Interview by Mallika Malhotra

Mallika Malhotra: Thank you so much for being here, Anca. Let’s kick it off! Please state your name, pronouns, and business name. 

Anca Gooje: Hi Mallika, Thank you so much for having me, it’s great to be here with Maine Vibes. My name is Anca Gooje, I’m the owner of Anca Gooje Web Development and my pronouns are she/her. 

MM: Can you tell us what you do and about the products that you sell? 

AG: I am a web developer, I create e-commerce websites and focus on helping established merchants to scale their business without technological overwhelm. All the nitty-gritty things that make an online store work efficiently and convert at a much higher rate, I take care of that so that the business owner can focus on the other aspects of their business and grow their business knowing that technology is on their side. As far as services and packages, I offer a one-day intensive which is called a ‘VIP’ Day, where I can very efficiently offer a quick redesign process or optimization of all the tech parts on the back end. I also offer regular web design packages for bigger projects, primarily focused on E-commerce projects for Shopify and WordPress. 

MM: It sounds like you are a specialist for makers, product-preneurs, and people that need to sell on their website, correct? 

AG: That is correct. In addition to physical products, some of my clients sell digital products as well. I mostly work with makers and merchants, but I have a subset or a niche of clients who are authors and coaches, and they have digital products or memberships.  I set up the tech for them so that it works really well. That automation really saves time and stress for them. 

MM: Yes, that's awesome. The tech part is always the tricky part. How did you get started in this sort of web development business?

AG: Well, sometimes the roads in life are not straight, they have turns and twists. I started my business originally in 2016. As a product maker myself, I had been a stay-at-home mom for a couple of years when my kids were very young. I have a background in storytelling and performing arts, and I know this all doesn't seem connected to e-commerce, but I'm getting there.

Basically, I created my own website and then recreated it a number of times, and then I decided to learn how to make a website properly. At that time, I received a scholarship from Google for an online program and I studied front-end web development full-time for about a year. Towards the end of my program, I realized I enjoyed coding and creating websites and applications so much that I decided to change the focus of my business completely to helping other small business owners and makers because I understand their challenges. Since I started out as a maker,  I understand very intimately what it's like to create a product and wear all the hats and try to grow a business from nothing. The grit and resilience that you need in this process are quite impressive. My motivation is that I love helping business owners.

At this point, I have been working with makers and merchants for about five years. I love it more and more each year because it's wonderful to troubleshoot technical challenges, but I usually do more than that. I also help them bring the complete story of their brand to their audience so that they can connect in a very authentic way. 

MM: Can you tell me more about that? It sounds like you're talking about the mission behind your business, it's bigger than just the web design and solving tech issues. I’d love to hear more about your purpose and why you do this work every day.

AG: Yeah, my core purpose is that I love helping people and making their life easier. I guess at the core of it is also telling the story, and the reality is, it’s not just telling a story, it's also creating an experience, a digital experience for the audience of my clients. I love this work because even though it uses technology, it allows me to use very different skills that I have from my background.

It’s not just writing code, it's using code as a tool in order to tell a story in many different ways. When a client enters a physical retail space, they get an experience of how the store feels, how the staff greets them, how the merchandise is displayed, and so on. Sometimes when you visit a website or an online store, you don't get that, it's very dry, and also if things don't actually work well- suppose you press a button and it doesn’t go to the right page, it can be very frustrating. My intention is to try to replicate that welcoming and enchanting experience that people get when they visit a retail store using digital tools. 

MM: I love that, I totally agree that there is a feeling that we're trying to create from the very first point of contact, and often that's when people visit your website. So you've been a Mainer for many years, how long have you been in Maine now? 

AG: I have been in Maine for 13 years. 

MM: How does being in Maine affect your business?

AG: Well, I have only lived in Maine in the United States. I'm originally from Romania, so I can't compare it to other states. I can tell you that Maine feels like home to me. I feel that business in Maine is very personal and people put a lot of emphasis on their personal relationships. I work with other businesses, but it's never a business doing business with another business, it's always a person connecting with another person.

It’s very important how you come across and the relationships you form. I have very good friends who have been Mainers for many generations, and I think forming those relationships with mentors is really special.  It usually takes a bit of time until they get to know you, but then they really welcome you. And they make you feel like a real friend. That's something very special, especially coming from a different country. It's not always easy, because you have to adapt to a different culture and language, and so on. I feel very lucky to be part of a community that's very supportive. I also feel lucky to know that I can give back in my own small way. 

