Meet Bridget Leahy | Businesswoman

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bridget Leahy and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bridget, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
In 2016, I participated in a study abroad program in Amman, Jordan through my university. I lived in Jordan for 3 months trying to improve my Arabic language skills and assimilate into the Jordanian culture. I spent my days speaking Arabic almost exclusively and doing homework in the hookah cafes throughout the city. I had soon been introduced to the “hookah culture” which was widely popular in Jordan, and I fell in love with it. I then returned to the University of Denver to continue my studies in international relations and pursued a career path in research and office management in Washington, D.C. At this point, the world could’ve been my oyster. I was in D.C., the heart of international relations careers, research think tanks, and diplomacy in the US. After looking at my options and thinking about what I wanted to do that would make me happy, I knew I had to follow my heart and passion. I finally decided to return home with hopes to begin my own hookah lounge inspired by the hookah cafes in Jordan and throughout the Middle East — to provide a traditional lounge that is desired yet difficult to find, where people and friends can gather to relax, play cards and chess, or watch sports games.

My decision to start my own business, like many, was not an easy or simple one. I contemplated the opportunities that my parents had given me my entire life in order to improve my life, happiness, and success. Would I be wrong to abandon the path that I was on to start something completely different? Would these opportunities go to waste? Should I proceed to obtain a Master’s Degree to advance in the field? These were just some of the questions I struggled with before deciding to move forward with my plans to open a hookah lounge. My careful consideration made me realize that all of these opportunities led me to discover something new and something that I was passionate about. I went to Jordan to learn Arabic, but I came back with new experiences, new knowledge, and a new passion that I would not have received if I wasn’t on that path in the first place.

People always say one of the best ways to be successful is to run your own business. I grew up with parents who successfully ran their own business in New York. They taught me more than I could think of in terms of business, life, and success. When my family moved to Colorado, they began a new business and expanded to three successful locations. I continued to learn from their business experience and mindsets. With the business side of me already in place, I began to put my own operations in place: I started doing research on lounges; I visited many lounges across different states; I analyzed their numbers, customers, products, operations, and so much more; I put together spreadsheets, ran my own numbers on prices, startup costs and expenses, sales, etc.

My final motivation for starting my own business was realizing that I could do it. I knew after all of the work and preparation I put in, I could make this work.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My professional career is not quite extensive. I started my higher education at the University of Denver studying international relations and history. Originally, I wanted to be a journalist in the Middle East, and the prominent journalists that I admired had generally advised to become an expert in a field and pursue journalism afterward. So I took the advice and even decided to learn Arabic so I could communicate with people in their native language. Eventually I moved on from journalism as I became more interested in politics, diplomacy, and research. I obtained an internship as a research assistant with a nuclear nonproliferation think tank in Washington D.C. following college. I returned to Jordan a second time to continue learning Arabic. When I returned I looked for a job where I could utilize my Arabic skills and previous knowledge and studies. I obtained a job with Middlebury College in Washington, D.C. as a research assistant for the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies and office manager for the college. I was able to be a part of various research studies and events, learning more about the field, as well as developing my marketing and social media skills for my management position. The opportunities were exciting, and I am happy that I was able to receive those opportunities. However, I would have to consider my path forward, and I knew from my experience it would not be in research. I did not enjoy it and did not want a career in research. Most of my options to advance in the field though would require a master’s degree, which I was always set on not pursuing until I knew exactly what it would be for and how it would get me to be where I want to be. I’d be lying if I said debt would not play a factor in my decision. My dad had said to me regarding a business, even if you fail in business and lose money, you have the rest of life to make more. If my options were to go into debt for a degree or go into debt to build a business, why shouldn’t I at least try to build a business?

Living away from home was not necessarily easy. I have a very close relationship with my family and now I moved across the country with almost no family or friends. I had to find a way to help fill the gap. I began going to a local hookah lounge in Virginia. I didn’t know at the time I would find myself there almost every day, but I found out soon enough. The hookah lounge was full of amazing people in which many became very close friends. I found a second home; comfort and safety; friendship; joy. I was excited because the environment of the hookah lounge was just like the ones in Jordan that I had always wanted to create: a place for people to gather and relax, hangout with friends or meet people, watch soccer games, and play cards.

I had learned a lot from the people I met in Virginia, many of whom were immigrants to the US. My business would not be open without each one of them. One of the lessons I learned was – you should own your own business. That’s what most of them did. They were not millionaires. But owning a business was important to them in financial security and life. I heard stories from many of them of how they came to the U.S. Some came with a few dollars and made a life out of it. They put the hard work and effort into making it, and they did it. I may have had a leg up, but I am still committed to putting the effort in to make it too.

If you were to take one thing from my journey, it’s this: I discovered something new to me in Jordan, something I found so much value in. Hookah is a tradition, a custom, a part of society and relationships. I saw how it helped bind society; outdoor seating packed with friends meeting up to play cards; people in front of huge screens televising the soccer games; girls out for hookah with friends. This was missing in similar communities here in Colorado. Since my trip to Jordan, I knew this was what I wanted to create.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I could not be who I am, where I am today, or doing what I am doing first and foremost without the help, inspiration, nurture, opportunity and support from my parents. My parents have afforded me every opportunity I could think of and more. They have supported me or assisted in every decision I made in order for me to be happy and succeed in whatever it is I wanted to do. I could not be more grateful for them and their support.

I would be remiss to exclude the support from my brother and sister who had encouraged me to follow my passion. My brother was always there to help in finding problems and solutions throughout my preparation and research — to figure out how I could make my lounge great. Their support had a huge impact on fulfilling my vision.

Last but definitely not least, I have to shoutout the people of Jordan and the friends I made throughout my journeys in Jordan and Virginia. The people I met have made a large impact on my life and inspired me in many ways. They’ve given me passion, inspiration, knowledge, and friendship. I could not have done it without them.

Website: ammanhookahlounge.com

Instagram: @ammanhookah

Facebook: @ammanhookah

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/amman-hookah-lounge-and-cafe-aurora