“We work with clients that want to improve the quality of life for Fort Worth, Tarrant County, and North Texas,” says Goggans. “We say that falls under infrastructure. Infrastructure can mean roads, rails, transit, education, non-profit. Whatever helps invest in our community is the kind of work that we want to do.”

These two women, whose resumes boast impressive business backgrounds and active community involvement, have joined forces to tackle complex communication issues and projects in government relations, corporate communication, media relations, and more. They also offer creative services, social media management, event planning, and marketing.

Medina came to The Collaborative from her firm, SKM Communications Strategies, and Goggans was a co-founder of Mosaic Strategy Partners.

“We crystallized the partnership when we discovered that we had complementary skill sets that allowed us to offer clients services from the start of their project through completion,” says Goggans.

Another reason these women joined forces was because they are just as committed to having successful careers as they are to being mothers.

“When we look at the opportunities that are available [to women], they don’t always work with wanting to be a mom and have a career,” says Goggans. “When we saw what was offered, [we thought] ‘It looks like we are going to have to create our own opportunity.’”

Not only have they created that opportunity for themselves, but The Collaborative founders also work to empower other Fort Worth women by elevating their voices.

“We take very seriously our responsibility to raise up other women and be sure that other women are in places where decisions are being made,” says Goggans. “We take pride in helping other women find their autonomy or their own power within their career. Whether it is through [utilizing] our own experiences or in the way we serve our female clients, we understand that what is happening at work is not the entire scope of their lives.”

Brooke Goggans
photo credit: Rachel Delira

However, The Collaborative does not focus solely on working with women. Goggans says the idea is to partner with clients who care about Fort Worth and Tarrant County and their growth.

“We are experiencing life in a boomtown right now,” she says. “So the way that we meet the needs of our growing population is really dependent upon our infrastructure. Whether by improving education or improving the ability to get from one place to another, what drives us is being a part of the community. We live here, we work here, our kids go to school here, so the way our community grows is important to us.”

The creative pair often uses the phrase, “We finish hard things,” as their business’s motto. Goggans says this promise is made to clients because their goals are usually straightforward, but the path to achieving those goals is not always so obvious.

“We take the goal and unpack it and create a straight line from A to Z,” says Goggans. “Because we know the direct pathway, we can save clients time and money by putting together an efficient strategy. We provide the silver bullet approach instead of a shotgun.”

Susan Medina
photo credit: Rachel Delira

The reason The Collaborative can take such a targeted approach to strategic communications is because both of its founders are so well connected. Goggans has served on the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce Executive Board and many others. Medina has also dedicated time to numerous executive boards, including the United Way of Tarrant County and Leadership Fort Worth. Both women have been named “40 under 40” by the Fort Worth Business Press. The Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has previously declared Goggans one of the “50 Emerging Latinos” in the area and recognized Medina as “Businesswoman of the Year.”

“We have been in the market, and we enjoy trusted long-term relationships with a variety of folks in the business community,” says Goggans. “Both Susan and I serve on a lot of boards and try to keep involved in the community so that our relationships can assist when we are executing plans for clients.”

A company that helps its community and uplifts and empowers women while providing its clients with top-notch service? It sounds too good to be true, but Susan Medina and Brooke Goggans are on a mission to prove they can do it.

The post Collaborating for Community first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

You are quickly becoming the coffee queen of Fort Worth. Is this surprising to you, or has this been the plan from day one?

That’s the first time I’ve been called that. Over the last several years, I have been working incredibly collaboratively with other coffee and tea shop owners who continually pour into me, and that has created the success you see at Cherry. I by no means consider myself the queen of coffee. My intention has been to provide a welcoming experience, a safe space, and to engage the community and explore the curiosity of coffee.

photo by Rebekah Ballesteros

Your newest acquisition puts you in a totally different market. What intrigued you about this opportunity?

Representation. There is a lot of diversity at the cafe level of coffee, which is awesome and so encouraging, but once you cross over to roasting, importing and the equipment side of coffee, it looks like a traditional Fortune 500 board room. Different perspectives and life experiences bring tremendous value to any organization and industry, and I want to help strengthen and grow the coffee world by helping diversify it.

I also want to control more of my own supply chain – vertical integration is intriguing, and I look forward to seeing how my TCU Supply Chain Management coursework comes in handy.

Will Novel Coffee Roasters keep its name, or will it go through a Morris rebranding?

Novel Coffee Roasters will remain. For the last 10 years, Novel has built an amazing product, a loyal community, and a niche in the lighter roast, clean profile realm of coffee, and I’m excited to continue that legacy.

Over time, we will be adding a Cherry brand of roasted coffee to the business. While Novel is known for its light-medium roast and clean profiles, Cherry will dive a little further into the experimental and curious side of coffee, working with more naturals, anaerobics, co-fermented processes – the funky stuff.

From working in a coffee shop to owning and operating a coffee shop and roastery, what business advice do you have to offer budding entrepreneurs?

Stay curious and keep moving! I’m constantly reevaluating our processes at Cherry. We’re always making incremental changes to bolster our efficiencies, make processes easier for the team, and we’re trying new things. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t – but that’s how we get better.

What are the daily functions of a roastery?

