Whether they’re managing a bank office, operating a specialty boutique, running a fitness center, or offering their customers the best in fine stationery, women around Meridian are making their mark in the business world, carving out successful careers on their own terms.

Jo-Ann Dale: The teacher who bought a fitness center

“I was alway active growing up,” said Jo-Ann Dale, the owner of Women on Wellness, a fitness studio located in North Hills.

Dale, a teacher by trade, joined the gym, then known as Best Bodies of Meridian, about six years ago. She loved the place so much, she bought the studio last June. The center offers a variety of wellness activities, such as zumba, spin classes, exercises and yoga.

When Dale was working in the adult education program at Meridian Community College, she took an entrepreneurship class.

“I’ve always wanted to own my own business,” Dale recalled. “It was in the back of my mind. Then, this just fell in my lap.”

“I just enjoyed it – it was different than any other gym I’d ever been to,” she said. “So, here I am, six years later.”

“It’s not really what I expected,” Dale said of her new role as a business owner.

“What I learned was – it’s not what everyone thinks, that I’m going to own my own business so I can work when I want to work. That’s not true. You’re the backbone of it, so if someone calls in, or whatever the case may be, it’s you.”

Dale’s advice for other women wanting to start a business: learn as much as you can about what you’re interested in, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

“If you want to own a boutique, work in a boutique,” she said.

And while Dale says she sometimes misses teaching, she’s embracing her new outlook.

“I’m at the point where I can’t look back,” she says. “There’s no looking back. You’ve got to move forward.”

Keemonica Gowdy: The bank manager who’s driven to succeed

Keemonica Gowdy, the manager for Citizens National Bank’s downtown office and the Medical Center Express Bank, attributes her success to becoming a parent at a young age.

“I had my first son when I was 18,” she said. “I watched (my mom) work two, sometimes three jobs, I was determined for that not to be us.”

Gowdy joined Citizens National Bank last summer after a long stint with Best Buy in the Crossroads shopping center. She started working at the electronics retailer in 2007, and by 2014, she was managing the store.

“After working there six months, I said ‘this is going to be my career’,” she recalled. “There were tons of opportunities to grow with that company…I saw the opportunity that if I worked hard, and put in the effort, that could I grow, make money and be successful.”

Mowdy, who is working on her MBA at MSU-Meridian, said success takes determination.

“I got turned down several times for positions when I thought I was ready,” she said. “But I didn’t let it discourage me. I continued to work hard and push forward.”

The trio of friends who own a children’s boutique

Rachel Scarbrough, Madison Campbell and Brette Harman opened Over the Moon Children’s Boutique on Eighth Street in August 2018, and recently expanded to a larger storefront next to Harvest Grill on 22nd Avenue.

The boutique offers a wide variety of apparel and accessories for babies, children and tweens.

Their journey to being business owners started about seven years ago, when the young mothers began hosting trunk shows in their homes, bonding over a shared passion for childrens’ clothing.

“We were stay at home moms,” said Harman, noting that the twice-a-year shows allowed for flexible schedules.

After five years of success with the trunk shows, the friends saw the demand for a brick and mortar store, so they set up shop on Eighth Street.

“We saw there was a need for more options,” Scarbrough said.

Opening the shop also allowed the women – who have eight children among them – to spend time with their kids.

The trio attribute their success to two things: a passion for what they do, combined with a headstrong work ethic. Their advice for younger women wanting to be entrepreneurs:

‘Go for it,” Harman says. “Take that leap of faith.”

“It’s not easy but it’s worth it,” she emphasizes. “If you have a dream, follow through.”

The sisters who own Generations Fine Paper & Gifts

Sisters Melissa Love and Sara Mason own and operate Generations Fine Paper & Gifts on Sixth Street in Meridian.

In 2007, Love started Lovin’ Spoonful Catering Company on a lark, when she was asked to cook for some friends who were tailgating at the Grove at her alma mater, Ole Miss.

In 2010, Mason joined her, and in 2016, the sisters bought Generations, acquiring the well-established shop from family friends.

The shop offers a wide variety of invitations, from birthdays, anniversaries and weddings, to graduations, retirements, and other events.

“We were looking for a change,” Love said of the transition from the catering field. “We already knew the wedding industry, so it was a good fit for us.”

Although both have worked typical office jobs, they both wanted to do something more active.

“We needed to be moving, doing something creative,” Mason said.

The secret to their success?

“Hard work,” Mason says.

“And being nice to people,” Love interjects.

“I think being a business owner is the hardest and most rewarding thing you could do,” Mason said.

“Start small,” is the advice Mason has for younger entrepreneurs.

“Don’t give up if something doesn’t go your way at first,” Love says. “You’re going to have disappointments, you’re going to have failures,and a lot of frustrations. But, at the end of the day, you’ll go back and look at all the great things that have happened.”

Being a business owner is more than just a job, Love emphasizes.

“This a career, it’s a life,” she said. “It’s a long term thing.”