Beatrice Fischel-Bock is the co-founder and CEO of Hutch, the furniture and home design iOS and Android app, where she leads the company’s vision of redefining the home furnishing experience. Hutch uses proprietary technology to help those short on time create a stylish, affordable and personalized space. Alongside co-founders Madeline Fraser, Lizzie Grover, Ben Broca, and Ethan Gromet, Beatrice drives Hutch’s goal of becoming the premiere home furnishing solution for today’s on-the-go consumer.
Growing up in cities with rich design heritage, such as Switzerland, London and Miami, Beatrice has always had an eye for interior design. While attending George Washington University, she launched ZOOM Interiors, an online interior design company, alongside Madeline Fraser and Lizzie Grover. With the success of ZOOM, Beatrice saw an opportunity to further tap into the home furnishing needs of on-the-go millennials with a mobile shopping app and co-founded Homee. Hutch, launched February 1st, takes from best of Homee and Zoom to offer the simplest, fastest, most affordable interior design option available. Beatrice holds a B.A. in Fine Arts and Interior Architecture and Design from George Washington University.
How has your life experience made you the leader you are today?
I gained a certain independence as the older sibling, with a family that moved many times throughout my childhood -- across cities but also across countries. I was always happy as the leader, and excited to organize and direct our group.
How has your previous employment experience aided your tenure at Hutch?
Before Hutch, we were Homee -- an interior design app with a similar mission but that offered a drastically different solution to the problem. In studying and learning about our strengths and weaknesses, I adopted a perspective I could have never been taught in school.
What have the highlights and challenges been during your tenure at Hutch?
Starting our journey on Shark Tank was an amazing experience, and has led to so much of what makes us the company we are today- including my 2 other co-founders Ben and Ethan! We’ve definitely had highlights and overcome challenges since then. The challenge to find product market fit and create a truly simple and affordable interior design product pushed us to launched our latest product, Hutch! The response to our launch was overwhelming in the best way, and was a huge highlight for our team.
What advice can you offer to women who want a career in your industry?
Beginning a career in this industry can be so exciting, but it’s hard to do it alone. My best advice to women interested in this type of career is to work together. Find and build a team of people you trust, respect and work well with and learn everything you can from them!
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in your career to date?
A mantra I’ve adopted since beginning this journey has been: Fail fast. Fix fast. Learn fast. With every up and down, I’ve been reminded of how important it is to accept the journey, learn from your mistakes, and ultimately, take them as an opportunity to grow.
How do you maintain a work/life balance?
I’m still working on this one, but since moving to LA, I have fallen in love with hiking. It knocks exercise, nature, and sometimes socializing, off the list, so I try to go as much as I can.
What do you think is the biggest issue for women in the workplace?
A big challenge that women have to overcome are the assumptions some people will make about them. Luckily, there are more and more strong female leaders changing those assumptions for younger generations. As for us, I think we have to prove the negative stereotypes wrong, and create powerful positive stereotypes for women in the future workplace.
How has mentorship made a difference in your professional and personal life?
Mentorship is everything! Ever since Sean Rad discovered our team on an episode of Shark Tank, he’s been a personal and professional mentor of mine. He has a brilliant product focused mind, and has been a strong and important voice in the way I am as a CEO and for the company as a whole. Learning from someone with his experience and natural intuition has helped me grow at a crazy speed. I know that I will give back in the way he gave to me and mentor people myself. Especially women! Mentorship is a great way for men to help the minority and bring them into their inner circles.
Which other female leaders do you admire and why?
There are so many female leaders that I admire, but I just re-read Lean In, so Sheryl Sandberg has been on my mind recently. Her perspective and voice is so unique, and has really been a personal inspiration for me as a female entrepreneur and as a female that has worked out somewhat of a work/life balance. The attention her book has received is amazing, and has encouraged so much strength and confidence.
What do you want Hutch to accomplish in the next year?
We have big plans for growth, and see Hutch as the ‘go-to’ way to furnish any space within the next year!