Briana Candeub and her father Alan Candeub ofPark Avenue Limousine
Trevose, Pa. — Briana Candeub was already armed with years of experience when she graduated from Temple University in 2013 and set straight into the working world, thanks to the time she spent behind the scenes at her father’s company, Park Avenue Limousine. Starting out as a car washer, she quickly made her way into the office to work among the dispatch and reservations teams.
Still, her parents, Alan and Lisa Candeub, said that she had to gain experience elsewhere before joining the family company full-time. She quickly found out that her parents “were more than right,” and that learning the ropes of another service-oriented industry would yield unexpected benefits she could bring back to the world of chauffeured transportation.
“Immediately upon graduation, I was hired by Four Seasons Hotel in Philadelphia,” says Candeub, 24, who has a degree in hospitality and business. “My experience at the Four Seasons Hotel helped grow me into the young professional I am today. I am much more confident in the person I am in the business world, and I feel that I have a lot of knowledge that I can bring to the table and incorporate into Park Avenue Limousine.”
Candeub recently left her position at Four Seasons to join Park Avenue as a full-time employee, though she says that she never really left the company she grew up in.
“Even during my time in college and at the Four Seasons Hotel, I still stayed incorporated in the business,” she said. “I worked weekends to stay in touch and to keep Park Avenue from becoming a distant memory.”
While it may be tempting to assume that being the boss’s daughter makes for an easy ride, Candeub is expecting anything but and is prepared to work hard to maintain Park Avenue’s solid reputation.
“On the first day of my new full-time job, I was excited, I was nervous, I felt pressure, I was motivated, but most importantly I was ready to prove myself not only to my father but also to the other employees as well,” she said. “I sat down with our management team to explain that I am ready to work and bring some fresh ideas to the company. I asked them to give me constructive criticism when necessary and I told them I want to know everything there is to know. To me, knowing every aspect of your business is an important part of being successful.”
Candeub knows that her journey will be one punctuated with “patience, mistakes, and a lot of learning and listening.” While she is still awaiting a formal title, she’s getting to know the family business from every angle, most recently revisiting reservations and dispatch, learning accounting and payroll, and attending networking events. Establishing herself within the company is giving her the opportunity to realize what matters most as she looks toward both her and Park Avenue’s future.
“Getting a title to put on my business card isn’t what’s important to me: What’s important is showing the staff and, most importantly, my father that I can do this—and I will do it well,” she said. “It’s being proud to be a part of what my father has worked so hard to create, and working and growing this company to its full potential together. The pressure that comes with having your parent as your boss is tough, but there’s no one else I would want to raise me into the successful business woman I know I will become.”
Visit parkavenuelimousine.com for more information.
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