Story & Lesson Highlights with Marla Lacey

Marla Lacey shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Good morning Marla, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: Would YOU hire you? Why or why not?
Of course I’d hire me! If as a business owner, I would not hire myself, then I would imagine there would be a lot of soul searching and self evaluation that needed to take place.
My belief is that, if you can’t or are not willing to do the task you would ask someone else to do, then perhaps you should not be in a place of authority or management.
For myself, I’m a hard worker and any time I have someone work for me, I train them to do the same. People conscious and aware of those around me make for a quality trait in many lines of work. Not to mention a willingness to learn new things and to always be teachable. Not only does that make a good worker, but it helps make a well-rounded individual. One of the most important things I believe that makes me a great worker & why I’d hire me, is INTEGRITY. Now a days, it seems we find so little of that, not just in workers, nut also in business owners, and everyday situations. Being a person of integrity is one of the most sought after traits and values in todays day and age, and its one of the least attributes to be found.
For myself and anyone I may employ, integrity is a high consideration on my list of hiring.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Sure.
Well in case anyone missed it, my name is Marla and it’s great to chat with everyone! So, I own a company in South Carolina called MaraBette & Co, Tea and Hospitality, LLC, just MaraBette Tea for short! The hint as to what we deal a lot with is in the name, such an easy giveaway. However, let me briefly tell you about the company, because it’s such a great business and it’s always wonderful to get to talk about it!

Here at MaraBette & Co, we help people find ways to create space for serving others. How? Through the pleasures of tea & offering unique curated finds that give people tools to help create that space. One of the really cool aspects of the company are the teas we offer. Each one is small batch blended and created in house! So yes, the teas with the exception of a few direct from origin, are created by myself! Each one mimics the emotions, feelings, memories of pleasant times with friends, family, home, & hospitality.
While creating tea blends, is what I love, it’s really a tool to help others. Sometimes, it’s not the tea an individual needs, but rather a teapot or vintage serving piece, or cake platter, or unique French inspired notecards that gives a person the confidence to create space for others, we offer those curated finds as well.

So, really we are so much more than a tea company, we are a people company.

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
Haha, I laugh because as a young child I was very strong willed, and even then liked to position myself as one in leadership, authority, or power. Now, did that always mean, it worked out like that, of course not. However, as many times as I could I remember playing with my siblings or friends, and always being “in charge”.

If we played school, I wasn’t just the principal, I owned all the schools. If we played bank, I was the bank owner. If we played any kind of make-believe, I was always in charge and it actually came natural. I recall in 5th grade being voted class president and those kind of roles carrying into Jr. High and High School.

I believe often times, if you watch children you will get glimpse into their dominate characteristics, & if trained correctly will serve them well into the future.

These examples or times, and there were more, where I easily stepped into roles where you might call “powerful” were actually telling of the leadership, management, & even entrepreneurial roles I would walk into as I got older. Today, we see a lot of these defining moments of “feeling powerful” being used and serving well.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
I think there are times in everyone’s life where we come to a place and it seems impossible or maybe hard to continue, and each person has felt at one time or another like giving up. I also think that giving up looks different for each person. Sometimes, it means taking a step back and evaluating where you are, and saying this is not right and making a decision to “start fresh”. Sometimes, it looks like pivoting because you realize you have veered off course. Yes, sometimes, it means a changing of the guard season and you lay aside the weight that is causing you to want to give up.

For me, in business that has come more than once, and each time a different approach was needed. Each time though, I found myself in a place where I was trying to please the majority instead of building the business based on how I knew it needed to be built and following the plans the Lord gave me. I think when I move to doing things my way, and making the wrongs things the focus, it because hard. Business became tough, all I could see where the things that were going wrong & not the positives. Times like these are when it becomes imperative for me to really question my heart motives and then take time to step back & regain perspective.

Is it easy, goodness no. Is it needful, for sure. Will there be other times in the days ahead where I feel like I want to give up, perhaps. Regardless, in moments like these, is where I find out if what I am building is bigger than me, or am I just doing what everyone else thinks I should be doing.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
Oh goodness YES. What you see is what you get. I am authentically me in every moment of every day, be it with people or by myself. To me this all goes back to being a person of integrity, & living true to who God created me to be and not some “other” version of who the world wants me to be.
Perhaps, this is also helped by my strong-willed and independent qualities. LOL

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
Oh that’s an easy one. Who I am in Christ.
My first and foremost identity is not in anything I have, posses, roles or titles I may carry or anything else the world may offer. Rather, I have my foundation built on who I am in Christ and who He has created me to be.
In everything I do, every opportunity, every endeavor, every achievement, none of it comes because of who I am. It’s all because of whose I am & His goodness toward me.

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Image Credits
Jen Jefferson

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