Takin’ Care of Lady Business Episode 142 The fastest way to lose your edge is to stop sweating the details. Today’s guest built a category-defining cafe brand by doing the opposite, then scaled it without letting the soul get stripped out.In this episode of Taking Care of Lady Business, host Jennifer Justice sits down with Elisa Marshall, Founder and Chief Brand Officer of Maman, to talk about what it really takes to build a beloved brand, protect the vision, and still grow fast. Elisa shares how Maman started in 2014 as a...
Takin’ Care of Lady Business Episode 142
The fastest way to lose your edge is to stop sweating the details. Today’s guest built a category-defining cafe brand by doing the opposite, then scaled it without letting the soul get stripped out.
In this episode of Taking Care of Lady Business, host Jennifer Justice sits down with Elisa Marshall, Founder and Chief Brand Officer of Maman, to talk about what it really takes to build a beloved brand, protect the vision, and still grow fast. Elisa shares how Maman started in 2014 as a personal passion project, why the name is a nod to home and French culture, and how a tiny Soho cafe turned into 51 locations in just over a decade.
Elisa gets candid about the messy middle, what happens when you grow too quickly, how burnout shows up for founders and teams, and the mindset shift from doing everything yourself to building a team that can carry the work better than you can. She also breaks down what partnering with private equity actually felt like, what she was afraid would change, and how to choose partners based on what you truly need.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
How to protect brand integrity while scaling from 1 location to 51
What to look for in investors and partners so they support the vision, not override it
Why delegation is a power move, especially when you stop pretending you are good at everything
Highlights:
(00:00) Meet Elisa Marshall
(02:12) The entrepreneurship blueprint she grew up with
(04:21) Building the first Soho cafe from scratch
(07:44) Going from Soho to 51 locations
(08:10) Bootstrapping, then the COVID expansion window
(09:17) Taking private equity without losing the brand
(11:22) Why signature details matter more than people admit
(19:09) Community first marketing over chain energy
(21:31) The mistake of growing too fast
(38:09) The worst advice she ever got
About Our Guest:
Elisa Marshall is the Chief Brand Officer and Co-Founder of Maman, the beloved cafe and bakery known for its warm hospitality, thoughtful design, and signature blue and white details. Since launching the first location in Soho in 2014, Elisa has helped scale Maman to more than 50 locations across New York, the Tri-State area, DC, Virginia, Maryland, Florida, Canada, and beyond. She is passionate about building community centered spaces, sweating the details that make a brand memorable, and proving that growth does not have to come at the cost of soul.
Elisa Marshall’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisa-marshall-92836b213/
Explore Maman NYC: https://mamannyc.com/
Explore Maman NYC’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_mamannyc_/
About Jennifer Justice and The Justice Dept.
JJ’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-justice-354a0b99
The Justice Dept: https://www.thejusticedept.com/
JJ’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferjusticel/
Newsletter: https://tkolb-newsletter-a50814.beehiiv.com/
The Justice Dept. is a female-focused advisory, consulting, and law firm advocating for female founders, talent, execs, and brands. We represent bo$$ ladies to make them 💰💰.
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This is a Lady Business LLC Production.
