BRITTANY WILLIS, MBA

Founder, Eight28 Enterprises ● Founder, Protégé to Pro ● Franchise Owner, PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans - North Dallas

“Everyone tells you to invest and to then protect yourself as an investor by diversifying your portfolio. All of that is investing in something other than yourself. Someone else’s dream. Once I realized that I was the asset, I chose to diversify my portfolio by also investing in myself.”

Opening a new business in the midst of a global pandemic may not be on many people’s to-do list, but Brittany Willis is no stranger to perseverance, having built personal and professional grit over her lifetime. A New Orleans native, Dallas was the first point of refuge for Brittany and her family after evacuating from the city due to the impending Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. Her family would go on to recover from this blow and she went on to attend Vanderbilt University the subsequent fall. In her senior year at Vanderbilt, after having noticed the gap that existed for Black students interested in a career in business, Brittany founded and served as the first president of the Vanderbilt undergraduate chapter of the National Black MBA Association.

After successfully opening her coffee shop franchise in early 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, she is now using what she has learned to show others a pathway forward in a space many don't know is available to them with proper planning and self-evaluation. In November 2021, Brittany launched her newest brand - Protégé to Pro'- a digital destination created to arm entrepreneurs and career professionals with Fortune 500 knowledge. Protégé to Pro launched with its first online course offering titled "So, You Want to Open a Franchise?", which is open for registration at www.protegetopro.com. Protégé to Pro spans guidance and thought leadership on not only Franchising, but also Career and Small Business Management.

"Franchising is a mode of enterprise many of my peers don't even see as an option, and I want to change that. I see franchising as an opportunity for us to create generational wealth for our families and communities. It's one that must be entered into with proper understanding and planning. I hope our initial Protégé To Pro course is a first step in that direction for those who complete it.”

PROFESSIONAL & ACADEMIC BACKGROUND

Following her graduation from Vanderbilt University with Honors, Brittany began her whirlwind career within the Consumer Packaged Goods industry with Kraft Foods as one in 8 college graduates to be selected into the 2010 Management Development Class. She has been recognized for her contributions throughout her career by receiving awards such as the Kraft Foods Women in Sales Impact Award, Leaders’ Choice Award, and the “Go-Getter” Award for her contributions within Sales, Leadership, and eCommerce. In 2014, she made the decision to complement her career acceleration with obtaining a Master of Business Administration from the University of Arkansas - Sam Walton Graduate School of Business. 

TRANSITIONING INTO ENTREPRENEURSHIP

After a decade of Fortune 500 experience, successfully developing and managing corporate retail accounts valued at more than $300 million, Brittany felt there was more available to her. She had the privilege of acting like an owner by managing major corporate accounts with retail juggernauts, Walmart, Inc. and Amazon, and by 2019, she chose to swap acting like an owner for actually being one. 

As divine intervention would have it, during her tenure with Keurig Dr Pepper, a leading coffee and beverage manufacturer within the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, Brittany gained direct access and involvement to the coffee industry. Furthermore, from 2018 to 2019, Brittany gained certifications from the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) in Coffee Sensory, Green Coffee, Roasting, Brewing, & Barista Skills. This is the catalyst that resulted in Brittany making the active decision to complement years of success with managing Fortune 500 accounts into building her own business within an esteemed franchise model.

The power of franchising had long been a business model that peaked Brittany’s interest but it was not until late 2019 that Brittany had the epiphany to unite her interests of owning a business and her love for coffee, particularly the PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans brand. She would officially join the PJ’s family as a franchisee in early 2020, right before the coronavirus outbreak began to swell into a full blown global pandemic. Naturally, this caused Brittany to question not only timing but entrepreneurship altogether. But her willingness to proceed was rooted in faith and steadfastness knowing that coffee, the second largest commodity in the world, can weather stay-at-home orders. She saw it in real life with drive-thru coffee lines wrapped around buildings, out into the street and even in the overall franchise system numbers during the toughest points of the lockdown. 

As a twenty-year PJ’s Coffee patron, Brittany, a coffee aficionado, was intimately aware of the brand’s product superiority. Combined with a powerful heritage, proven model of success, and appreciation for expanding the brand, Brittany knew that her desire to enter into franchising would be best partnered with this franchise as she played an inaugural role of expanding the brand to Dallas, TX.

Brittany’s career and professional advice has long been sought by personal and professional peers. As a result, several years ago, Brittany began to formally consult with start-ups and small businesses in addition to managing her corporate career. There are few things more gratifying to Brittany than the ability to use her breadth and depth of business acumen to assist individuals achieve their entrepreneurial and professional goals.

WHO IS BRITTANY?

Brittany is a proud native of New Orleans, and a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She currently resides in North Dallas with her beloved husband, William Willis, M.A.T. and their fur-baby, Crimson. In addition to contributing to her local community as a small business owner, Brittany sits on the Board of Directors for the WaterTower Theatre, The Dallas Entrepreneur Center (DEC) at Red Bird, and her residential Homeowners Association, serving as Treasurer. Brittany is also an active member of the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce and the Addison Midday Rotary Club.

In her spare time, Brittany enjoys servicing her community, business building, coaching/mentoring, traveling, quality time with loved ones, and diverse culinary experiences. You may frequently find her listening to music, chasing down her peers on the Peloton leaderboard, playing tennis with her husband, and brewing up a spectacular cup of PJ’s Coffee.