LABELLE CABINETRY & LIGHTING
SPECIALIZED CABINETRY & LIGHTING

Your Own Way

What is the name of your business? LaBelle, meaning “the beautiful.” Only later did I see that it also had the definition “the beautiful lady without mercy.”

How did your business get started? I left a lumberyard to open my business in 2007. It was scary and exciting at the same time. My family pushed me to be in control of what I love to do.

What’s been your biggest failure/struggle and how did you overcome it? I just opened up my business and the housing market decided to crash in 2008. I remember my husband telling me, “it’s just money, we will make it through this.” I had a loan to pay, a family to feed, and a commitment I had made to myself. There were months I didn’t have enough to pay myself, but I am no quitter. I pushed through it. I learned a lot about myself and what I am capable of.

How do you define success? Having a client tell me how much they love their new kitchen, how easy of a process it was, or telling a friend about their experience.

What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur? Drive, confidence, and problem solving.

What kind of culture exists in your organization and how did you establish it? Go with the flow. With just two of us here at LaBelle, we’ve learned to do everything ourselves and adapt to whatever comes with a positive attitude.

What quote or motto do you live by? Follow your arrow. Sometimes your practice pays off and you hit the bullseye. Sometimes your arrow completely misses the target and takes you in a different direction. Learn from it, adapt, and it just might lead you on a better path.

What sets you apart from your competition? I make my customers think about where they are going to put specific items in their kitchen or think about how they like to do laundry so we can set up those spaces to fit their needs. I want my customers to be confident in their decisions.

How did Covid affect your business? Walk-in customers slowed, but email and phone orders increased. It has sparked everyone to remodel and build. Covid for us now means delays, backorders, and extended lead times, but people are learning and most have adapted.

Three words that best describe you? Adventurous, positive, and driven.

What’s your go-to business or industry-specific book/podcast you recommend? Andy Frisella! I love his “Andygrams” or message of the day. It is very blunt and to the point – no filter. One of my favorites is “The people who are the absolute best at sales are in the business of helping … Not selling.”

What’s your best time management hack? Multi-tasking and no rest for the weary. Go, go, go!

How do you maintain work/life balance? I not only own LaBelle Cabinetry and Lighting, and my husband owns a few businesses, but our family also runs a Black Hereford cattle ranch full-time. Most nights, we don’t eat supper until after 9 p.m. I’m not sure how some days we get it all done and have time to enjoy life with friends and family, but we do!