Today we’d like to introduce you to Amelia Grace.
Hi Amelia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My name is Amelia Grace. I am an IT professional who recently moved to Houston. I’ve always been passionate about entrepreneurship. My entrepreneur journey began several years ago in Maryland, where I started an outdoor event company and later on, a multi-services company selling gift baskets, brunch boxes, party decoration services, and interior decor.
I own Grace Manoir, a Houston-based company selling fruit cakes and charcuterie boards. We will soon propose Masterclasses to teach people who want to learn the fruits artistry and start their own business.
I recently launched a popup shop event series to help in the promotion of small business owners like me within the Houston area. I partnered with a local business owner, Annick Willis CEO of Mins Events, to offer a unique networking experience to entrepreneurs looking to gain more visibility.
We have more events coming up in 2023 with attractive themes, including brunches, sip and paint, and networking events. More details will be released in the first quarter of 2023 on our social media platforms and Eventbrite page.
I am also the mom of an autistic girl, she is 4 years old and she is one of my sources of motivation. My family immigrated from Cameroon. I love art, cooking and interior design and sometimes, I model for local brands.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Oh no! It wasn’t a smooth road at all. As we all know, entrepreneurship is much harder than just having a 9-5 job. You build something from scratch, and you have to give it all in order to make it flourish, grow, succeed, and hopefully last for the next generations. The greatest reward is to see your idea turn into a legacy, but it doesn’t happen without sacrifices.
It could be even harder when you have a job and a family you need to keep up with. I lost count of my sleepless nights of work, research, and brainstorming.
Funding and time were definitely the most challenging parts in my journey.
I never asked for a loan at any bank, so I had to use my own savings for my businesses, knowing that I could lose it all in the first years. About 45% of businesses fail during the first five years. I didn’t want to be part of these statistics.
Time-wise, it was extremely difficult for me to be simultaneously a full-time worker, a multi-business owner, and more importantly a mom. It’s still very hard, but I learned to manage my time efficiently to the best of my ability.
America is a land of opportunities, but without sacrifices, hard work, smart work, proper information and a useful network, opportunities can be pointless.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an IT professional with a background in database maintenance and administration, data engineering and analysis, but I also have an artistic soul. I create unique interior decors, and fruit art. When it comes to food artistry (fruits and charcuterie boards) my imagination is full of colors, shapes and minimalism and each piece I create is different from the previous ones.
I love to create beauty from blank and from scratch, that allows my creativity to flow in ways I could never imagine. I also try to pour my passion into the events I host and offer a unique experience to my attendees. I would love to explore my full potential and opportunities here in Houston
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I am a firm believer in risk-taking. Each risk represents a chance to get better or be better. It’s an opportunity to either win or learn a lesson.
You won’t know the true limits of your potential if you never take risks.
As an entrepreneur, you should be willing to explore possibilities no one did before and it doesn’t come without risk. You have to step out of your comfort zone sometimes which also represents a risk.
Now I’m all about risks but “calculated” risks. It is important to assess a situation and make judgment calls before jumping into the “unknown”.
Personally, coming to Houston was a risk but a risk worth taking. It’s a decision I do not regret. I left everything behind to write a new chapter of my life here in Houston. Business wise it was a difficult decision because I had a growing solid client database but when you put your trust in God and when you believe in yourself, you know everything is possible.
The same God who opened the doors for me in Maryland is able to do the same here in Houston.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/amygraziella
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/socialite_events_houston | https://www.instagram.com/a_flower_a_girl_a_lion
- Twitter: https://linktr.ee/thegracemanoir
