1 00:00:02,236 --> 00:00:04,605 - [Announcer] Anyone can have a good idea. 2 00:00:04,605 --> 00:00:07,741 But the difference between those who have an idea, 3 00:00:07,741 --> 00:00:10,744 and those who have a successful company, 4 00:00:10,744 --> 00:00:13,046 is in the execution. 5 00:00:13,046 --> 00:00:15,916 These women figured out how they could transform 6 00:00:15,916 --> 00:00:20,787 a concept into a thriving company in New York City, 7 00:00:20,787 --> 00:00:23,891 and it all started with Her Big Idea. 8 00:00:25,626 --> 00:00:28,528 (light jazz music) 9 00:00:44,444 --> 00:00:47,447 (upbeat jazz music) 10 00:00:51,551 --> 00:00:53,854 Malene Barnett was recognized for her 11 00:00:53,854 --> 00:00:56,757 artistic talent at a very young age. 12 00:00:56,757 --> 00:00:59,126 While she was in college, she became interested 13 00:00:59,126 --> 00:01:01,695 in the idea that as an artist, she would be able 14 00:01:01,695 --> 00:01:04,264 to share her globally inspired artwork through 15 00:01:04,264 --> 00:01:06,733 surface textile design. 16 00:01:06,733 --> 00:01:09,770 So she founded Melane B., an exclusive, 17 00:01:09,770 --> 00:01:12,172 custom textile design studio. 18 00:01:13,507 --> 00:01:15,275 - My name is Malene Barnett, and I'm the founder 19 00:01:15,275 --> 00:01:16,276 of Malene B. 20 00:01:17,811 --> 00:01:20,681 Malene B. is a design studio that specializes 21 00:01:20,681 --> 00:01:22,883 in globally inspired custom carpets, 22 00:01:22,883 --> 00:01:25,452 wall coverings, and tiles. 23 00:01:25,452 --> 00:01:27,521 My work can be found in commercial and residential 24 00:01:27,521 --> 00:01:31,959 spaces such as Viacom, WeWork, Saks Fifth Avenue, 25 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:34,828 the Chatsworth, and Astor Place. 26 00:01:34,828 --> 00:01:37,331 All of the carpets are custom, custom size, 27 00:01:37,331 --> 00:01:40,567 custom color, custom even construction. 28 00:01:41,802 --> 00:01:44,438 Hi Orlando, welcome to Malene B. 29 00:01:44,438 --> 00:01:45,706 - [Orlando] Thanks Malene, how are you? 30 00:01:45,706 --> 00:01:46,840 - Let's get started with our consultation. 31 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:48,508 - [Orlando] Alright. 32 00:01:50,477 --> 00:01:52,646 - Malene B. is located in the Bedford-Stuyvesant 33 00:01:52,646 --> 00:01:55,816 section of Brooklyn, New York. 34 00:01:55,816 --> 00:01:58,552 All the work is produced as far as designing, 35 00:01:58,552 --> 00:02:00,387 specification, right here. 36 00:02:00,387 --> 00:02:01,888 I really love living in the city, 37 00:02:01,888 --> 00:02:04,858 but I also love suburban life, too. 38 00:02:04,858 --> 00:02:09,596 Being in Brooklyn allows me to get the best of both worlds. 39 00:02:09,596 --> 00:02:11,398 - [Orlando] Let's see some of the options. 40 00:02:11,398 --> 00:02:14,534 - Now this is called Tap Tap, it's bamboo silk 41 00:02:14,534 --> 00:02:18,805 which is the shiny area here, feel that, it's quite soft. 42 00:02:18,805 --> 00:02:21,375 This is called Pupunya, this is actually inspired 43 00:02:21,375 --> 00:02:24,177 by the aboriginae hand dot art, and then this one 44 00:02:24,177 --> 00:02:26,980 is called Kingstown, this is another graphic pattern, 45 00:02:26,980 --> 00:02:28,648 it's really great for like all over, 46 00:02:28,648 --> 00:02:30,217 like wall to wall carpeting. 47 00:02:30,217 --> 00:02:31,852 - I'm partial to the Pupunya, this one. 48 00:02:31,852 --> 00:02:36,256 - Oh the Pupunya, okay, let's look at that one there. 49 00:02:36,256 --> 00:02:38,225 Well ever since I was a young child my mother 50 00:02:38,225 --> 00:02:41,995 incorporated travel into our everyday life. 51 00:02:41,995 --> 00:02:44,698 Having my parents be from the Caribbean, there was 52 00:02:44,698 --> 00:02:46,967 always an opportunity to go away. 53 00:02:46,967 --> 00:02:49,002 When I would travel I would be inspired 54 00:02:49,002 --> 00:02:51,505 and so as I grew older, and when I was able to go 55 00:02:51,505 --> 00:02:54,074 on trips of my own, I took those opportunities 56 00:02:54,074 --> 00:02:56,276 and took those experiences to create the designs 57 00:02:56,276 --> 00:02:59,680 that I incorporate for my business today. 58 00:03:00,847 --> 00:03:02,783 These are all yarn palms here, how do you feel 59 00:03:02,783 --> 00:03:04,651 about this color right here? 60 00:03:04,651 --> 00:03:07,054 - It's a little too orange for me, 61 00:03:07,054 --> 00:03:08,622 make that a little darker. 62 00:03:08,622 --> 00:03:11,091 - Okay, a little darker, well that would have to sit 63 00:03:11,091 --> 00:03:13,560 next to something like this, see? 64 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:18,565 And, now it creates more of like a neutral palette. 65 00:03:18,565 --> 00:03:20,600 How are you starting to feel? 66 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:22,335 - I like that, a lot. 67 00:03:24,304 --> 00:03:25,772 - Well I've always been interested in art, 68 00:03:25,772 --> 00:03:27,874 ever since the third grade, I was actually selected 69 00:03:27,874 --> 00:03:30,577 for a program called Artistically Talented, 70 00:03:30,577 --> 00:03:33,413 and we would draw and paint on a weekly basis. 