Category Archives: Entrepreneurial Women

By Susan E. Campbell

The owner of Old Saratoga Mercantile, 1120 Route 29 in Schuylerville, left a job in journalism and now sells naturally grown produce and other natural goods that come to her from farms in the area.

Old Saratoga Mercantile gives vendors in the region, some of whom previously sold only out of their homes, a place to sell their wares seven days a week.

Christina Myers had been a journalist doing stories on local government and the political scene for 15 years. But going into business and starting a store was not, she said, the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.

Actually, Myers and her then-fiancé purchased the vacant five-acre plot to build a home and wanted enough land to farm much of their own food. The idea to tear down a brick structure—an antique store up until the early 2000s—and to turn an outdated barn on the property into an old-time shop sprouted soon enough.

She visited dozens of farms and producers, sampling their products, talking to the owners and customers, and doing all the fact-checking so her customers wouldn’t have to scrutinize every label to ensure the product was responsibly made.

By Jennifer Farnsworth

The owners of Revive salon, at 3257 Route 9, Saratoga Springs, understand that both men and women like to feel and look their best.

Juliet Martino and Leslie Shea have worked hard to create a salon that they are proud to call their own.

Martino said that she and Shea have worked together in several other locations. Since opening on Route 9 this past summer, business has never been better for either of them.

“I became so booked I had to expand my business. And Leslie wanted to get more into skin care,”  said Martino. “Business has been amazing. It has provided us a chance to expand. Our business is now doing better than it ever has. Our goal is to grow our hair and skin services to maximum potentia.”

Martino, 26,  has eight years experience in the hair industry, is a licensed cosmetologist and specializes in hair color. Shea, 35,  is an aesthetician and nail technician. She has been  providing  skin care and nail treatments  for over 10 years.

“She started her skin care adventure at a dermatologist then moved to the salon industry to grow her own business, “ said Martino.

By Jennifer Farnsworth

During her first week of high school, Wonderland Grooming owner Laura Acquavella, walked into a neighborhood dog grooming salon and asked for a job sweeping up. That job was the first step toward her dream of owning a pet grooming business.

After eight years of working at two grooming salons, while attending school, Acquavella received her Bachelor of Science degree in sociology. She worked in federal service for almost 20 years, before retiring this past winter.

She said it was during that time that she made the decision to never lose sight of her ultimate goal of not only being a groomer, but being her own boss as well. She became a certified dog groomer and graduated from the Golden Paws Pet Styling Academy in Clifton Park in 2013. 

She worked as the head groomer at a local dog boarding facility and volunteered her grooming services to rescue dogs.

“I never lost sight of what I really wanted to do. My plan was to wait until retirement, but then I decided it was just time to do it, and it has been great,” said Acquavella.

By Maureen Werther

While there may be some disagreement about the exact definitions of “work” and “entrepreneurship.” But one thing seems certain: one can’t be a successful entrepreneur without also putting in the work.

Karen Totino, owner of Green Conscience, 33 Church St., Saratoga Springs, said she always knew she wanted to help people, which is why she chose a career in occupational therapy. But she always felt she had an entrepreneurial streak. She just didn’t know where to go with it.

Until she had her “a-ha” moment.

Having children made her begin to question what she was putting in their young bodies and what kinds of toxins and other harmful things were part of their environment. She identified a problem and developed a business that would address it.

“I live in the town of Milton, and one day I noticed that all the storm drains had signs on them which said, ‘Discharges to Creek.’ I realized that all the chemicals people use to grow green lawns were being washed into our beautiful streams and creeks.”

By Rachel Phillips

When the existing insect repellants on the market didn’t satisfy her needs, Gina Grillo decided to take matters into her own hands.

In 2008, after contracting and battling Lyme disease, Grillo discovered that there was no good, natural insect repellent on the market.

With newfound incentive, she decided to make one herself.

Grillo already had experience in producing and selling all-natural products, having established a business called Grillo’s Pillows & Specialties in 1996. Personal matters drew her away in the early 2000s. But her struggle to find a product that could safely and effectively protect people from insects and the diseases they carried inspired to her return to the fold.

After years of research, Grillo was able to relaunch and rebrand her business in 2016 under the name Grillo Essentials, with her natural insect repellent as the catalyst.

Grillo Essentials, based in Greenwich, now produces a range of all-natural insect repellant products that are available in both stores, and online. The name is a clever play on the word “essential,” referring not only to the oils used in many of her products, but also refers to the necessity of her products as protective agents against insects, and the basic need for self-care.

By Jennifer Farnsworth

It was four years ago that Beverly Tracy opened up her own design studio in downtown Saratoga Springs. Since then, she has made a name for herself in the professional community, raised her two sons, and has established a relationship with the community of Saratoga Springs.

“Design has always been my passion. I spent my early childhood in New York City, in museums, Soho galleries, at the ballet and in the boutiques of Madison Avenue. As a teenager, I studied design at Parson’s School of Design and spent time with designers, submerging myself in the world of art, fashion and design,” said Tracy.

Beverly Tracy Home Design, 480 Broadway Suite LL16, has been featured in magazines like Better Homes and Gardens. She said the business stems from her interest in creating interiors she describes as graceful, meaningful and full of depth. She focuses on residential spaces, but also has a number of large-scale commercial projects, including working with several construction firms and top local builders.

“We are proud to be the design team selected for several large-scale renovation and new construction projects that are a part of the development of Saratoga as a vibrant and special city. I believe that it is important that we surround ourselves with beautiful and meaningful things, and that drives my design decisions.

“We start most projects with a design mission statement, which guides us through a collaborative design process and continues to drive decisions as we make selections and define our design direction,” said Tracy.