I’ve always been a fan of a great at-home bar. I strongly believe it’s a must-learn life skill to mix up classic cocktails, and as an avid host, it’s important to provide an array...
Looking back on Easter as a child, I remember how excited I was to dig through my Easter basket. Full of chocolate bunnies, malt ball Easter eggs, Peeps, golden coins, and my favorite Cadbury...
Lets be honest, salads can be boring. So I’m always trying to think outside of the box to come up with salad recipes that I’ll thoroughly enjoy, but are beyond easy to make. Enter...
Lets be honest, salads can be boring. So I’m always trying to think outside of the box to come up with salad recipes that I’ll thoroughly enjoy, but are beyond easy to make. Enter...
results for Two unabashed romantics, Capucine and David Gooding founded Juliska in 2001 with a collection of 40 historic Bohemian glasses – since then the company has blossomed to one of the leading home brands in America. Juliska is not about trends; it’s about loving life and living well. Juliska today is made up of an inspired group of individuals committed to providing beautiful things for the home. We are inspired by the gathering of family and loved ones over food, passionate artisans, and centuries of European design.
Visiting Sonoma last October will go down as one of my favorite trips of 2015, being incredible for so many reasons. I, of course, knew I was in for a treat right off the bat spending time with one of my all-time favorite brands, Williams-Sonoma and gathering around the table with Fortessa in my happy place, the historic Fairmont, was simply second to none. It’s here where I relearned the magic of mealtime.
I’d been to wine country several times before, and with each visit, I felt a renewed appreciation for the time spent around the table. Life just seems slower there. Hours spent lingering at the table long after dinner is done reminds us that there’s nowhere else we’d rather be. Farmers and friends gather around to enjoy the simple pleasures of food and wine, a feeling that you want to bottle and bring home with you.
After this visit with Williams-Sonoma and Fortessa especially, I found myself leaving inspired to recreate the magic of mealtime at home. I wanted to put effort back into our weeknight meals…no takeout boxes, to-go cups or stacks of brown paper napkins. For the new year I vowed to bring the focus back on time spent around the table with conversation, home-cooked meals and beautiful, yet simple details, even if it was for only one more night a week. And dream world, yes, I’d have these gorgeous peonies at every table, duh.
A brand that totally gets those beautiful, yet simple details right is Fortessa. Restaurants, hotels, weddings and events have turned to this family-run business for its stunning dinnerware for decades, but it wasn’t a common name to many households. But now, to my delight, Fortessa invites us to set the dinner table with its at-home collection, sold at Williams-Sonoma. The collection is full of timeless, functional pieces that instantly elevate your dinnertime routine. I’m such a fan of its stemware and gold flatware especially; they’re easy pieces to include on any weeknight tabletop. Tell me is making dinner a priority on your 2016 to-do list? Truly, MKR
Entrepreneurism is not for the weak of heart. And while yes sometimes becoming an entrepreneur is a well thought out, strategic plan, I’ve found in talking to other entrepreneurs, most of the time it just happens to you. It happens usually in a combustion of curiosity, desperation, frustration and passion; or at least that’s how it happened to me.
To be honest, I fell and then very reluctantly, jumped head first into entrepreneurism (read more about my journey HERE). I didn’t really think about what an entrepreneur actually meant. What it would mean to run my own blog, an e-commerce boutique and a design and consulting division. I didn’t think about the accountability and responsibility it would take day to day to lead a team, not to mention to succeed. You’ll find a lot of entrepreneur success stories, and you’ll read a lot of advice pieces. But what you can’t seem to find are the not-so-glamorous learnings from an entrepreneur that’s knee-deep in it. And the emotional side of it all? Well, that’s not ever talked about…like ever.
So today I thought I’d rectify that and share five things I wish I had known before becoming an entrepreneur. I hope this serves as a helpful collection of thought-provoking points, but more importantly I hope that this reaches all of the entrepreneurs out there that need to hear it. Because, together, we know that the struggle is real and the more we talk about and share our experiences the better we will be because of it. Truly, MKR
NO. 1… As an entrepreneur, you’re responsible for every single decision. I repeat EVERY SINGLE DECISION. From the smallest, most trivial questions to the craziest, largest things…you’re the one that calls the ultimate shot. Which at first sounds fun especially for Type A’s like me, but becomes an immense amount of pressure quite quickly, because let’s be honest one person can never have all the answers. TAKEAWAY: Surround yourself with employees and people that you trust to take some of the pressure off. Even in the beginning when you may not have employees friends, family, and other entrepreneurs can make great sounding boards especially when it comes to the big make or break decisions. And ask questions, like I said no one has all the answers so don’t be afraid to ask lots and lots of questions.
