Bridget Firtle of Rockaway: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before Became A Founder

The mental health toll is real. Being an entrepreneur is a very lonely endeavor. It is extremely emotionally exhausting and that manifests in a variety of ways. You will find it hard to relate to most people in your life and although they will be super supportive (if you’re lucky) they will not truly understand what you are feeling. Accept that. It is just the way it is. Try to find a network of entrepreneurs to talk and relate to if you can. If not, find a way to manage the stress, anxiety/fear of the unknown, instability and loneliness in the form of “release” which I discuss in a former question about burn out.

As part of my series about the leadership lessons of accomplished business leaders, I had the pleasure of interviewing Bridget C Firtle

Born and raised in the Rockaway Beach neighborhood of Queens, Bridget’s true happy place is the beach. After receiving her MBA in 2007, Bridget began her career on Wall Street at a hedge fund as a consumer goods investor with a focus in global alcoholic beverage companies. In 2012, Bridget saw an opportunity to join the renaissance occurring in American distilling and founded Owney’s Rum — New York City’s only rum distillery — where she was recognized as a Forbes 30 Under 30, Zagat 30 Under 30 and one of Imbibe’s 75 People to Watch. Within five years of the launch, Bridget formed a strategic partnership with international spirits company Proximo Spirits, and in early 2020 she successfully sold the company to launch Rockaway.

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I come from a long line of entrepreneurs on both sides of my family, so I felt as if being in my own business was in my blood. In business school I was drawn to studying finance because math and numbers always came naturally to…