71 00:03:33,413 --> 00:03:36,516 In third grade I was signing my name Malene B 72 00:03:36,516 --> 00:03:39,152 on my paintings, and hence it's become 73 00:03:39,152 --> 00:03:41,221 the brand of my business. 74 00:03:41,221 --> 00:03:43,824 If I look at a lot of my work, back then, 75 00:03:43,824 --> 00:03:45,926 I already see my style had developed, 76 00:03:45,926 --> 00:03:49,029 and I see how much I love color, 77 00:03:49,029 --> 00:03:52,199 and I love pattern, and I love people. 78 00:03:53,767 --> 00:03:55,902 So Orlando, I'm gonna do a quick sketch based 79 00:03:55,902 --> 00:03:58,905 on some of the colors that we selected. 80 00:03:58,905 --> 00:04:03,009 I'm just gonna start to play with some of the dots, colors, 81 00:04:03,944 --> 00:04:05,078 how do you feel about that one? 82 00:04:05,078 --> 00:04:06,813 - Yeah, that's nice. 83 00:04:06,813 --> 00:04:08,248 - Let's see how it looks next to the green 84 00:04:08,248 --> 00:04:11,418 so we can kind of mimic this one here. 85 00:04:13,220 --> 00:04:15,722 How about this one, is it a little too blue, or? 86 00:04:15,722 --> 00:04:16,923 We could also tone it down. 87 00:04:16,923 --> 00:04:17,891 - [Orlando] Yeah, let's try it, and see. 88 00:04:17,891 --> 00:04:20,293 - Alright let's try this one. 89 00:04:21,828 --> 00:04:24,397 I went to college at SUNY Purchase, and then I transferred 90 00:04:24,397 --> 00:04:27,501 to FIT, the Fashion Institute of Technology. 91 00:04:27,501 --> 00:04:30,337 While I was at FIT, I was walking the halls 92 00:04:30,337 --> 00:04:32,873 and I discovered surface textile design, 93 00:04:32,873 --> 00:04:35,542 and I saw the products that people were making, 94 00:04:35,542 --> 00:04:37,344 and I thought that was quite interesting 95 00:04:37,344 --> 00:04:40,380 because as an artist it allowed me to create product 96 00:04:40,380 --> 00:04:42,782 that multiple people could use verses just doing a 97 00:04:42,782 --> 00:04:45,252 painting for one person to experience. 98 00:04:45,252 --> 00:04:48,255 After college I got a job at a textile manufacturer. 99 00:04:48,255 --> 00:04:50,557 I was doing all the artwork and specs. 100 00:04:50,557 --> 00:04:53,693 I learned about how to make a product, in addition 101 00:04:53,693 --> 00:04:56,663 to selling it because I was also the marketing manager. 102 00:04:56,663 --> 00:04:59,499 I look at it as my foundation to business 103 00:04:59,499 --> 00:05:01,334 as a creative person, and then after that 104 00:05:01,334 --> 00:05:03,069 I got a job at a carpet company. 105 00:05:03,069 --> 00:05:06,773 And that's where I really learned about the carpet business 106 00:05:06,773 --> 00:05:09,442 and I started to search for manufacturers to make 107 00:05:09,442 --> 00:05:13,013 my own designs based on my design aesthetic. 108 00:05:13,013 --> 00:05:15,949 I launched my own business, Malene B. in 2009. 109 00:05:15,949 --> 00:05:19,653 Everybody was doing like beige, and plain simple carpet, 110 00:05:19,653 --> 00:05:22,189 and I was designing carpets with people on it, 111 00:05:22,189 --> 00:05:24,591 and creating stories, that was not a common thing 112 00:05:24,591 --> 00:05:27,694 to see in carpet, and it's still not. 113 00:05:29,062 --> 00:05:32,165 The way it built was really a lot of sweat from me 114 00:05:32,165 --> 00:05:35,769 networking like crazy, and not being afraid 115 00:05:35,769 --> 00:05:39,072 to introduce to people who I am and what I do. 116 00:05:39,072 --> 00:05:41,241 I went to Las Vegas to a trade show, I was getting 117 00:05:41,241 --> 00:05:44,711 on the plane, and low and behold, I see that the 118 00:05:44,711 --> 00:05:46,846 editor in chief of Interior Design magazine, 119 00:05:46,846 --> 00:05:48,715 Cindy Allen, was getting on the plane. 120 00:05:48,715 --> 00:05:51,017 I introduced myself and she said, oh, 121 00:05:51,017 --> 00:05:52,219 she says, you know what? 122 00:05:52,219 --> 00:05:54,554 You should call my assistant, I'm working 123 00:05:54,554 --> 00:05:55,855 on the flooring issue. 124 00:05:55,855 --> 00:05:58,191 The issue came out a few months later, 125 00:05:58,191 --> 00:06:01,094 I had a full page in Interior Design magazine. 126 00:06:01,094 --> 00:06:03,296 And that's what really started the business. 127 00:06:03,296 --> 00:06:06,466 And then from there it just continued. 128 00:06:07,834 --> 00:06:09,970 We're gonna take the colors that you selected 129 00:06:09,970 --> 00:06:12,305 and I'm gonna show you how they look in the design. 130 00:06:12,305 --> 00:06:15,108 And here is where we could start to play with the 131 00:06:15,108 --> 00:06:17,043 different fibers and we can see what it looks like 132 00:06:17,043 --> 00:06:18,144 in our actual room. 133 00:06:18,144 --> 00:06:19,346 - Okay. 134 00:06:19,346 --> 00:06:22,115 - Alright, there are these room view options, 135 00:06:22,115 --> 00:06:24,517 and now you see, you see what it looks like? 136 00:06:24,517 --> 00:06:25,719 - [Orlando] That's great. 