Sew Much More

An interview-style podcast with people in the Custom Window Treatment and Soft Home Furnishings industry. Ceil interviews business owners to find out their strengths, their challenges and advice they have for other business owners.

457 - Karen Swerling - There are Always Five Solutions to Every Problem 03/23/2025

456 - Happy Women's History Month 03/16/2025

455 - Listener Favorite - Michelle Moldowan 03/09/2025

454 - Morris Mayer - No Two Hours are the Same in This Business 03/02/2025

454 - Morris Mayer - No Two Hours are the Same in This Business Morris Mayer, Entrepreneur and Pastor. He is the CEO of Morris Mayer Services Group Inc., overseeing several small businesses and a charity. These include Plaza Park Interiors, a 12 year old custom drapery and upholstery workroom to the trade and contract accounts; Plaza Park Cleaning Services offering fine drapery and upholstery cleaning and stain shield fabric protector; Valley Interiors offering custom window treatments and upholstery in Northern New Jersey; the recently launched R2A Custom Furniture Frames offering Ready 2 Assemble high end custom furniture frames to smaller custom workrooms that may not have the space or carpenter on staff and has several new products and services to be released this year. Morris has nearly four decades of experience in the design industry in every area from design to field installations. Morris is also a Lutheran pastor, a calling which started at the same time he started his business, and recently celebrated his 10 year ordination anniversary in January. He co-founded Goons4Good.org, a charity that inspires community action like supporting local soup kitchens and those struggling in the community. We also support cancer patient and caregiver support, developmental and physical disabilities and Veterans' services. Additionally, Morris manages the recently launched “The White Room at 707” a new showroom space dedicated to events such as educational workshops, live music and community events. Morris is known for out of the box thinking and connecting people to opportunities that foster their success and growth. LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/morris-mayer-b597aa1a • Personal Facebook: Morris Mayer • Plaza Park Interiors Facebook: Plaza Park Interiors • Plaza Park Interiors Instagram: @plazaparkinteriors Websites: www.morrismayer.com, www.plazaparkinteriors.com, www.R2Acustomframes.com, www.goons4good.org, www.ppiclean.com, www.valleyinteriors.com, www.whiteroom707.com Links and Resources; /episode/index/show/ceildi/id/35472705

453 - Deb Barrett - I've Been Appointment Driven My Whole Life 02/23/2025

452 - Oksana Ambroz - The Business Came to Me, I Wasn't Looking For the Business 02/16/2025

451 - Molly Burke and Tracy Jenkins of Chairloom 02/09/2025

450 - Wes and Jes Breitenbach - Crown Upholstery 02/02/2025

450 - Wes and Jes Breitenbach - Crown Upholstery In 1999 Jes and Wes were on a quest to work for themselves and have more control over their own time. That's when they created Crown Upholstery. After 25 years they have definitely worked, but they have yet to gain much control over their time. Jesica is the 5th generation in her family to be enticed by the upholstery lifestyle. Growing up in her grandparents shop, in Glendale Arizona, she witnessed first hand the freedoms upholstery had to offer as well as the hard work one has to put in to be successful in this craft. Wes was raised in Maryland and had never known upholstery to be anything other than something you did to the interiors of cars. The sirens of upholstery began to sing to him on a visit to Jesica's grandparents house. He saw their home based shop and the countless processes that go into this craft and quickly fell in love. Having a background in auto mechanics he was already primed for the problem solving journey that upholstery provides. He took a few classes taught by Jesica's grandfather, Frank, and then began his apprenticeship with him after Frank saw the enthusiasm and attention to detail Wes had. Within a few years of walking into an upholstery shop for the first time, Wes was starting his own. It began in a tiny one car garage that shared space with laundry machines, holiday decorations and lawn equipment but it did the job. Jesica had experience in accounting and she's much better at organization and management of things so that made the decision of who would be boss really easy. They moved across country a couple of times searching for a place to settle down and eventually landed in east Tennessee. In the 17 years living and working in Knoxville they have established a reputation for quality upholstery and excellent customer service. For the majority of their upholstery career they have been a home based business. In 2018 they purchased their first commercial space. A 1920's grocery store with an apartment above. They were officially a business based home. Within a few years, and after hiring another upholsterer Crown Upholstery was ready for more growth. Jesica found and purchased another building in the same neighborhood. This allowed them to bring on another full-time upholsterer. Jesica was now coordinating the schedules of 3 upholsterers along with everything else that goes into running a business. They still live above the old upholstery shop but it is now a Hair salon that Jesica manages as well. There's a reason she won Knoxville's Women owned business of the year 2024. Even when they aren't working together they still enjoy spending time together. Whether it's camping, sifting through junks shops or riding bikes. They are rarely seen very far apart. Crown Upholstery is on and /episode/index/show/ceildi/id/35082655