Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Bateman-Mercado.
Hi Mary, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Don’t be afraid to pivot! That’s one of the greatest lessons I’ve learned in my 30-plus years working as a broadcast journalist and producer. In fact, my whole career, which has given me incredible opportunities, access to some of the most fascinating people in the world, and a front-row seat to some of the most pivotal events of our time, was a result of dashed dreams and unforeseen circumstances.
For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a doctor. I had excellent grades in high school and landed my first job in a hospital at age 16 as a nurse’s aide. I eventually worked as a unit clerk in an operating room. I was very vocal about my dreams, and a few surgeons were kind enough to let me scrub in and observe as they repaired the intricate vessels, bones, or diseased organs of the human body. I dug it.
So, you can imagine my devastation when I nearly failed my very first pre-med class in college — Chemistry 101. I somehow pulled off a C- so, technically, I didn’t fail, but it definitely cast a shadow on my lifelong goal of becoming a doctor. I didn’t get chemistry — at all. Furthermore, the thought of wading through my next prerequisites, physics, and trigonometry, felt like fingernails on a chalkboard. So, I did a little soul-searching and thought about what else I could do.
I liked to write, I thought, and I was pretty good at it. Maybe I’ll switch my major to journalism. So, the next semester, I enrolled in Intro to Mass Communication. One of the requirements of that class was to spend a couple of hours observing the campus TV station during a news broadcast. Thirty minutes into that first newscast, I knew I had found my path — and my people.
I started volunteering at the TV station and learned every job that it took to create a news broadcast. I pulled cable, ran audio, worked as a camera operator, cued up ENG tapes, and ran the teleprompter during the newscast. Eventually, I was taught how to create electronic graphics. That included making all the name titles and sports scores for the nightly broadcast. I worked at the station every single weeknight for free, and I loved every minute.
Those skills, and many others I learned from fabulous journalism professors, helped me land my first job at as a teleprompter/electronics graphics operator at an ABC station in Salt Lake City. Since then, I have worked for KATU in Portland, Oregon, for The Miami Herald, for WXYZ (ABC) in Detroit, producing local programming shows and specials, and even a gardening show for HGTV, then at KSAT (ABC) in San Antonio helping to launch their afternoon talk show, SA Live. Currently, I work as a part-time field producer for ABC News/Good Morning America based in Texas. I also freelance for a number of corporate clients as well as other TV networks.
Oh, and that love of medicine — even though I didn’t pursue a career in medicine, I have been able to capitalize on my healthcare knowledge to create multiple articles and TV segments for large hospitals, research facilities, and healthcare professionals of all kinds.
Now, to the next pivot.
In February of 2022, my husband surprised me with a few ballroom dance lessons for Valentine’s Day. I studied ballet from age 9 to 18 until my second year in college. But with a budding career in TV and eventually raising five children, I had long since given up the idea of seriously ever dancing again. For years, I reluctantly dragged my husband onto the dancefloor at weddings or on vacation. Like so many, we loved watching Dancing With the Stars but never thought in a million years we could do anything like that. Ten minutes into my first ballroom dance lesson, I knew I had reignited an old passion — and found my new place.
Now we dance at least four nights a week. We began competing, first, in small mini-matches at our studio and then moved on to inter-regional competitions. Last July, we were thrilled to compete in our first national competition at the Fred Astaire World Championship in Las Vegas. To say we’re addicted to dancing is an understatement. My husband, who admits he had two left feet when he started, now loves dancing as much as I do. With all the fun, cool dance moves, rhinestone studded gowns, and playing dress up, who wouldn’t fall in love? Now we’re turning that passion into a whole new business venture.
One thing we noticed early on is that finding practice wear — especially if you’re not a size 2, is extremely difficult. Most dancewear is made in Europe or Asia and is much smaller than U.S. sizes. Even if you can find a size large, or extra-large, the sizing is way off. We found a need and decided to fill it by creating a size-inclusive dancewear company called Drest Couture.
We launched our website, www.drestcouture.com
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?
Our first challenge in creating our new business was to find reputable manufacturers to work with. One thing that was paramount in developing our business plan was making sure we had apparel that fit standard U.S.-size guidelines. Currently, most ballroom dance gowns and practice wear are made to order. They can cost anywhere from $200-300 for practice wear all the way up to $5,000 to $10,000 for a custom gown.
Our goal is to provide expertly crafted practice wear that is affordable, that you can purchase right off the rack, and that also meets our high-quality standards. For that, we needed a mentor. More on that in a minute.
Another initial struggle was finding a way to reach our target audience. Competitive ballroom dancers come in all shapes and sizes and span all ages — from children to seniors. There are serious competitors in all parts of the world.
Fortunately, our dance community, both fellow students as well as those who manage and work at our dance studio, including a whole sea of talented dance instructors, have been incredibly supportive in helping us spread the word about our new company. They see first-hand the need for size-inclusive dancewear just like we do and have been extremely generous in sharing information about our new company.
From my decades of creating content and advertisements for multiple clients, I know that our biggest advertising bang for the buck would come through social media campaigns. Since we are new at launching a business, we hired a social media expert to help us develop our brand through various social media channels. We are gradually finding our target market.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Drest Couture creates size-inclusive ballroom dance and practice wear that fits and flatters all body types. For our initial launch, we created women’s practice skirts for both Latin/Rhythm dancing and Smooth dancing. I asked other ballroom dancers what they wanted in practice wear. Then, worked with talented designers to create the products that they requested as well as products I would be proud to wear.
Eventually, we will carry practice dresses and competition wear for both men and women. We also plan to carry ballroom jewelry and accessories. You gotta have the bling! We pride ourselves on our high-quality, European designs, made with beautiful, lightweight, 4-way stretch fabrics intended to flow effortlessly across your body and accentuate dance moves.
What sets us apart from other dancewear companies is we create apparel according to standard U.S. sizes, in sizes small through 4X. We are also excited to provide exceptional customer service/ Every Drest Couture original will arrive in our signature black and gold box, wrapped in luxurious tissue paper. A shipping label is placed inside every box for easy returns.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Mentors have been extremely helpful to us in launching our business. First and foremost, we need to thank Erin Hooley, Founder and CEO of Bailey’s Blossoms. Erin launched a highly successful children’s online apparel store from her basement and was kind enough to guide us in our search for trusted manufacturers and in developing our marketing and business strategies.
In addition, my husband, Anthony Mercado, has been regularly meeting with a SCORE counselor. SCORE provides entrepreneurial advice from volunteers who have actually launched and run businesses of their own. The SCORE volunteer has been instrumental in helping us develop our business plan, learn the importance of brand recognition, and launch a successful marketing and advertising plan. SCORE provides a number of useful documents, including profit and loss forms and year-to-year business statements, as well as teaches us the importance of monitoring and understanding our business’s health.
To find a mentor, I highly recommend tapping into your social network. Look for others you know who have been successful in similar endeavors. People who have been down the same road want to help. Just ask. You can also look for business incubators in your local community where you share resources with other entrepreneurs.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.drestcouture.com
- Instagram: @drestcouture
- Facebook: facebook.com/drestcouture
- Other: www.mercadofreshmedia.com
Image Credits
Edina Kobor
LaHari Photography
Anthony Mercado
