A special advertising section championing our local women in business. In partnership with Cox Communications. Photo by Jessica Whitley.

Yvonne Williams

President & CEO, Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce

Julia Magda 

Attorney/Owner, Magda Law 

Board Chair, Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce

305 Coliseum Drive, Macon, GA  31217 

478–621–2000 

maconchamber.com 

What is the mission of your business?

The Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce provides the resources and support to advance business success in the region.  —Yvonne

How do you define success?

More than just a healthy profit margin, success to me is making a true difference for my clients with positive outcomes that help their bottom line, too, so they will see value from my participation in accomplishing their own successes. —Julia

Your advice for women wanting to start their own business in Macon?

Join networks. Utilize the resources at SCORE. The Greater Macon Chamber is ideally suited to connect women entrepreneurs to both networking and SCORE mentoring services. —Yvonne

What are you most excited about right now in our community?

I am most excited about increased engagement in our community. People from all corners of Macon are engaged in meaningful discourse about what we can accomplish together for collective business success, improved prosperity across all neighborhoods and a heightened quality of life that draws new residents and employees here. —Julia

I treasure being in Macon at a time we can transform our culture to heightened collaboration and build a platform to cultivate resources for improving our economic outlook. —Yvonne

What is the most gratifying part of your job?

The most gratifying part of my job is helping clients solve their problems so they can breathe a sigh of relief – either figuratively or literally – before tackling the next issue. —Julia

What has been the most challenging part of being a woman in business?

Understanding all the processes and building blocks to establish a successful business. The Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce can make a difference in guiding that process. —Yvonne

I admire women who:

Are gracious with sincere praise and who exude humble gratitude for the talent working alongside them to advance their business interests or a common community initiative. —Julia

Step up to do the right thing for the right purposes. —Yvonne

I hope more women will:

Aspire to seek political office and leadership roles on various boards in the community. —Yvonne

What was the best business advice you ever received?

Listen to your clients and customers about their pain points and then develop a plan to meet that need or introduce the client to the right person who can help. Do what you do with excellence but don’t try to be all things to all clients.  —Julia

How could women better support each other?

Cultivate intentional mentorships for younger female professionals. —Yvonne