We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dionne Sandiford a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Dionne , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

I have an embroidery, screen printing and sewing business. Prior to going full time in my business, I worked part-time in the business as a side hustle. People would often ask me to sew garments and also do alterations. I was asked by my church to repair the mats the children use to sleep on for nap time. They would tear or crack and according to DHEC if the foam inside was exposed, you had to throw it out. They were very expensive to replace. So i started to repair them…

I would also hear the teachers talk about how the parents had to provide a cover for the mat i.e. towel, blanket for the kids to sleep on. The parents would complain that there were no sheets or covers that would fit the mats and it was a struggle and if they found one, their child would lose it I decided that what if I came up with a cover the was fitted for the mat ( this would protect the mat so I would not have to repair them so often), It was very hard to sew the mat covers because the vinyl was very tough,

After coming up with a sleeve for the mats it still did not solve the problem of having a cover for the kids to sleep. So I came up with a way to include a blanket and space for a pillow and have it all connected so that the kids did not lose them. I made several prototypes and after awhile I gave up and put it on the shelf thinking no one would be interested and it was not a good idea.

It sat on the shelf for a long time – years and one day someone came to my space to help me clean it up an organize. My friends found the prototype and strongly recommended that I update it and try again. I did and using my skills as a quilter there is a quilt based item called a quillow. It is a blanket that folds into a pillow and can also open to a blanket. I based the Cozy Cover on that concept.

I did not know it was a worth while endeavor at first. I took the updated prototype and went to a friend =, Jennifer who owns a marketing company (Bright Co) she thought it was worth exploring. I then went to a lawyer to compare and vet my product against others in the market place. Jennifer recommended that I apply for a program Greenville Starts that helps entrepreneurs take a concept or product and work with them to see if it is viable. I was successful in that program and won $5,000 prize money to further develop the product. That is when I realized I may have a good product.

I was asked to attend a conference, Confidence Activated to share my story. The guest speaker, Jamie Kern Lima heard my story and it resonated with her. She ordered $10K work of the covers with the stipulation that they were given to shelters, daycare centers and other facilities. Note: Jaime Kern Lima is the founder of IT cosmetics and sold it to L’Oreal for 1.2 Billion.

There are other similar products but they do not close like the Cozy Cover. When I was giving the pitch for Greenville Starts. I shared that there were other products similar but like Ben & Jerry’s and Breyer’s ice cream – they both sell vanilla ice cream and each are successful companies… lol.

What is most exciting about this product is that I created it and have been able to sell it to people that have a need.

Dionne , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I did not start out as an entrepreneur. I haave a BS and a Master’s degree. I worked in medical education. I relocated from New York to SC and worked in Corporate America. There I was met with an unfortunate racial incident and decided that I did not want to do that anymore, I prayed and asked God = “G” to show me another way. It was then I decided to take my hobby of sewing and embroidery and make a go of it,

Corporate Stitch is the umbrella name for the company and the focus is on working with companies to supply them branded items we embroider with their logo, A Celebration of Us! is another division and that focus is on creating memory quilts and t-shirt quilts.

Cozy Covers is the latest addition to the product line, It is a cover for mats in daycare for kids to use. It comes with a built in blanket and space for a pillow.

I am proud that we cater to the small business person. Often screen printing and embroidery companies have large minimums and we will do small jobs, We often say that our best customer is that customer who may place a small order but comes back repeatedly.

With the quilts, it brings much joy to know that a person has entrusted their loved ones belongings or their own personal items with us and in return we give them a beautiful quilt. To see the smile on their face when they open the quilt never gets old and we love it.

Have you ever had to pivot?

When the pandemic hit – the business shut down, Since the services we offer were not essential and customers did not have to have embroidered items. Things went bad quickly. I applied for PPP money and was turned down several times brfore being approved.

Because I sew, I starting making masks for people. There was a business that made surgical caps and during the pandemic their business soared, so I began sewing for them. Also, people where staying home and doing home improvements and I began sewing for a company that made cushions and pillows. That was such a scary time for me and I prayed and thanked God for these sewing hands. I had to pivot and do it quickly. To this day, I am still in contact with those companies and we have a good relationship.

Has your business ever had a near-death moment? Would you mind sharing the story?

There were times when I struggled and questioned if I should go back to working for someone else. Working for someone else guaranteed a paycheck and benefits and I did not have to worry about cash flow. There was an incident where a company placed a large order and we were excited. There was not enough cash to purchase the supplies and material. I kept putting the customer off on the delivery date. I was waiting to receive payment from another job that would have provided the funds. Time was passing and the check was not received, The customer was growing impatient and was considering pulling the order. I knew I was not going to meet the deadline.

What saved my company was that upper management was made aware of the situation and said that because of my relationship with them and how I handled previous order something must be wrong and this was not reflective of the company’s performance. We had a meeting and I told about the cash flow issue. They paid for the order in advance and said in the future to let them know if I am having any difficulties.

My company’s reputation is what saved me. I learned it’s always the best to tell the truth. Also to get a better handle on cash flow.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://acelebrationofus.store/ www.corporatestitch.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acelebrationofus
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/acelebrationofus
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dionne-sandiford/

Image Credits
Image of Dionne credit goes to Stacey Gardin of smitnphotography Please give her credit in the article The other pics were taken by me or staff.