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Wisdom for Women in Business:
Public Relations Mogul Carmen Thurman Shares the Secrets to Her Success  

A Keeping Family First Exclusive Interview
by Anita S. Lane  

Named one of Michigan ’s “Most Influential Hispanic Leaders,” Carmen Thurman is the founder and president of Cam-Tré Innovations, an award-winning public relations agency based in Pontiac, Michigan.

Hardworking and persistent, Carmen is a woman on a mission.  In  2004 alone, Thurman's company received the Michigan Minority Supplier of the Year award, the Regional Minority Supplier of the Year award, and the South Central Ohio Entrepreneur of the Year award.  Cam-Tré Innovations'  impressive client list includes the Daimler Chrysler Corporation, General Motors Corporation, The Gillette Company, Lamborghini, U.S.A. , Honda of America, and many more.

Carmen Thurman is passionate about her business and it shows in her success.   I am honored to have her share her passion with the Keeping Family First family.

Carmen, how did you discover your passion and what was your career path to where you are now?
I’m a people person.  I love to interact with people.  I earned a degree in International Marketing and I worked 10 years in that field.  When I lived in Atlanta I was “Ms. Hospitality.”  I worked at the Marriott and I was the first minority that they had in that position.  When I moved to Michigan I started as an event planner and I didn’t even know that there was such a thing.  I was working with United Airlines.  They were looking for someone who could interact well with people…people who had traveled.  Then I was at Chrysler for nine years and loved it. 

You were downsized out of your position as senior event planner for the Chrysler Corporation in 1989.  Did you look for another job initially?  How long did it take you to decide to do your own thing?
In 1989 Chrysler started down-sizing and outsourcing a lot of the work of the Business Travel and Event Planning Department.  They cut that area and outsourced it to American Express.  So I had to ask myself, “do I want to go there” or do I want to launch out on my own.  My husband—who happens to be my biggest cheerleader— asked me, “What’s the worse that could happen?  You’ve always wanted to do something on your own.  The worse that could happen is that if your business doesn’t succeed, you can get another job.”  I said, “True…okay.”  I really wanted to do my own thing.  So I did. 

Who was your first client and how did you get them?
Chrysler was my first client.  While at Chrysler I coordinated Motor Sports Drag Racing—a very large event at Chrysler.  Once the department was outsourced and I was laid off, the gentleman from that division was crushed—he was such a perfectionist.  When I finally got around to calling him to say, “I started my own business and here’s my phone number,” he said, “What took you so long to call me?  I’ve been looking for you.  And for 13 years, Cam-Tré  was involved with the Motor Sports.

 It must have taken a lot of courage to step out and launch your own PR Firm.  I’m sure you felt fear…
There is always fear.  Fear of the unknown. But I said to myself, I know that I can do this.”  

I was afraid for many years,
but I kept my focus. 

What’s the biggest hurdle you’ve had to overcome in starting and growing your own business?
Getting business.  I had experience but the first thing they want to know is, “who are your references.” What quenched that was when I landed an account with Lamborghini.  It was easy then to say, “this is who I do business with.”  That was really an accomplishment.

It was like starting all over.  I had another client that I had worked with at Chrysler whom when I approached them after starting Cam-Tré  and the first thing he says is, “Well, do you have any references?”  Do I have any references?  And I’m thinking, “References, don’t you remember me?”  So it wasn’t always that easy starting out.

How do you overcome the obstacle to getting business?
I knew that I had to continue to persist. And when I did encounter an obstacle I would consider that a minor detour. 

Over the years I’ve learned how to ride out the storm. 
You have to.  You have to just hang in there.

Even now, sixteen years later, how I stay in business—of course with a lot of faith knowing that I wasn’t brought this far to fail—is with referral business.  

You get a lot of referral business?
Yes.  The bulk of the business that I have has come through referrals.  Many of my customers may say, “I may not have any business for you right now, but I have a referral.”  I’m doing business with Limited Brands, which is a division of Victoria ’s Secret, and that relationship came as a referral from Honda.   If it wasn’t for a customer like that, I wouldn’t have had the Limited Brands as a client.   And as a result of my account with Limited Brands, I started doing business with International Paper.  The same goes for SC Johnson—they came as a referral.  These are companies that in the past I might have tried calling and calling and they don’t call back.  But if they get a call with a referral from another major corporation, it becomes much easier to close that account.

You’re featured in the March 9, 2005 issue of the Oakland Press entitled, Hispanic-owned firms to quadruple in decade.  In this article it states that, “According to the Center for Women's Business Research, there were an estimated 2 million U.S. owned Hispanic businesses in 2002 and experts predict that figure to reach 8 million in the next 10 years.  Is it a good time to be in business as a Hispanic woman?
Hispanics are a growing market.  But what’s happening is the larger companies are now bringing in Hispanic positions.  So companies like mine are competing with the larger agencies that at one time weren’t even looking at this business.  So what we have to do is be very diversified in our clientele base.

We have to be very diversified 
in our clientele base.  

We do a lot of multicultural marketing as well, but when you see our portfolio of clients, you’ll see that it’s very mainstream.  This way I’m not limited.  When Lamborghini hired us they had no idea that we were a Hispanic firm.  They said we submitted the most creative proposal and the most competitive pricing.
Describe a day-in-the-life of Carmen Thurman. 

My day starts out with prayer and ends in prayer.  I'm very thankful for each day.  I pray that I’m given sufficient days to reach my goals.  So the reason that I’m still here is because I’m not there yet.  I’m thankful for the things that happen—the contract that I didn’t get because I think that if I didn’t get it it’s because I wasn’t ready yet. 

My day starts out with prayer…and ends in prayer.  
I’m very thankful for every day. 

