We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Brigette Harenda. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Brigette below.
Brigette, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. The first dollar your business earns is always special and we’d love to hear how your brand made its first dollar of revenue.
I didn’t know it was my first client at the time. Turns out it was the first client of my new company, and the last of my previous company’s. In 2006, I was approached by a local developer who was looking to open a hotel in Milwaukee. He asked me to help him create a brand for an independent hotel at the time I owned a marketing and PR firm. He had never opened a hotel either so he said we’d figure it out together. That project became The Iron Horse Hotel which opened in September 2008, literally the day the market crashed. The last investor walked and the owner opened $7 million short. He offered to trade what he owed me for an ownership percentage of the hotel. So that’s what I did, as a result it became the first client of my new company. I turned to the team and said, ok, we’re in the hotel business now.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce your company and what do you?
B&CO. is a hospitality branding firm. We’re a small team but we have been able to take on an enormous number of projects by developing an efficient yet creative branding process. I’m most proud of fostering a culture that has attracted amazing team members who have been with me for up to nearly 12 years. This group values each other as much as the work we do. I’m grateful.
Over the past 15 years, we’ve branded or marketed more than 100 hotels, bars and restaurants. We’re hospitality junkies and love this industry. Our work has taken us all over the country, to the Caribbean and as far away as Greece.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
As a small company based in Milwaukee – not exactly a mecca for hotel branding – we’ve worked hard to establish a track record for success. Initially, we worked with local and regional developers and hotel management companies. We approached each project with fresh eyes and developed a process for hospitality branding that resulted in our own way of approaching discovery through implementation.
Successful projects resulted in repeat business, national and international clients, and gained the attention of the soft brands. Eventually we were approved by Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt and Kimpton to brand their lifestyle hotels.
I also got deeply involved in a fantastic industry organization about 8 years ago. Independent Lodging Congress has been instrumental in meaningful dialog and relationships. All of this has allowed us to grow our business within a very competitive industry.
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
I don’t think I manage people. In fact, I’m not very good at that at all. But I do think I know how to build a company culture. B&Co. has never had a team that numbers in the double digits. We’re intentionally small. And I think it’s why it works.
As a boutique agency, we work as a team. Yes, we bring individual strengths and skills. But we don’t just stay in our lanes. We’re brand strategists and approach each project with collectiveness. Everyone is thrown in the deep end from early on. Everyone presents to the client and contributes to the final product.
We keep in mind that client joy is essential and harmony is the office is everything. We work hard but treat each other like family. We celebrate anniversaries and birthdays. We’ve had Margarita Fridays since we started. When stress gets the best of us, we work it out. I believe that when people are heard and appreciated, it fosters both productivity and happiness.
Contact Info:
- Website: Bcobranding.com
- Instagram: @Bcobranding
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BCobranding
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brigetteharenda