fab'rik franchisee Leslie Kempler keeps Austin fashion forward

Leslie Kempler joined fab’rik as one of the brand’s first franchisees, and she was also the first to bring the fashion concept to Austin. Kempler has been the perfect candidate to serve the community of Austin because of her familiarity with the area. She was born and raised in the city, and received her bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Texas in 2000. Following her graduation, Kempler relocated to Atlanta in search of a change, and found a job in event planning. However, toward the end of her six-year tenure, Kempler began thinking about starting a family, which a career in event planning, with its long hours and weekend commitments, was not conducive to. Serendipitously, as Kempler and her husband were looking for a new opportunity, CEO and Founder of fab’rik, Dana Spinola, had just launched the brand as a franchise.   How did you learn about fab’rik? Dana is my husband’s friend from college, so I met her through him. My husband works in media sales and has done some business with Dana in the past. I also started shopping at fab’rik while I was living in Atlanta. Why did you choose an opportunity with the brand? Dana started franchising around the same time we moved back to Austin, so we approached her about opening a boutique here. I was a fan of fab’rik, trusted Dana, and liked the concept. I didn’t look at any other business opportunities. What are your development plans and long term goals with fab’rik? I have been looking to open a second store in Austin for a while. We haven’t found the right location yet though. Are you involved with any charities or community outreach programs? In addition to supporting free fab’rik, on a local level we are supportive of Safe Place, which is a shelter for abused women and their children. We make donations and volunteer a lot. Are there any upcoming events that we can help you promote? All the boutiques in Atlanta get together twice a year and do an end of season clearance. We have a version of that in Austin in August. We will also have a tax-free sales weekend in August. How many employees do you currently have? Any outstanding staff members? We currently have five employees. My manager, Rachel, has been with fab’rik for 2.5 years. She’s from Austin and went to the University of Texas as well. She’s worked in retail since she graduated, and was working for me part time and left for a different opportunity before I lured her back.