WomenandBiz.com

When we first interviewed you back in 2003 for WomenandBiz.com’s first issue, Zinc Bar was about to celebrate its 10^th year anniversary and you had just opened Flatiron Lounge with your brother Alex. A few years later you opened Pegu Club.

How have your ventures changed, if in anyway, since you’ve established the first business?

Kristina Kossi

Not too much, I am still creating, designing and opening clubs. Alex and I have been improving upon the formula that has worked for us for 15 years at Zinc Bar. This coming October, we are very excited to be moving to our new bigger space on West 3^rd street.

What are the most difficult challenges you faced as your businesses were growing?

Spending time at each one, I’m at Zinc Bar most of the time, but I am fortunate enough to have great partners that are at Flatiron Lounge and Pegu Club.

How do you balance your personal life and motherhood with running and growing your businesses?

Because I’m a business owner, I can arrange my schedule, but it requires a lot of discipline. Firstly, and always important to me is that the kids are happy, and I’ve spent enough time with them, and then, spending time with friends or taking a class or two, for myself. Read more

* What was your education experience? 

Lynda Weinman

I had an unorthodox and alternative education, for both high school and college and I think it influenced my attitude towards work and life in a significant way. I went to schools where there wasn’t a lot of structure or forced prerequisites, and students had a lot of choice. What this encouraged me to do was to identify what really interested me and learn that it was up to me to find internal motivation to pursue my interests. I graduated from Evergreen State College in Olympia Washington in 1976 with a BA in Humanities. The personal computer had yet not been invented, so I had no experience with software or design in college. Read more