Texas Women To Watch 2019: Brandi Vitier of The Bank of San Antonio

Texas Women To Watch 2019: Brandi Vitier of The Bank of San Antonio

by | Aug 17, 2019 | Feature

Imagery courtesy of The Bank of San Antonio

Hard work has been a defining trait for my career. I incorporate that into my belief that you get what you give. Also, as a double mastectomy and cancer survivor, I have been taught the valuable lesson of truly understanding how short life is, and why I really love the hustle.  I have been involved in numerous Board positions since 2006, as I feel it is essential to serve the community and give back to the city in which you live. 

–Brandi Vitier

 

What was the defining moment in your past that set you on the career path you ended up following?  

For me, the tipping point was having a boss that saw my potential. He helped me to realize what I was truly capable of accomplishing in my career. Eleven years later, that same boss continues to push me and is constantly lifting me up. 

What makes you unique in your industry?

I love the hustle. I live to service my clients. It is truly a joy to see their successes and know that I played a small role in them. The Bank of San Antonio allows me to continue to be creative in my role, and that is very rare in my industry.  

What is one way you hope to impact your community in the future, either personally or professionally? 

Continued service to Boards of Directors for local nonprofit organizations will always be part of what I do to impact the community, regardless of my age.  I also see the work at The Bank of San Antonio as effort that ultimately grows jobs for our community.  Having been a part of the bank for eleven years and experiencing the materialization of the hard work I have put in is very satisfying, because it has directly helped to grow jobs for others, and that brings me great fulfillment. 

If you could sit down with any woman in the world–either from history or who is currently living–who would that be and what would you discuss with her? 

I would sit down with former Texas Governor Ann Richards. When I was a young girl growing up in San Antonio, watching Ann’s career from afar inspired me to get involved within the community. Ann was strong, graceful and witty. She was a wonderfully captivating combination for a woman in politics, especially at the time. When I was a child, she was the most powerful woman that I had ever seen…and she was from Texas, which was an added bonus. I always wanted to be like Ann. She believed in hard work, and she never stopped giving back to the community until the day she died. 

Connect with Brandi Vitier at TheBankofSanAntonio.com/Executive/Brandi-Vitier, on LinkedIn, on Facebook and on Instagram @thebankofsa.

This profile was (Em)powered by The Bank of San Antonio.

Edited from an interview by Eleanora Morrison. 

Texas Women To Watch 2019: Wendy Bowman of Wendy Bird LLC

Texas Women To Watch 2019: Wendy Bowman of Wendy Bird LLC

by | Aug 17, 2019 | Feature

Imagery courtesy of Wendy Bowman. Feature Image photography by John Silva.

Human connectivity drives me above anything else. I want to learn and capture people’s stories. That need for exploration, adventure and camaraderie that we all develop in our childhood and adolescence never left me. When I realized that every experience is both precious and transient I had an overwhelming desire to manifest these moments into permanent objects. With photography and video I am able to freeze time and space forever. We all have an intense relationship to nostalgia—the best films, photographs, advertisements and songs touch on that inner child spirit within each of us. The work that brings us together and strips us down to our basic human emotions—that is the most successful work and the driving force behind everything I produce.
–Wendy Bowman

What was the defining moment in your past that set you on the career path you ended up following?  

I moved to New York City a week after I graduated from university and started working as an intern for an internationally acclaimed artist named Sarah Morris. I remember the day I started working for her she had a film opening in a group show at Sotheby’s. She was kicked back on the floor in a long red jumpsuit sipping champagne and whispering secrets with Uma Thurman and I thought to myself—“I have arrived.” I had not ever seen or experienced anything like the high art world in my entire life and more importantly I had yet to discover my capabilities to successfully work inside of that world. After 4 months of interning I burned some of my paintings onto a CD and asked to apply to be a painter for Sarah. She gave me a trial run to produce one of her “small” paintings (4 x 4 ft.) from start to finish. She was impressed with my skills and potential and hired me full time. I painted for her and led the painting production team for the next six years. I also traveled with her across France, Abu Dhabi, LA, and Germany to do the still production photography for 3 of her films which covered content from the Liwa Desert to the Dior Perfume Factory to architect Frank Gehry’s studio. I learned everything about being an artist from her—mostly about how to get where you want to be, when you want to be there, and not accepting “no” for an answer. We still work together today and remain great friends. I would not be where I am now without that one pivotal moment of taking the job to work for her. 

