In this episode of Be Anomalous, I sit down with Katherine, founder of Francis Henri, a multi-brand children’s clothing retailer curating beloved international baby and toddler brands for families in the U.S. Katherine’s journey weaves together ambition, resilience, and reinvention: from dreaming of being a wedding planner at age ten, to climbing the PR ladder at Neiman Marcus, to building her own store while raising three young kids in the middle of a pandemic.
We talk about how childhood dreams evolve, what it really takes to start a brick-and-mortar business in a DTC world, and how to balance entrepreneurship with motherhood without losing yourself. Katherine opens up about lonely seasons, mom guilt, bootstrapping inventory one capsule at a time, and her vision of making Francis Henri a national brand.
This episode is about trusting your instincts, building small before you build big, and knowing which “balls” are glass and which are plastic when life feels like too much.
If you’ve ever wondered if you can be both an ambitious founder and a present parent, Katherine is living proof that you don’t have to choose.
🎧 Listen to the episode
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What You’ll Learn
How Katherine’s childhood obsession with weddings shaped her early path
The leap from PR at Neiman Marcus to starting her own wedding planning company
Why she pivoted away from weddings and into children’s retail
How Francis HenrI was born during the pandemic, starting as an online shop with three brands
Bootstrapping, micro-loans, and the financial realities of inventory-heavy businesses
Why she always knew she wanted brick-and-mortar, even as the world went digital
The role of travel and family in shaping her brand’s vision
How she balances three kids, mom duties, and store ownership without losing her sanity
Hard lessons on hiring, motivation, and knowing when to say no
The big vision: Francis Henri as a national, multi-store brand
Favorite Quote
“Work hard and be nice to people.”
— Katherine
Favorite Book
📖 The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber
In This Episode, We Cover:
(00:00) Catherine’s background and the origin of Francis Henri
(02:00) Growing up on the West Coast, discovering weddings at age 10
(04:00) Hospitality, PR, and early career pivots
(06:00) Neiman Marcus years and starting a wedding planning business
(09:00) Entrepreneurial DNA: parents, upbringing, and side hustles
(13:00) Motherhood, being an only child, and shaping her own family story
(15:00) Pandemic pivot: leaving Neiman’s, launching Francis Henri online
(17:00) First pop-ups and the realization she needed a store
(19:00) Why in-person retail will never die
(21:00) The story behind the name Francis Henri
(22:00) Travel, Europe, and discovering brands abroad
(24:00) Building her vendor list, outreach, and early partners
(26:00) The “push” from motherhood to entrepreneurship
(29:00) Bootstrapping, loans, and managing capital-intensive inventory
(32:00) Considering fundraising and finding the right partners
(33:00) Why she advises starting online first
(34:00) Hiring, burnout, and learning to delegate
(37:00) Motivation hacks: alarms, marketing discipline, and endless to-dos
(40:00) Mom guilt, boundaries, and learning which balls can drop
(43:00) Redefining success: family, marriage, and national growth for Francis Henry
(45:00) Favorite book, favorite quote, and closing reflections
Where to Find Catherine
Referenced in This Episode
The E-Myth Revisited — Michael Gerber
Neiman Marcus PR Team
Wilson & Frenchie (Australia)
Bridgewater micro business loans
Shopify
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