The days are past when women would attend to the household chores, and men would work and earn a living. Women all over the world are working shoulder to shoulder with men. By and large, women are empowered to make decisions about different aspects of their lives. Taylor Brandt is an ideal example of an empowered woman in business.
Taylor Brandt is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Chexology, an Information Technology and Services company. Taylor is a graduate of Emory University. At a very young age, she knew what she wanted to pursue. Always keen to learn about and work in business, Taylor was born with a clear vision for her life. She started her first business when she was just 7: a jewelry shop in her local park.
The entrepreneurial spirit is in Taylor’s blood. Her parents own a talent and literary management company in Los Angeles, and by 4th grade, she told people that she wanted to be like Nancy Tellem (Former President of CBS): A badass woman that led the execution and business of the Network. People considered that a strange aspiration for a 4th grader to have, but Taylor knew she wanted to help businesses develop and grow. The business sector changed over the years, but her desired role did not. Today, Taylor continues to produce innovative ways to expand her role in the business environment and to work with talented and creative people. She is always eager to learn something new.
Functioning of the Company
Chexology is an Information Technology and Services company that provides a ticketless solution for bailment. The biggest challenge in the business, according to Taylor, is prioritizing the largest business opportunities and giving the sales team on a honed focus. She believes that performing all development in the house fosters quality control. The web developer of the company was on the Shopkeep team from very early on. Drawing on his considerable experience, he knows how to build efficiently and avoid potholes that he has seen before. The company also benefits from a talented product manager who oversees the company’s day to day product development and maintains a healthy separation between management and the development team.
At this stage, Taylor and her team learn by experience. The team aspires to work with honesty and share the burden equally, pooling their resources to avoid pitfalls and bottlenecks.
Office camaraderie benefits from “learning Fridays,” a monthly event where one staff member teaches everyone else in the company a skill. Lessons range from business skills to leisure activities; Taylor memorably taught everyone in the office to play ping-pong, even allowing certain staff members to score the occasional point, to bolster morale (or so she claims).
Services and Future Perspective
Chexology streamlines the bailment experience; that is, it changes the way short-term storage and rentals take place. The services include coat check, bag check, valet, product rentals and much more.
Taylor is looking to expand the company from predominantly ‘a coat and bag check company’ to ‘a universal platform for exchanging belongings’ in the near future. She believes that the protocol offerings will be expanded by having a robust suite of marketing tools, to help connect to customers more personally with every interaction.
Taylor on Women in Business
Taylor believes that women can achieve any goal they wish to in the business industry through hard work and determination. She says, “I don’t think that being a woman is a barrier. I sometimes believe that it can be beneficial to stand out from the typical male peers, but that also means you have to ask for what and not to be apologetic for things that men would do exactly the same way.”
When she’s not revolutionizing the bailment industry, Taylor plays ping pong and runs on the west side highway in New York. She also played tennis as an undergraduate at Emory University.
Taylor’s Advice to Working Women
Taylor’s vision of success revolves around practical goals: “To me, I want to take a company public, get a few amazing exit opportunities, and have a family but that’s just me.”
She advices other working women: “Don’t be afraid to speak up. If you aren’t afraid and don’t hold back, you will get many more opportunities.” A natural penchant for loquacity has been one of Taylor’s best assets in her business relations.