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Alex Brandwein - Brandwein's Bagels
Welcome to Owner Operated: Conversations with Small Business Millionaires.
This week, I spoke with Alex Brandwein, owner of Brandwein's Bagels in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Listen to this week's show on Spotify, Apple, Google Podcasts or Stitcher.
Alex started Brandwein's after a successful 8-year career in investment banking and private equity in New York City. He hit a breaking point and transitioned to studying for his MBA at UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School.
Alex and I met through a mentorship program at Carolina and have been good friends ever since. Listen for how I reacted when Alex first asked me, "What do you think of me starting a bagel shop?"
We covered:
- Making the jump from a job in banking to owning a small business
- The grind and behind-the-scenes work that most don't see
- Alex's schedule when launching the shop (hint: sleep took a backseat for a while)
- Avoiding burnout and keeping up with your mental health as a business owner
- What to ask potential employees, how to create a culture of fun
- Backing out of the business to allow it to grow
- Why "Work life balance" isn't real
- Course-correcting for success and happiness
Alex lives by one of Teddy Roosevelt's his famous sayings I found insightful:
“Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” - Teddy Roosevelt
You can listen to Owner Operated on iTunes, Spotify, Google, or Stitcher.
Thank you for listening and shout-out to everyone who's given me feedback on the podcast and left reviews on iTunes. I can't thank you all enough.
It's all about those 1% improvements every day that improve the show and make it super rewarding. I'm looking forward to sharing more conversations with you.
Lastly - if you're in the Triangle, you have to check out Brandwein's Bagels in Chapel Hill. They're by far my favorite bagels in the Triangle. I usually go with the classic Egg & Cheese.
See you next Wednesday.
