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Susan Repka

Susan M. Repka, is Executive Director for the Women Contractors Association (WCA). Since joining the organization in April 2013, Susan has increased the membership of the organization by over 70%.

Prior to the WCA, Susan served many capacities within the Women’s Business Enterprise Alliance (WBEA) for over 14 years, including being named as Executive Director in 2007. She served as the Certification Manager from 2001 to 2007, where she led the certification process of all women business enterprises (WBEs). In 2005, Susan was named Assistant Director in addition to her duties as Certification Manager. While serving as Certification Manager for WBEA, the organization grew from 200 members to 750 members. Susan has had the honor of interviewing hundreds of women business owners during the certification processes. These interviews have given Susan an insight into challenges and joys of entrepreneurship in many industries and business sizes.

While Executive Director of WBEA, Susan served on the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council’s Board of Directors and the GPC Board of Directors. In addition she served on the Advisory Boards of the Texas Business Alliance and the Houston Area Score.

In 2010 Susan was named one of Houston’s Most Influential Women by the Houston Woman Magazine; One of the Top 25 Women of Houston by rollingout.com and was nominated for Sterling Bank Inspiring Texas Women Award. Susan is also a graduate of Leadership Houston, Class XXXI. She was also named as one of the 2013 Top 30 Influential Women of Houston by dmars.com/

Prior to joining WBEA in 1998, Susan worked in the College of Business at Prairie View A & M University.

Susan lives in Hempstead, Texas and is happily married with two grown children, and proud grandmother to six active grandchildren.

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From Co-Worker to Boss

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Handshake - 20141009 - 2Congratulations!  You have just been promoted to manager in your department or at your company. Or, maybe you have made the decision to start your own company and many of your co-workers have such faith in you that they are joining you in your new venture.

You are about to start one of the biggest challenges of your life. You are moving from co-worker / friend to BOSS!

You remember all those late night phone calls with co-workers, after work drinks or quick conversations during lunch or in the hall about the boss and how each of you could do a better job? They aren’t going to stop. You are just no longer invited to the conversations because the conversation is about YOU.

I have been there and done that and frankly, failed miserably. This is not about what I did right or even wrong but what I would do differently if I had to do this over again.

Conversation - 1First, accept the fact that the conversation is happening and move on. Not every decision you will make will be popular and not every decision will be right. Remember you have information that your team members don’t have and that you are not perfect. You cannot stop them from meeting after work, or at lunch. Let it go.

Use what information you already have from those sessions in which you did participate. What did your co-workers really like about the previous boss? Maybe they always appreciated the fact that birthdays and work anniversaries were special occasions. The boss may have treated everyone to something special after the completion of big projects. Lunch or chair massages or gift cards. Go beyond duplicating, expand.

Can you make changes to what wasn’t liked?

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