ROBBIE ROEPSTORFF of Edison National Bank
AS- Describe the path to your current “success.”
My career path, starting as a bank teller, to this point in my career was not a solitary journey. I knew that my passion was to be a banker and it was going to require me to learn every facet of banking by capitalizing on opportunities. I am so grateful to the countless colleagues whose own career paths reinforced and made possible my commitment to excellence.
AS-What is your “Why?” I think my “Why?” is really “Why not?”.
Our bank was named in honor of Lee County’s renowned inventor Thomas Edison. He famously said “There’s a better way. Find it.” If we think there is a new innovation or a better way to deliver our products or services, we give it a hard look and ask, “Why not?”
AS-What has been [one of] the most valuable lessons you have learned being a female leader?
I’ve learned that no one can rise to a position of leadership alone. I could not have followed my career path without mentors who looked past the gender stereotypes of earlier decades, giving me the freedom to grow professionally.
AS-How is your business/organization a reflection of you?
Because I am the president of our bank, and my husband Geoff is the CEO, our institution naturally has a real family feeling. That mindset is shared by our directors, stockholders and our banking staff. Beyond serving our customers, we enjoy all sorts of group volunteer activities we, and our families, can do together to benefit our community.
AS-What does a typical day consist of for you in your business life?
I am tremendously fortunate to have a truly terrific team of banking professionals in all our offices. As a result, a typical day for me can include much more than traditional banking responsibilities. Because of our very competent staff, my schedule allows me to serve on many non-profit, academic, and quasi-governmental boards and committees. It’s one of the ways our bank can give back to the Southwest Florida community we’re so proud to serve.
AS-How are you and your business/organization involved in the community?
All our bankers are encouraged to accept volunteer and/or leadership positions in non-profit organizations for which they feel a strong affinity. Their contributions of time and talent are augmented by charitable donations the bank makes to the greatest extent we can every year.
AS-What is one piece of advice that you would like to give to young girls as they look toward their future?
My advice is to please remove the word “can’t” from your vocabulary. There is nothing you “can’t” do. If you hit a roadblock, you must find the strength and passion inside yourself to stop, think, seek advice from mentors, and find “a better way”.
JEN WHYTE of Fort Myers Brew
AS-Describe the path to your current “success.”
Becoming the “first” type of any business is a risk, so when we opened Lee County’s first craft brewery in 2013, our aspirations were modest – a microbrewery serving a few drafts from a small tasting room. My husband, Rob Whyte, is a passionate brewer who showcased his beer-making prowess at uber-competitive homebrewing competitions in California, and combined with my entrepreneurial spirit, we launched Fort Myers Brewing Company in 2013 in an industrial park in Gateway. As Fort Myers Brewing celebrates seven years, we now have a four-vessel, 30-barrel brew system that churns out draft beer for our tasting room, while our packaging and distribution facility brings our brews to local restaurants and supermarket chains.
AS-What is your “Why?”
We are a local business that aims to provide local customers with great beer, so it has been a dream come true for us to grow our business and brewing operations locally, and this opportunity is all due to our loyal friends, neighbors and community who have supported us from day one. Our motto has always been to “go deep, not wide.”
AS-What has been [one of] the most valuable lessons you have learned being a female leader?
As a woman in a primarily male-dominated industry, I’m striving to help raise the profile of women in the industry while putting Fort Myers on the map as a craft beer destination and growing FMB as one of the world’s best craft brewing companies. One of the lessons I’ve learned along the way is that no job is too big or too small for me. As a hands-on owner, I’ve done pretty much everything from pouring concrete to assembling brew system equipment to changing out the kegs.
AS-How is your business/organization a reflection of you?
Fort Myers Brewing is a product of my passion for business, my husband’s love of brewing and our joint love of people. When we opened the brewery in 2013, we hoped that it would be a place where we would meet new friends. While we have accomplished a lot for our brewery and the craft beer industry throughout our seven years in business, our greatest point of pride was creating a fun place for beer enthusiasts, young professionals, families and friends to gather and celebrate. Our nightly and weekly events are family- and pet-friendly. With cold beer, hot food, local musicians and strong friendships, the success of Fort Myers Brewing has far exceeded our wildest expectations.
AS-What does a typical day consist of for you in your business life?
In addition to our tap room, our beers are poured at 1,041 locations, including 620 bars and restaurants, and are available for purchase in 421 retail outlets, including Publix, Costco and Total Wine. Each day, we prepare these brews for distribution and serve our community from the tap room, all while continuing to develop how we share our love of beer-making with our community.
We are continuously innovating and perfecting our beers to satisfy the ever-changing taste buds of beer-lovers. We spend days, weeks and even months developing our beers and creating new products that we know our loyal customers will enjoy.We have invested in developing quality products throughout every stage of the brewing process, from ingredient selection all the way to packaging, so that we can continue to produce better and more flavorful products.
Brewing is a real passion for our team, and Fort Myers Brewing carries a signature line of award-winning flagship beers in addition to seasonal brews and small batch specialties. We’re proud that our ales, pilsners, stouts and IPAs are winners of multiple prestigious awards, including golds at the Best Florida Beer Competition, a silver at the 2018 World Beer Cup and a bronze at the 2019 Great American Beer Festival. Fort Myers Brewing was named “Best Large Brewery in Florida” in 2016.
AS-How are you and your business/organization involved in the community?
We’ve been fortunate to grow among a community that has supported us unconditionally. From our first days as a modest microbrewery serving a few drafts from a small tasting room, we felt right at home. And looking back at how far we’ve come over the past seven years, we know we wouldn’t be here today without the unwavering support that was shown to us from day one. That’s why Fort Myers Brewing Company chooses to give back to the community by supporting dozens of nonprofits and hosting many fundraising events. As business owners, my husband Rob and I are honored to support causes that are making a difference here in Southwest Florida, and proud to contribute to organizations like Captains for Clean Water, Ding Darling, Gulf Coast Humane Society, Harry Chapin Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity, Junior League, Valerie's House and many more. We are also passionate about rallying around individuals and families who need a helping hand, and we host a number of fundraising events throughout the year that go straight to families in need.
AS-What is one piece of advice that you would like to give to young girls as they look toward their future?
My advice to young girls is that they should never be afraid to dream big and take risks. Never in our wildest dreams did we think we’d be here today, and we’re glad we took the risk to establish our brewery.