137 00:06:25,719 --> 00:06:27,287 - Well we're all set to go and then we could 138 00:06:27,287 --> 00:06:28,521 order your carpet. 139 00:06:28,521 --> 00:06:31,691 - [Orlando] Okay, great, looking forward to it. 140 00:06:31,691 --> 00:06:34,761 - Starting a business is no easy task for one woman. 141 00:06:34,761 --> 00:06:37,864 You remember 2009 financially, or economically 142 00:06:37,864 --> 00:06:40,166 I should say, for this country it was not good. 143 00:06:40,166 --> 00:06:42,736 I did whatever it was that I needed to bring 144 00:06:42,736 --> 00:06:45,105 in money to keep afloat. 145 00:06:45,105 --> 00:06:47,874 I worked at Bloomingdales, I actually was assisting 146 00:06:47,874 --> 00:06:50,710 a stylist on a project, I did tag sales. 147 00:06:50,710 --> 00:06:54,180 You know I had to do what I had to do, and I did it. 148 00:06:54,180 --> 00:06:56,583 Entrepreneurship is not about being comfortable, 149 00:06:56,583 --> 00:06:58,685 it's a serious roller coaster ride, and you don't know 150 00:06:58,685 --> 00:07:00,487 when the next dip is coming, you don't know when 151 00:07:00,487 --> 00:07:02,455 the next hill you're gonna have to climb, 152 00:07:02,455 --> 00:07:05,125 but the key is just being ready. 153 00:07:11,264 --> 00:07:13,566 What I love about working in New York City, 154 00:07:13,566 --> 00:07:15,735 it is really like a global Mecca here, 155 00:07:15,735 --> 00:07:17,804 we have people coming from all over the world. 156 00:07:17,804 --> 00:07:21,241 It's continued to inspire me and my work. 157 00:07:22,942 --> 00:07:25,545 That's the thing, New York has so much to offer, 158 00:07:25,545 --> 00:07:27,314 it's all about what you wanna do. 159 00:07:27,314 --> 00:07:30,283 When I go outside, I look at buildings, 160 00:07:30,283 --> 00:07:32,552 I look at sidewalks, I look at people, 161 00:07:32,552 --> 00:07:35,155 I see design in everything. 162 00:07:35,155 --> 00:07:36,856 The beauty of being in a city like this 163 00:07:36,856 --> 00:07:39,926 is you really could pretty much do almost anything. 164 00:07:39,926 --> 00:07:42,095 And it's a great testing ground to see 165 00:07:42,095 --> 00:07:44,664 if your idea is going to stick. 166 00:07:54,107 --> 00:07:56,543 - [Announcer] Ellie Kassner began working with metal 167 00:07:56,543 --> 00:07:59,512 in the family subcontracting construction business 168 00:07:59,512 --> 00:08:02,082 when she was just 13 years old. 169 00:08:02,082 --> 00:08:05,585 After a stint in nearly every position in the company, 170 00:08:05,585 --> 00:08:09,756 Ellie took over WH Kassner as its first female president. 171 00:08:11,624 --> 00:08:14,894 - I'm Ellie Kassner, I'm the owner and president 172 00:08:14,894 --> 00:08:17,230 of WH Kassner, Incorporated. 173 00:08:18,698 --> 00:08:22,602 WH Kassner is a miscellaneous metal commercial construction 174 00:08:22,602 --> 00:08:24,804 fabrication installation business. 175 00:08:24,804 --> 00:08:28,842 We custom fabricate stairs, railings, and platforms 176 00:08:28,842 --> 00:08:32,278 on public works, and commercial projects. 177 00:08:35,448 --> 00:08:38,918 My grandfather started the business in 1961, 178 00:08:38,918 --> 00:08:42,389 in Glens Falls, New York, and in the 70s 179 00:08:42,389 --> 00:08:44,424 my father joined the business. 180 00:08:44,424 --> 00:08:47,961 They created a niche in the major pharmaceutical companies 181 00:08:47,961 --> 00:08:50,797 Phizer, Novartis, Bristol Myers Squibb. 182 00:08:50,797 --> 00:08:53,633 Every major pharmaceutical from Pennsylvania 183 00:08:53,633 --> 00:08:56,636 to Vermont, and we work in their high end 184 00:08:56,636 --> 00:08:59,272 R and D facilities making custom stainless steel 185 00:08:59,272 --> 00:09:02,008 platforming for their equipment. 186 00:09:02,008 --> 00:09:04,511 We worked on quite a few things in New York City, 187 00:09:04,511 --> 00:09:07,747 we worked on projects at Wards Island, 188 00:09:07,747 --> 00:09:11,918 Tallman Island, and projects at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. 189 00:09:18,758 --> 00:09:23,329 This is a 1970s Peddinghaus ironworker, it's called, 190 00:09:23,329 --> 00:09:27,500 and it's a major piece of machinery that runs our business. 191 00:09:29,169 --> 00:09:31,971 We've had it for over 20 years. 192 00:09:31,971 --> 00:09:35,942 It cuts flat and angle on this side, and bar stock, 193 00:09:35,942 --> 00:09:38,711 and on that side there's a punch. 194 00:09:46,786 --> 00:09:50,623 I grew up around the shop, I learned to weld 195 00:09:50,623 --> 00:09:52,725 with the Boy Scouts because I didn't like 196 00:09:52,725 --> 00:09:57,163 being a Girl Scout, and when I was 13, my gift 197 00:09:57,163 --> 00:10:00,633 from my parents was that I could get my working papers, 198 00:10:00,633 --> 00:10:05,138 and work here, and so I started working in the office 199 00:10:05,138 --> 00:10:08,241 and then I quickly moved on to being a shop hand, 200 00:10:08,241 --> 00:10:12,045 later in life I was a field hand on the install. 