1. How long have you been a BAMA member? Since March of 2023.
2. What do you like most about being a BAMA member? It’s great to be a part of a community, to meet people with similar passions, and to help one another grow by exchanging ideas and sharing knowledge.
3. Tell us about your company? Our founding was a collaborative effort between my parents and grandparents. When my mom opened up her store, Villa Rosa Distinctive Linens, in 1984, there was no detergent on the market that could both clean and ensure a long lifespan for the fine linens she was selling. My grandfather was a chemist and, at her request, formulated a remedy. The following year, Linen Wash was launched in her store, and Le Blanc was born.
Now, 38 years later, we manufacture and sell 10 laundry care product lines nationwide, still adhering to our value proposition of long-term care for your linens, towels, and clothes. And despite a year-to-year growth of 10% and $2 million in revenue, we’re still making our products in small batches in my grandfather’s mixing tanks from the ‘60s.
4. What do you consider your greatest accomplishment to date? I’m really proud that I’ve gotten to where I am. In full transparency, I was a poor student for most of my life – I wasn’t one to get into trouble, but I didn’t understand or care very much, was an awful test-taker, and had no focus. After high school I was in and out of four colleges through my early-mid 20s while working as a cook, completely lacking any purpose or direction. In late 2016, my family offered me a position here, asking that I try school one more time. Something clicked. I finally got my AA and a business degree from SPC, went on (of my own volition) to get an MBA from UF, and am now the Director of Operations here – and I’m loving it.
5. What is the best piece of advice you have ever received? There is no such thing as multi-tasking. Now, that may be slightly hyperbolic, but I think the notion is very true – and often much more so than we want to acknowledge. Being aware of this has helped my focus to a tremendous extent, thus improving timeliness and quality.
6. What is the most important skill you have developed in your career? Being happy, but never content. This is the basis for efficiency, for maximizing productivity. These principles started to blossom during my time working in the high-octane environment of restaurants, which I would later learn were really mild Lean strategies, and I’m always working at them. It’s important to know that it’s a constant work in progress. There is no finish line, each type of task requires a nuanced approach. And when you make an improvement, improve it again next time, and again and again; don’t become complacent or apathetic. That said, it’s important to celebrate victories and be happy with progress. Without some positivity there, you’ll burn out.
7. What are your hobbies or interests? I love learning about and discovering music. Different genres and the histories of how various styles traveled, creating the branches of one giant tree. On that note, history in general, and reading – all different things, though I can be kind of particular about my specific interest at any given time. I really enjoy cooking. And my wife is my best friend, doing anything with her is awesome.
