Today we’d like to introduce you to Alyssa Yackle.
Hi Alyssa, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Marie Bee has been a part of me since I can remember. It started as my childhood nickname for “Alyssa Marie,” and it somehow turned into an imaginary business when I was little where I’d make greeting cards and art prints for my family. Over the years, Marie Bee evolved as I did becoming a real business (or more like a side hustle with an LLC) in 2012, but it was always the place where my creativity lived.
I took fine art classes growing up and when I went to college, I had no idea what I wanted to do, but I remember I called my dad after one sculpture class first semester and said, “I want to be an artist”, and he said, “Not with that tuition.”
Ha! Even back then I was practical and I think I agreed with him. And later I would learn that nothing would be able to stop that creative pull…plus things have a way of working out the way they’re supposed to.
So I went to college for business and after, got a masters in public policy. I spent the beginning of my career as a project coordinator in clinical research (the opposite of an artist), but over the years I always somehow turned myself into the in-house event planner and graphic designer until eventually I became an event planner and graphic designer. I always had Marie Bee as a creative outlet, but it wasn’t until I lost my job that it would become what it is today.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Loosing my job while on maternity leave was a really hard moment. I had been at my job for almost 10 years and planned to stay there forever. It felt like such a huge part of my identity was gone – and adding on the stress of having my first child six-weeks earlier – it felt like someone blew up my old life and I wasn’t sure how to pick up the pieces.
But when I went to my husband asking what I was going to do (probably hysterical) he didn’t miss a beat – he said, “This is your chance. You’re going to run your own business.” And I thought, oh my god, this is my chance. I’m going to run my own business.
Marie Bee has had a lot of iterations over the years, but any time I got close to thinking about making it my full time gig, fear got in the way. Sometimes you need to jump, and sometimes you need a push.
I’m also a breast cancer survivor and that’s become a special part of my story. It was probably the most challenging thing I’ve ever gone through, but now it feels like an important call out on my resume. Being a cancer survivor has given me a deeper level of empathy that really helps me connect with people and I feel like that comes through my work and my relationships with my clients.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I believe good design makes people feel something. It tells a story. It creates connection. Whether it’s a wedding invitation that becomes a cherished keepsake or branding that helps a small business show up confidently, design matters — emotionally and practically.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I’d also like to share how important networking with other mom business owners has been to my success. Right after I lost my job and decided I was going to take my business full-time, my mom sent me a social media post of this mom boss meet up through Your Mom Friend South Jersey (now hosted by Cait Close of River & Root). It turns out the meeting notification she sent me was in an hour and a mile from my house. I threw the baby in the stroller and ran down there. I had no idea it was the first meeting and what an integral part of my business it would become. I haven’t missed a single meeting. I get unwavering support, amazing advice, I’ve made friends, I’ve gotten clients – my husband jokes that it’s more like a monthly support group than a networking group. He’s right.
Running a business and being a mom is a uniquely challenging experience. I wouldn’t change it for the world but it’s not easy…and sometimes you need to go to a monthly meeting to hear all the moms saying, hey, this is really challenging, let’s take a step back and admire what we’re building so one day our daughters can do the same.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mariebeedesignstudio.com
- Instagram: @marie_queen_bee / @mariebeeforbusiness