201 00:10:12,045 --> 00:10:14,747 I was the third man on a crew for a while, 202 00:10:14,747 --> 00:10:18,118 and then I became a project manager later, 203 00:10:18,118 --> 00:10:20,587 before taking over the business, so I like to think 204 00:10:20,587 --> 00:10:23,790 that I've worked in almost every position here 205 00:10:23,790 --> 00:10:26,493 before becoming president. 206 00:10:26,493 --> 00:10:31,197 Like any good construction worker I got my double major 207 00:10:31,197 --> 00:10:34,834 from Skidmore College in women's studies 208 00:10:34,834 --> 00:10:37,637 and english literature, with a business minor, 209 00:10:37,637 --> 00:10:41,574 and I lived a whole other life before I came here. 210 00:10:41,574 --> 00:10:46,212 I was in South Africa writing policy for a girl's shelter, 211 00:10:46,212 --> 00:10:49,949 so I went and did that because I knew once I signed on 212 00:10:49,949 --> 00:10:52,552 to this, once my last name was involved, 213 00:10:52,552 --> 00:10:54,521 I was never gonna leave. 214 00:10:54,521 --> 00:10:58,124 I came back from South Africa and I immediately 215 00:10:58,124 --> 00:11:00,560 was with the business. 216 00:11:00,560 --> 00:11:03,463 WH Kassner, Incorporated, is unique 217 00:11:03,463 --> 00:11:08,067 because we are a team that's been together for so long. 218 00:11:08,067 --> 00:11:12,572 My brother Dirk Kassner is my business partner. 219 00:11:12,572 --> 00:11:14,874 - Yeah, so they're building back to the retaining wall. 220 00:11:14,874 --> 00:11:19,279 - Back to the retaining wall with these angle frames 221 00:11:19,279 --> 00:11:22,148 that are drawn more completely in another set. 222 00:11:22,148 --> 00:11:25,852 We divide out the work by our natural skillsets 223 00:11:25,852 --> 00:11:28,288 which we know implicitly. 224 00:11:28,288 --> 00:11:31,858 Two inch oak slat, they're gonna demo this. 225 00:11:38,731 --> 00:11:42,902 As a woman in a dramatically male dominated industry, 226 00:11:44,504 --> 00:11:47,941 I used to struggle with being the only person 227 00:11:47,941 --> 00:11:51,077 who looked like me or sounded like me in a room, 228 00:11:51,077 --> 00:11:54,447 but I don't really have those insecurities anymore, 229 00:11:54,447 --> 00:11:57,216 I just see us all as being on the same team 230 00:11:57,216 --> 00:12:01,254 and working for the goal of the project being on time, 231 00:12:01,254 --> 00:12:03,323 on budget, and done well. 232 00:12:04,724 --> 00:12:08,494 These are new W12s by 30s for a new roof hatch, 233 00:12:08,494 --> 00:12:11,531 we can try to value engineer those to be lagged in 234 00:12:11,531 --> 00:12:14,701 or we can weld the anchors like usual. 235 00:12:16,169 --> 00:12:19,606 Being an entrepreneur to me means being the first one in 236 00:12:19,606 --> 00:12:23,676 and the last one out, but even in its toughest moments 237 00:12:23,676 --> 00:12:25,845 knowing that you're working for yourself 238 00:12:25,845 --> 00:12:29,382 and that all of that work pays off, 239 00:12:29,382 --> 00:12:31,884 and having confidence in that. 240 00:12:33,286 --> 00:12:35,922 Business owners in New York City have the unique 241 00:12:35,922 --> 00:12:39,959 opportunity to do anything they want, 242 00:12:39,959 --> 00:12:41,594 and have a market for it. 243 00:12:41,594 --> 00:12:45,832 It's such a unique population, everyone is interested 244 00:12:45,832 --> 00:12:49,969 in their own thing, and there are so many chances. 245 00:12:49,969 --> 00:12:52,438 Sometimes that can feel overwhelming, 246 00:12:52,438 --> 00:12:55,675 but once you get in the right mindset, it's just 247 00:12:55,675 --> 00:12:59,078 every turn holds a different opportunity. 248 00:13:00,246 --> 00:13:02,382 And when you come together as a team, 249 00:13:02,382 --> 00:13:05,318 when you put something in place and it all fits, 250 00:13:05,318 --> 00:13:07,754 at the end of the project you realize all these moving 251 00:13:07,754 --> 00:13:11,891 pieces are fastened strong and you're gonna pass it 252 00:13:11,891 --> 00:13:14,627 for your whole life, I pass projects everyday that 253 00:13:14,627 --> 00:13:18,231 my grandfather completed and that my father completed. 254 00:13:18,231 --> 00:13:19,632 You fall in love. 255 00:13:25,605 --> 00:13:28,307 - [Announcer] Cheryl Gentry discovered her entrepreneurial 256 00:13:28,307 --> 00:13:32,178 spirit very early on, she started her first business 257 00:13:32,178 --> 00:13:35,315 in high school, years later, after working for several 258 00:13:35,315 --> 00:13:38,284 large corporations in the music and fashion industry 259 00:13:38,284 --> 00:13:41,554 in event planning, she went off on her own to create 260 00:13:41,554 --> 00:13:45,725 Glow Global Events, a full service world wide events agency. 261 00:13:47,026 --> 00:13:48,027 - [Cheryl] We're on schedule. 262 00:13:48,027 --> 00:13:48,995 - Perfect, good to go. 263 00:13:48,995 --> 00:13:49,996 - Thank you. 264 00:13:51,664 --> 00:13:54,200 My name is Cheryl Gentry, I am the CEO and founder 265 00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:56,602 of Glow Global Events. 