Carrie Brown of Jimtown Store wins Women in Business Award

Notable Quote: “I'm an accidental business person, I didn't intend to become one but rather learned by experience and observation of what works and doesn't work. I've also been mentored by many amazing professionals and my own family. My business is an extension of my life, it is my avocation and practice.”

Professional background: Proprietor Jimtown Store, fine artist, decorative painter, stylist for photography in food, lifestyle and cookbooks, author of The Jimtown Store Cookbook, publishers Harper Collins NY, contributor of content and recipes to over 15 published books, caterer, cooking and arts instructor, product and style consultant for Bath & Body Works Columbus Ohio

Education: BFA Academy of Art University, SF

Staff: 20

Tell us about yourself and your company: Jimtown is a landmark 125-year-old community store in the heart of the bucolic Alexander Valley. It is a café with a restaurant kitchen offering dine-in and take- out house-made food, a purveyor of unusual provisions, toys, housewares, local artisans crafts and antiques. Jimtown caters events for our neighbors, wineries and destination travelers and manufactures a wholesale line of Jimtown Fresh Condiments sold throughout the west coast at specialty stores and markets like Oliver's'.

I have a fine art background, minoring in art history. Before restoring Jimtown with my late husband John Werner I worked as a photo stylist, graphic artist, decorative painter and exhibited my artwork on both coasts. Extensive travel, living abroad multiple times and on both coasts has given me a wider world view and appreciation for people and cultures who are different than my own. Jimtown is an extension of my sensibilities and sense of style, love for food, art, entertaining, design and especially for nurturing community. I've always thought of Jimtown as a safe harbor, a democratic business that welcomes everyone.

Is there a major accomplishment in the past year or so that you would like to share?

Publication of “The New Christmas Tree” Artisan Publishers New York, a design book featuring trees inspired by nature, food, color, folk art, fashion and art history that aims to encourage people to express their personal sense of style by creating unusual Christmas Trees. The book is full of step by step DIY crafts and was widely publicized nationally and in Canada.

Any community involvement?

Serving as a founding board member and now advisory board member of Worth Our Weight culinary apprentice program in Santa Rosa. Evelyn Cheatham has a remarkable vision and ability to transform the lives of underserved youth. Most sessions with Evelyn recounting stories of achievement, and selfless progress made by the apprentices usually ends in a big WOW of gratitude and wonder!

Supporting local arts, education and humanitarian groups in Sonoma County including our local Alexander Valley School, Farm to Pantry, Healdsburg Jazz Festival, Alexander Valley Film Festival, North Sonoma County Services for homeless, Healdsburg Community Foundation, Russian River Keeper, Modini Mayacamas Audubon Canyon Preserve, local public radio and NPR, Classical KDFC to name a few.

What is the achievement you are most proud of?

Celebrating the 25th Year Anniversary as proprietor of Jimtown Store. It has been my privilege to work with my family, mentor many young people and collaborate with talented chefs, designers, community builders, teachers, artists, farmers, gardeners and conservationists for the last 26 years.

What is your biggest challenge today?

Finding staff, the housing market in Sonoma County is incredibly tight. Finding young people who are willing to start at the bottom and work their way up and not be afraid to mop a floor or wash dishes. Maintaining a sustainable business that can afford to do what I believe is important to do: pay fair wages that allow people to live with dignity

Words that best describe you: Creative, optimistic, tenacious, colorful, able to visualize ideas and events and make them happen.

As a successful female professional, what were the biggest obstacles you faced and how did you overcome them?

When my late husband and I restored Jimtown and opened our business I found that even though we were a team and my husband unconditionally said I was his equal, our first manager ALWAYS deferred to him. He had taken some business classes and said that he could only report to one boss, so when I asked him to do something outside the “plan” he refused to do it. We had some heated discussions and to his credit John defended my position as co-boss but I knew I didn't have our manager's confidence. I also felt that certain customers regarded John, the man as the uber-owner and it was a struggle to assert my female position as equal. It took a while to overcome the resentment of being perceived as second fiddle and once I decided that if I knew I was a complete, contributing, intelligent individual, possessing the skills and abilities to realize my duties and learn from my mistakes then I was fine. It didn't matter what people thought. My poise, intuition and voice were seen and felt, I refused to be a second class citizen. PS Years later the manager apologized to me profusely for being such a jerk at the time and we are friends to this day.