NO. 2… Only fellow entrepreneurs will understand what it’s like to be an entrepreneur. I’m not being exclusionary to anyone else hustling everyday but a CEO, COO, Vice President, etc., etc…they don’t have skin in the game like you do as a Founder. If the biz they work for goes under, they will find a new job, if your biz goes under…well let’s just say it’s not that easy. TAKEAWAY: As an entrepreneur, it’s crucial to find a group of fellow entrepreneurs for mentoring, support, and questions you have along the way. I’m in the process of joining an entrepreneurs-only group that meets monthly, and am actively involved with the founders of The Southern Coterie, as well as numerous other creative entrepreneurs in the Atlanta area. Don’t have an already established entrepreneurial group in your area? Start one yourself; think coffee and cocktails with a side of help and support whenever needed. And if you’re just beginning a great FREE resource is Score Mentors.
NO. 3…You’ll be kept up at night with the constant question of what’s next, what can you improve, what can you do to succeed, etc. A friend of mine, who’s also an entrepreneur, said it best, “it’s not my kids that keep me up at night—it’s my business.” And I can fully see how that would be the case. As an entrepreneur, the livelihood of everyone on your team depends on you, and that burden will never, ever go away. You also can’t leave your own business at the door like you can with a corporate job…it will ALWAYS follow you home and consume you at all hours. Personally, the question of scaling a business, knowing what growth really means (and that bigger isn’t always better), and all in all staying close to our mission statement and passion in everything we do is what keeps me up at night. And I know those questions may change but as an entrepreneur they will never go away. TAKEAWAY: Learn to enjoy that you have this burden to carry. Practice meditation. And try to unplug at night best you can. Wish I could provide more “answers” but I’m still struggling with this one friends.
NO. 4…Founders depression is real. I didn’t have a name for it before I read this spot-on article from Create & Cultivate about founder’s depression, and it was a breath of fresh air. No one ever talks about the self-doubt that comes with owning a business, so to know that other entrepreneur’s struggle with the same constant question…are you happier than before BLANK (before you left your job, before you grew, before you invested more money, before you expanded, etc. etc.)? The blank will always change, but the main question will not. It’s a serious question, and before starting WOM I would have balked at the thought. Of course I would be happier being my own boss, making my own hours, being able to be creative every day. But on the long days—when everything seems to be crashing down, and you’re responsible for all of it—it’s hard not to consider turning it all back in for the 9-to-5 you can leave at the door. TAKEAWAY: Talk to others, be open and honest about the good AND the bad and don’t make any rash decisions in the heat of the moment. We all have bad days, bad weeks, heck bad months, but that which does not kill you (or rather make you throw in the towel) will inevitably make you stronger.
NO. 5…Don’t compare your middle to someone else’s end. It’s really easy, especially in this digital world we live in, to play the comparison game. Just don’t. It will NEVER, ever make you feel better or more importantly it will never help you grow your business. We all have our own path, so be patient, don’t take shortcuts, and stay authentic. And above all else remember being entrepreneur is pretty damn amazing! TAKEAWAY: It’s about the journey not the destination
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If you’ve been following my journey from the beginning then you’d know that I’ve been dreaming about taking Waiting On Martha the e-commerce shoppe to Waiting On Martha the brick and mortar for five years now.
I’ve been patient; doing my due diligence through four different pop up shops that ranged from one weekend to 8 months. Those experience have been priceless. They have helped me understand exactly what it takes to run a retail store alongside a busy e-commerce business. How much staff I would need, how much money it would actually take, what sells in store verses online, and most importantly if I really wanted to get in the retail game. And after many years and a very long pro/con list my answer is yes.
So without further ado, I am thrilled, nervous, but mostly just plain ready to tell you that Waiting on Martha Home will finally be opening in the Vinings Jubilee this June!!!
Truthfully, while this took four long years to come to fruition now it feels like everything is moving at lighting speed. There hasn’t even been time to pop a bottle of Veuve. The minute the lease was signed I had my inspiration boards pulled up and got right to work planning the design elements and making this dream a reality.
