Sally Nishimoto is a franchisee of the much-loved store, Edible, the original fresh fruit bouquet company, and a leader in handcrafted, delicious gifts. When she first stepped into an Edible location back in 2007, she never imagined it would mark a turning point where she left her engineering degree and followed a completely different path.
Nearly two decades later, Sally has faced a store fire, a global pandemic, and all the highs and lows that come with running a small, family-owned business. Through it all, her unwavering love for Edible has kept her going, and she wouldn’t change a thing.
“After deciding to reinvest in Edible and rebuild my store, I reopened in the Summer of 2022, and so far, it has been the best decision I’ve made for myself and my family.”
In this Q&A, Sally Nishimoto opens up about her brave decisions, the realities of running a family franchise business, and what fuels her.
Find out more about her journey.
Q&A with Sally Nishimoto
What inspired you to start an Edible franchise?
When I visited a particular Edible in 2007, I was very impressed by the concept of Edible. At that time, the purpose of my visit to this particular Edible was when my mother agreed to train and help during the upcoming Mother’s Day holiday. While my mother did her training, I waited for her in the store’s lobby for less than an hour. As I waited for my mother to complete her training, I watched how the business owner ran the business and was immediately impressed. She was cross-training a couple of candidates, answered phones, attended walk-in guests, routed delivery orders, and did all of it with passion. I asked the owner of this particular Edible how she became aware of the business and what the process was like in becoming a franchisee. As she told me her story, I was moved and more inspired and decided to invest time in inquiring more about owning an Edible myself. Two weeks late, I flew out to Connecticut to do ‘discovery day’. Of course, I was more deeply wowed by the concept and made the quick decision to take the leap to own an Edible myself.
What is the bravest thing you’ve done while on your journey?
The bravest thing I’ve ever done in my journey is definitely deciding to invest in Edible while leaving my career in civil engineering, not only once but twice.
My initial plan was to take a break from engineering for a few years while focusing on Edible 100%. It has been nearly 20 years now in being an Edible franchisee, and I haven’t returned to engineering just yet. My passion for edible continues to grow year-over-year. Unfortunately, my store had a fire in 2020, which forced me to close for over 2 years while my store was rebuilt. At the same time, we were all going through a global pandemic, which prompted me to think twice about returning to either civil engineering or re-investing and rebuilding my Edible store one more time. My love for Edible has never stopped, regardless of the many ups and downs and financial challenges I have faced throughout my journey. I couldn’t see myself doing anything else but Edible. After deciding to reinvest in Edible and rebuild my store, I reopened in the Summer of 2022, and so far, it has been the best decision I’ve made for myself and my family.
What is a non-negotiable in your routine that keeps you focused?
My family and health are a priority, but running my business has had my undivided attention at all times. I prioritize running my business simply because my passion and love for the concept have grown more and more over the years. My love for Edible keeps me focused. I can’t see myself doing anything else. Edible does not feel like a job or chore to me. From prepping in the kitchen, doing customer service, doing deliveries, inventory, marketing, washing dishes, to chocolate dipping, all of it is fun to me and not a chore or job. I never ignore Edible, not even on a day off or on a closed holiday.
Edible has become part of who I am. Perhaps treating Edible as my ‘baby’ and not a job is what has kept me focused. Ignoring Edible is a non-negotiable. I will give it the attention it needs, no matter the challenges I may face.
What has been your biggest challenge while building a successful family business?
Finding the right staff and building a great team that can work well together has been challenging. Everyone is different, and everyone has different personalities. There’s always one person who isn’t the best team player. Having to terminate difficult staff members is not the easiest thing to do, but it is necessary for the sake of running a successful business. Sometimes the lack of having the right team can prompt sacrificing particular family/social events. Throughout my journey as a franchisee, family holidays have become a priority, such as Christmas, the 4th of July, New Year’s Day, and Thanksgiving, which is why it is important to close my store on those particular holidays so that family time can be enjoyed. There are other particular family/social events that come up that we can’t attend due to being short-staffed or other unknown and unexpected circumstances. It doesn’t happen on a regular basis, but when it does, there isn’t much that can be done but to deal with it and move on.
What advice would you give to other female entrepreneurs?
Really be sure of your commitment to any business. Do your homework, research, and ask all the questions about the venture you are about to take on. Running a business is a lot of work and deserves your time and effort. It has its challenges, but it is also very rewarding.
Don’t take on a business you’re unsure about simply because your mission is to be a business owner, and working 9-5 is something you no longer want to do.
Remember that becoming a business owner is a full-time venture. Successful business owners are passionate about their work and give it the attention it needs and deserves, no matter how difficult it becomes.
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