Co-Founders of Women Supporting Women - A Bay Area Networking Group for Self-Employed Women

Co-Founders: Deirdre Cruz and Stephanie Vargas

Deirdre Cruz brings a love of leadership and organization to Women Supporting women. Labeled “planner woman” by her siblings and childhood friends, her strengths have brought her to leadership positions for the past 20 years as a volunteer for her children’s schools, scouting, and youth sports.

Deirdre worked as an Interior Designer for many years before her three children were born. Due to her husband’s unpredictable schedule, she entered the world of the Stay at Home Mom. Although this time allowed her to be present in her children’s lives, she slowly became personally unfulfilled as her career slipped away. Knowing that it would be a logistical nightmare to go back to work fulltime, she began to find other sources of income through self-employment and soon learned that she loved being her own boss.

However, self-employment can be an uncertain and lonely road for many and building a customer base can be a daunting task. This brought her to the co-creation of Women Supporting Women with the desire for its members to refer and support each other in a positive environment, and learn to work smarter, not harder so they can enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Your interest should be in your future…

You’re going to spend the rest of your time there.

Stephanie Vargas spent many years in Software Quality Assurance before leaving the corporate world to be a stay at home mom. During this time she has stayed connected through volunteering, mom’s clubs, direct sales and networking. She has met many moms with so much talent and education. Some of those women have been unable to find part-time or flexible full-time work in their field of expertise. This brought her to direct sales and now to the creation of the Women Supporting Women networking group.

She believes that self-employment is a perfect way for these talented women to create their own careers. Her goal is that Women Supporting Women will provide a safe and supportive environment where they can find their passion, pursue their dreams, and create a supportive community of self-employed women. She believes women have the skills, the education, and the drive to make such a community a reality.

“Build your career around your life…

not your life around your career!”