How do you think your profession will change in the next five years?

It is increasing difficult to run a restaurant, food business, catering company or manufacture wholesale products. The margins are slim and it takes dedication, willingness to be adaptable and endless resources to be profitable. Technology will continue to streamline the way people shop for goods and decide what and where they want to eat. People will still crave real, authentic experiences, and handmade foods and wares but they will be increasingly expensive so the question is who can afford them? Will there only be rarified, high-end dining and the opposite end of the spectrum -minimal service restaurants offering “fast food” with no in-between? My hope is that we find new ways to make affordable, sustainable dining with ethically raised proteins, environmentally good practices and gracious service continue to exist

Who was your most important mentor? And tell us a little bit about that person:

My mother Caroline who always encouraged me to express my talents and dare to be different. She was my role model, a good thinker, warm, fun loving, creative, stylish, patient, compassionate and taught me that human rights are equal rights for all sexes, races, religions and ages. She always spoke her mind and was able to strike up a conversation with anyone anywhere and taught me that conversations lead to opportunities and unimagined experiences and to expect serendipity.

What advice would you give to a young woman entering your profession or the work world today?

Be forthright, treat others the way you would like to be treated. Be curious, generous, really observe your surroundings and other people. Spend time thinking about your interactions with people, do you connect with and understand what other people say and really mean? Take time to listen. Go the extra mile, be thorough, give more than what was asked. Find something meaningful to appreciate every day, enjoy the process and take mental note of meaningful, poignant moments

Most admired businessperson outside your organization: Dr. Jane Goodall for her work as a pioneering research scientist, feminist and visionary.

Typical day at the office: Happily, my home, store, studio, 1940's metal barn housing our administrative office and party space, historic redwood barn with space for the prop department and workshops and gardens are all on one acre. I spend my day triangulating between our kitchen, front of house, administrative office, private office and home. Donning all my hats: retailer, host, caterer, florist, consultant, party planner, baker, spokesperson, concierge and friend. There's never enough time in the day to finish my list but at the end of the day I always enjoy thinking about a good conversation I had with someone, or something that I accomplished, or the way the light bathed the landscape.

Best place to work outside of your office: My office is a 1971 Streamline trailer that my dad Charlie Brown gutted and turning into a little studio/workspace and it sits behind the metal barn adjacent to Jimtown in my garden, so all I have to do is step outside and walk to a deck for a gorgeous view of the Alexander Valley

Current reading: Trying to read through the Sunday NY Times each week, Autumn, by Ali Smith, lots of cookbooks, countless daily news briefings, lots of food, fashion and travel magazines.

Most want to meet: Michele Obama to thank her for being such an inspiring, poised, strong, thoughtful woman and to ask what comes next.

Social media you most use: Instagram. As a visual artist I love the practice of using my discerning eye every day to capture a moment that is worth sharing. It's all about composition, color, light, humor, humanity, compassion, revelation. I document my Jimtown world and adventures in food, culture and nature and enjoy seeing what creative and forward thinking people are doing all over the globe. It brings me real business every week.

Stress relievers: Watering my garden, making bouquets from the available ingredients in my garden, hiking Pine Flat. Cooking and sharing a meal with family and friends. Listening to music, attending a performance, looking at art in a gallery or museum. Oh and guilty pleasures like watching brilliant Netflix or Amazon series, Jeopardy, Masterpiece Theater, SNL and listening to podcasts.

Favorite hobbies: I never call them hobbies but rather pursuits because I don't really dabble. That said: making bouquets, baking, cooking, gardening, drawing, taking photographs, making all kinds of things.

Is there something we didn't ask that you would like to add?: I'm an accidental business person, I didn't intend to become one but rather learned by experience and observation of what works and doesn't work, I've also been mentored by many amazing professionals and my own family. My business as an extension of my life, it is my avocation and practice. I usually find that I learn something new almost every day. That's the beauty of loving what you do and caring about the people you work with and meet. It's about feeling useful, appreciated, being a leader, putting others needs before your own and teaching by example in short living an integrated life.