And when it did , thousands of businesses closed across California . Comstock-Carlson said she ’ s constantly looking at creative ways to keep the publication current and a strong voice for the business community .
“ Our region has changed dramatically through the decades . We ’ ve grown a great deal as a region , and we ’ ve attracted some major companies and influencers . What GSEC ( Greater Sacramento Economic Council ) and some of the other economic development organizations around the region are doing in terms of bringing new companies and interest to our region , I think it ’ s wonderful ,” she says . “ The way our region has grown to love the performing and visual arts , has supported them , and has created better and better venues for their productions has been fabulous .”
No surprise , she ’ s also had to change the way she does business . The tireless businesswoman used to meet people for lunch every day , often having a dinner the same night or attending several business events a week . Much of that has subsided due to COVID , but Comstock- Carlson kept coming into the office every day for the past two years and can ’ t remember when she last took a vacation or even a day off .
Through her skills at networking , Comstock-Carlson has built an impressive editorial advisory board who meet every two months to give their thoughts on the current pulse of the region . The board is composed of bankers , lawyers , developers , public relations managers , tech experts , venture capitalists , health care professionals , nonprofit leaders and more . They are a savvy group who know the challenges of running a business . awards and received multiple community honors , as well as some for Comstock-Carlson herself , including both Businesswoman of the Year and Sacramentan of the Year by the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce , and many others .
“ She ’ s creative and she ’ s always looking and thinking about what ’ s next and what ’ s going on . She ’ s been an inspiration for a lot of businesses and particularly businesswomen that are leaders ,” says longtime associate Larry Kelley , founder and chairman of LDK Ventures .
Print media has been hit hard in the past decade , with many publications ceasing operations , even before the pandemic hit .
“ People that haven ’ t started a business from scratch without any investment capital can ’ t possibly understand how difficult it is . If I had known at the beginning how difficult it would be , I would have said , ‘ No , thank you ,’ and run in the other direction . But thankfully , the Lord kept me on track . I just kept putting one foot in front of the other ,” she says .
Comstock-Carlson dresses meticulously for work each day ( no sweats or pajama bottoms for her ) even if most of her staff is working remotely . She sits in her sunny office overlooking a tennis court surrounded by plaques , crystal trophies and family photos . Magazines and papers sprawl across her desk . She calls herself a hybrid of tech and old school . Although she works nonstop on a desktop computer , she
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