Juanita Britton

Juanita Britton bet against the naysayers who swore men don't like to shop. People said she was crazy to think guys running through airport terminals would risk missing a flight to buy clothing. Today Britton is the owner of nine stores, including two Brooks Brothers, all located in airports. Who's crazy now?

Britton is the only African-American franchisee for the nation’s oldest clothier, Brooks Brothers, an upscale, professional attire store chain. Moreover, she has broken into a male dominated, virtually closed and exclusive circle of airport retailers by owning stores in Ronald Reagan National Airport and Dulles International Airport.

"Airport retail space is completely locked up," Britton says. She was able to get in with a lot of help from another African-American woman, who happened to be the only female on the board of the Washington Airport Authority, the agency that regulates airports in the area. "She really pushed for minority participation and supported my efforts all the way," Britton says.

Britton's business portfolio includes five CNBC newsstands/convenience stores, two officially licensed PGA Golf stores and the two Brooks Brothers.

It all started 15 years ago when she created an African-American Christmas and Kwanzaa bazaar to bring black craftsmen and consumers together. The bazaar offered everything from greeting cards, dolls, and artwork to custom designed clothes. It has become so successful that every year, Britton has to turn away potential vendors and manage huge crowds. Through this and other marketing events, Britton established herself as a serious player in the retail business and was able to secure licensing and financing from the Paradies Shops, the parent company of most of her retail businesses, including Brooks Brothers.

Britton holds a Local Small and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises License (LSDBE) , the certificated distinguishing a business as minority owned. "It took a while to get it, but if you wait it out, the benefits of having it outweigh the initial efforts." Britton cautions business owners to avoid skipping steps or skimping corners to save time. The money saved in the long run will be worth the time.

"Now we get men who come to the airport only to shop, she exclaimed." Her Brooks Brothers stores are located pre-security, attracting people who are waiting for arriving passengers or Britton’s new profile customer who drives to the airport with the intent of buying clothing. "They're alone, without the family, so they can take advantage of all the professionals there who know how to help them," Britton said.

With fortune also comes a lot of behind the scenes prayer. She described the day she met with Gregg Paradies. "I wore red, fasted and prayed before I left for Atlanta," she said. The Paradies Shops, based in Atlanta, owns 400 stores in 61 airports. Three of them, including Britton's, are minority partners. "Paradies Shops said they'd love to have me! Everything was in place -- my reputation and my experience," says Britton. However, Britton noted the irony that in 1818, when the Brooks family started the chain, African Americans couldn't work there, let alone, afford its high-end clothes.

Despite her success, no spotlights, bells and whistles surround Britton. Everyone knows her as "Busy Bee" because she does a lot in the community. Her preference is to stay low-key. Most acquaintances don't know she owns the stores. They think the holiday business is an annual hobby grown profitable, yielding enough for her to be generous with gifts.

"A little girl like me, a partner in nine stores? I still can’t believe it," Britton muses. "Being able to employ kids in the community, and give back? All I can say is wow. Believe it or not, it’s me."

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