We were lucky to catch up with Mary Bateman-Mercado recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Mary, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
My work ethic stems from my family. Growing up my parents never differentiated ‘girl jobs’ vs. ‘boy jobs’. There were five children in our family. I was the oldest. We lived on acreage and always had a few horses, a couple of beef cattle, chickens, and of course a few cats and dogs that all needed to be fed.
“Mary, the cows are calling,” was one of my least favorite things to hear early on a summer morning. That meant ‘get up now’ because the cows were moaning from hunger. Even worse was hearing my mom roar, ‘The cows are out’. That usually meant one of our Angus cattle or the whole herd, had broken through the white rail fences my father adored, and were now snacking in our neighbor’s apple orchard on the adjacent property.
This often occurred in the wee hours before dawn. It meant sloshing on a pair of farm boots and throwing a baggy winter coat over my pajamas, grabbing a bucket of oats from the barn, and then tracking down the cattle. Once I found them, I would shake the bucket of oats and run like the wind back to the pasture where they belonged, before they trampled me. Once the cows started feasting on the oats, I had mere seconds to hammer the fence back together before they finished their oats and got out again.
I loathed this exercise at the time but now, looking back, I credit this with my ability to do hard things. If I can outrun stampeding cattle in the middle of the night and rebuild a fence — I can accomplish anything I put my mind to.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
My career as a broadcast TV producer/writer began more than three decades ago. I worked my way up from a teleprompter and electronic graphics operator to a newswriter, to a supervising producer working primarily for ABC network affiliates.
I have produced dozens of TV shows and specials including Goodtaste with Tanji Patton and HGTV’s Rebecca’s Garden. While raising my five children I also freelanced for numerous publications including the Miami Herald and multiple healthcare newspapers. I have also created corporate ads, annual reports, and newsletters.
I currently work part-time for ABC News/Good Morning America as a field producer based in Texas. I also run my own production company, Mercado Fresh Media. Through it I write and produce for numerous other networks and corporate clients including Viacom/CBS, HBO, PBS, Comcast/Xfinity, CBC, and many others.
Two years ago, on Valentine’s Day, my husband surprised me with a couple of ballroom dance lessons. To say ballroom dancing has changed my life would be an understatement. Not only has it become my passion, but it also led to a new business venture.
Last September my husband Anthony Mercado and I launched Drest Couture. We created a line of size-inclusive ballroom dance practice wear.
Soon after I got the ballroom bug I started searching for cute skirts and tops to wear to dance practice. I wanted to look like a dancer. Sadly, I discovered that most dancewear is made for children or to fit tiny dancers. Yet, most of the women I saw in the dance studio and later at regional competitions were just like me – average-sized, middle-aged women. Until now, most ballroom dancers paid exorbitant prices for custom dancewear.
As I searched further, I found that most dancewear is made overseas and even if an item is marked “large” or “extra-large” those sizes are inaccurate for women in the U.S. I consulted with other dancers and learned I was not alone in this struggle to find dancewear to fit. So, I decided to do something about it and created Drest Couture.
I reached out to a friend who owns a successful online children’s store. She mentored me through the process of finding suppliers. We conducted market research finding out what dancewear was popular online. We also asked many of our dancing friends what they wanted.
Interestingly, I took three graphic design courses starting back in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. I didn’t know why at the time other than I was drawn to design. Now I know why. I have designed my logo and website, created packaging artwork, dress labels, and now social media ads.
We launched our company with five different practice skirts. Two more skirts are ready to manufacture. We have designs for multiple dance tops and male pants also in the works.
We’re extremely grateful to our ballroom dance community who have supported us from the beginning. We have friends who purchase every skirt we create and post about it on social media. Several professional dancers are also wearing our skirts allowing us to post about it.
One of the most exciting developments in the past couple of months is that several dance studios have asked us to carry our skirts in their in-studio boutiques. They see the need for size-inclusive dancewear as well. We offer their customers a small discount on the skirts and also provide commission to the studio for each sale. Getting the skirts in a place where customers can see, touch, and try on our skirts is making a huge difference to our sales. So, it’s a win-win for the studio owners, the customers, and our new company.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The three skills or qualities that have been most impactful in my journey both as a broadcast journalist and now entrepreneur include being a keen observer, truly engaging as a team player, and trusting my gut especially when it’s scary.
Thinking way back to my childhood, I was the type of kid who didn’t want to run out and play when friends and extended family came to visit. Instead, I wanted to sit and eavesdrop on the adults. I wanted to hear their stories. I wanted to learn more about who they are. I loved asking my grandparents, aunts, and uncles questions and hearing about our ancestors.
I was obsessed with old movies and TV shows. I believe I learned how to produce a show — understanding the flow, sensing the moment when everything in the story pivoted, and building an effective climax were a result of watching and internalizing all that TV years ago.
