6 UESTIONS
with erin dunham ceo and co-founder of the other bird
Born and raised in Hamilton, Erin Dunham co-founded The Other Bird with Executive Chef Matt Kershaw in 2010. The wildly successful hospitality group owns and operates six restaurants and a boutique hotel – each uniquely recognized for its extraordinary service and succulent flavours. You grew up the only girl in a family with six brothers. How did that experience shape you to become the person you are today?
Growing up with those strong male influences made me who I am today. Because I grew up as the only girl among the kids, I didn’t have a lot of experience with sexism. I was just always naturally included in sports or whatever else we were doing. Thanks to that I don’t think that I face the world as a woman -- I just face it as a person. Having six brothers definitely gave me thick skin, but also taught me how to lose, often because I just wasn’t as physically strong or as fast as them. But it also gave me the drive to be better, and to find my own unique ways to win. There are so many people who are stronger or smarter than me and there always will be, but you find your own strength and your own opportunities. It’s no different in the business world.
The theme of giving back comes up a lot in how you run your business, including when you set up a crowdfunding campaign in which you offered generous giveaways to donors at various thresholds. Where did that ethic come from? I actually don’t think that it’s an ethic. It’s a smart business— and life – decision to give more than you take. I believe that somebody on the other side of a deal should always walk away feeling like they got the better deal. Whether it’s working with a charity, interacting with a customer, or building relationships with staff, I always want people to feel like they’ve won.
The minimum wage hike has created a fair bit of furor among businesses. How is your business approaching this change?
It’s a big jump all at once, which makes the increase an obvious challenge for our industry. We have had so many meetings over the last few months, trying to figure out the best path and the best strategy. At the end of the day, we want to do what’s best for our staff. So every hourly employee in our company received a raise, in an effort to maintain fairness. We don’t know if that is necessarily the right strategy, but we feel like it’s the right thing to do. Ask me again in a year if it was the best thing, financially. We just don’t know.
You’ve talked about overcoming the fear of failure to become a successful entrepreneur. Did you have fears to overcome? How did you do it?
In retrospect, my primary fear has always been my fear of failing people. I carry that fear every day. Whether it’s failing our customers or our staff, just the thought of it gives me the worst feeling in my stomach. The hardest thing to come to terms with has been knowing that there will be times when I will fail them. It’s something I struggle with and probably always will.
You’ve just gotten married. Congratulations! How did you find the time to plan a wedding with your busy schedule?
The only reason my wedding even happened is because I had the help of so many wonderful, beautiful people around me. They helped me endlessly, thought of details I never would have considered, and brought the most incredible day to life. I don’t know how people actually live through planning a wedding on their own.
A lot of women are plagued by the “I don’t have time for me” scenario, yet self-care is so essential to bringing out your best and, in turn, giving your best to others. How do you make time for you?
As far as self care goes, I have to give myself strict boundaries. I always take one day off a week, and it’s Sunday. It’s my day. Even if my friends want to get together, I say no. Committing to two days off in a week is unrealistic for me, but I can hold myself to that one day and not let myself down. It’s also about listening to my body. For example, I know I have to get massages or I’ll throw my back out. I always care for my health first, and that means maybe I miss out on some things. But as long as I’m healthy and I get that one day off, I’m happy.