I decided to quit my day jobs 2 years ago and focus on my own business Going Stag. I started this business with very little resources and I am so proud of what I have been able to do so far. I knew if I could put the same love and passion I did for other peoples businesses, that I could make my own just as successful and rewarding. It has been such a whirlwind of emotions, but I am my best self doing what I love and just need a little help.
A little about me, my name is Marybeth. I travel full time stopping in cities for months at a time with my amazing Partner, Lucas and my dog Franks. Three years ago, I left my 12 year career as a Funeral Director, cancelled my wedding (but kept the guy), sold everything I owned and bought a vintage trailer with my partner. We travelled the states for a year and half. At the time, I didn't know how drained and emotionally exhausted I was from the Funeral Industry. I started while I was in High School and quickly became a funeral director by 22. At 23, I went to New Orleans for Katrina Hurricane relief, where I was part of the body removal team. At 24, I was awarded top 5 Funeral Directors nationally for my customer service. At 25, I met with three families in one day that lost their children and weren't able to say goodbye and each year got harder and harder. It was common for me to work 60-80 work weeks, getting called on my "day off" and never having a full night of sleep. Despite the long hours, I was proud of what I did, I dedicated my energy to make families feel at ease and have a positive experience despite it being probably one of the worst days they will ever experience. From the beginning I always made sure Memorial Services and Funerals represented the individual and always thought outside the box.
The day I decided I was going to leave the industry was one of the hardest decisions. I was burnt out from working so much, putting all my energy into my families and always going against management for wanting me to have higher SALES numbers and didn't give me the resources to be creative. The trip helped with some decompression and I was able to start to heal.
After returning from our trip, I tried to go back to an office environment, but always felt trapped. I knew I wanted to do something creative, something I always shied away from because it meant being vulnerable and putting myself out for everyone to judge. So, two years ago, I said, Fuck It and just tried something new. I used my first saw and built my first piece of art and fell absolutely in love. It is the first time in 12 years that I was putting my energy towards my own happiness and still providing happiness to other people. I only hope to grow this business into something bigger where I am helping provide not only housewares, but beautiful spaces that people can come home from work and feel good about.