Here’s the thing, I never finished college. It left me with a lack of confidence. But I believe it was my ability to observe, to carefully and methodically watch others, mimic their expertise, and then forge ahead with the unfamiliar that enabled me to achieve success.
I took a few journalism classes in both high school and college, so I knew the basics, but I truly learned my craft by watching others. I can’t tell you how many times I accepted an assignment while having absolutely no idea how to do it. Maybe it was blind optimism that led me to accept an assignment with no idea what I was doing. I think it all goes back to chasing those cows in the middle of the night. I knew somehow, I would figure it out.
The next quality — being a team player, is something you hear all the time. Through trial and error, a few missteps, and trying to do it all myself and eventually failing, I have learned that the TEAM is much better than the I alone. In fact, I blame one of my greatest career failures on not utilizing and trusting my team. A quote from one of my favorite books, Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull, the founder of Pixar, addresses this topic in great detail.
“I believe the best managers acknowledge and make room for what they do not know—not just because humility is a virtue but because until one adopts that mindset, the most striking breakthroughs cannot occur. I believe that managers must loosen the controls, not tighten them. They must accept risk; they must trust the people they work with and strive to clear the path for them; and always, they must pay attention to and engage with anything that creates fear. Moreover, successful leaders embrace the reality that their models may be wrong or incomplete. Only when we admit what we don’t know can we ever hope to learn it.” ― Ed Catmull, Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration.
Lastly, I credit much of my success on trusting my gut and facing fear head-on. Following those internal nudges to try one more time or knock on the door at the next house, when you were ready to give up or make that scary call just because you knew deep down it was the right thing to do.
Trusting my gut was what landed me at ABC. After years of working for ABC affiliates, I decided to reach out to the network. I used a few connections to get the right phone numbers. I didn’t know what I would say when someone answered. The phone number I had got me to the newsroom in New York. When the person answered I launched into a fire hose of self-promotion only to learn this was not the correct phone number. I was told I had to contact the bureau that managed my area. Somehow, I had the presence of mind to ask for the bureau’s phone number. I hung up a bit deflated and now even more nervous but took a deep breath and made the second call. It turned out my timing was good. The bureau chief picked up. After my firehose pitch, he told me he already had someone in my area. Heavy sigh. I thought that was it, but he asked if I could send my resume and he agreed to give me his email address. I hung up dejected but went ahead and drafted a dazzling cover letter and sent my resume anyway.
A couple of hours later my phone rang. It was the bureau chief. He told me the person who was helping them needed to leave for another assignment and asked if I could step in. I jumped on the opportunity. I spent the next couple of weeks tracking down a story and eventually landed an exclusive interview for Good Morning America. A few days later I received an email with the subject line, ‘Welcome to Disney/ABC’. It was one of the best days of my life. Great risks bring great rewards. When you get that nudge to act, do it.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you start a new business or face unfamiliar challenges. I feel this way often when I have a huge to do list, or especially when I have to work through parts of running business that I don’t like such as accounting or technology challeges. I’m a creative person. I don’t do numbers but you have to when you run a business.
My best advice comes from another favorite book, ‘Bird by Bird’ by Anne Lamott. She wrote about the title of her book:
“Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report written on birds that he’d had three months to write, which was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books about birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him put his arm around my brother’s shoulder, and said, “Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.” ― Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird.
That’s how I handle feeling over whelmed. Bird by bird. Make a list tackle on thing at a time. It’s not so daunting when you break it down step by step.
If there is a problem or challenge I can’t work out piecemeal, then I seek help. I walk away from my desk for a bit. Then return and start searching for answers or call or email someone for help.
When the challenge is super tough I sleep on it. A new day brings fresh perspective. I often get inspiration in the shower or while doing dishes. I need to take myself out of the the situation and let the good vibes flow. Then, the answers will come if you trust and believe that they will.
I had this happen just last week. We are getting thousands of views on our social media but those views had not been translating into sales on our Instagram store. I knew there was an issue with all of our products now showing up in the Instagram store but didn’t know how to fix it. I went to bed on Thursday night puzzled by the problem but also feeling a strong urgency to fix it. I thought about my problem again as I drove to workout the next morning and made a resolve to figure it as soon as I was at my desk.
Then, something miraculous happened. After my workout I opened up my phone and saw a message from Meta. It read, “We spotted some issues with your Instagram store.” I clicked on the email. It outlined step by step how to fix the issue of my products not showing up in the store. It turned out I was missing some of the sizes for each product. I added the sizes and ‘Voila!” all 0f the products now show in in the store.
I believe the universe, God, being in the flow, your conscience, whatever you want to call it, is there to help but you have to calm down, ask, seek and then relax and let the answers come. Because they will come.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.drestcouture.com
- Instagram: @drestcouture
- Facebook: @drestcouture
- Other: www.mercadofreshmedia.com
Image Credits
Anthony Mercado Edina Kobor
