There’s no shortage of success stories in Nashville, and many of those stories belong to the incredible women who are paving their own path and opening doors for generations to come.
Whether they’re building an idea from the ground up, crunching numbers, or working to make a difference in the lives of others, these are the trailblazing women of Music City — and their stories are sure to inspire you.
Julianne Goodwin Vice President of B. F. Myers
DAY IN THE LIFE
I’m technically the Vice President of B. F. Myers, but being a member of the family in a family business, you tend to wear a lot of hats. So, depending on the needs of the business, my day-to-day changes. A lot of my time is spent buying the upholstery that we showcase in the store. We go to market four times a year, so deciding on what we’ll show in the store takes up a lot of time. I have done everything in the business from trash duty, to payroll, and HR! My favorite part of my job is working with customers to create their dream space. When I am involved in a customer’s transformation of their space and get to see the finished product, it is so fulfilling. Getting to create a space that is going to have so many memories made in it is such an honor.
CHALLENGES FACED
The furniture business, especially from the retailer side, has been predominantly male dominated for years and years. Getting to the point where you are taken seriously as a female in the industry (that is making crucial decisions for the business) has been a hurdle to get over, but the more you make big moves, the more people start to notice, regardless of your gender. Today, one of the biggest challenges I face is work/life balance. I’ve been trying to make an effort to not say “yes” to everything at work, so that I still have time to enjoy life outside of work with my family.
DEFINING SUCCESS
For me, success is measured by the impact you leave on people. We recently lost my grandfather, who brought our family into B. F. Myers. When he passed, no one was talking about the sales numbers he had. They were talking about the integrity and kindness that he conducted himself and his business with. I heard story after story about how he had a positive impact on people, and, to me, that is success.