266 00:13:56,602 --> 00:13:58,938 Glow Global Events is an award winning 267 00:13:58,938 --> 00:14:01,474 event agency based in New York City. 268 00:14:01,474 --> 00:14:03,076 I'm trying to find the clients to still make sure 269 00:14:03,076 --> 00:14:05,712 we're still on for the 8:10 start time, 270 00:14:05,712 --> 00:14:09,515 we have about two minutes, so if you see her let her know. 271 00:14:09,515 --> 00:14:13,019 Our clients include non-profit organizations, 272 00:14:13,019 --> 00:14:17,457 we work with Emma Bowen Foundation, Boys and Girls Harbor, 273 00:14:17,457 --> 00:14:21,160 the Meteor Network, we also work with corporations 274 00:14:21,160 --> 00:14:24,497 like Allianz, Kaiser Permanente, we do work with 275 00:14:24,497 --> 00:14:28,468 the PGA, and so we've really had a great experience 276 00:14:28,468 --> 00:14:31,404 with working between sports industry, 277 00:14:31,404 --> 00:14:35,074 fashion, non-profits, and foundations. 278 00:14:35,074 --> 00:14:36,676 Did you get everyone their scripts? 279 00:14:36,676 --> 00:14:38,745 Then our team is all ready. 280 00:14:38,745 --> 00:14:41,280 Thank you, excuse me. 281 00:14:41,280 --> 00:14:43,783 - Please take your seats, our program 282 00:14:43,783 --> 00:14:46,085 will begin momentarily. 283 00:14:46,085 --> 00:14:48,321 - The students were instructed, do they know where to go? 284 00:14:48,321 --> 00:14:50,857 - [Woman] Yeah, they should, they should know. 285 00:14:50,857 --> 00:14:53,025 - Hey guys, it's showtime. 286 00:14:54,894 --> 00:14:57,530 I grew up in Washington DC. 287 00:14:57,530 --> 00:14:59,799 My first business, actually as an entrepreneur 288 00:14:59,799 --> 00:15:03,336 was in high school, my sister and I were selling 289 00:15:03,336 --> 00:15:06,272 lyrics to songs, people wanted to know the lyrics 290 00:15:06,272 --> 00:15:08,474 to the songs, we would write them, produce them, 291 00:15:08,474 --> 00:15:09,876 and then sell them. 292 00:15:09,876 --> 00:15:12,545 I attended Howard University, I worked at Marriott, 293 00:15:12,545 --> 00:15:14,814 the front desk, while I was still an undergrad. 294 00:15:14,814 --> 00:15:16,516 I was transferred to the corporate headquarters 295 00:15:16,516 --> 00:15:19,018 and worked there for two years. 296 00:15:19,018 --> 00:15:21,888 I left and moved to New York and started 297 00:15:21,888 --> 00:15:24,891 at Arista Records, I found myself staying in the office 298 00:15:24,891 --> 00:15:27,560 until midnight planning the album release parties. 299 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:29,896 After that I moved to the fashion business 300 00:15:29,896 --> 00:15:32,498 and worked at Girbaud and Boss. 301 00:15:32,498 --> 00:15:36,335 And again, I found myself staying extra late doing 302 00:15:36,335 --> 00:15:39,438 all the fashion shows, and preparing for Fashion Week. 303 00:15:39,438 --> 00:15:42,408 People were coming to me saying, who produced that event? 304 00:15:42,408 --> 00:15:44,076 Who did that fashion show? 305 00:15:44,076 --> 00:15:46,712 At that point I sat down for a retreat weekend 306 00:15:46,712 --> 00:15:50,283 with my mentors, and decided to start Glow. 307 00:15:50,283 --> 00:15:54,453 We spoke to the client today, we are making some changes. 308 00:15:55,922 --> 00:15:59,959 We had about four more sponsors come in for this event. 309 00:15:59,959 --> 00:16:02,495 Once we have that all laid out and planned, 310 00:16:02,495 --> 00:16:05,164 if you can just do the inventory list. 311 00:16:05,164 --> 00:16:05,998 - Okay. 312 00:16:05,998 --> 00:16:06,833 - Alright. 313 00:16:08,367 --> 00:16:11,737 I don't think people really see the details 314 00:16:11,737 --> 00:16:14,740 and the tasks that go into event planning. 315 00:16:14,740 --> 00:16:16,976 It's not just showing up the day of the event, 316 00:16:16,976 --> 00:16:18,978 everyone attends events and they're beautiful, 317 00:16:18,978 --> 00:16:21,480 they're colorful, they're electric. 318 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:25,451 The attendees, the celebrities, that's only the last part. 319 00:16:25,451 --> 00:16:27,854 That's the last 10% of planning. 320 00:16:27,854 --> 00:16:32,024 An event requires months, sometimes years of planning. 321 00:16:34,126 --> 00:16:36,395 We've always usually done the glass and I think that 322 00:16:36,395 --> 00:16:39,732 picks up for every event really well, 323 00:16:39,732 --> 00:16:41,634 so I like that, I like that look. 324 00:16:41,634 --> 00:16:43,970 I don't think we've done rock in here before. 325 00:16:43,970 --> 00:16:46,606 So that might be a good idea. 326 00:16:46,606 --> 00:16:49,642 Glow Global Events, over the last 19 years, 327 00:16:49,642 --> 00:16:51,210 has grown remarkably. 328 00:16:51,210 --> 00:16:54,347 We've been able to plan events world wide. 329 00:16:54,347 --> 00:16:57,817 London, and Africa, we've also done events 330 00:16:57,817 --> 00:17:00,853 in Hong Kong and Beijing, Macau, 331 00:17:00,853 --> 00:17:03,990 so we're truly a global agency. 332 00:17:03,990 --> 00:17:06,559 Later this week we have orchids, are we doing orchids? 333 00:17:06,559 --> 00:17:08,895 Is that delivery here, is that order here? 334 00:17:08,895 --> 00:17:13,799 - It's on its way, so we'll make sure everything is ready. 