Where the Shoppe stands now is a completely destroyed demo mess. I’ve knocked down walls and tore up floors in preparation for all the pretty that’s to come. The team I’m working with has been a dream and for anyone in the Atlanta area I highly suggest Rob from Vision Construction, seriously he’s made this experience actually fun! I’ll of course be taking you all through each and every step until we open our doors, including an IG Story tour this weekend, but for now I thought it best to start with what I’m doing design wise.
The great news is my Shoppe is truly in the form of a home, so I feel like I’m designing a place where I would live. I’m bringing in soft, light and airy vibes in the form of grasscloth wallpaper, shiplap, custom cabinetry and four different paint colors from my friends at Farrow & Ball.
I’ve worked with F&B numerous times in the past and even visited England where all the magic happens this past fall. So when it came to this project I knew there was no other choice than Farrow & Ball. Which brings me to our signature color: Chappell Green. In the past our signature color has been navy, and while you’ll still find plenty of blue and white moments in the Shoppe, in my heart of hearts I knew this new chapter needed a new color and I knew that color was Chappell Green.
I mean Chappell Green is really where it all started for me; I’ve had a love affair with this green for years now. The cool, rich sage color is entirely elegant, while lending a certain femininity as well. And I just love its chameleon-like ability to go with just about everything. It plays nice with bold colors, while acting as the perfect neutral too.
In the Brick & Mortar, you’ll find Chappell Green in key accent places like our checkout station—made lovingly by my ever talented father—and our coffee bar and front door. Along with items such as bags, tags, tissue paper and a few other fun pieces we have our friend Jenn Gietzen working up some watercolor goodness for.
Along with Chappell Green, you can expect to see very soft paint tones. Think mint green, natural sand and white paint colors. Farrow & Ball’s Dimity is a very beautiful light natural color that’s almost like a smooth vanilla that we’ll be using on all of the custom woodwork and cabinetry. I needed a color that would make the beautiful custom cabinetry stand out, but allow the products we’re selling to really shine. Dimity also plays perfectly with F&B’s All White which will be used on all of the trim and ceiling.
Rounding out my paint choices will be Farrow & Ball’s Pale Powder. This pale minty-blue shade will painted over the shiplap my father, husband and I will be hanging in the back room. I love shiplap’s ability to add texture and dimension to a space, while giving it an older, almost historic feel.
And if pale powder shiplap didn’t make this room feel special enough, I’ll be accenting the shiplap with Mirth Studio’s hand-crafted wood flooring tiles in Sweet Cecilia. Available in various patterns and prints these show-stopping tiles are like nothing I’ve ever seen before and I’m thrilled to say we will also be the exclusive retail partner for Atlanta.
Finalizing the core design elements would be of course grasscloth wallpaper. You know I couldn’t do a space and not wallpaper. I mean I LOVE wallpaper. And since texture is one of my favorite elements, I had to, of course, go with grasscloth. I settled on the most gorgeous “Puka” jute from Bradley, a design showroom at ADAC here in Atlanta.
Lastly, I’ll be indulging my love of art with an Artist in Residency program. Every 6-8 weeks, I’ll be bringing in a new artist with original pieces to be displayed and sold in store. Since this all began in our first pop up with Atlanta’s very own Britt Bass, there really was no other choice as to who would be our first artist in residence for the Brick and Mortar. Britt really awakened my love for art, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have her kick this all off.
There you have it; the dream has become a reality. Thank you to everyone who has followed since the beginning, or is just following now. To every person who ever bought anything from my e-commerce shoppe, the pop up shops, or the warehouse sales. To all the full time staff, part time staffers and interns over the years, thank you. To my parents, husband and friends that have moved me more times than I can count and who will move me again this one last time, thank you. Just thank you. You are all the reason I’m able to do this and still love doing it. Thank you. Truly, MKR
P.S. Now to the biz talk! WOM has immediate openings for two-three part-time and possibly one full-time retail associate for the Waiting on Martha Home brick and mortar location. The ideal candidate will have retail experience, know how to hustle, have a knack for creativity and merchandising, and be a self starter to work with our crazy, but amazing, small business! Comment with any questions below, and please email all resumes to liz@waitingonmartha.com. xo
