Sponsored by Hancock Whitney
Over the years, power couple Lauren and Ryan Haydel have turned to one financial institution time and time again to serve as more than a lender – the relationship formed with Hancock Whitney is one that has always provided a listening ear for future business plans and personalized service that is unparalleled.
Lauren’s boutique, Fleurty Girl, was started in 2009 to give New Orleans women fun, feminine shirts to wear to football games. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect, with the Saints making a 13-0 run before a victory in the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance.
Today, Fleurty Girl is a multi-million-dollar company with nine locations spanning from Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. But when Lauren was just starting out, she was running Fleurty Girl out of her home. “I was living on faith, but the community and our loyal customers never let us down,” she says. “We are a family business, and even through growth, it’s still all about the people and our community.”
That mindset is one of the reasons Lauren connected with Hancock Whitney when it was time to take Fleurty Girl to the next level. “When I started Fleurty Girl, I had nothing. No time, no money, no credit. Big banks wouldn’t even listen to my story to hear my passion and see my plan. But it was Hancock Whitney that took the time to listen, to take a risk on me and my business. We’ve been able to lean on Hancock Whitney to finance the opening of new stores.”
Ryan, a third-generation baker, is also no stranger to the operations of a business. He has been a part of his family’s enterprise, Haydel’s Bakery, for as long as he can remember, from working there as a high school student to managing payroll for the bakery as an adult. Throughout this time, Hancock Whitney has been there.
Just down the street from Fleurty Girl, Lauren and Ryan opened Haydel’s Bake Shop, a café featuring beloved traditions from Haydel’s Bakery, in 2018. “I opened my first checking account with Hancock Whitney when I was in ninth grade, and Hancock Whitney has been our bank at the bakery for years,” Ryan says.
He explains that the bank adapts to working with different personalities, including his 77-year-old father. “Even though much of what we do can be done online with the bank, my dad is old-school. The local bankers are great at assisting him, whether it is ordering and hand-delivering checks for him or answering their cell phone when he calls with a question.”
It’s this level of personal service that Ryan says he loves about the bank and made the decision to use Hancock Whitney a “no-brainer” when developing the concept for Haydel’s Bake Shop.
“We can call our banker at any time. It’s more personal with Hancock Whitney. People know you, and you have that local relationship. Not only do you see them at the financial centers, but you see them out in the community, so you are able to build a truly personal relationship with them,” Ryan says. “My banker was actually one of the first people who knew I was going to propose to Lauren.”
The duo believes that having people in your corner, on your corner really makes a difference in success. “It’s important to work hard to build the relationships with people that can help you grow your business,” shares Lauren. “Hancock Whitney is the type of bank you can walk into and start a relationship like that so you can grow. They can move at your speed and are there whenever we need anything.”
For more information about how Hancock Whitney supports entrepreneurs and their dreams, visit online or contact your local branch.