335 00:17:13,799 --> 00:17:16,235 - Perfect, so we have some great ideas for November. 336 00:17:16,235 --> 00:17:18,437 We have some great ideas for next week. 337 00:17:18,437 --> 00:17:22,341 I think with all the China, it's gonna look beautiful. 338 00:17:22,341 --> 00:17:23,542 - [Man] Great. 339 00:17:23,542 --> 00:17:24,777 - We started off with three clients, 340 00:17:24,777 --> 00:17:26,979 and now we have over 40 clients. 341 00:17:26,979 --> 00:17:29,382 We now have three offices globally, 342 00:17:29,382 --> 00:17:32,285 we have the New York office, we're in Los Angeles, 343 00:17:32,285 --> 00:17:33,719 and we're in London. 344 00:17:33,719 --> 00:17:37,256 There's no better way to influence the way people feel, 345 00:17:37,256 --> 00:17:39,959 act, or think, than through an event. 346 00:17:39,959 --> 00:17:41,093 - This is a celebration. 347 00:17:41,093 --> 00:17:44,297 (audience applause) 348 00:17:44,297 --> 00:17:46,899 - With a $40 billion event industry, 349 00:17:46,899 --> 00:17:49,235 I really do think within the event planning space, 350 00:17:49,235 --> 00:17:52,672 sky's the limit, and I plan to get there. 351 00:17:55,041 --> 00:17:58,077 I think the people that opened doors for me 352 00:17:58,077 --> 00:18:00,880 are my mentors, I really been someone 353 00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:03,282 that's been blessed with great timing. 354 00:18:03,282 --> 00:18:05,551 I meet great people at the right time 355 00:18:05,551 --> 00:18:08,220 that push me forward to the next introduction. 356 00:18:08,220 --> 00:18:11,190 Load in, we'd like you to arrive by 11 AM. 357 00:18:11,190 --> 00:18:13,926 My team will get there at six AM. 358 00:18:15,528 --> 00:18:18,898 What I love most about working in New York City 359 00:18:18,898 --> 00:18:21,734 is the energy, it's just electric. 360 00:18:22,835 --> 00:18:25,271 The one piece of advice that I would give 361 00:18:25,271 --> 00:18:27,974 entrepreneurs starting your business, 362 00:18:27,974 --> 00:18:31,744 you have to maintain your passion, you have to be focused, 363 00:18:31,744 --> 00:18:34,447 and you have to make sure when the road gets tough 364 00:18:34,447 --> 00:18:36,949 that you're gonna stick to it. 365 00:18:38,050 --> 00:18:39,885 Another glowing event. 366 00:18:51,364 --> 00:18:54,166 - [Announcer] Leith Hill was raised on a healthy diet. 367 00:18:54,166 --> 00:18:56,168 She learned to cook the food that she loved 368 00:18:56,168 --> 00:18:58,471 as a young adult, and many years later, 369 00:18:58,471 --> 00:19:00,906 noticed the need for accessible, nutritious, 370 00:19:00,906 --> 00:19:03,943 and delicious food, after finding a perfect space 371 00:19:03,943 --> 00:19:06,212 in the West Village, she opened the first 372 00:19:06,212 --> 00:19:08,481 Ellary's Greens Restaurant. 373 00:19:10,483 --> 00:19:12,818 - My name is Leith Hill, and I am the proud 374 00:19:12,818 --> 00:19:15,454 owner and founder of Ellary's Greens. 375 00:19:15,454 --> 00:19:19,291 Ellary's Greens, most succinctly, is a healthy restaurant 376 00:19:19,291 --> 00:19:22,194 here in the West Village in New York City. 377 00:19:22,194 --> 00:19:25,231 We have a very veggie forward menu, 378 00:19:25,231 --> 00:19:28,134 we have beautiful entrees, we have salads, 379 00:19:28,134 --> 00:19:31,771 sandwiches, we have four different types of burgers. 380 00:19:31,771 --> 00:19:35,641 We don't limit the market, we open it to everyone. 381 00:19:35,641 --> 00:19:37,109 - Which of the desserts are gluten free? 382 00:19:37,109 --> 00:19:39,879 - Sure, so this is gluten free, our pumpkin pie 383 00:19:39,879 --> 00:19:43,783 is gluten free, our turtle cookie is gluten free, 384 00:19:43,783 --> 00:19:45,785 our chocolate chip cookie is not. 385 00:19:45,785 --> 00:19:47,286 - [Woman] Oh okay. 386 00:19:47,286 --> 00:19:49,555 - Okay, everything's vegan, all of our desserts are vegan. 387 00:19:49,555 --> 00:19:51,691 Which also, as I know you know, if anybody 388 00:19:51,691 --> 00:19:53,526 is lactose intolerant, 389 00:19:53,526 --> 00:19:54,460 - Yes. 390 00:19:54,460 --> 00:19:55,861 - They can eat freely because, 391 00:19:55,861 --> 00:19:57,329 - [Woman] All the desserts. 392 00:19:57,329 --> 00:19:59,098 - All the desserts they want because they're vegan. 393 00:19:59,098 --> 00:19:59,932 - Awesome. 394 00:20:02,168 --> 00:20:05,137 - I'm from New Orleans for six generations. 395 00:20:05,137 --> 00:20:08,340 Now New Orleans is not known for super healthy food, 396 00:20:08,340 --> 00:20:12,511 it's known for booze, butter, beignets, but, 397 00:20:14,146 --> 00:20:16,682 I was raised by a health food enthusiast, 398 00:20:16,682 --> 00:20:20,853 so growing up I only ate whole foods and organic foods. 399 00:20:22,288 --> 00:20:25,658 It's very important to me to know the source of your food, 400 00:20:25,658 --> 00:20:27,326 so we know our farmers. 401 00:20:27,326 --> 00:20:30,429 I come to this quite naturally and I started making 402 00:20:30,429 --> 00:20:34,066 smoothies with my sister at age nine, 403 00:20:34,066 --> 00:20:37,703 and I've been juicing since I was 21. 