Thursday, January 25, 2007
Name: Amy Birnbaum
Age: 45
Hometown: Sparta
Accomplishment: The line "chase a dream, instead of an invoice," was Amy Birnbaum's claim to fame. The CEO of Royal Coachman Worldwide in Denville was chosen from thousands of AMEX OPEN small business customers to be featured in the national advertising campaign, where she uses the catchy phrase.
The biggest benefit of the ads has been to her company. "I don't have a big ego, and while the attention has been nice, it's really about the business," said Birnbaum on why she was convinced more than a year ago to listen when American Express's advertising agency first came calling. American Express was searching for an attractive small business owner who could personalize the small company benefits offered with the card.
Birnbaum sent them a headshot and consented to being interviewed on tape. The commercials were then filmed in Connecticut and Los Angeles.
The finished product: Although anxious about the opportunity, Birnbaum admittedly had concerns about how the American Express spots would portray her.
"They assured me that they wanted me to be myself," she recalled. "There was some dialogue written that just wasn't me, but they listened and made changes. I got to do my own hair and makeup. I was very impressed by the finished product and I certainly can't complain about the effect it's had on our business."
A boon to business: Since the commercial began airing in late 2006, her worldwide sales have jumped 15 percent to 20 percent. Birnbaum has been profiled in trade publications and invited to speak at business functions -- including one recently with two of the most visible stock market experts, Mad Money's Jim Cramer and former New York Mets outfielder Lenny Dykstra.
Background: As a child, Birnbaum paid close attention to how her father, Bob Epstein, operated Royal Coachman. Back then, she would sit at the dining room table of the family's North Caldwell home pulling apart the pinks, yellows and whites from the customer forms her father had brought home. Epstein had started the limo service in 1969 with two cars and three drivers.
Birnbaum officially began working for Royal Coachman in 1983 and took over in 1999, when her father retired. Since then, she has built the company up to a multimillion-dollar enterprise with the help of her partner and brother, Jon Epstein. By 2001, the company had gone global with more than 150 employees and 150 vehicles, including buses, sedans, SUVs and stretch limousines. Last July, Royal Coachman Worldwide relocated from Orange to a larger facility with 250 parking spaces in Denville.
Birnbaum graduated from West Essex High School in North Caldwell and Rider College in Lawrenceville with a bachelor's degree in psychology. She lived in Caldwell, Parsippany and Livingston before moving to Sparta 16 years ago.
Family: Parents, Bob and Joyce Epstein; brother, Jon Epstein; children, Michael Birnbaum, 16, and Jessica Birnbaum, 12
