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32 33 will take place, this year, May 2nd through 4th, in Los Angeles. The reason that we started doing it is because I think that the public thinks that women-owned companies are mom-and-pop operations and we want to demonstrate that that is not always the case. “We usually have about 900 attendees [at our conference] and we are working very diligently to make sure that the programs that we deliver are educational, interesting, motivating, and that they can be of primary service to our members. BVM: What are some of the issues that WPO members care most about? Firestone: “Our members take a Business Out- look Survey every year – and every year the top challenge is finding, hiring, training, and retaining good employees. Access to credit has always been an issue for women who start and run compa- nies. This has been going on for 20 years or more. While this has somewhat improved, it is still not where it should be. Last year, for the first time, they complained bitterly in the survey about red tape. So, those are the three main issues that we are dealing with in our chapters – access to cred- it, dealing with red tape, and HR issues. BVM: Does the WPO do any advocacy? Firestone: “We do a little. I sit on the National Women’s Business Council and we bring back is- THEWOMEN PRESIDENTS’ ORGANIZATION