In honor of Women's History Month, we’re spotlighting #ACKChamber Women Owned Businesses! We asked Rachel & Darya Afshari of Lemon Press a few questions, here are their answers!

Q: How has 2020 challenged you as a businesswoman, if at all?

A: The biggest challenge for any business is not knowing what the future brings and the  feeling that you have absolutely no control over it, no matter your efforts. In the year of COVID it felt like we were opening a new business each week, constantly adapting to the state mandates, health enforcements and the loss of a high rent brick and mortar space. We had to educate ourselves daily on policy, new procedures and guidelines. It was nothing anyone could have prepared us for, even if they tried! 2020 was mentally, financially and spiritually exhausting and we feel confident saying that there will never be a year as difficult so it’s truly only UP from here!

Q: What are the pros and cons of being a female entrepreneur in 2021?

A: How much time do you have?!

Let’s talk about the PRO’s of being a female entrepreneur in 2021 because the good outweighs the bad and that's what we are focused on after the year we’ve had. 

We are a family female owned, women of color business operating on a predominately white, affluent island! First and foremost we see THAT as a pro! We ‘re always striving to set an example for the younger generations that look up to us with a twinkle in their eye. In our family we have a lot of young kiddos who we’re teaching “anything is possible”. We whole-heartedly believe that and we try to embody that in everything we do. 

Q: What tips or advice do you have for other women wanting to start their own business?

A: To borrow a slogan from Nike… JUST DO IT. 

Do the thing that scares you! We’ve learned over the years there are  “high-highs and low-lows” in the world of small business. You won’t make everyone happy or be everyone’s friend… it’s impossible, but you can be TRUE to your brand by being authentic to yourself! 

Get really clear about your mantra and STICK TO IT, oh and really hone in and work on your emotional intelligence, it will help you in SO many ways as it pertains to business and it will also help you have thick skin! 

Q: What mantra do you live by?

A: Mental health before everything else, the rest will follow. 

Q: How do you balance owning a business and your personal life?

A: We truly attribute our success to our solid support system. Your tribe is your vibe! For some many of us our work IS our life, and that can become unhealthy quickly! It’s taken an island (literally and figuratively) to help us balance it all out and let’s be honest this is a daily effort, it’s never a place we feel we ever truly “arrive at”. 

Q: Who is the most influential woman in your life and why? 

A: (insert crying emoji here) because neither of us planned this… it just came out like this.

Darya says, “My little cousin Rachel! Rachel is the most interesting thing I’ve ever watched. Picture this…I put ALL of my faith in a 22yo kid, I saw something in her from a young age that she perhaps didn’t see in herself at the time.  Her hunger, her drive, her loyalty...it’s unparalleled. Added bonus that she’s my family and she’s stuck with me!”

Rachel says, “DARYA! I wrote a letter to her when I was a kid that I’m pretty sure I still have it somewhere. Darya’s undeniable instinct is her superpower. Any weird life question I have I bring to her because she’s going to know the answer, or she’s going to find out. I’ve learned over the years that it's called WISDOM. Darya’s wisdom has allowed me to grow as a female business owner in a way I didn’t know was possible. We’re family and we were raised to “take care of our own”, Darya has done that for me in spades, who lets a 22-yo run their business??!” 

Q: Why do you think it's important to support other women?

A: We’ve both had the great fortune of being raised by badass women and having sisters. We were literally trained to respect ourselves from a young age, we were never afraid of using our voice to communicate our feelings, what a GIFT that has been.  

We have learned that we are ALWAYS stronger together and for us, it’s as simple as that. Support each other and you WILL thrive. 

Q:  What can we expect next from you?

A: EVERYTHING. 2021 is going to be our best year yet, we are committed to that!