MM: That's a great insight into the culture of Maine. As someone new to Maine, I can totally appreciate that. So being in business for six years now, you’ve probably had the highs and lows of being an entrepreneur. Do you have any key lessons that come to mind that you’d like to share with our community? 

AG: Absolutely: I think it's important not to try to do everything by yourself. Running a business can feel like a very lonely road and very hard because you're trying to wear all the hats and do all the things. When you can, you should always try to surround yourself with experts that can fill in the gaps of the skills you don't have. It's also important to find the right networking and mentorship that you can have access to. You can always start with free resources, I have benefited a lot from collaborating with SCORE and CEI. Then when you can afford it, you can invest in premium mentorship that will help you further along the way.

MM: Is there anyone in particular who's been your biggest supporter or influence as you've developed your business?

AG: I have benefited a lot from the mentorship of my SCORE mentor, Nancy Strojny. She is amazing. I have been meeting with her almost monthly for about four or five years now. It’s really special to have somebody who is in your corner and who has a wealth of experience and also holds you accountable. That's very important. 

MM: Having a mentor consistently that can be with you from the very start and see you grow, and then challenge you along the way to grow, even more, is the key to success. As entrepreneurs, we know it is such a roller coaster ride. We can have peers, but it's a very different experience from having a mentor who has an objective point of view. So what does being a woman-owned business mean to you?

AG: Well, being a woman in tech is a very interesting ride. It's not for the faint of heart, because it's still primarily a male-dominated industry. I think that being a woman in business requires a lot of resilience and grit- especially being a mom, there are a lot of additional responsibilities and challenges. It has been part of the journey to learn to celebrate that and take it in my stride. I believe that it’s time to overcome the hustle culture that used to be prevalent-  we can serve our clients efficiently without working round the clock. 

The reality is that running my own business allows flexibility which is very precious for me because I do want to be able to focus on my family as well. I really appreciate that there are so many strong women in Maine who run and grow their businesses without any hesitation.They use their motherhood as an asset, not a liability. In a way, we are redefining what it means to be an entrepreneur and a working mom, and it's up to us to write that story. The world is changing very fast and we can forge our own path. 

MM: Yeah, that's so powerful, I love that. So you talked about Maine as a special place as a business owner, and we've talked about some of the networking groups that you're part of. But is there anything in particular about the creative community that you find unique about our state?

AG: I feel that a lot of the creatives I know in Maine are very inspired by nature here because it is so powerful. Sometimes we can almost take it for granted, but you have to visit other states, even just one or two states down, and when you come back, you will see the difference. I’ve visited a lot of other states in the U.S., but when I come back to Maine, I always feel I'm breathing easier. There is something very unique about nature and the tremendous force of the ocean. I know a lot of artists who are directly inspired by either the ocean or the flora of Maine. People live with a very strong connection to nature, and they are inspired directly, and indirectly by it.

MM: Definitely! Are there any other women-owned businesses or creatives in Maine that you would like to share with our audience? 

AG: Absolutely, there are quite a few actually, but I will mention two for now. One is Alice Grindling from TerraForm Entertainment, she is a videographer. She created some really great videos for me recently. She specializes in making small business videos that look natural & tell the brand story in an authentic way. It's usually so hard to look natural in a video. She moved to Maine from New York, so she's also a new Mainer!

The other person I wanted to mention is Jackie Harris. She's a real estate Realtor at Keller Williams. What's interesting about her is she specializes in properties on the islands in Casco Bay, she's all about the island lifestyle. That's a very special audience because you know, if you have been on the little islands near Portland they’re very different from the mainland. She takes care of the peculiar logistics related to buying or managing an island property.

MM: Yes, you know, I love a niche! I love it! Is there anything else you'd like to share about yourself or about your business?

AG: Well, because I come from a storytelling and creative background, I want to encourage our audience to focus on telling their story, their brand stories, and their stories in general, including all the quirks and peculiarities that they have. Those are the things that really bring your story to life. Personally, I think creativity and storytelling are fundamental for me as a person and as a business. I hope that in the near future, you will see more of that storytelling embedded in my work. 

MM: I think you've been a storyteller all your life from classical dance to now web design. It's beautiful that you've kept that common thread. Thank you so much, Anca, for sharing your story with us here. 

Thank you, Anca, for taking the time to talk with Maine Vibes Magazine!

Web: https://www.ancagooje.com

Instagram: @ancagooje

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