Mary Passalacqua traded in her business attire and rigid schedule for casual clothing and the entrepreneurial life when she became an owner of Woolverton Inn in 2016. After a successful 25-year career in corporate finance at Fortune 100 companies, she completely switched gears and hasn’t looked back. Mary manages all aspects of this picturesque historic bed and breakfast nestled on 10 acres near the banks of the Delaware River in Stockton, New Jersey, with her husband Mario and a dedicated staff. She ensures all guests have the first-class experience and oversees on-site special events, weddings, and business retreats, as well as additions and modern renovations to the guest rooms, cottages, and the property, for the inn’s prosperity.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

I am the oldest of seven children and grew up in Connecticut. My dad was a teacher and a carpenter, and my mother was a nurse. She stayed home to care for the family until my youngest brother was in school. I was her right hand and learned every aspect of domestic life from her by the time I was 16. I attended Tufts University aiming for medical school but discovered that I get weak at the sight of blood or needles! I met my husband Mario in our senior year and we were married 6 months after graduation. As someone who always worked, my first few jobs I was a chemist, then I attended business school at NYU’s Stern School of Business. I combined my degrees and applied those skills at several large manufacturing companies working in corporate finance for the next 25 years. Mario and I both worked full time while raising our children in South Orange, New Jersey, with the help from au pairs. Our family spent two years in Europe as ex-pats in Milan, Italy, which was an amazing experience. We occasionally host a Milanese-style Aperitivo hour at Woolverton Inn for guests to enjoy.

What inspired you to start your business? 

Mario and I started our married life in upstate New York, where we had the opportunity to visit many different country inns. We found ourselves drawn to these historic places, with interesting stories, wonderful hospitality, and peaceful surroundings. It felt like something “close to home,” relating to our early years growing up in large Italian families. The inns had lovely gardens and an appreciation for the community. We decided this would be a wonderful “encore career” and hopefully a good investment someday. Prior to owning Woolverton Inn, I was fortunate to have had a successful career before it was time to try something new.  With determination, I started seriously looking at options to own or run a small business. I knew I had accumulated a lot of great experience, just needed some reinvention and a new direction. As I considered various types of businesses, I kept coming back to our earlier dream of owning a B&B.

Where is your business based? 

The Woolverton Inn, a historic Bed & Breakfast Inn, is located in Stockton, NJ, which is near the popular quaint destinations of Lambertville, NJ, and New Hope in Bucks County, PA.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

We decided to purchase an existing B&B business, by design, because I felt more comfortable with my ability to operate, manage and improve upon something that was already running, but that we could reinvent with our own brand. We wanted to nurture what was working well but also make the necessary upgrades and changes. The first steps were to clarify our priorities in terms of what we were looking for, and then seek out and evaluate properties for sale that matched our criteria. Years earlier, we had prepared ourselves by participating in a workshop by Inn Partners and got to know other innkeepers. Once we found the Woolverton Inn, we hired an advisor, as well as a lawyer, to assist with the process due diligence, negotiations, and finally close the transaction.  We needed to relocate to live near the inn, so we sold our lovely historic 1895 northern NJ home where we had lived for almost 25 years and put down roots in a new area. We purchased the Inn in 2016 and a new home close by.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business? 

We’ve increased the marketing budget and rely heavily on a strong digital presence. It’s very important that clients find us, so we are constantly reviewing our content for keyword searches and monitor our SEO performance on a regular basis. Social media is a great way to engage with current and new guests, and we appreciate it when happy visitors share their wonderful experiences at Woolverton Inn with others on sites like Trip Advisor and Yelp. We are also building relationships with public relations by working with travel, lifestyle, and business journalists, bloggers, and influencers. We have been featured in both local and national news media outlets. Through blog posts, interviews, and articles, more people are learning about us as we reach out to share our story.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

We are located in a rural part of New Jersey unlike the crowded Northeast cities, so finding great talent is more of a challenge. Since there are many other similar businesses in the area, we are all competing for the same employees. This is a business that needs people to serve people – I cannot automate breakfast or housekeeping! We do our best to take care of and retain our staff, in a supportive way – almost like an extended family. I’ve learned to interview additional candidates and keep resumes on file, for future openings, as you cannot always predict when staffing changes will occur.

How do you stay focused? 

