Incredible Woman #16 - Laura Jarman. Wednesday's questions

KARA: "Your little bistro is lovely. One of my friends took me to have lunch at the bistro around the time of my mastectomy surgery. Believe me, it made things better for me to be surrounded by such beautiful things. Tell us a little bit about your bistro. How did you decide to add it to your main store? Where do you get the recipes?"

LAURA: "The bistro was a natural expansion of Dear Lizzie that transpired about a year after we opened and the space next door became available. Although it was never a part of our original plan, we loved the idea of our customers being able to linger a little bit longer! Now, I can't imagine the boutique without it! Our lunch menu is a compilation of all my favorites over the years of hosting baby and bridal showers and at-home special events! I figured if they were my favorites, they would be loved by our guests too!"

KARA: "As a successful businesswoman, I’m sure you have some great advice about starting, owning and running your own business. Would you give our readers some of your best advice?"

LAURA: "Just start to daydream and let the process begin! I view Dear Lizzie as such an amazing gift and personal journey. All those years leading up to our opening, I like to reference as 'homework'. I refined my aesthetic while really exploring the details of owning and operating a boutique. While creative magazines are my absolute favorite (remember the early days of Victoria Magazine and Home Companion?) I also keep Inc. and Fortune Magazine on my nightstand. You can learn a lot about running a business by studying how others have been successful in their own enterprises."