Marion Greely, Founder of Cece Dupraz, on Learning to Pivot
Marion Greely
Founder, Cece Dupraz; Dedicated Dreamer, Enthusiastic Entrepreneur and Lover of Life
What’s the weirdest thing in your (Cece Dupraz) tote?
A handful of energy crystals, not weird to me, but if you looked in my tote bag, you may think they are just rocks!
What is the best thing that happened to you in the 80s?
My sisters were born in 1984.
What is a book that has changed your life?
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom.
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Unmasking opportunity, for a pandemic pivot
I grew up with divorced parents and split my time between Cape Cod and the Outer Banks, NC. For as long as I can remember, I have been a creator. At an early age, I always loved school projects like creative writing, pottery, painting, crafting, needlepointing. Unlike some, I never had a definitive "When I grow up, I want to be..." in terms of a career. In college, I really found my talent for creative writing. After college, I worked for a Congresswoman as support for her press secretary, writing speeches and press releases. I quickly realized that politics was not my thing, so I literally crossed the street to work as an assistant at the fabric house Brunschwig & Fils at the Washington Design Center. That's where I really started to pursue my love of color and creating.
Flash forward, and I was home full-time with my three- and one-year-old daughters, and I knew that I needed to go back to work. I started interviewing for jobs, but faced the dilemma so many women have: Would I be making enough to cover full-time childcare, and would it be worth it? The short answer is that when I started crunching numbers, I figured out that I could probably make just as much by creating an online store where I could sell gifts made by me. The upside potential was great and better yet, it would eliminate the cost of childcare. Hence, an entrepreneur was born. My husband Sean, who has always been my biggest supporter and cheerleader, encouraged me to start Cece Dupraz and just take it step by step. It's easy to get overwhelmed when you are starting something new. Questions abound, like Do I have enough capital? Do I have a good idea? Sean kept coaching me to just do the next step and take it from there. I honestly still think each day, "Okay, just doing the next step!" We have grown organically the whole way. And I also still wonder, "Could this be a business?!"
Our mission is to inspire the inner maker in everyone through embroidery. It is really gratifying when we see how people react to our products, but a highlight definitely has to be having our Draw Your Own Tote selected as one of Oprah's “Favorite Things,” which was really beyond our wildest dreams. The whole process pushed us to create the best version of our product and made the Draw Your Own Tote what it is today. The origin of that product was a high point all by itself. I went into my daughter Elisabeth's first-grade classroom for a career day presentation. She was beaming with pride to have me there, and I was beaming with pride to be presenting. I brought an early version of the “draw your own” idea so the kids could see what I do; their enthusiasm was all the market research I needed. But with all the success we have had, the greatest gift has been being able to build a team. I love collaborating with the smart and talented women who work with me daily.
When COVID-19 hit, I thought the business was over. I mean, it was a pandemic, and being a person diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder with Panic 15 years prior, I had run through iterations of a pandemic in my imagination multiple times. For me, survival of people was much more important than any business. I think I had mostly made peace with the fact we might be done, when my sister’s mother-in-law asked me to make her "a pretty mask" so she could go out walking with her sister. I didn't think I could do it, but she begged and said, "If anyone can do it, you can!" After a grocery store run turned into a panic attack, I went home and made a mask prototype to bring some levity to the situation, and the rest is history. The masks brought lots of much needed laughs, much-needed sales, and two new employees. They saved our business. It felt good in a year of so much suffering that I could try to help. Though I wouldn’t want to repeat 2020, the best part of the year was the necessary slow down, getting back to basics, and focusing on our mental health. I think the world was spinning so fast before and the universe needed to pump the brakes.
If I could tell my January 2020 self something, it would be that I wouldn't be traveling for the foreseeable future so enjoy each moment. My husband and I were on the fence about a trip to Aspen in January, but we did end up going. It was incredible and we had a blast. But I rushed back to my life at home and was hard on myself for taking five days off as a mother and a business owner. Had I known that would be one of our last trips for a while, I would have been gentler on myself and tried to soak it all in to enjoy instead of being critical of myself. I guess that is why they say hindsight is 20/20!
Having made it through last year, I’m grateful to continue to run a profitable (yay!) business that employs and empowers the women who work on our team, through which we inspire others to create. Success to me is the ability to be present where your feet are planted and to always see the good. If I am able to continue to do that each day, I am the most successful person I know. For anyone thinking of indulging their inner entrepreneur, I would say go for it! The only thing stopping you is you. And no one is going to work for it if you don't.
