Not Just Networking: Dream Factory Adds Personal Touch To Business Goals
Photos/Matt Pilon
Dreaming in Medfield: Maria Piedra opened two gift stores with the help of the Dream Factory, a group she said is about more than just business. Here, she chats with a customer at the Butterfly Tree in Medfield.
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Nancy Cantor leads a workshop. The longtime small business consultant founded The Dream Factory, a women's social and networking organization.
Judy Giovangelo found solace and support in the Dream Factory when her 18-year-old son, Ben, committed suicide. With the group’s help, she launched a nonprofit to help bullied and depressed kids and teens.
Betsy Madison leveraged her corporate background to open an accounting business out of her Ashland home.
Dream Factory members gathered at a recent luncheon in Medway.
In 2008, with the economy in a recession, Norfolk resident Maria Piedra was having a rough go of it.
As business worsened at her chain of toy stores, she had been forced to downsize from six locations to two. When she found out she had an aggressive form of breast cancer, she decided to close the remaining stores.
"Retail was really tough in the 2008 crash and I was going through a difficult breast cancer treatment," Piedra said. "I felt it was tme to move on."
It wasn't long after that when she met Nancy Cantor, an Ashland business consultant who had formed a women's organization called The Dream Factory, which, as its members say, might best be described as a cross between a business networking organization, a social club and a support group.
Its membership includes accountants, massage therapists, small-business managers, makeup saleswomen, financial planner and others. It has chapters in Medway, Framingham, Concord and Reading and has grown to more than 130 members.
Piedra learned about the group from her husband, who runs a nonprofit. There was a luncheon coming up, and she decided to attend.
"I kind of felt lost," Piedra said. "I was still going through breast cancer treatment. I didn't have employment. The business I had been involved in for 16-plus years was gone."
Nothing breeds resilience like fighting cancer — and Piedra is now cancer-free — but she said the support, friendship and advice she found in the Dream Factory community have helped her open a new business and find a balance again in her life.
After a short stint in real estate, Piedra opened a gift and clothing boutique in Medfield, The Butterfly Tree, two years ago. And last year, she bought a different gift store in Needham, called Prelude Gifts.
The Intersection of Business And Life
Nancy Cantor has been a small-business consultant for two decades. She has worked as a special education teacher and counselor, a jewelry designer and as a mentor at Babson College's Women's Leadership Center. She also hosts a show on Ashland's public access channel.
Cantor said the Dream Factory evolved out of her consulting business, which is still very much active. She describes the Dream Factory as a place where women can feel comfortable talking about their work lives and their personal lives – and how the two intertwine.
"It's not about writing a business plan, though we can do that," Cantor said. "It's not about impressing everyone and having your business card."
What it is about, is identifying and pursuing work and life goals.
The process starts right away. In a day-long initiation, small groups of new members work with Cantor to identify and write down their goals. She calls it "chief dream officer training."
Her definition of that term is someone who is a visionary, an organizer, a self-transformer and a community leader.
"It's your vision of how you contribute your gifts to the world," she said.
Piedra said sharing her vision with the group during her training session made her feel more accountable for exploring those options, though she said the group doesn't judge if someone changes her mind.
As a small-business owner for years, Piedra has participated in chamber of commerce events. And she sees the value they provide. But she said the Dream Factory gives her something different.
"A chamber might be just business focused," she said. "This group allows you to take on personal goals as well. They could be health-related or relationship-related. It probably wouldn't be appropriate to express those in a business setting." Drawing On Her Talents
Of course, there's plenty of business talk, too.
Betsy Madison, an Ashland resident, said she met Cantor at an event about a year ago and won a drawing for a free business consultation. Cantor had been a stay-at-home mom for 10 years. She had been selling Pampered Chef products part time, but Cantor sensed it wasn't her true interest.
Madison told Cantor that she had been an accountant before she had her three children, and Cantor talked with her about starting her own business at home, which she did.
"Nancy helped pull something out of me I didn't know was there," Madison said.
But the transition from stay-at-home mom to small business owner wasn't immediate. Madison recalled even being a bit nervous to attend her first Dream Factory meeting. But her worries soon faded.
"A stay-at-home mom is a wonderful job, but when you think about it, going back to the corporate world or any type of workforce is scary," she said. "Finding the Dream Factory kind of helped me have a nice, comfortable transition."
She said Cantor has helped land her a few accounting clients. She's no longer so worried about the college tuition years ahead for her kids. And she has found many new friends.
"I would have never found these people if it wasn't for this," she said.
Turning Grief Into Action
Judy Giovangelo was a member of the Dream Factory long before the onset of her biggest struggle.
The Medway resident has been a yoga and meditation teacher for years, and Cantor helped her through the process of forming her business, Circleworks, which offer hypnosis, Reiki and other therapies.
Four years ago, Giovangelo's 18-year-old son, Ben, committed suicide. The Dream Factory helped console her. And Giovangelo said she knew immediately what she needed to do.
She formed a nonprofit, Ben Speaks, to offer education and guidance to bullied and depressed kids, as well as their families. The goal is to prevent others from experiencing what happened to her son.
She said Dream Factory members were vital to how fast she was able to get the organization up and running. She got help from an accountant, a graphic designer and an attorney, among others.
"Many of those people are why I became a 501(c)3 in six months and I didn't have to pay a dime," Giovangelo said.
Ben Speaks has an operations director and four board members. It has secured several grants, and Giovangelo thinks it can expand further.
"Nancy's program is really foundational to who I am today and how I've been able to organize myself around creating something like this," she said. n
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