404 00:20:37,703 --> 00:20:39,872 We're lucky enough to have this on tap, 405 00:20:39,872 --> 00:20:42,675 and we're one of the few restaurants that does. 406 00:20:42,675 --> 00:20:46,011 And we have the kombucha, but we also mix it 407 00:20:46,011 --> 00:20:48,214 with the Pilsner to make a shandy. 408 00:20:48,214 --> 00:20:49,181 - [Woman] Yum. 409 00:20:49,181 --> 00:20:50,983 - Yeah, it's really good. 410 00:20:50,983 --> 00:20:54,019 When I graduated from high school I took a gap year 411 00:20:54,019 --> 00:20:56,922 and I moved to France, and I went to university there, 412 00:20:56,922 --> 00:21:00,826 and had a job, and an apartment, and my apartment 413 00:21:00,826 --> 00:21:02,962 was in a house with a family. 414 00:21:02,962 --> 00:21:07,666 I cooked with them, and that was a joy. 415 00:21:07,666 --> 00:21:09,568 And we have the catering on Saturday. 416 00:21:09,568 --> 00:21:10,469 - [Man] Ah huh, yeah, I know. 417 00:21:10,469 --> 00:21:12,304 - Good, how big is it? 418 00:21:13,672 --> 00:21:15,407 - [Man] 60, 70. 419 00:21:15,407 --> 00:21:17,176 - Oh yeah, I did see that one. 420 00:21:17,176 --> 00:21:18,577 Yeah, yeah, yeah, I saw that one, I saw that one. 421 00:21:18,577 --> 00:21:20,412 They have a bunch coming. 422 00:21:20,412 --> 00:21:22,815 And Monday night is gonna be very busy. 423 00:21:22,815 --> 00:21:24,083 - [Man] Okay, yeah I know. 424 00:21:24,083 --> 00:21:25,284 - We have a bunch of big parties, you know that? 425 00:21:25,284 --> 00:21:27,753 Okay good, good, good, good, thanks. 426 00:21:27,753 --> 00:21:31,390 That was a great experience to see a different cuisine 427 00:21:31,390 --> 00:21:33,993 and be able to experience that, and I came back 428 00:21:33,993 --> 00:21:36,662 to America and I moved to Boston where I went to school, 429 00:21:36,662 --> 00:21:39,365 undergrad, and graduate, I continued cooking there. 430 00:21:39,365 --> 00:21:41,433 I have my masters in social work, 431 00:21:41,433 --> 00:21:45,538 I met my husband, and we moved to Long Island, 432 00:21:45,538 --> 00:21:48,707 and I had both of my children there and raised them there, 433 00:21:48,707 --> 00:21:52,178 and really the idea for Ellary's Greens came to me 434 00:21:52,178 --> 00:21:56,582 way back then, because I knew that there was a need 435 00:21:56,582 --> 00:21:59,218 for people to have beautiful, nutrient dense, 436 00:21:59,218 --> 00:22:03,255 delicious food easily accessible to them. 437 00:22:03,255 --> 00:22:05,891 I started Ellary's Greens actually in my kitchen, 438 00:22:05,891 --> 00:22:10,529 and I moved to the city in 2012, very specifically 439 00:22:10,529 --> 00:22:14,400 to dial up Ellary's Greens, and started looking 440 00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:17,303 for space, and I looked everywhere. 441 00:22:19,905 --> 00:22:23,342 It was surprisingly difficult because people who had 442 00:22:23,342 --> 00:22:27,513 commercial spaces wanted retail, they did not want food, 443 00:22:28,981 --> 00:22:32,918 and heat, and flames, and exhaust, and all the rest. 444 00:22:32,918 --> 00:22:36,255 And I'd really wanted somewhere that had a neighborhood, 445 00:22:36,255 --> 00:22:38,490 so there were people who worked here doing the day 446 00:22:38,490 --> 00:22:41,393 and people who also would dine here at night. 447 00:22:41,393 --> 00:22:44,496 Luckily I found the perfect place in the West Village on 448 00:22:44,496 --> 00:22:48,667 Carmine Street, and walked in, and just knew it was right. 449 00:22:49,868 --> 00:22:53,272 I opened the restaurant in April of 2013. 450 00:22:54,740 --> 00:22:57,376 One of the biggest joys was right after we opened, 451 00:22:57,376 --> 00:23:01,180 this kind of defining moment that said, oh my gosh, 452 00:23:01,180 --> 00:23:04,583 I've actually succeeded and created what I set out to do. 453 00:23:04,583 --> 00:23:06,752 It was a Friday night, and we were full, 454 00:23:06,752 --> 00:23:09,521 and I was on the stairs, and I could hear 455 00:23:09,521 --> 00:23:12,024 everybody in the kitchen laughing and talking 456 00:23:12,024 --> 00:23:14,293 and preparing food, and I could hear everybody 457 00:23:14,293 --> 00:23:17,630 in the dining room laughing and talking and dining. 458 00:23:17,630 --> 00:23:20,833 I stood on the stairs and I froze, 459 00:23:20,833 --> 00:23:23,002 and I just started to cry. 460 00:23:24,870 --> 00:23:28,040 Starting a restaurant is not for the faint of heart. 461 00:23:28,040 --> 00:23:30,643 When you go into something like food because its your 462 00:23:30,643 --> 00:23:34,380 passion, and unless you have a background in construction 463 00:23:34,380 --> 00:23:37,349 and building out, it's not your passion and it's 464 00:23:37,349 --> 00:23:41,120 probably not your forte, and in my case, it was neither. 