Former flight attendant Claudette Avis is the founder of Meet for Branch, a
startup that is launching an online plant community in France through a mobile
application this spring.
In the world of entrepreneurship, there is no straight line, and her story was no
exception.
Starting from the ground up
In the Philippines, Claudette grew up in a large family with six siblings. When she
was six, her mother had to work in the Middle East alongside her father to
support their education.
“As a kid, I’d see them (my parents) once or twice a year when they went home
for vacation. Whenever we go to Manila airport to pick them up or drop them off, I
always see flight attendants passing by.”
This experience sparked her interest in becoming a flight attendant.
She applied for various airlines after graduation and attended a hiring open day
for Qatar Airways to get her foot in the door.
Having been selected out of more than a thousand women who applied that day,
she felt extremely lucky.
“This opportunity opened a lot of doors for me at a young age, and I’ll be forever
grateful.”
Visiting so many countries and experiencing so many cultures was an amazing
experience for her.
Her views on the world have been shaped by it, even in business.
Investing in education
After working as a flight attendant for some time, she became increasingly
interested in exploring other options.
Despite wanting to change careers, she wasn’t financially ready.
“As I decided I wanted to study again, I stayed for two more years. This allowed
me to research schools, choose courses, and save money.”
To achieve her goal, she had to be disciplined and make lifestyle changes.
“At one point, I was contemplating investing in property in the Philippines or
returning to school”, she said.
It was her desire to learn new skills and the possibility of owning her own
business one day that prompted her to invest in education.
“Growing up, I wasn’t the most dedicated student, but putting my own money into
business school changed everything. I was super motivated to succeed.”
Back to zero in a foreign country
It was an unexpected turn of events that led her to choose to study in France.
She was originally looking for a school in the US since her parents and sisters
moved there, but she met a French guy (now her husband) while traveling alone
in Peru.
“I thought France would be the best place for me to study. I also like the charm
and sophistication of European culture.”
As soon as she received a letter of acceptance from the school, she resigned. “It
was a quick decision and a little crazy,” she said.
Despite only knowing the French words “Bonjour” and “ça va,” she instinctively
knew things could work out in France, both professionally and romantically.
As her master’s program was in English, she moved there without hesitation.
However, her lack of proficiency in French was evident when she sought work
experience in corporations.
“Employers didn’t reply after they called about my CV because we couldn’t
communicate. It was a challenge, but I embraced it. I continued taking French
classes so I could improve,” she said.
Startup idea
It was in hotel reservation customer service that Claudette first got a job
opportunity in France. Working in the English line department and learning
French on the side was a great start for her.
“I got a short-term contract, but it wasn’t extended. Though it was sad at the time,
it turned out for the better. It pushed me to do what I truly wanted to do.”
As her work ended right before the Covid pandemic, she was able to focus on
her next step while staying at home. She took classes in marketing, coding, and
business management to strengthen her professional portfolio.
Her fascination with plants also developed over time and she discovered a new
hobby to indulge in.
“Since we couldn’t go outside, I bought more house plants. Our house was full of
plants, and I wanted to learn how to take care of them. I was looking at online
communities for plant exchanges when an idea struck me.”
It is out of her passion for plants as well as her growing interest in digital
marketing that her company Meet for Branch was born. Taking the
entrepreneurial route was the right move at this point in her life.
Plant lover turned entrepreneur
She wanted to start a design-driven startup and create a plant marketplace app
to improve the experiences of online plant communities.
As their beta version continues to develop, they have yet to find the
product-market fit that will make their product successful.
“While it’s a long process, we’re making great progress and the app is taking
shape,” she said.
Her mission is to promote solidarity, make plants more accessible, and give the
plant community the chance to contribute to the circular economy by sharing and
donating plants.
Additionally, she noted how fulfilling it is to create something that has a positive
impact on both the environment and society in some way.
A startup’s challenges
Rather than seeking investment or financial support, they decided to finance the
project themselves.
There are many challenges associated with bootstrapping a startup, as she
knows well.
In spite of their best efforts, the beta version took longer to complete than
expected.
She found that designing Meet for Branch’s interface and user experience was
one of the most challenging parts of the project.
“I’ve never designed an app before, so I took an online course. I had to finish
quickly to catch up with the project. I was feeling so pressured that I almost gave
up.”
Having her husband by her side helped her persevere. He also works full-time
while developing the app part-time.
Over the past few years, she has received a great deal of support from her
friends, family, and coworkers, which she is extremely grateful for.
“Limited resources forced us to be creative, resourceful, and think differently. It
built our character and gave us valuable skills.”
Though she was pushed beyond her limits, she wouldn’t trade the experience for
anything.
She is thrilled that their product is just about to be launched, and they are excited
to share their hard work to the world.
Nonetheless, she knows that this is just the beginning of another chapter.
Reinvention and retrospective
The past decade has been filled with twists and turns, surprises, and challenxges
for her.
10 years ago, she would never have thought of starting her own business in
France. Now, she’s eager to see what lies ahead.
“It’s fascinating to see how we can reinvent ourselves at any age, without
becoming stuck in our past. You don’t have to fit into society’s mold.
“Specifically, she wants to reach out to women who are doubting themselves and
let them know that it is never too late to live the life you desire.
She ended by lightheartedly saying, “I hope I’ll have more clichés to share in the
future, not because they sound good, but because I’ve lived them.”
Originally published at https://businessdor.com on February 6, 2023.
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