Terri Coetser is a successful Ocean Basket franchise owner but her journey to business ownership has been anything but glamorous. From learning the restaurant business from the floor up to navigating sleepless nights, difficult decisions and the responsibility of leading a team, Terri has built her success on resilience, hard work and the courage to back herself.
Success was never part of a carefully mapped-out 10-year plan for Terri. As a young waitress, her ambitions were much simpler: to be independent, create stability and build a better life. But years spent working on the restaurant floor and later managing a team taught her something invaluable. She understood the business, not just the job. And once she realised she could run the show herself, everything changed.
Taking the leap into entrepreneurship came with plenty of fear and uncertainty. Terri admits she was terrified, but more afraid of staying small when she knew she was capable of more. Today, as an Ocean Basket franchise owner, she has experienced both the rewards and realities of building a business: from managing people and making difficult financial decisions to worrying about payroll, missing family occasions and showing up on the days when everything seems to go wrong.
For Women’s Month, she opens up about what it really takes to build success on your own terms — being underestimated as a woman, finding resilience in difficult moments, learning to lead with both strength and empathy, and understanding that confidence doesn't necessarily come before the leap. Sometimes, she says, you have to start scared and learn your way into readiness.
GLAMOUR: You started your career as a waitress and a manager and have gone on to become a successful Ocean Basket franchise owner. Take us back to the beginning... What did that younger version of Terri dream her life would look like?
Terri: That younger Terri wasn't dreaming of boardrooms or owning a business. She was dreaming of stability, of being able to stand on her own two feet . As a waitress and later a manager my dream was very simple: work hard, be excellent at what I do, and create a better life. I didn't have a grand 10- year plan — I had work ethic, and I believed that if I showed up and gave my best, life would open doors.
GLAMOUR: Was there a particular moment when you realised that you were capable of building something of your own, rather than simply working for someone else?
Terri: Yes. I remember watching the restaurant during a busy service — handling pressure, customers, staff, everything at once — and thinking, “I know this inside out. I can do more , I can run the place.” The moment you realize you understand
the business, not just the job, something shifts. You stop thinking like an employee and start thinking like an owner.
GLAMOUR: Going from waitress to manager to franchise owner is a remarkable leap. What gave you the courage to take that risk and back yourself?
Terri: Honestly, it was a mix of faith, fear, and necessity. I was terrified, but I was more terrified of staying small when I knew I was capable of more. I had spent years learning the hard way — on the floor, not in a textbook — so I backed my experience. And I had people who believed in me before I fully believed in myself. Sometimes courage isn't confidence, it's deciding to move forward even while your hands are shaking.
GLAMOUR: What did your years working in restaurants teach you about people, leadership and business that you still carry with you today?
Terri: Restaurants teach you everything about life. They taught me that people remember how you made them feel — whether that's a customer or a staff member. They taught me that leadership isn't about shouting from the top; it's about being present and real. And business? It taught me that wins. Anyone can be great on a good day. Can you be great on a tired, short-staffed, everything-goes-wrong day? That's the real business.
GLAMOUR: What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a woman in business, and how did you navigate it?
Terri: Being underestimated. As a woman, you often have to prove yourself twice. I navigated it by not getting angry, but by getting results. Numbers don't lie, service doesn't lie. I let my restaurant's performance speak for me. And I learned to own my space .
GLAMOUR: Entrepreneurship is often portrayed as glamorous once you’ve “made it”. What are some of the less visible sacrifices, setbacks or difficult decisions that have been part of your journey?
Terri: The glamour is the photo. The reality is sleepless nights worrying about payroll, choosing to pay your staff before yourself, missing family events ,working weekends and wondering if you should become a plumber or electrician every time a piece of equipment breaks down. There were times where I questioned everything. Entrepreneurship looks like freedom from the outside, but from the inside it's responsibility. You carry yours and your team's livelihoods home with you.
GLAMOUR: How has becoming a business owner changed the way you see yourself as a woman?
Terri: It made me softer and stronger at the same time. Stronger because I know I can handle hard things. Softer because I no longer feel I need to act a certain way to be taken seriously as a business owner. I can be nurturing, empathetic, and still be firm and profitable. I embrace being a woman in business — that is my strength, not my limitation.
GLAMOUR: What have you learnt about leadership through managing a team, particularly when you’re responsible for other people’s livelihoods and growth?
Terri: That leadership is stewardship. These are not just "staff" — they are mothers, fathers, students, breadwinners. I learned that if you invest in people, they will invest in your business. My job is not just to create profit, but to create opportunity. When one of my team members who started as a cleaner or waiter gets promoted or moves on to something that they have dreamt of achieving, that is success to me.
GLAMOUR: Have there been moments when you doubted yourself or wondered whether you had made the right decision? What helped you keep going?
Terri: So many times. Especially in the beginning, and especially during tough economic times. What helped me keep going was my "why." Why did I start? For my family, for independence, On the days I couldn't see the way forward, I just focused on the next step, not the whole staircase.
GLAMOUR: What does resilience look like for you in practice, especially on the days when things don’t go according to plan?
Terri: Resilience for me is not pretending everything is okay. It's allowing yourself 10 minutes to scream in the walk-in fridge by yourself and be frustrated, and then taking a deep breath and fixing the problem. It's opening the doors even when you feel like closing them. It's problem-solving, and persevering — every single day.
GLAMOUR: We often hear women say they are waiting until they feel “ready” before pursuing an opportunity. What would you say to the woman who is waiting for the perfect time to take the leap?
Terri: You will never feel 100% ready. If you wait for ready, you will wait forever. Start scared, start small, but start. Readiness comes while you are doing it, not before. You already have what it takes — you just need to take the first step.
GLAMOUR: Looking back, what would you tell the younger Terri who was starting out as a waitress about ambition, money, confidence and knowing your worth?
Terri: I would tell her: Your ambition is not too much. Don't shrink yourself to make others comfortable. Learn about money early — save it, respect it, make it work for you. And confidence? It doesn't come from people clapping for you. It comes from keeping promises to yourself. Know your worth and add tax.
GLAMOUR: How do you define success today? Has that definition changed from when you first entered the working world?
Terri: When I first started, success was a title and a salary. Today, success is peace. It's being able to provide, to create jobs, to sleep at night knowing I did things with integrity. Success is having a business that can run without me burning out, and a life that I actually want to live.
GLAMOUR: What is one lesson about entrepreneurship that you wish someone had told you before you became a business owner?
Terri: That it's lonely at times, and that's normal. And that not everyone will celebrate your growth. The other lesson is: Passion brings you in, but understanding your business keeps you in.
GLAMOUR: As you look to the future, what does the next chapter look like for Terri, and what are you still hoping to build or achieve?
Terri: The next chapter is about impact, expansion and simply just enjoying what I do .
GLAMOUR: Please share your message for Women’s Month?
Terri: To every woman reading this: You are already enough, and you are more powerful than you think. You don't need permission to dream bigger. Whether you are a waitress, a mother, a student, or a CEO — your work matters. Let's stop waiting for doors to open and start building our own. When one woman rises, she brings many with her.
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