465 00:23:41,120 --> 00:23:43,622 And there was a church a few doors down, and there were 466 00:23:43,622 --> 00:23:46,158 many days when I would go in the church before I got 467 00:23:46,158 --> 00:23:48,494 to Ellary's Greens, and I would have a little cry, 468 00:23:48,494 --> 00:23:49,828 and then I would walk into Ellary's Greens 469 00:23:49,828 --> 00:23:53,799 and I'd be able to face what was in front of me. 470 00:23:53,799 --> 00:23:56,402 It's extremely important that you can do every job 471 00:23:56,402 --> 00:23:58,637 in the company and that your team knows that. 472 00:23:58,637 --> 00:24:01,140 Now you don't want to, you wanna work on the company 473 00:24:01,140 --> 00:24:04,009 and not for the company, when push comes to shove, 474 00:24:04,009 --> 00:24:06,879 you need to be able to do every job. 475 00:24:06,879 --> 00:24:10,082 I think there's a lot of respect that comes from that. 476 00:24:10,082 --> 00:24:13,285 Being a woman had an enormous effect on the process 477 00:24:13,285 --> 00:24:16,722 for good and bad, I've built out three restaurants now, 478 00:24:16,722 --> 00:24:20,192 and I have found that people assume that you 479 00:24:20,192 --> 00:24:21,727 don't know what you're talking about, 480 00:24:21,727 --> 00:24:24,563 that they can change your mind, and that you're just 481 00:24:24,563 --> 00:24:26,865 not really bright enough to get it. 482 00:24:26,865 --> 00:24:29,768 And that is incredibly frustrating and insulting. 483 00:24:29,768 --> 00:24:31,971 So the good news is I was able to weed out 484 00:24:31,971 --> 00:24:34,740 anyone who was disrespectful and keep the really good 485 00:24:34,740 --> 00:24:38,911 people and continue to work with them to this day. 486 00:24:41,313 --> 00:24:43,515 What I love most about working in New York City 487 00:24:43,515 --> 00:24:47,820 is that I am surrounded by fascinating people, 488 00:24:47,820 --> 00:24:50,356 everybody has an interesting story, and I learn 489 00:24:50,356 --> 00:24:53,425 from them every single day. 490 00:24:53,425 --> 00:24:55,694 In everything that I've done I've learned from 491 00:24:55,694 --> 00:24:58,764 along the way and been able to bring into this, 492 00:24:58,764 --> 00:25:03,235 my passion, and I am very happy that I really took the time 493 00:25:03,235 --> 00:25:05,404 to figure out what is my next chapter? 494 00:25:05,404 --> 00:25:06,372 What is my passion? 495 00:25:06,372 --> 00:25:08,540 What do I really wanna do? 496 00:25:08,540 --> 00:25:10,476 And then put my energy toward it. 497 00:25:10,476 --> 00:25:12,544 It's been a great journey, and when I think back 498 00:25:12,544 --> 00:25:16,715 on where I started, I do take a lot of pride in that. 499 00:25:20,285 --> 00:25:21,987 - [Announcer] Each of the four women featured 500 00:25:21,987 --> 00:25:24,923 in this episode of Her Big Idea, not only runs 501 00:25:24,923 --> 00:25:29,094 successful companies, but also serve as mentors for WENYC. 502 00:25:30,462 --> 00:25:34,533 - WENYC is New York City's women entrepreneurs initiative. 503 00:25:35,968 --> 00:25:39,605 - [Announcer] Launched in 2015, WENYC is an initiative 504 00:25:39,605 --> 00:25:41,840 based out of the New York City Department of Small 505 00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:44,610 Business Services that is dedicated to helping women 506 00:25:44,610 --> 00:25:47,613 start and grow their own businesses. 507 00:25:47,613 --> 00:25:51,750 - WENYC will help you whether you're at the conceptual 508 00:25:51,750 --> 00:25:56,755 phase, later in your actualization, or growth phase. 509 00:25:56,755 --> 00:25:59,491 - As an entrepreneur, I'm alone a lot of the time, 510 00:25:59,491 --> 00:26:02,728 and it's been a great community to help me understand 511 00:26:02,728 --> 00:26:05,798 resources available for my business and for me. 512 00:26:05,798 --> 00:26:09,535 - We spent about eight weeks together taking different 513 00:26:09,535 --> 00:26:11,670 sessions around leadership development, 514 00:26:11,670 --> 00:26:15,174 around how to gain access to capital. 515 00:26:15,174 --> 00:26:17,910 - I love accounting and working with small businesses, 516 00:26:17,910 --> 00:26:21,013 helping them set up their financials and their accounting 517 00:26:21,013 --> 00:26:23,649 systems, and those are the questions that I get 518 00:26:23,649 --> 00:26:26,385 and that's what I focus on when I'm helping them. 519 00:26:26,385 --> 00:26:29,721 - My experience as a mentor has been absolutely amazing. 520 00:26:29,721 --> 00:26:33,091 WENYC has created a space for women to feel comfortable 521 00:26:33,091 --> 00:26:35,828 and be vulnerable, so I think the value is tremendous 522 00:26:35,828 --> 00:26:39,965 and is priceless, it can't be matched to anything else. 523 00:26:39,965 --> 00:26:41,500 - This journey can be difficult, 524 00:26:41,500 --> 00:26:43,836 and it's nice to have people helping. 525 00:26:43,836 --> 00:26:47,539 - It's such a unique moment for women entrepreneurs 526 00:26:47,539 --> 00:26:50,843 in the world, but particularly in New York City. 527 00:26:50,843 --> 00:26:54,279 This is our time to shine and there's so many resources. 528 00:26:54,279 --> 00:26:56,949 - [Announcer] To learn more about WENYC programs, 529 00:26:56,949 --> 00:27:01,053 or becoming a mentor, visit their website at WE.nyc. 530 00:27:02,421 --> 00:27:05,424 (upbeat jazz music)