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Source: The Indianapolis StarOct.迷利倉 05--Billie Dragoo is an entrepreneur and inspiration.After winning a Small Business Administration loan, Dragoo started RepuCare, which provides staffing for a variety of health-care needs, with Beverly Chilman in 1995.Dragoo weathered a downturn in business in 1999 brought on by a change in federal Medicare law, by restructuring contracts and even launching a new business, Corporate Dynamics, which sends physical therapists to a client's workplace to advise employees on how to work more safely.Along the way, Dragoo has been strongly committed to furthering the cause of women in business, by example and through her volunteer efforts. She founded the Indiana Women Business Owners Political Action Committee, an advocate on legislation affecting Indiana businesswomen, and has held leadership roles in the Indianapolis and national chapters of the National Association of Women Business Owners.When asked about her proudest moment, Dragoo said: "When I took a minute to reflect, I started my company out of my home with a couple of people, and now have more than 100 employees."We recently asked Dragoo several questions to shed more light on her success.Question: How do you define leadership?Answer: Leadership is about speaking up and being heard ... standing up and being counted ... showing up and making a difference ... motivating and facilitating a team to rise to the occasion! A favorite book of mine is "Lincoln on Leadership," an excellent read. It's for anyone whose job is motivating and inspiring others. A leader can be the CEO of an organization, or a first-year employee who leads his or her team to success behind the scenes or by example. A leader might lead through authority and power, but just as often, great leaders lead through inspiration, persuasion and example.Q: What is the best piece of advice you've received?A: Choose wisely whom you spend your time with: We know from years of research that you "become who you hang with." It's a fact. You personally are deeply affected by the people you choose to spend y自存倉ur time with. If you surround yourself with individuals that lack integrity, values or ambition, you will become one. If you surround yourself with a team with doubters and naysayers, you may lose the confidence, optimism and drive that is critical to succeed.Surround yourself with true friends, genuine colleagues and trusted advisers. The ones who care deeply about you and support you, who tell you the truth or their opinion even when it hurts.Q: What do you know now that you wish you knew 10 years ago?A: Finding a way for women to enter the room, whether the boardroom, the U.S. Congress or community leadership. Substantive discussions, negotiations and decisions are made in the room, and way too many women have not been invited.It is so very critical that women have a seat at the table. Women bring diversity, they think differently, they collaborate differently and they view the world differently. They typically arrive at different, and often better, decisions.However, we first need to get in the room and once we're there, begin to drive change.Q: What is the definingmoment of your career?A: When I was awarded the contract for the onsite health-care clinic at the new Indianapolis airport construction site to serve the 3,000-5,000 construction workers on the project from 2004 to 2008. I was on the outside looking in, but got a foot in the door, presented our case and won with competence and passion. We have a wonderful case study that resulted in saving the Airport Authority several million dollars during the construction phase.Q: When did you know this would be your life's work?A: In the early'90s, when I went to work as an executive recruiter and earned my way into the top 10 percent in the Midwest in a male-dominated field. I knew then that I wanted to achieve business success but also help pave the way for women to achieve success in business and elevate themselves into positions of power and leadership.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 The Indianapolis Star Visit The Indianapolis Star at .IndyStar.com Distributed by MCT Information Servicesmini storage