Name: Sarah Elsom Eustis
Place of Employment: Main Street Hospitality Group
Title: CEO
What is your 3 sentence biography?
I spent 20 years in San Francisco and New York City in the fashion/retail business, working for Ralph Lauren, Gap Inc and Limited Brands. After a three year stint in Paris with my husband Tim and two Boys ( Henry -16 and Fred-12) I returned to The Berkshires in 2012 to steward my family hospitality business into the future. I have never looked back!
What is your personal elevator pitch?
I think of myself as a student of people, and am intrigued by how business can thrive or struggle, depending on the people in the organization and how they work together. I am obsessed with the culture of our organization and working every day to make it positive and productive.
Tell us about a challenge you faced on your path, and what you learned from it.
Working as an executive corporate leader and having young boys was hard. I worked a lot, traveled a lot and struggled to find the balance. Even in the female-dominated world of fashion, I felt a pressure to keep up with colleagues who didn’t have the same home life requirements. The solution at that time was for my amazing husband to shift gears and spend more time taking care of our boys. Ultimately we made it work, and I learned how important it is to set boundaries and patterns of work style early on.
What “secret to success” would you share with young women entering the (Berkshire) workforce?
A few simple things…Be on time, don’t be a victim, own your own decisions and choices, never complain to your boss, always offer a solution, try not to use “like” too much- it will make you seem like you are still in high school, dress really well no matter your shape, watch the dynamic in meetings and group settings and develop your skills as a consensus builder, take a public speaking course, develop confidence in your own skills and others will see it.
What Berkshire women in business inspire you and why?
I grew up in a family of strong Berkshire business women. Jane Fitzpatrick started her company on her kitchen table and grew it into a huge business on her wits and instincts. She didn’t put up with any nonsense, but she was fair and fun and had a strong vision for how things should be. Nancy Fitzpatrick has balanced creativity and business strengths through her career and developed our “brand”. She has been able to embrace and nurture the unique qualities of our eclectic businesses and family groups and make it all very cool. She taught me that details matter, in everything.