According to the 2016 American Express OPEN State of Women-Owned Businesses Report, Dallas is home to 296,000 female-owned firms, an increase of 74.3% since 2007.

To encourage more women-owned businesses to grow, the Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO) – a national nonprofit with 127 chapters located internationally – launched the 50 Fastest Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies™ Guide to Growth, sponsored by American Express. Co-written by Dr. Marsha Firestone, President and Founder of WPO, and Susan Johnson, Director of Communications for WPO, the guidebook contains career advice and methods to succeed from 15 different experienced female business owners and leaders.

Nina Vaca, CEO and Chairman of Dallas-based Pinnacle Group is one of the female business leaders featured in the book and shares her success story on growth through branding. In the book, Nina offers first hand experiences and tips for business growth including:

• Fail fast: recognize your mistakes early and minimize financial exposure
• Find the right team members, mentor them, and position them for success
• Have personal relationships with your clients – technology can’t do that for you
• Leverage awards given by professional memberships and regional organizations to build brand visibility