We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Carissa Williams Murray. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Carissa below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Carissa with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I believe I got my work ethic from my parents. Growing up, I watched them work tirelessly while raising three kids. Even during tough times, they provided us with a happy, loving, and supportive home. My mom earned her bachelor’s degree while juggling work and parenting, showing incredible determination, while my dad instilled in me self-sufficiency and practical life skills. Their example, combined with the responsibilities and chores they gave us, shaped my sense of discipline and hard work.
Beyond my upbringing, my years in sports and dance also played a big role. These activities taught me the value of dedication, commitment, and perseverance.
I started working young, babysitting in my early teens, and later took on my first job as a dishwasher at a local diner. In high school, I worked part-time at Dairy Queen, eventually working my way up to Assistant Manager, and volunteered as an athletic trainer during football season. During college, I balanced academics with part-time roles, including working at an elementary school, a retailer, and in my university’s International Education Office, first as an office assistant and later as a Peer Advisor. I was also actively involved in residence life, intramural sports, and other campus activities, further strengthening my leadership and time management skills.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I began my professional career in International Education as a Study Abroad Advisor. After four years in that role, I spent the next 11.5 years working for a Study Abroad Organization. During the early years there, I had an amazing boss who was not only a great mentor but also a life coach. She encouraged me to pursue a passion outside of work, which led me to start my Etsy shop in 2013. After a lot of thought, I combined two things I love – travel and crafting – and created my shop, TravelsRemembered.
The inspiration for my shop came from a magazine clipping my mom had sent me, featuring travel memory boxes as a way to store travel memories. I started by creating customized memory boxes focused on travel, and over time, expanded to include memory boxes for life events like pets, babies, weddings, and general milestones. To keep things fresh and exciting, I’ve also added hand-painted journals, signs, towels, mugs, potholders, and ornaments, which have become especially popular!
What I love most about this work is creating personalized boxes for my customers – it’s so much fun to see where they’ve been and live vicariously through their adventures. I get really excited when customers reach out with specific design requests, like adding country flags, icons, or extra words/phrases – bringing their unique ideas to life is always an exciting challenge!
In April 2023, I was laid off from my job, which gave me the chance to focus on my health and mental well-being while exploring my next steps. This time also allowed me to collaborate with local small businesses on custom products, which has been a really exciting opportunity. I’ve worked with a travel agent to create branded travel-related items for her swag boxes that she sends to clients, along with custom ornaments and branded apparel for other businesses. These collaborations have been a great way to expand my skills, connect with other entrepreneurs, and bring a unique touch to their brand offerings.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back, the three qualities that have been most impactful in my journey are perseverance, creativity, and relationship-building.
Perseverance has been essential in overcoming challenges, whether in my career or while growing my Etsy shop. Staying focused and resilient has helped me turn setbacks into opportunities for growth.
Creativity fuels my business, especially in designing unique, customized products for my customers. I love bringing their ideas to life, which keeps my work exciting and allows me to experiment with new designs and offerings.
Relationship-building has been crucial in both my professional and personal life. In my professional roles, forging strong connections was key to driving success. It’s also a skill that comes naturally to me, which helps me build meaningful bonds with others in both my business and everyday life.
My advice is to be persistent and learn from challenges. Don’t be afraid to tap into your creativity, and seek out connections with others—both professionally and personally. Building relationships can open doors, and staying true to your goals will help you grow along the way.
How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?
The number one challenge I’m currently facing is standing out and growing my social media presence. I was a bit late to the game in getting on social media, but now that I’m active on Instagram and Facebook, I’m working hard to build my following. I’ve taken a couple of social media marketing courses and have developed some solid content and engaging posts, but I still struggle with organically growing my audience. This is where collaboration comes in—I’m always looking for opportunities to work with others to expand both creatively and professionally.
I’d love to partner with other small businesses on custom creations. Whether it’s working on unique products or special orders, I’m excited to collaborate and bring new ideas to life.
Another collaboration I’m particularly interested in is finding a graphic artist who can create custom, travel-inspired designs that I can use across various products in my shop. I’m eager to work with someone who shares a passion for travel and creativity. If you’re interested in collaborating or think we could create something special together, feel free to reach out!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://travelsremembered.etsy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travelsremembered/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TravelsRememberedbyCW
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamsca
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
