When Bruce Jaeger began searching for a business to buy after leaving finance, he looked at everything from moving companies to window and glass operations.
Some made financial sense, but none of them felt right.
“If I was going to do this for a second career, I wanted to do something that made me feel proud and happy,” he said.
By the time Bruce began thinking about a second career, he had already spent more than three decades in institutional brokerage, specifically in foreign exchange, building his career in Manhattan’s fast-moving finance world.
Over the years, he worked through moments that shaped both the industry and the city itself, including the 2008 financial crisis and September 11, when he evacuated the World Trade Center from the 25th floor. For much of that time, he and his wife were also raising their family in Manhattan.
Bruce enjoyed the work and the relationships that came with it. But after 33 years in the industry — and with his team transitioning to a Brazilian company around the start of COVID — he began thinking seriously about what might come next.
Rather than retire completely, he started exploring businesses he could build himself.
He eventually found himself drawn to the home renovation industry and launched Kitchen Tune-Up Brooklyn in 2021.
What drew him to kitchen renovations was partly practical — he already loved home projects and renovations — but it was also the feeling behind the work. Unlike some of the other businesses he considered, this was work connected to people’s homes, families and daily lives.
And maybe most importantly, it made people happy.
Five Years In
Bruce built Kitchen Tune-Up Brooklyn through a franchise model, something he said provided valuable support while he learned the industry. While franchises can come with some limitations, he appreciated having access to systems, guidance, vendor relationships, and the buying power of a larger national brand, which helps keep costs more competitive for homeowners.
What he valued just as much, though, was the network itself. Through the franchise, he became connected with other owners across the country who regularly share advice, ideas, and solutions. For someone stepping into an entirely new field and entrepreneurship, that built-in community helped shorten the learning curve and made the transition feel less isolating.
Today, he oversees a team of six serving homeowners throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn, performing kitchen renovations that range from cabinet refacing to full kitchen transformations that completely reimagine a space's layout.
Most of the company’s products are manufactured in the United States, with some sourced from Canada, allowing materials to be delivered more quickly than in many traditional custom renovation models. Many installations are then completed in as little as three to five days, helping minimize disruption for homeowners.
In just a few years, the company has completed several hundred kitchens and earned more than 130 five-star reviews. But like most entrepreneurs, Bruce is quick to point out that growth rarely happens as neatly as it may appear from the outside.
“You’re wearing every hat,” he said.
No two projects are exactly alike, especially in New York City apartments and brownstones, where space limitations and older buildings often require creativity and flexibility. That constant problem-solving is part of what keeps the work interesting.
For Bruce, much of the work comes down to communication: helping homeowners through the process, keeping projects moving smoothly, and making the experience feel far less stressful than people often expect.
Still Growing
Whether in finance or kitchen renovations, Bruce believes much of success comes down to relationships, communication, and the ability to adapt when things inevitably do not go according to plan.
“No matter what business you have, there will be problems. It’s how you manage the problems that matters,” he said. “And that’s what I do. I manage problems.”
Early on, he admits he spent too much time trying to prepare for every possible scenario.
“At the end of the day, you learn best by just jumping in,” he said.
Now that the company is running smoothly, Bruce is focused on the next stage of growth, including building enough structure around the business so he can spend less time on the day-to-day operations and more time thinking about what comes next.
To help navigate that phase, he regularly works with a business coach and continues to look for ways to keep learning rather than settling for what already works.
“The question is, do you want comfy, or do you want to keep challenging yourself?” he said.
Part of that long-term vision includes eventually opening another branch in the Hamptons, where he and his wife have a vacation home, allowing him to spend more time between the city and the East End.
For someone who spent more than three decades in one of New York’s fastest-moving industries, it is a very different kind of chapter, though one that seems to suit him well.
“It’s an exciting ride,” Bruce said. “Everything is kind of on you. But that’s kind of nice, too.”
