The chemistry Friday among four successful Montana business owners kept nearly 90 mostly female business leaders at Sen. Jon Tester’s Small Business Opportunity Workshop in Billings learning and laughing. Sarah Calhoun, founder of Red Ants Pants of White Sulphur Springs, recalled wanting to design pants that fit women’s curvy bodies, but not knowing where to start.
In 2004, she was in Bozeman reading “How to Start a Small Business for Dummies” when a guy noticed the title and struck up a conversation. He happened to have 20 years experience in production and design for Patagonia and became her mentor.
Red Ants Pants has yet to make a profit, but Calhoun started a foundation to launch the first Red Ants Pants Music Festival. Next weekend in White Sulphur, Lyle Lovett, Jerry Jeff Walker and Guy Clark will play and the proceeds will go to help women in businesses and farmers and ranchers.