Female Founders
I continue to have to work hard at it, but
it’s getting easier.
men are a little better about not overprocessing business situations.
What is the key to your company’s
success? First and foremost, Bottle &
Bottega is a great business. I mean who
doesn’t like to drink wine and paint? We
were clear on our customer and differentiators from day one and have not deviated from that once. That clarity and
focus has been huge. We center our decisions always with an eye toward our guest
satisfaction and executing a high-quality,
unique studio experience for them. We
organize people’s special events every day,
so we have to get it right the first time.
Our guests notice and appreciate that.
Additionally, we’ve done a great job of
building a strong headquarters team as
well as franchise family. We work hard
on the relationships and on seeking input
from our franchisees on key initiatives to
ensure we are on the right path so we don’t
have to lose time and money backtracking.
Building a successful business is reliant
on everyone in the brand moving in the
same direction, believing in the same vision and strategies, and supporting each
other. We got that part right.
What has been your biggest challenge as a woman entrepreneur?
Just my own internal pressure to succeed
mainly, and to be the best role model for
other women. Throughout my career I’ve
taken roles that were hard, unfamiliar to
me, and unintentionally male-dominated
(plumbing, electrical, food) because I get
bored easily and I love to learn. So, starting my own business was just a natural
next step I needed to take.
BEING FEMALE
From a woman’s perspective, what
notable changes have you seen for
women in franchising since starting
your brand? I’ve seen so many cool new
concepts that I think are really unique, interesting, and ideal for female ownership.
Many have been a by-product of the recession, and their founders have discovered
ways to reduce risk by making them more
attractive and fun for women to consider.
In addition, I’ve seen so many more women
in key leadership roles in franchising. It’s
exciting! The franchise community is such
a supportive and collaborative community.
It’s a perfect environment for women in
business to thrive.
Was being female an advantage or
disadvantage for you in building your
company? How? I don’t feel it was either, really. I’ve always charged forward
in business as a business person first. I put
in the time, do my research, present solid
ideas, and back them up with results. I’m
not afraid to ask for help, and I take constructive feedback pretty well. I’ve been
blessed to have built a very strong network
of business friends who are there when I
need honest advice and guidance.
Have you found specific advantages
or disadvantages to being a woman
business owner? I feel as a woman that
I’m a bit more tuned in to the pulse and
mood of my franchisees, which is critical
to get ahead of and address. On the flip
side, that intuition and those relationships
can keep me up some nights. I take the
success of my franchisees personally, so if
anyone is having challenges it hits home,
and I can sometimes over-process. I feel
Why do you think there are fewer
start-ups with female founders than
male ones? Men just had a head start.
Give us time, we are coming along fast.
What do you think is the biggest issue for women in the workplace? I
think women have a bit of an aversion to
take risks in comparison with our male
counterparts. Women are great planners
and executors. However, we tend to not
be as big risk-takers. I’ve found getting
more comfortable with risk is important
to develop into a stronger leader.
Which female leaders do you admire?
Why? There have been many female
CEOs and presidents I’ve met over my
24 years in franchising who have become
mentors, advisors, and friends. I appreciate their vision, strength, results, ability
to build strong cultures and teams, and
willingness to help and advise me and
others even when I know they don’t have
the time. Whenever I’m going through a
difficult leadership moment, I’ll stop and
think of one of them and say, “How would
they handle this challenge?” That question really helps me model the behavior
I want to have and be the best leader in
that moment.
Has mentorship made a difference in
your professional and personal life?
How? Yes. I have had many mentors, both
formal and informal, throughout my career
who have helped shape my leadership style
and confidence. I have also been a mentor
for more than 7 years within the IFA Franship program. We mentor franchise leaders
new to franchising. It’s been amazing for
me to participate in, as it’s allowed me to
pay back the kindness shown to me by my
mentors and help others hopefully avoid
some of the mistakes I’ve made.
Are you involved in any female entrepreneur organizations? Yes. I am
vice chair of the IFA’s Women’s Franchise
Committee. Part of my role is to plan the
Leadership Conference at the annual IFA
Convention. We attract about 325 attendees and focus on key leadership lessons. In
addition, we have local Women’s Franchise
Network meetings throughout the year
across the country. I try to attend those
and recently hosted one at our studio in
Chicago.
PERSONAL
What does your typical day look
like? Work out first always, then a quick
review of our KPIs and financials to ensure we are on track. I spend an hour on
my key project, then knock out my team
meeting calls, franchisee calls, and move
through my task list for the day. I usually
start at 7 a.m. and end around 7 p.m. I
always end the day with a glass of wine
or ice cold beer. It’s my celebration of my
accomplishments for the day.
How do you maintain a work/life balance? It’s hard, especially with a young
and growing brand, so I have to make a
game of it and schedule stuff out. I create a
personal calendar at the beginning of each
year and start to populate it with small trips
to