Sarah Morris in her New York studio photographed by Wendy Bowman for Muse Magazine, 2017

Wendy Bowman shooting on location in the Liwa desert for Sarah Morris’s 2016 film “Abu Dhabi”

Falcon Training in the Liwa Desert, photographed by Wendy Bowman for Sarah Morris’s film “Abu Dhabi” in 2016

What makes you unique in your industry?I am a chameleon. Professionally, I am a photographer, videographer, and painter, but I am also a writer, a graphic designer, and started as a singer/ songwriter when I was a kid. I see my work as two limbs growing from the same tree that constantly intertwine and effect each other. One is my fine artwork and the other is my commercial work. I do not discriminate against the corporate world. In fact, I believe that bringing my experience and multidisciplinary skill set to a company that is outside of the creative field is part of my duty as an artist. 

“Greenpoint Rain” by Wendy Bowman for her solo exhibition “Nocturnal,” on view September 1-30th, 2019 at Mercury Project in Southtown San Antonio

Jillian Mercado for UNMUTED, a video series shot by Wendy Bowman in the New York City subway

What is one way you hope to impact your community in the future, either personally or professionally? 

While living in New York I started to see my hometown of San Antonio through a different lens. I became enamored with Southtown’s vibrance and soul and began photographing the sun-saturated architecture which turned into my solo exhibition “Southtown” at Anarte Gallery in 2016. My goal is to create elevated and tasteful artwork for local companies and people so that the world may see San Antonio for its same beauty and charm that I saw when I left. 

“Southtown I” by Wendy Bowman

If you could sit down with any woman in the world–either from history or who is currently living–who would that be and what would you discuss with her?

I would like to meet my great, great paternal grandmother Anna Laurie Rose. She was an artist and the first of three generations of women to own and manage our historic family ranch which was once a fort during the Civil War. She left it to her only daughter (my great grandmother Eleanor Lewis) who left it to her only daughter (my grandmother Mary Ann Bowman). I would ask her what trials she had to face as a single woman widowed twice and managing a property in the beginning of the 20th century when women weren’t allowed to purchase land without a man. I would discuss how she found balance between motherhood, managing her property alone, and creating artwork. I would ask her about what gave her strength, what she feared, and how she persevered through many of the same adversities independent professional women still face today. 

Connect with Wendy Bowman at WendyBowman.com, on LinkedIn and on Instagram @wendybowman_.

This profile was (Em)powered by S.H.E Media.

Edited from an interview by Eleanora Morrison. 

Texas Women To Watch 2019: Lynsey Hernandez of Lynsey Louise Boutique

Texas Women To Watch 2019: Lynsey Hernandez of Lynsey Louise Boutique

by | Aug 16, 2019 | Feature

Imagery courtesy of Lynsey Hernandez

I didn’t start off as a boutique owner. My career started in social work, working with foster children, and then moved to bookkeeping when I became a mom. I’ve been a single mom for sometime now, and our life had reached a point where it needed something more. I didn’t want to get back into social work, but I wanted to do something impactful. I did some research and a boutique specializing in social impact brands was the perfect fit. I have always loved style and fashion.  I have always believed in the good in people. When given the right opportunities, people can overcome extraordinary circumstances. Being able to combine these two passions was such a natural fit. 
–Lynsey Hernandez

What was the defining moment in your past that set you on the career path you ended up following?  

I don’t know that it was one defining moment; I think there are several things along the way that have lead me to this path. It sounds so cliché, but several years ago, I watched a Netflix documentary called “The True Cost” and that’s when it clicked that we can use fashion as a way to impact lives and support women. Shopping and what we wear seems so simple and sometimes superficial, but in reality, there’s much more to it.  It affects so many lives from the CEO of a company, to the factory workers, to the communities, to the consumers.  I realized that I can take something as simple as a bracelet and use it for the power that it holds. 

