Meet Marisa Graca

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marisa Graca and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marisa, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I worked as an Insurance Specialist at a bank in Brazil for over 20 years. After leaving my job, I decided to follow my dream of starting my own embroidery business.

Embroidery has always been a passion of mine. As a child, I loved watching my grandmother create beautiful hand-embroidered pieces, and it always amazed me.

One day, while picking up an order at a local atelier, the owner asked if I knew anyone who did embroidery because she had a client who needed it. I took that as a sign to go for my dream. After doing a lot of research and taking courses, I finally bought my embroidery machine and started my own embroidery business.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Embroidery might seem super easy, but the real struggle hit when I had to turn a logo into an actual embroidery design.

At school, we learned how to make embroidery designs, but the tricky part is that depending on the machine, the stitch settings can totally change everything.

When you’re starting a business without knowing much about the field, you end up doing a lot of research and figuring out what works by checking out the competition.

I remember when I first got going, one of my clients needed a bunch of t-shirts fast. I had to grind for crazy long hours just to get them done, and I barely managed to hit the deadline.

Why did this happen? Well, when you’re new, it takes a lot longer to get things done (now, I can do it in half the time!).

What I’ve learned? Anything is possible if you’re willing to hustle, don’t give up, and—most importantly—believe in yourself.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I think we will visit: six flags, white water, World of Coca-Cola, Piedmont Park, Georgia, Aquarium | Atlanta Georgia.

We’ll always go shopping: Ross, Marshalls, macy’s, Target, Burlington, At home etc.

To eat: It’s difficult because I prefer home-cooked food.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My daughter (Sabrina), my brother-in-law (Waldir – my partnership) and my sisters (Sonia and Glauce) because they always believed in me.

Website: https://sites.google.com/view/mandwembroidery/home

Instagram: MW Embroidery