Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Julie Mires. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Julie, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
Even the earliest memories of my dad were of him working hard. He worked long hours and I never once heard him complain. He made a very good living and took care of a family of five until I married and moved out in my early twenties. He retired in his late fifties and had a massive stroke not long after. I lost dad during Christmas in 2020, but every day I do something in my business that makes me think of him. Knowing that I got my resilience and my “I can do it!” work ethic from him makes me really proud, and always brings a smile to my face.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’m that girl that never knew what she wanted to be when she grew up, so I tried to do it all!
Right after graduating high school in Central Florida, I earned a degree in Interior Decorating and Design, while working full time in retail. I really only took advantage of that degree for myself and friends through the years, and not long after, I moved from Florida back to my home state of Missouri and went to work in graphic design. I worked for several different printing companies during my time there and learned all I could about this profession that I enjoyed very much.
1997 took me from Missouri to North Carolina where I went to work at a CPA firm. Another awesome experience, but one I knew I didn’t want to do the rest of my life. You’ll swear I was quite the gypsy when I say that in 1997 I moved back to Florida and went to work as Comptroller for a Development Company right on the sand in Panama City Beach. Accounting had become my way of life and I had gotten very proficient at it!
It was in Panama City Beach that I met my soulmate and knew THIS was one thing I could surely do the rest of my life! He was in the Navy and stationed at the Navy Dive School there on the beach. Once he got off of active duty in 2005, and after we had both lived here and there, we decided to make one more move… this move brought us back to Missouri right in the middle of the Ozark Mountains!
Branson is a tourist town and because I knew I didn’t want to be an accountant forever, and there wasn’t industry here for machinists, we decided to open our own business… and so, Enchanted Memories was born! We took six months off to put a business plan together, built a new home, and got married right on our new wrap around porch!
It was after we had been in business for a couple of years that we KNEW everything we had done had been to prepare us for owning and operating an engraving shop and gift store. Literally everything I had done as a profession I needed to do this! From retail to graphic design and accounting!
Now, the question is, “What about my degree in Interior Decorating & Design? Well, as the years went by, we added more and more to what we do, more types of personalization, and we added lots of home decor items. We knew we didn’t want to become stagnant, so we continued to reinvent ourselves!
Three years ago Enchanted Memories was accepted by Annie Sloan to carry her amazing Chalk Paint and Accessories, and I began refinishing vintage furniture. I didn’t realize the knack I had for it until I couldn’t put the brush down. I painted small things at first, then a little bigger, then to having no fear of painting anything! I realized that I could do the fun and funky pieces as easy as I could do pieces with just a tad of personality, and now the funky is where I find myself the most. I love reinvisioning furniture that is sometimes on its last leg and headed for the landfill. I love using different techniques to bring each piece to life again, and I never know where I’ll decide to stop once I get started!
In 2023 we took two weeks and traveled to the United Kingdom, stopping in Oxford to meet Annie along the way, and have a see around her plant and her very successful global brand. I found so much inspiration there that I came home with even more passion for it than I had before. In January 2025, I attended a workshop in Atlanta put on by Annie Sloan herself. There’s not much as satisfying for a furniture artist as learning from the very best there is and ever has been! The brand just turned 35 the first week of February and there will be loads of new colors to use, tons of fantastic thrifts to flip, and hours and days and weeks of paint brushes in my hand as we celebrate this huge milestone!
Enchanted Memories has added a new name this year too, we are now “Enchanted Memories & Dogwood Redesigns.” The furniture is now not only sold in our Main Street storefront but also through Marketplace and Etsy shipping all over the nation!
We still do all of our photo engraving, personalized gifts, custom shirts, and more, and we still carry many other wonderful gift lines, furniture and lovely home decor. We still appreciate every single customer that walks through our door, and we are still so grateful for every single sale. The only thing after 20 years in business that we could use is MORE ROOM!
Oh, and we also begin workshops this year! So much fun & creativity to be had!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Strong Work Ethics – this is a must when it comes to spending your days doing what you love and making a living at it.
Be full of fire and passion throughout your journey. This is what keeps you going, helps you avoid getting burnt out, and makes you want to get out of bed each morning and do it all again!
Be Fearless – you have to believe in yourself, REALLY believe in yourself, and know whatever you set your mind to do, YOU CAN DO, And then… take that leep and watch yourself fly! No Fear!
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
Although we have had our website, EnchantedMemoriesBranson.com for nearly twenty years, we still don’t have the year-round income there that we know we should be generating. The changes in SEO, the changes in indexing, etc. are all extremely hard to keep up with for a small business owner with so many other duties to stay on top of each day.
I need to speak to someone that’s ‘website brilliant’ to help us get over this hurdle. There are so many people that want to charge a fortune to get websites where they need to be and then tell you the changes will payoff in a year or so. Surely there’s a different route to take, and I intend to find it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://EnchantedMemoriesBranson.com
- Instagram: EnchantedMemoriesBranson
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/15PCLm4iJT/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Other: Pinterest- https://pin.it/SGpYJQkLk
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.