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Marie Stephens Top — Business Professional

Broken Arrow, OK — Marie Stephens is being recognized by Continental Who’s Who as a Top Business Professional for her distinguished career as an Entrepreneur and Consultant and in acknowledgment for her work with Dare to Develop Consulting.

Well-known throughout Oklahoma and the surrounding region, Ms. Stephens is highly regarded as an entrepreneur, professional speaker, coach, and educator. After nearly two decades as an educator, Ms. Stephens decided in 2011 to join the Nothing Bundt Cakes franchise and open a bakery in Broken Bow, OK. Since that time, she has successfully grown the bakery into a multi-million dollar operation, featuring two locations and more than 75 employees.

A genuine, profoundly caring individual, Ms. Stephens says she prides herself on keeping her customer’s best interests at heart. Despite facing challenges the past two years from the pandemic, her bakeries have continued to prosper and cultivate strong customer loyalty. She strongly credits her interpersonal skills and employee training for shaping her dedicated team of associates.

In late 2021, Ms. Stephens decided to take a step back from the day-to-day operations of her bakeries to focus on a new business venture, Dare to Develop Consulting. As owner and principal consultant of the firm, Ms. Stephens works with clients to develop the skills necessary to launch and grow their businesses successfully. She is additionally available to speak on various business-related topics such as entrepreneurship, leadership, employee engagement, and organizational culture.

In pursuit of her higher education, Ms. Stephens obtained a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from East Central University in Ada, OK, in 1992. She served for 17 years as an elementary school teacher. She also worked for four years in Alaska as a teacher, coach, lifeguard, reading specialist, and after-school program director.

Since launching her businesses, Ms. Stephens has received numerous accolades, including an A-List Leadership Award and the Impact Partnership Award. In addition, Nothing Bundt Cakes was a Bakery of the Year nominee in 2016.

Looking ahead to the future, Ms. Stephens says she would love to write a personal memoir about her many experiences as an educator and business leader. She is also aspiring to maintain continued growth for her bakery and consulting businesses. She would like to dedicate this recognition to her mother, Dorine Stephens.

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