Role models
Burlington entrepreneurs share successes, charitable efforts
by Louisa J. Dang
Burlington has seen its fair share of plant closings and layoffs, but four women entrepreneurs are proving that there’s still hope in today’s difficult economy. For them, running a business is about more than making money; through their experiences, these women have gained confidence, learned new skills and begun giving back to the community that has supported them.
A personal journey
Jocelyn Drye launched her home-based business, Jocelyn Drye Designs, following the birth of her first child, Maddy, in 2003. She began with homemade purses and from there developed an entire line of luggage.
Drye’s designs are smart and modern, with contrasting color combinations that are ideal for those seeking something unique.
“I love fabric. I love all kinds of graphical things,” she says.
Drye’s mother had attempted to teach her how to sew when she was 12, but Drye didn’t think she had a flair for it. Years later, when she was pregnant and looking for baby bedding, her mother suggested that they make it themselves. Her aunt gave her an old sewing machine, so Drye watched and learned as her mother sewed patterns.
“I made one purse for myself, and people just started asking me to make them some,” she says.
Last year, Drye added Journey Lockets, double-sided glass lockets on sterling silver necklaces and bracelets that contain photographs and custom designs.
“You send me your pictures and I do everything that needs to be done to them, and then I send you the little inserts,” she says of the process.
Her goal is to focus on the jewelry side of the business, which has seen steady growth.
“People are more thoughtful about the way that they’re spending, especially with the lockets; it’s such a sentimental thing,” she says.
“They’re willing to spend money on something that’s a keepsake.”
Moving forward, Drye hopes to partner with Haven of Hope and Healing, a nonprofit based in Graham.
“A portion of sales would go toward the organization, which helps mothers who have lost children,” she notes.
“I really want to try to do something like that — make it a way to give back, to be something more than a fun necklace that you wear.”
On the Web: www.jocelyndrye.com
Making memories
Two years ago, Dot Hutelmyer and Marcia Livesay decided to create a new business. Both work for Livesay’s husband, a Graham attorney, but they realized that in today’s lean economy, having another source of income wouldn’t hurt. Plus, they worked well together.
It all began when Hutelmyer couldn’t find the wreath that she wanted in any store.
“I actually had made an Easter wreath for myself, and Marcia came in and said, ‘We could do that!’ ” Hutelmyer recalls.
The duo took a year to research and develop their idea and officially launched Wreath to Remember in 2008, selling custom-made wreaths at craft fairs and online. They hand-select wreaths from a local vendor and design them with natural materials and decorations purchased from reputable retailers.
“We do a lot of machine stitching and hand sewing,” Hutelmyer says.
“We love what we do, and we want that to show through our product.”
The Burlington community has been great, they say, with craft fairs often approaching them. And Capital Bank’s nearby Graham branch recently displayed their wreaths, naming them Business of the Month.
“We’ve just had nothing but positive encouragement,” Livesay says.
The women donate a portion of the business’ proceeds to the American Red Cross.
“It was important for us to give back to the community,” Hutelmyer says.
They’re also grateful for the opportunity to do something that they love.
“I think it’s my all-time favorite job,” Livesay says.
“I can’t guarantee people that trying to do your own business will get you money, but it’ll definitely teach you a lot, and I think it gives you more confidence in yourself.”
On the Web: www.wreathtoremember.com
An arts incubator
Betty Tyler has been an arts entrepreneur in Burlington for years, teaching classes through Alamance County Arts Council and selling her work at galleries and on commission. Now she’s expanding that role as director of Tyler D. Studios, an innovative new arts complex in town. The studio was the brainchild of Doug Dodd, one of Tyler’s painting students.
“He kept telling me, ‘Betty, I have a building that we can use for painting,’ ” she says.
While she was skeptical at first, Tyler eventually agreed to see it. She was impressed.
“They wanted to create an artists’ working lab and give back to the community,” Tyler says of Dodd and his wife, Brenda, who lease half of a 35,000-square-foot building at the Airport Industrial Park.
Tyler used her art connections and began spreading the word. By April, all 12 studio spaces were filled, including painter Jack Day, photographer Stacey Poythress and potter Peggy McCormick. She then asked Elon-based artist India Cain to be co-director of the studio, which also features a kitchen for cooking classes and an 8,000-square-foot events center.
“It’s a great environment, and it’s high energy,” Tyler says.
Being involved in the arts community has been an asset, she adds. Artists had come to Tyler in the past looking for a place to work.
“So many people paint on their washer or dryer in the laundry room, and it’s just a different atmosphere when you come into a working artists’ environment,” she says.
Tyler teaches at the center and offers free classes to foster children through Open Hearts Open Homes, a nonprofit.
“You don’t think about this, but when a child is taken out of a foster home he has lost his parents, his school, his toys, his friends — everything,” Tyler says.
“I will get much more from this than the children,” she adds. “They’ll certainly be a blessing to me.”
On the Web: www.tylerdstudios.com
Louisa J. Dang is a freelance writer based in Burlington.