La Cornue
Irvine, CA

One might say that Felicia Hartson’s passion for the kitchen-and-bath industry ignited the moment she did her 5th-grade science fair project on induction cooking. But her path to the K&B business wasn’t quite so instantaneous. Felicia actually started her career in finance/banking before opting to take an entry-level position representing, yes, kitchen appliances for Middleby Residential. Now a Regional Sales Manager covering the state of California for the company’s French-luxury-kitchen-range brand La Cornue, she has been representing the line for five years and continues to increase sales in her market, boasting a record 65 percent growth for her territory. 

“It was a no brainer to switch industries to something that gave me the ability to show my personality a bit more and to work at something that I could be passionate about,” says Felicia, who describes herself as “ambitious.” Among her most memorable experiences? Seeing her ideas come to life. “In particular, I was given a large space to fill in a showroom and was able to get a full La Cornue island and a full wall of cabinetry installed. Seeing that design go from a CAD drawing to an in-person display was a highlight,” she notes.

“It was a no brainer to switch industries to something that gave me the ability to show my personality a bit more and to work at something that I could be passionate about.”

Felicia considers the products she sells to be beautifully functioning works of art. “Many people order a La Cornue range for its beauty, but it gives me great pleasure when they are also interested in the culinary capabilities of our ranges because they perform as beautifully as they look,” explains Felicia, who espouses an old-school approach to sales that is all about being customer-centric.  

Felicia and her fiancé, Jared, live in Orange County, CA, with her 11-year-old cat, Jack Kitty, and are planning an April 2023 wedding. Her hobbies include ballroom dancing (she began taking lessons in 7th grade), although attending concerts—including Duran Duran, Motley Crue and the Red Hot Chili Peppers—with Jared and friends is now a more common pastime. Travel is also a priority and Croatia tops her list of favorite places she’s visited so far. “It’s very important to me to travel more and see the world,” she says. “I feel  there is so much more beauty to be seen.”