I wear many hats so staying focused is often a challenge. I make lists and try to prioritize each day with the “must-dos” at the top. Owners need to be attentive across various time frames from the immediacy of the day, to medium and a longer-term outlook.  As I build a stronger staff, I can train others to share responsibilities. This helps me understand where I can and should be adding the most value. I also consult with my husband daily, and these conversations help me keep the important things in focus. 

 How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

Our property is unique among most of the B&B’s in this area, as we are more secluded than others with ten acres of land and five sheep. We’ve upgraded the landscaping and provided various areas for guests to enjoy the outdoors without having to leave our site.  As a member of Select Registry, we aim to offer the perfect balance of luxury accommodations and excellent service with respect to our guests’ privacy and personal space.  

 What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

Raising awareness and expanding our reach to new locations and demographics is important, but we also value loyalty and count on referrals, reviews, and recommendations for growth. Sharpening the pencil and sufficiently investing in digital marketing has been effective, with constant monitoring and adjusting to ensure acceptable returns.  We use a third-party firm well versed in our industry with a highly skilled staff who knows Google quite well.  They handle all of the technical aspects and advise us on content, promotions, new ideas, messaging, etc. 

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

Be aware of the full scope of what you are undertaking and be prepared to own it all, from the most menial jobs to the more strategic roles. Also, it’s not just what you do but how you are perceived by your staff, clients, business partners, and community. Perceptions matter so you must be mindful of what you say and how you communicate. Finally, you really need to understand the numbers to keep your business healthy and viable.  

 What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

I don’t really have favorites, but I love the way we can get help so easily these days.  For example, I found a great app last week called “Picture This” which identifies plants with an iPhone photo of the leaves. Isn’t that awesome? So easy and immediate!

In terms of blogs, I like perusing the works of other innkeepers, as this is a wonderful group of creative, inspiring people who love their properties, guests, and communities and are willing to share their experiences.

I like historical novels and biographies. Right now I am reading Hamilton – I think it will take me two years!

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

We use a combination of tools but we are fundamentally a people to people business.  Believe it or not, my favorite business tool is still the telephone, because I’d much rather speak to someone in a good conversation than try to explain something in writing.  I appreciate all the other tools we have for communication but if I can, I always try to pick up the phone first.  This works well with most of our guests and I think they appreciate that we still answer our phones at all hours. 

 Who is your business role model? Why? 

I came across Danny Meyer’s book “Setting the Table” soon after we bought the business, and I have drawn on his concepts for Enlightened Hospitality as we set the pillars of our own business.  He talks about taking care of employees, guests, community, suppliers, and investors, in that order, to be successful. 

What is your beauty routine? What are some of your favorite products?

My beauty routine is quite basic. I believe strongly in getting 7-8 hours of sleep each night, eating 3 healthy, balanced meals each day, getting daily outdoor exercise, and using a good age-defiant moisturizer day and night. I don’t have any specific food restrictions, but I do try to avoid processed foods. I am not too particular about makeup but I like to look good when I leave the house! My splurge is on my hair, so I visit my stylist every eight weeks for a color touch up and a good haircut. 

How do you balance work and life?

My days are a blend of work and life, as we live across the street from our Inn. We have one son still home (age 13) and there are times when I just need to be Mom. It’s wonderful to have the flexibility to be at work and at home and when he needs to be somewhere it’s usually not a problem getting off-site.   We have a great staff, including an on-site live-in innkeeper, who is here when we go away, to take care of our guests and, with our other staff, oversee the property. I have set hours when I need to be in the office, but many times the day to day work is covered by others. My work is now a big part of my life, as owning an inn is often your hobby, something you really enjoy, not just a job. So, there are many things that we do each day that don’t really feel like work at all. 

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

Definitely taking a long walk outside along the river or up a country road, or doing some Yoga, although I always prefer to be outside. I also like to walk around the property, check the gardens - pulling weeds can be very therapeutic!  

What do you have planned for the next six months? 

At the time of this writing, our Inn is currently closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and shelter in place guidance for our state and surrounding areas. Our bookings for 2020 have been significantly affected, with wedding events moved forward to summer/fall or into next year. We are meeting with our staff to regroup on our marketing strategies considering the impact on travel and plan for our reopening in a safe and trusting manner, as soon as we are allowed to do so. In the meantime, there are many new projects on deck, so our days are never dull. For example, we are in the process of renovating the barn so it can be used for parties, gatherings, and events.

How can our readers connect with you?

Please find our business at www.woolvertoninn.com

Call the office at (609) 397- 0802 

Email us at Sheep@woolvertoninn.com or send us a chat message from the website

Or on social media:

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