Back in the late 80’s, when the government deregulated the phone company, I was the first woman-owned competitive phone company. I’m proud to share that 32 years later that business is still going strong! Televergence is a nationwide VoiP telecommunications carrier providing premium Toll-Free, Long-Distance and Cloud Phone System services to companies with mission-critical needs, high call volumes and/or in-house or outsourced Contact Centers.
The challenge I had when I started was I was the first female-owned phone company. There weren’t organizations like NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners) at the time so all of my mentors were men. I was very blessed that they were willing to work with me and I wasn’t afraid to say “I don’t know what I don’t know.” It’s also amazing what happens when you make that admission; just how many people are willing to help you.
I am beyond grateful to those male mentors I had through the years. When I became acquainted with NAWBO, I saw such an amazing opportunity for women in business. I’m a firm believer in “paying it forward” – what you give out is what comes back to you tenfold. So here I was, able to meet amazing women, entrepreneurs, and business owners, and really help mentor them based on all of the experience I had to offer. I knew that if I could make it one step simpler for them towards success, I was going to make an impact.
A pioneer and cowgirl at heart, I wanted to get out of California. It was becoming more difficult to run a business there. I always loved Tennessee; the beautiful rolling hills and enjoying the country music scene. One evening, my husband and I got online and found a 50 AC farm that needed a lot of TLC. It was truly a fixer upper to say the least. With his background as a retired land developer/architect, and my previous experience as a general contractor flipping houses before the phone business, we were up for the challenge. After pouring our heart and soul into the property, we named it Twin Oaks Guest Ranch. As you drive up the ½ mile driveway, next to the horse filled pastures, you enter paradise and the everyday stress of life gets left behind.
Originally, we thought the 50+ acre ranch would be perfect for our large family reunions, so we purchased it with our kids in mind. Then, I began hosting Televergence clients and vendors and they would say to me “You know, you really should consider renting this place as a short-term rental. People would love to come out here, recharge, and enjoy the country.”
After a few months of research, we listed the property on AirBnb and VRBO, and within a matter of hours, had over twenty reservations. Excitement and fear came rushing in and we thought
“Oh my goodness, what have we gotten ourselves into?!”
Here we are now in 2022, with over 500 stays on our reservation books, and we’ve been so blessed to meet thousands of amazing guests from all over the world. From four generations spending quality time together, to groups of friends who haven’t seen one another reuniting in an unforgettable location, to families from foreign countries…each one has become part of the Twin Oaks Guest Ranch Family.
Since its inception, the vision has been to make everyone feel at home and share in the serenity and peacefulness of such a rustic, majestic place. With the way the world has been turned upside down since the pandemic, we wanted to offer corporate groups and remote work teams the chance to rejuvenate and unplug.
The corporate retreats we’ve designed are “all inclusive” and customized based on goals, needs, interests, and overall satisfaction. We have dedicated the time to do all the work for you, making it a seamless process, with an array of options sure to please everyone. From horseback riding, health and wellness exercises, mindfulness coaches, team building workshops, chef-guided dinners, ranch activities and more, we’ve partnered with some of the best to make our corporate retreats an incredible opportunity to reconnect, learn, bond, communicate, and recharge. I guess now I’m combining all of my passions into one, by opening my doors and helping business owners give something back to their hardworking teams, in a beautiful place I’m lucky enough to call home.
I want to be able to touch someone’s life and help improve it. That’s the legacy I want to leave.
Deborah Ward
Founder – Owner – CEO, Televergance
Visit the Twin Oaks Ranch website.