Venus Rising

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Katy Lesser Grew her Natural Foods Market from a Tiny Sprout

Healthy Living moved into a new building that Katy designed and built on the lot of an old car dealership at the end of 2007. Katy says the store now has things like loading docks, a receiving room, a staff room, walk-in coolers; things that customers don't see or care about but make a huge difference to the staff. There are now over 2000 new grocery items and a larger product mix in every department. The cafe is much bigger, and it has become a community favorite. 

So how did Katy manage to create a new space almost quadruple the size of her former store? "It continues to be a huge challenge," she says. "There is no overcoming anything yet. I think it is going to take me about two years to really reach some equilibrium. Having a staff of 150 people is daunting. There are a ton of challenges and a lot of moving parts!"

Katy says she is very motivated though because she is providing good jobs to a bunch of terrific people as well as "a fun, interesting, surprising place for the community to shop." She also feels really good about providing a place for local farmers to sell their products. "I have always loved the industry and our amazing community."

Both of Katy's children now work full-time at her store. Her son, Eli, has worked at the store since he was eight years old! He went away to college, came back, has worked full time for eight years, and is now the general manager. Katy’s daughter, Nina, who also went away to college and then to culinary school, is coming back in May to run the cooking school and create the educational arm of the business. "I think they're both going to do some really cool things."

So what can other women business owners learn from Katy? "Do something that really brings you joy. Be tenacious, never give up, have fun, learn something every day, stay humble, serve people. If you serve people generously, you'll never lose."