Your father owned Puckett’s Grocery in Leiper’s Fork which is where you began your involvement with the food industry. Since then, you’ve definitely put your time in, ultimately resulting in the opening of Hattie Jane’s Creamery with several locations around Tennessee. How did your love of the business lead to this unique ice cream experience? Ice cream was woven into my childhood both inside and outside of the restaurants. It was always our celebratory treat, or what we sought out on beach vacations. We also scooped tons of ice cream in the summers in Leiper's Fork, and frequently had our Amish friends churning homemade peach ice cream on Saturdays outside the market. Ice cream transcends demographics and is just a timeless classic.
What are some challenges you’ve faced while starting, running and growing a female owned and led business? There are plenty of challenges with starting, running, and growing any business. I don't think most of my challenges have anything to do with being female owned and led. If anything, I have enjoyed the connections I've made with other women in the same boat as me, and I live for the camaraderie that I have with my female business partners.
How has being a woman in business shaped you and your family? It means a lot of preparation and communication to make it all happen. Every Sunday, my husband and I take a few minutes to look at the week ahead and discuss pickups, extracurriculars, meals, etc., and I write down all that on a giant magnetic weekly calendar that goes on the fridge.
I hope that I'm setting a positive example for my daughters of what it means to run a business and have a career while also having a family. I don't expect them to choose to do either one or both necessarily, but I do want them to know that it's possible. Even more so, I want them to know that they have the ability to choose what they do and how they do it.
Do your daughters have an interest in the restaurant industry as well? What insight do you hope to pass along to them as a successful female business owner? Hattie is currently 10, and Eliza is 7 so they are both very interested in everything Mom does. I expect that to change at some point in the next few years, but right now it's fun to be able to have more in-depth conversations about what is going on in the business as they get older. Hattie does love to cook, and she especially loves to bake. I have no desire to obligate either of them to work in the business, but I do hope to pass on a strong work ethic and resourcefulness.
Ice cream transcends demographics and is just a timeless classic. - Claire Crowell
