LAYTON—Being a woman in the business world can be daunting. Sometimes the only way to get through it is with a smile. That’s what keeps local entrepreneur and business owner Carlee Hansen going. Hansen shared her take on surviving in business – and life – at the Annual Davis Chamber Women in Business Summit held at the Davis Conference Center.

“We’re warriors,” said Hansen. “We can handle a business call while changing a dirty diaper.”

Hansen started out with a small custom clothing business. Then in 2018 she was diagnosed with general anxiety disorder. “It manifested in a big way,” she said. “I saw doctors, had therapy and went on a journey.”

It was during this time Hansen wrote her book “How the Light Comes In.” “I wrote to find healing,” she said. “It was a way to manage anxiety and stress.”

Throughout high school Hansen did well. “I was very good at school,” she said. “I was going places. I wanted to go to schools like Stanford and Harvard. I was waiting for the onslaught of letters.”

One of the stops while visiting colleges included a night in Ephraim, Utah, said Hansen. “I had the best time. I knew this was where I should go – to a town that is known for turkeys. I landed right where I was meant to be. You have to do what makes sense to you right now.”

Don’t be afraid to change, she said. “Sometimes shifting 180 degrees is just what we need. Start with what you’re good at. Remember what you liked in high school. See what creative juices are in you. Challenge yourself to be uncomfortable – that’s how we grow.”

Hansen said she’d always dreamed of coaching basketball. “I wasn’t qualified to be a coach. I was good at Excel. But an opening came up at Centennial Junior High. I figured, ‘I like kids and I don’t have a record.’”

She ended up getting the job. “The most qualified person to chase your dreams is you,” said Hansen. “I love it (coaching). It’s the best thing I’ve ever done.”

Not everything has gone smoothly for her though. “One day I was headed to my car and forgot my laptop,” said Hansen. “Then I knocked an orange between the seat and that door in the dark space. As I’m standing there, a snowplow comes by and juices me with wet parking lot snow. We’re going to have bad days. Just shower off and start again. If you’re wallowing in the snow plows and not seeing the funny in it, what’s the point?”

Hansen said it’s difficult to find women in business who are supportive. “Get a group of women who will cheer you on. Love them hard. Lean on them hard. Someone who you know that your name will be safe in their mouth. Grab them with tight fists and run with it.”

If something is stinky in business or life, fix it, she said. “Don’t try to cover it up. Rinse off the smell, don't just spray it with AXE (deodorant). You never know what people are going through. Give people the benefit of the doubt.”

Fail gracefully, said Hansen. “We’re all in the same boat. Everyone is awkward and it’s OK.”

Change is amazing, she said. “It’s stinky too. But we can become bigger, better, powerful women. We can be our better selves, be better at business and better today.”