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www.postregister.com Eastern Idaho Business Sunday, Oct. 13, 2013 • 3
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By Casey [email protected]
Caralyn Olson can often be foundcleaning office toilets, painting thewalls and cooking for large groups
at many of the Sprint locations in South-east Idaho. If you didn’t know already, youmight never guess that she is the owner ofseven Sprint locations and has more than30 employees.
“There is nothing that I ask them to dothat I wouldn’t do myself,” said Olson. “I tryto help with everything; we work together.”
Olson owns Evolution Wireless, a pre-ferred retailer with Sprint. Olson owns sev-en Sprint locations in the area, includingsites in Idaho Falls, Rexburg, Chubbuck,Blackfoot and Pocatello.
Those who work for Olson describe heras “the best boss ever,” they also boast thatshe is a top-notch cook willing to share herskills in the kitchen with everyone, includ-ing her employees.
“I can’t do anything without them soI try to make them happy with their jobsand I try to do things that make it easier forthem to work in their workplace,” said Ol-son. “I want to make sure they are happy. Ithink happy employees that work for youare more productive and do a lot more foryour company.”
Olson explained that caring for her em-ployees and making them happy not onlyhelps to uphold Sprint’s brand, but it bene-fits individuals as well.
“I am their boss, yes, but I am also thereto help them succeed,” said Olson. “I amnot taking the credit for what my companydoes because I couldn’t do it without them.Whatever I can do to help them out, I amdoing it because I want them to succeed.”
Olson said she tries to involve her em-ployees in more than just their jobs. Th ere
are company meetings and activities thatare put on throughout the year and she in-vites them to come and help paint walls andget the stores ready to open.
“We have opened a store about everyyear to every year and a half since I gotstarted here,” said Olson. With that kind ofgrowth, [it is essential for us] to work to-gether. We do all the remodels ourselves.We invite everyone to come in and we justget it done in one day and open the nextmorning.”
Olson has been with Sprint for eightyears and she said after many diff erent jobsand careers she has finally found her niche
and she is going to stick with it until sheretires. However, becoming the owner ofso many different locations did not comewith ease. Olson worked hard at a varietyof careers during her lifetime and did it allon her own.
“I am a self-made woman. I don’t haveany degrees, just a high school diploma. I justwork hard to do what I’m supposed to do.”
Not only is Olson an excellent businesswoman, but she loves to serve her com-munity as well. She was in the Chamber ofCommerce leadership in Idaho Falls andworked hard to help put on fundraisers fora variety of causes around the community.
Olson also makes a point to sponsorand donate money through Sprint for localsports teams including little league baseballteams and cheerleading squads.
For those who want to be in business,Olson suggested getting involved in thecommunity, as well as taking a leap of faith.
“Go out there and make it happen,” saidOlson. “Don’t just talk about it. If you arelooking to open up a business, take a leapof faith and go for it. In order for it to besuccessful you need to make sure you doyour homework and be sure it is what youwant to do. Aft er that, just take a leap andmake it happen.”
‘We work together’Olson owns seven Sprint locations across Southeast Idaho
Caralyn Olson poses at one of her seven
Sprint locations. (Casey Archibald/carchibald@
postregister.com)
By Casey [email protected]
Trudy Potter has been inthe daycare business for 36years. And that was aft er
her career as a first grade teacher.Her specialty? The happiness ofchildren and their families.
When Potter purchased thedaycare in 1977 it was a smallhouse with 12 children enrolled.Shortly after she purchased LittlePeople’s Academy, Potter’s oldestson Ryan was killed in a car acci-
dent while he was serving a mis-sion for the LDS church in NewMexico.
Potter said owning the daycarehelped keep her stay busy so shecould cope and keep her mind offthe death of her son.
Over the years, the tiny housewas expanded to be several timesits size and six additional homeswere purchased and added on asa part of Little People’s Academy.
Hanging on the front of theoriginal daycare home is a signthat reads “The child that startsahead stays ahead.” Potter creat-ed that motto when she realizedwhat she wanted her daycare tobe all about.
“If they are ahead before they
hit first grade and then go intoschool they are always going to beahead in school. We have so manytestimonials of children whostarted here and are always on thetop of their class. They don’t comehere to color and watch movies,
they come here to participate andlearn.”
Potter explained that one ofher main policies is “phonics,phonics, phonics.” Almost as soonas children are old enough to holda book, she and the other em-
ployees at Little People’s Academyteach them the basics of reading.
“If [children] are good readers,and can comprehend well, thenthey will do well in school andfind success,” said Potter.
See Potter, page 9
O ering a head startPotter has owned
local daycare for 36 years
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