Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1525505
2024 | 40 UNDER FORTY 16 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | AUGUST 19, 2024 Michelle Nicholson founded The Flour Girl Bakery, located in Hebron. In 2019, after teaching herself to make sour- dough bread, Nicholson began a cottage food bakery in January 2020. Her business exploded during the pandemic, and it is now a three-building campus on Main Street in Hebron with almost 50 employees. Her fourth building is set to open before the end of the year. What's been your biggest professional accomplishment so far in your career? Watching my business grow is amazing, but experiencing my staff's unwavering loyalty and dedication to my business and my dream is by far my biggest accomplis- hment. I can't think of anything to be more proud of than the team I have around me. How are you involved in the community? At The Flour Girl we pride ourselves on our community giveback, almost 100% of our marketing budget is spent on com- munity partnerships. We do everything from sponsor T-ball teams to hosting events to donating thousands in raffle prizes. We believe if we support our community, they will support us back. What do you like to do outside of work? I have a husband and three kids that occupy my time outside of work. We enjoy rock climbing together, and on my own time, I love to paddle board with my dog. Why do you deserve to be a 40 Under Forty? • Have grown my company from a front porch hobby to a successful business. • Have had a hand in changing the land- scape of our historic downtown in Hebron. • Have been given the opportunity to serve on several boards, allowing me to impact change and community efforts in a variety of causes. Fun Fact My business started with a bag of flour, wild grapes from my backyard and a Facebook group. Brianne Nichols started as a retail and hospital pharmacist who went into leadership and now oversees three phar- macy divisions. She has used her strong leadership skills to start and grow several key pharmacy programs. The specialty pharmacy started with five employees (including herself) and now employs over 30. She has helped change Connecticut pharmacy law to expand pharmacy practice, using pharmacists to counsel patients and monitor their medica- tions. She has also extended organizational community benefit programs. What do you like to do outside of work? I like to spend time with family, friends and my lovable pit bull, Roxy. I enjoy being outside, especially in the warm weather. My activities include exercising, running, biking and kayaking. I also play pool competitively and recently began boating in the south. Why do you deserve to be a 40 Under Forty? • Passionate and determined leader focused on staff communication and inclusion with decisions. Consistently deliver employee workgroup engagement scores in the top 5% to 10% across HHC. • Increasing the HHC Specialty program revenue between 2017 through 2023 by 1,100% and growing. • Instrumental in legislative changes allowing pharmacists to practice at the top of their license and growing the ambulatory pharmacy program. This change gives patients more access to a dedicated pharmacist for additional support. What's been your biggest professional accomplishment so far in your career? Starting and rapidly developing the Hartford HealthCare Specialty pharmacy program is my most significant achievement. We use liaisons to help patients navigate insurance and financial assistance, and give direct access to a pharmacist for medication education and monitoring. Brianne Nichols AGE: 37 COMPANY: Hartford HealthCare TITLE: Director of Retail/Specialty/ Ambulatory Pharmacy NO. OF YEARS WITH CURRENT COMPANY: 10 WHERE I LIVE: Andover WHERE I WORK: Hartford COLLEGE: Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences HIGHEST DEGREE: Pharmacy Doctorate, MCPHS Michelle Nicholson AGE: 39 COMPANY: The Flour Girl Bakery TITLE: Founder/Owner NO. OF YEARS WITH CURRENT COMPANY: 5 WHERE I LIVE: Hebron WHERE I WORK: Hebron COLLEGE: Salve Regina University HIGHEST DEGREE: Master's in Business Administration, Salve Regina University Member FDIC Real. Simple. Banking. bankatpeoples.com Simple is Better. Congrats to Romika Odedra, 40U40 Class of '24. We're proud to have you on our team.