Nobody had an easy time in the early days of the pandemic, but Ben Bridge chief executive Lisa Bridge had more to worry about than most.
She gave birth to her first child, Rose, on March 15, 2020, the week that the country was ordered into a hard lock down.
Instead of recuperating after the birth, Lisa was forced to make a phone call to her management, ordering the entire network of 83 stores on the West Coast to close.
“Our business has evolved tremendously over the past few years, so I spend time balancing being guardian of our culture while also driving innovation.”
The locations of the stores, spread across across nine states, including California, where Covid-related restrictions were among the hardest and longest-endured in the country, meant Ben Bridge dealing with ever-changing regulations to find a way to keep trading successfully.
Never one to waste a good crisis, Lisa has concentrated her energy over the past two years on rationalizing the network of stores into a more tightly curated group.
After selling 40 Pandora boutiques back to the brand, Ben Bridge now has around 30 jewelry and watch showrooms across the West Coast.
She has also moved the business over to cutting-edge technology platforms. “Our business has evolved tremendously over the past few years, so I spend time balancing being guardian of our culture while also driving innovation,” she says.
Bricks-and-mortar watch and jewelry showrooms remain central to Ben Bridge’s future, and this year the company is opening two new stores in Hawaii and relocating its historic flagship showroom in its hometown of Seattle to a new location on 5th Street and Pine, in the heart of the city’s upmarket retail district.
That new store will set a fresh benchmark for the level of service the company delivers.
“Being able to plant a new flag for the future will provide a uniquely Ben Bridge experience for our customers,” Lisa promises.
“Growing and reinvesting in our key locations provides a new energy and excitement for our associates and customers alike.”
Work and life overlap in Lisa’s house, but she still finds time to enjoy the rich outdoor life on her doorstep in the Pacific Northwest. “I love being outside and being active,” she shares.
“It is skiing in the winter, hiking and being on the water in the summer, and year-round running. I find peace and perspective being among beautiful nature – mountains, trees, and water.”
The other “great joy” in her life is the people she surrounds herself with. “I am lucky to have an incredible husband and daughter and very special family and friends,” she beams.
“We love to have a full house and share good food and lots of laughs.”
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