Local women celebrate success stories at 12th annual awards

LYNN – Two hundred and fifty women showed up at the Nahant Country Club early Thursday morning to honor 51 nominees and offer support to each other during the 12th annual North of Boston Businesswomen of the Year Awards.”Look at this room. We are a powerful force,” said Pauline Spirito, owner of Infinity Boutique & Skate Skins Ltd. in Swampscott. “It’s women supporting women here.””And their men supporting women,” added her husband, Vincent Spirito.Of the nominees, five women were singled out by a panel of women as Businesswomen of the Year. Spirito was nominated in the intermediate category but lost out to Stacy Ames, president of Falmer Thermal Spray, also in Swampscott.Norma Delgado, owner/operator of Tatiana’s Restaurant, took home the award in the small business category and said she was shocked when she heard her name called.”She’s her own hardest working employee,” said Cassie Vitale, executive director of LynnCAM TV, a nominee in the civic non-profit category. “I’m glad she won.”Delgado admitted that she works hard every day from early in the morning to late at night.”I know my customers,” she said. “I know when they need an ear and when they need a hug.”Kelly Delaney, owner of Cakes for Occasions, was named Businesswoman of the Year in the medium business category while Gayla Bartlett, manager of Crannery Self Storage Inc., is the Businesswoman of the Year in the large business category.Businesswoman of the Year in the civic non-profit category went to Heather Hildebrand, chief operating officer for Centerboard. She said it was an honor to be recognized among a roomful of such strong women.”In my mind each and everyone of you are winners,” said Sagan Realtors President and founder Phyllis Sagan during her keynote address.Sagan studied to be a teacher but said after a few years she needed a change and at the time was naive enough to think she could just change her career and do something she liked – and she did. She got her real estate license, went to work for a company in Beverly then decided to become the master of her own destiny, she said.In 1983 she launched Sagan Realtors in the basement of her Swampscott home with the idea that she would be a one-woman business. Six months later a young woman, whom she had sold a home to, came to her and said she wanted to work for her, Sagan said.”I thought, ?No, that’s not in my business plan,'” she said. “Then she said if you don’t take me I’ll go to work for your competition.”Sagan hired her, and over the next year a few more came to work in her basement. Sagan said when the tension got too thick she’d go upstairs and bake a coffee cake.”It’s been a long time since I made that cake,” she said with a laugh.Over the next 28 years Sagan would grow her business to a team of more than 30, move twice and take some risks. On Thursday she said she still wakes up every morning excited to go to work.She encouraged her audience to be bold, embrace change, network, be honest, ethical, keep a sense of humor, give back and, above all, treat people the way you want to be treated.”My success is the result of the support of many,” she said. “I wish each and every one of you success and satisfaction, and may our paths continue to cross as we help each other along the way.”Awards were also given out in the form of scholarships to two potential businesswomen of the year: Jessie Pavia-Soares and Uyen Truong, students in North Shore Community College’s Business Administration Transfer program. Each took home a $1,000 scholarship from The Daily Item and The Atlantic Referral Exchange BNI Chapter.Read biographies of the nominees and winners and view photos from the event.Chris Stevens can be reached at [email protected].