I don’t get discouraged about the contracts we didn't get.   We spend a lot of time putting proposals together and when we don’t get them I say that’s the reason why.  Something better is coming.  I’m not going to feel annoyed because I didn’t get that contract.  I try to motivate my staff to do their best.  We were working on a proposal recently and one of my staff members said, “Do you think we’re going to get it?”  I said, “If it’s meant to be we will.  But we’re doing a great job!”  

I encourage my staff.  I always remind my staff about what comes first.  Family comes first.  I tell my staff, "You never have to make an excuse.  If you need to take some time with your family, do that.   Don’t ever worry about it, because I don’t."  My staff love it here for that reason.

I tell my staff,  'If you need to take some 
time with your family, do that ... don't every worry about it..."
My staff love it here for that reason.

I also take time to plan my day and I spend time calling my clients or I send them an email… I try to stay in touch with my clients to let them know good news—if I’ve just closed an account.  Some of my clients have really taken an interest in us.   If a client gives us a referral, I like to let them know how Cam-Tré  is doing.  It keeps Cam-Tré  in the forefront of their minds.  One of my clients said to me, “You are very pleasantly persistent.”  That’s what it takes in this business. 

What would you say is the core skill-set for a career in PR/Marketing/Events?
You have to be very organized.  Events are thousands of details.  Anyone can do the big details—but the little, small detailed.  You have to be very outgoing and pleasant.  You’re the first one there—the first person there and the last to leave.   You have to be able to deliver what you promise.

How does your faith impact how you operate your business?
My faith is imbedded in me.  My mother was such a strong person. She would say, “put your faith in God and anything that you want you can do.”

I’ve noticed that successful people are a product of successful habits—hence, the popular book,  “The 7 habits of Highly Effective People.” by Stephen Covey.    What positive habits do you believe a woman should form if she wants to be successful in life and in business?
I do a lot of motivational reading.   The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra.  I read that every morning.  I read one chapter a day.  I also read The Greatest Salesman in the World. by OG Mandingo.  It is incredible.  There is a passage in the book that says, “I will persist until I succeed.”  You may take a 1,000 steps and if you give up, you won’t realize that the next step would have taken you to the success that you want.

You can’t give up.  You have to continue to move forward.  When you’re in business, you can’t take “no” for an answer.

You’re a successful woman business owner.  That takes a lot of time and effort.  How do you balance work, family, time for yourself, etc.?
My husband and I have been married for thirty-five years.  Our children are grown and we have all the time in the world…and we’re adopting a twelve year-old child.

Congratulations! That’s wonderful.
Thank you.  I don’t believe that God will give me more than I can handle and it could be that perhaps that God wanted me to slow down.  Now I’m back to doing things like going to the library…  Before he came into our lives, I was working.  I’d arrive early.  If you called at 7:00a.m. I was there and I’d stay until eight or nine o’ clock at night.  Now I don’t do that anymore.

What is your biggest accomplishment? 
My family.

You’ve been named one of Michigan 's "Most Influential Hispanic Leaders" by Corp! Magazine.  You company has also won numerous achievement awards….
Yes! 2004 was a stellar year.  We were the minority supplier of the year.  We were one of twelve companies out of 15,000 companies throughout the U.S. to receive the Regional Supplier of the Year.  We also received the South Central Ohio Minority Supplier f the Year.  I’m always praying for a sign that I’m doing the right thing.  2004 was one big sign.  I was just honored that Cam-Tré  was nominated.  

In 2004 Carmen was also named one of Detroit ’s Most Enterprising Women and one of Michigan ’s Hispanic Rising Stars through Corp! Magazine.

I want you to speak  to young women for a moment.  Many of us as women achieve “notable” success by our 40’s and 50’s.  What does a young woman need to do to begin experiencing what the Bible calls “good success” in her twenties? 
First they need to stay in school.  Second they need to be themselves.  It doesn’t matter what’s fashionable or what other people are doing.  They have to be themselves.  Whether they succeed or fail, they’re not going to be able to take all these people.  They have to focus on themselves.    It’s important to get your education so that you can get a good job.   With the kind of music that’s out there, it seems like there are some values that we’re losing as women.  Young women have to decide, “Do I want to look like a music video or do I want to be successful in business?” 

"...It seems like there are some values that we’re losing as women.  Young women have to decide, “Do I want to look like a music video or do I want to be successful in business?”

What advice would you give to other women contemplating starting a business of their own?
Surround yourself with positive people.  There are so many workshops that you can get involved with for starting a business.  The small business administration has lots of resources.  It’s important to stay current.  Read a lot.  Take advantage of the resources on the internet.  It’s all there.  Find a mentor.  Someone who is already in business who will take the time to impart to someone else. 

Don’t give up.  Don’t waste your time talking about, “This isn’t happening.”  Turn it into a positive.  Find something positive to read and get your spirit lifted. 

Don’t waste your time talking about, “This isn’t happening.” 
Turn it into a positive. Find something positive to 
read and get your spirit lifted.   

What does the future hold for Carmen Thurman?
I’m going to be a new parent.  I’m hoping that I will continue to succeed as well.  I don’t want this business to fade when I’m gone.  I want to be able to leave a legacy to my children.

Any parting words?
Keep the faith.  Remember to keep God first, family second and then everything else.  Read every day.  Invest in yourself and your staff.  I don’t fear that if I pay for this training they are going to leave.  I have very low turnover and I want the very best people working for me.  I also want to be a company that gives my employees everything they are worth and more.  Because it’s not about me, but about what we can do for others.

Carmen, thank you so much for your time and I wish you continued success!

Copyright ©2005 by Keeping Family First.