2022 Memorial Day Issue

Businesswomen Find Benefit
in Joining Jefferson Group
Photos by KAREN FUCITO
chance encounter led two women to
A launch Jefferson’s Professional Women’s
Networking Group, which has seen local
businesswomen gain exposure, be inspired and
find camaraderie.
Alexia Lewis, a financial advisor, and
businesswoman Elisa DeYoung remember
the day they first decided to start the women’s
networking group.
The May-December partnership—Lewis
is 27 and DeYoung is 66—originated after a
Jefferson Township Chamber of Commerce
meeting where they were the only two women
in the room. After brainstorming together, they
decided to start a female networking group that
meets monthly and has grown from a dozen
members two years ago to 150-plus women
today. Women professionals learn about the
group through Facebook and word of mouth.
“I always wanted to start a ladies’ networking
group,” said DeYoung, who had a business
cleaning houses and now works for Welcome
To Our Neighborhood. Covering Morris,
Somerset and Union counties, Welcome To Our
Neighborhood connects local businesses with
new homeowners. Marketing and representing
local businesses give DeYoung encouragement
to keep working, she said. “People just love
someone knocking on their door and welcoming
them to their new home and finding out about
business in the area.”
DeYoung manages the Jefferson area of
Welcome to the Neighborhood. She and her
husband have lived in Jefferson for 32 years;
it’s where they raised their three, now-adult
children.
“My husband tells me I’m perfect for this
job because I know and talk to everybody,”
DeYoung joked.
“We hit it off right away,” said Lewis, of
DeYoung, when asked about how the group
began.
Lewis grew up on the lake
side of the township and
went to school with some
of DeYoung’s children. In
her senior year at Jefferson
High School, she and her
family moved to the Oak
Ridge side. She graduated
from Ramapo College and
became a financial advisor
at Mass Mutual in Warren
a couple of years ago.
“We both wanted to see
10
Story by MARIA VOGEL-SHORT
LAKE HOPATCONG NEWS Memorial Day 2022
more women’s business events because we saw
a need for networking with business owners in
our town,” said Lewis, who still lives in Oak
Ridge with her parents. “The biggest benefit is
that women can make connections…whether
they’ve been in business for six months or 20
years.”
The group meets in person at restaurants and
businesses the third Wednesday of every month.
The group alternates from the Lake Hopatcong
side to the Milton side.
“Our inspiration developed from the women
who attended our events. At every event we
have hosted so far, we have had several women
come up to us and tell us how happy they are
that we put this together, and they tell us their
own success stories from coming to the events.
Elisa and I both love our community and are
thankful we started this group,” said Lewis.
At each networking meeting, women
introduce themselves, seek to make contacts
and, eventually, use the services of someone they
meet in the group. “You never know who you
are going to meet,” said DeYoung. “Generally,
everyone introduces themselves and tells them
what they do.”
Saralyn Betley, an executive consultant with
Rodan + Fields, said she comes to the group for
business growth. “I get ideas from coming here.
After a wonderful job in the luggage industry,
COVID hit, and I had to think of other ways to
make a living.”
At the March meeting, author and inspirational
speaker Janet Pfeiffer was the featured guest.
She discussed how to communicate effectively,
especially when dealing with a partner who does
not communicate at all. “Those who seek the
truth ask questions. Those who fear the truth
make assumptions and judgments,” Pfeiffer
said.
At the April meeting, hosted by real estate
broker Johanna Rivera of Realty Executives
Property Squad in Lake Hopatcong, women
congregated in Rivera’s new office on Route
15, sipping wine and snacking on homemade
Barbie Garruto, Elisa DeYoung and Elizabeth Baldyga
share a laugh during a recent networking meeting.
lasagna and decadent desserts made by members.
Rivera, who has been in real estate for nine
years, said she comes to the group to “be
inspired.” At the April event, she connected
with Greta Melofchik, a real estate agent who
has been in the business for 39 years and is
currently with Exit Neighborhood Realty in
Lake Hopatcong on Route 15. Both discussed
the best advice they ever received from fellow
businesswomen.
The April networking event was designed
to generate self-reflection, too. Members
went from table to table to meet new people
and answer such game questions as: “What is
something you want to accomplish before this
year is over?” and “What legacy do you want to
leave behind?”
Some come to the group to fill job positions.
Johanna Rosario, of medical technology
company BD, is a manager for contract analysts.
When her company needed an analyst, she came
to the group last month to network and find
someone who could fill the position.
Lisette Rogue, who owns Royalty Cleaning
Services with her husband, said she comes
because she meets empowering women.
Laura Bald, of Leisure Travel by Laura, said
she heard about the group and wanted to be
a part of it. Bald started her own independent
business after her job ended at Liberty Travel,
a company that folded during the pandemic.
“This year everyone is traveling again,” said
Bald. “People still use travel agents, and it does
Alexia Lewis at a recent meeting.
Johanna Rosario, Johanna Rivera and Laura Bald participate
in a question-and-answer exercise during a recent meeting.