As a young woman, Hanny Lerner did something that most would find impossible; she broke away from her family, friends and tight knit community.
The daughter of a rabbi, Hanny grew up in an ultra-Hasidic community in New York City. She grew up isolated from mainstream society, without television or the Internet, studying at local religious schools. At 19 she married a member of her Hasidic community living up to the expectations set for her from birth.
But at 21, Hanny knew she could not continue living a strict religious life. She divorced her husband, broke away from her faith and was rejected by everyone who knew her, including her family.
Hanny started her life over, alone. Forced to take care of herself, her entrepreneurial instincts kicked in and by 24, she parlayed her love of fashion into a furniture restoration company.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, Hanny’s business — located on the banks of the East River — remains without electricity. She’s been told it could be weeks until power is restored.
She can’t relocate because the equipment needed for reupholstery is too heavy to move without a working elevator. Like many businesses in New York, this week following the storm has meant lost revenues, in Hanny’s case in the “tens of thousands of dollars.” Still, she’s looking for ways to help, offering a 30 percent discount on any restoration of furniture damaged by the disaster.
Guest blog and video courtesy of The Story Exchange, a global video project empowering women to start their own business.
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