It’s been so fun discovering this process. Each position has a different start time because the whole operation depends on when the first batch drops from the roaster. So, our head roaster, Marisa, shows up first, usually around 6 a.m. to get the machine powered on.. it takes about an hour to warm up. Around 7:30 a.m., our director of production, Leslie, and production assistant, Brandon, arrive to begin getting orders organized, get the production schedule sorted for the day, set up the team cupping, and then we’re off to the races. The day is then filled with roasting, packaging coffee, and sending out shipments.

Meanwhile, in the office, it’s me and Abbey, our director of business operations. We spend our time evaluating and documenting processes, overseeing the construction happening at the warehouse, engaging with customers, and Abbey is a wizard on all things technology. We’re looking at ways to optimize our website, improve our processes so we don’t get blindsided when we begin a marketing campaign, and overall make the most out of our resources.

Novel is served all over the country. Do you plan to make the footprint even bigger?

Yes, we’d love to! I did an analysis, and in 2022, Novel shipped out to 44 different states. Our goal this year is to hit all 50. We’d love to have more cafe partners as well, and we will be hitting the ground soon to build up our wholesale partners.

Cherry launched in 2021. What has surprised you the most in two years of operation?

The way our community has accepted and loves Cherry. I wanted to create a space that feels like a cozy hug when you walk in, and the community has embraced that hug.

When you aren’t drinking coffee, what are you drinking?

Water, lots and lots of water! Then you can find me at The Holly, drinking some natural wine.

The post Worthy Convos: Katherine Morris on Diversity in the Coffee World first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

Whether you’re shopping for a spouse, boss, bestie, or even yourself, you can find the perfect gift for everyone who made it on your “nice” list right here in Fort Worth. When you shop local, and support small, women-owned businesses, you are giving a gift with purpose.

Courtesy of Brooke Wright Designs

Brooke Wright Designs

3986 West Vickery Blvd.

Designer Brooke Wright turned her love of classic, clean lines into a wildly successful apparel company called Brooke Wright Designs. Her dresses and kimonos will inspire dreams of prosecco on the beach and are all available in-store and online. If you love accessories as much as I do, you need to swing by her adorable brick-and-mortar location on West Vickery Boulevard. Her shop features vintage quilt capes and a top-notch headband bar. Shop for the perfect stocking stuffers for your gal pals, including earrings, sparkly clutches, and hats perfect for the rodeo.

Gifted ftw

Website: www.giftedftw.com

Leaving a successful career at Dickies, Esther Miller forged a new path, opening a brick-and-mortar location on Carroll Street in the Foundry District. This beautifully curated store showcased independent makers, enchanting lifestyle goods lovers looking for the perfect gift for family and friends. As a gift and lifestyle shop, Esther struggled to keep the store open during the pandemic, ultimately pivoting to a pop-up model and closing the shop. During the holiday season, support local, female-owned makers by shopping at Gifted ftw. Her website features candles, jewelry, and so much more. Additionally, Esther and her team provide gift wrapping services and shipping supplies, for gifts purchased from her online store.

Hale House

4900 Camp Bowie Blvd.

Believe it or not, Hale House got its start out of Bekah Pollock’s vintage Airstream, where she sold vintage jewelry and home goods. A few short years later, she outgrew the Airstream and opened a brick-and-mortar location, now located on the bricks of Camp Bowie Boulevard. Offering a thoughtfully curated selection of apparel, jewelry, home goods, and gifts in a fun and inviting environment, Hale House is a well-known hot spot for sipping on champagne while indulging in some delightful retail therapy. Hale House features stylish collections for every season, adding glitz and glamor matched with high-quality style for any home or wardrobe. If you’re searching for a jaw-dropping holiday dress, you’ll find it here, along with festive earrings and sparkly boots to match. Swing by the store to find fun items you won’t find anywhere else, or shop 24/7 on her website.

Stayin’ Alive Succulents

3400 Bernie Anderson Ave.

My favorite plant shop in Fort Worth with all the cool vibes is Stayin’ Alive Succulents. A former self-proclaimed “black thumb,” Jayme learned to care for succulents and found joy in sharing her knowledge with others. For beautiful arrangements in cute, quirky, modern planters, you can shop online or in her location in The Market at Ridglea. A few of my favorite planters include the tiny typewriters, the skate shoe, and the llama. Of course, you can’t go wrong with the disco ball or macrame with bling. Whether for at home or for the office, these adorable succulents make great gifts.

Studio 74 Vintage photo – courtesy of Laura Simmons

Studio 74 Vintage

5926 Curzon Ave.

After retiring as a police officer, Laura Simmons opened a vintage clothing store, Studio 74 Vintage. Recently relocated to Curzon Avenue, Studio 74 Vintage is the place to find your vintage vibe. A self-proclaimed “old soul” Laura offers customers a whimsical blend of vintage finds from the 1950s to the 1980s, for men, women, and even children. Every piece has a story, and Laura is giving these gorgeous vintage items new life. Her store is a blast from the past, with unique pieces found at estate and private sales. For the nostalgic friend who adores everything old school and retro, I can’t think of a better place to find a complete collection of timeless products they will absolutely love. Laura curates a fabulous time capsule with an expansive and ever-changing inventory. Whether you’re in the market for a vintage leather fringe vest, mod mini-dresses, or vintage western boots, support local by shopping in-store or visiting Laura’s website.

Happy shopping and remember to support local!

The post Shop Local This Holiday Season first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.