What makes you unique in your industry?

 I can remember shopping with my mom when I was little.  People were so nice and always knew just what she wanted.  Things are so fast paced nowadays that we don’t always get that customer care.  I wanted Lynsey Louise to be like some of my favorite local boutiques and offer a memorable experience when you walk into the store. There is always wine, coffee and water, and sometimes cupcakes or other snacks. 

My boys are there a lot, if they’re not in school or in fencing.  They will most definitely join me in (lovingly) telling you if a piece just doesn’t work, or they’ll join me in telling you that it’s fabulous. My belief is that by creating a community of authenticity within the store, our customers will always feel and look their best in pieces I have specifically hand-picked by the brands I carry. I seek out local or social impact brands that support women who are overcoming some very difficult life circumstances, such as drug addiction, human trafficking, extreme poverty, childhood hunger and the foster care system.  The world can be just as ugly as it is beautiful, but as uncomfortable as it can be to talk about the ugly parts, a beautiful bracelet, a fun jacket or a trendy handbag are easy to talk about, and that conversation graciously opens the door to deeper conversations about awareness and how we can help others through our consumer choices. Awareness is always the first step toward change. 

What is one way you hope to impact your community in the future, either personally or professionally? 

I want to make a difference and hope I leave my community better than it was when I got here. I love what I’m doing with the store, but I think that the way I raise my children is more important in terms of legacy. For me, if my boys grow up to be loyal, inclusive, compassionate, innovative, hardworking adults, I did more for the world than I could have asked for.    

If you could sit down with any woman in the world–either from history or who is currently living–who would that be and what would you discuss with her? 

My grandmother.  I was lucky enough to have her in my life until my late 20’s. She could keep up with the best of ’em. She loved entertaining, cooking, baseball, volunteering, traveling, and had such classic style. She was the type of woman that when my grandfather told her he wouldn’t buy her a washing machine, she went out and got a job. When she had saved enough to buy one, he offered to buy one for her.  She wasn’t angry, but she didn’t accept the offer.  She said, “No thank you. I’ll buy it.”  She was such a class act and accepted everyone as they are.  I would give anything to have another conversation with her. I’d love to hear her opinion on today’s society, on my store, on my boys, on women’s empowerment, on education…on everything.  

Connect with Lynsey Hernandez at Lynsey-Louise.MyBigCommerce.com, on LinkedIn, on Facebook and on Instagram @shoplynseylouise.

This profile was (Em)powered by Lynsey Louise boutique.

Edited from an interview by Eleanora Morrison. 

Texas Women To Watch 2019: Lisa Weller of Twirl Salon and Twirl ATX

Texas Women To Watch 2019: Lisa Weller of Twirl Salon and Twirl ATX

by | Aug 14, 2019 | Feature

Imagery courtesy of Lisa Weller

“Love is Beauty.” This concept is my anchor.  Without love, it is impossible to create true beauty.  Our mission at my salons is to make women better…inside and out. Love is the essential ingredient to this mission: love for what we do, for each other, for ourselves and for our clients. 
–Lisa Weller

What was the defining moment in your past that set you on the career path you ended up following? 

I was in a dead–end job…a job that was fitting to my college degree, but I was without a sense of purpose. I longed to be good at something and to do some good, so I prayed to God and specifically asked for a talent and a passion. Through circumstantial happenstance, my husband suggested hairdressing and the trajectory of my life miraculously changed.  Of course, I had to learn and practice and seek out the best education, but my natural ability is truly a gift, and my passion for hairdressing has never wavered since. 

Lisa Weller in her home

Lisa and Courtney Weller at Twirl’s 10 Year Anniversary Party

What makes you unique in your industry?

