ABOUT ME
Serial entrepreneur, retail
maven, small business supporter and snail mail lover. I'm a Georgia born and raised
go-getter. My passions include meeting new people, trying new things, traveling, and great customer service. The beach is my happy place, I like to go early in the day and comb for treasures or sit under an umbrella and get lost in a book.
WHAT I'VE DONE
After graduating from Georgia Tech, I entered corporate America. Sales training at EDS, IBM and Milliken prepared me for 8 years in the wholesale gift industry building and eventually selling Sissy Made It. I made the move to retail when my husband and I purchased a wine bar/gift shop on the Sonoma Coast of California and grew Gourmet au Bay into a successful restaurant. In 2018 we sold the restaurant and relocated to St. Simons Island, GA. We currently own and operate Saltwater, a coastal lifestyle store and POLYWOOD Outdoor Furniture dealership.
WHAT I DO
I'm proficient in all aspects of running a successful small business: buying, selling, managing, merchandising, bookkeeping, marketing (social media and otherwise), and customer service. I'm detail oriented and enjoy working collaboratively. Additionally, I'm a Certified Wix.com Partner and adept at using Adobe Illustrator to create logos and ads.
INSIGHTS
A few things I'm proud of...
HISTORY
Education
Valdosta State University, Associate of Arts 1992
Georgia Institute of Technology, Bachelor of Science in Management 1995
Professional Career
New Energy Associates, Consultant - 1995-1996
Sales and customer support for a software program that forecasted load needs in the electric utility industry
IBM, Customer Sales Associate - 1996-1998
Completed IBM sales training.
Sales and support for mid sized not-for-profit and banking industry.
Met or exceeded annual sales goals.
Milliken & Company, Sales Associate, Interior Design Representative - 1998-2002
Worked with interior design industry to secure specifications on commercial flooring jobs ranging from 1K to 25K square yards.
Met or exceeded annual sales goals.
Sissy Made It, Inc., CEO - 2003-2009
SMI, Inc. manufactured handbags and luggage/gift tags. Sissy Tags were sold in over 600 stores nationwide and were made in the USA. Company was successfully sold in 2009.
Gourmet au Bay, Inc., CFO - 2008-2018
Wine bar, gift shop (and eventually restaurant) located on the Sonoma Coast. Owned and operated by Sissy and Bob Blanchard, GAB, Inc. was successfully sold in 2018, after the business had grown 3-fold in 10 years of ownership.
East Shore Outfitters, LLC, Member - 2012-Present
T-shirt, gift and souvenir shop in Bodega Bay, CA.
Freelance WIX Website Builder - 2014-Present
Volunteering
Bodega Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, President - 2010-2014
Habitat for Humanity, Grantwriting - 2017-2018