Susie Lacey, Associate Editor, Ladies Who Launch