I am constantly striving to be uniquely excellent, connected and devoted. I have a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition, which has given me an above–average working knowledge of chemistry as it relates to hair. This has helped me perform chemical services while keeping the integrity of the hair in its healthiest state, which is what our salons are now known for.  I also worked in New York City at Bumble and bumble and was trained in the skills of editorial work.  For twenty years I have sought out mutually beneficial relationships with the leaders of our industry – each year I work over two months behind the scenes in the fashion industry with the best of the best in New York, London, Milan and Paris. I have access to the brains of the best hairdressers in the world and I am on the front lines where trends are set at Fashion weeks. I bring that knowledge back to my salons in San Antonio and Austin and provide education to my staff and clients so that we can all benefit. I truly have single–minded devotion to the hair industry with a loyal support staff. 

Lisa Weller styling supermodel Bella Hadid backstage at the Off-White fall 2019 show during Paris Fashion Week

What is one way you hope to impact your community in the future, either personally or professionally? 

My hope is to give high school educated young women–my employees–much better than a minimum living wage, and to surmount the cycle of generational poverty which is sadly so prevalent in our society. 

Lisa Weller (C) and her ‘Twirl Girls’

If you could sit down with any woman in the world–either from history or who is currently living–who would that be and what would you discuss with her? 

Jen Atkin – for her transparency, for her access, for her love, for her goodness, for her business sense and for her professionalism.  She is an inspiration. I can only hope to affect positive change in the hair industry on a small scale through my work, and I amazed at how she is able to do so globally.   

Connect with Lisa Weller at TwirlHair.com, on Facebook and on Instagram @lolatwirls and @twirlsalon.

This profile was (Em)powered by S.H.E Media.

Edited from an interview by Eleanora Morrison. 

Texas Women To Watch 2019: Katy Aucoin of Dearduck

Texas Women To Watch 2019: Katy Aucoin of Dearduck

by | Aug 13, 2019 | Feature

Photography by Haley Webster

I value my relationships more than anything and forming empathy for others has always been something I strive to do.  It is my personal mission, and the mission of Dearduck, to empower everyone to building meaningful, authentic relationships with the people in their lives.  
–Katy Aucoin

What was the defining moment in your past that set you on the career path you ended up following? 

From my early childhood days to my career as an IT consultant, there are so many things that have magically come together and led me to create Dearduck. 

But actually getting started was another thing entirely. In June of 2015, I had the courage to ask a woman I admired, Marcie Zlotnik, to coffee for business advice. She mentored me and saw me fail many times before getting to where I am today with Dearduck. She never stopped believing in me and continues to push me to be better everyday. I am forever thankful to her. 

What makes you unique in your industry?

Dearduck is a software company, but it actually has a handful of features that were modeled after things I did as a child. 

For example, when I was four, I would give tours of my grandmother’s garden and charge $1. I would observe each person and scribble their favorite flowers in my notebook.  Throughout the year, I would charge $1 for anyone who needed to know my mom or my aunts’ favorite flowers. 

I would also play games with friends to see how well we could choose things for each other. We would open a magazine and have to guess what the other person would pick to read or buy. It was always a little nerve wracking because everyone really wanted to get it right…it was a difficult guessing game.

Dearduck.com

What is one way you hope to impact your community in the future, either personally or professionally? 

Dearduck is the most challenging thing I have ever done. But, I absolutely love what I do. Even with the hardships, it gives me so much happiness.  

I want to be able to share this with as many people as possible. I am working to build a large company that does not just give people in the community financial stability, but a company with a culture that promotes happiness, creativity, and enriches people’s everyday lives.  

If you could sit down with any woman in the world–either from history or who is currently living–who would that be and what would you discuss with her? 

Hands down, Maya Angelou. I would love to hear the many stories filled with her resilient optimism. Especially the ones that would have left most people feeling defeated, but  instead gave her a good laugh and motivated her to rise up higher than before. Oh, and Ellen Degeneres…no explanation needed. 

Connect with Katy Aucoin at Dearduck.com, on LinkedIn, on Facebook and on Instagram @dearduck_.

This profile was (Em)powered by dearduck. 

Edited from an interview by Eleanora Morrison.