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

Hi Gracie, thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

I am Gracie, the owner of Fully Loved and Free! I graduated in December 2021 from Wright State University. I am a daughter, a sister, a friend, an entrepreneur, a Christ follower and a dog obsessed girl. I love traveling, iced coffee and eating all of the ice cream that I can. The summer before I left for college, one of my best friends, Amy and I decided to paint a couple of doormats for my new apartment. They turned out super cute! So cute, I decided to start selling painted doormats. At that point, I created an Etsy Shop called “ShopMoreMATter”. This shop allowed me to grow my business by participating in local craft shows and online. In the back of my mind, I knew I wanted to expand my shop and create a purpose behind the store. I was in my second year of college and I found myself in a funk. Then, the pandemic hit! I knew I needed to reevaluate my business. At this point, my shop only sold doormats and I felt as if my business did not have a purpose. I wanted to sell items that meant something to me. After many discussions with friends and family, along with a lot of prayer, I redefined the purpose of my business. Although this process was challenging, I constantly reminded myself that the Lord loved me no matter what. Finally, I decided to change my business name to Fully Loved and Free as well as created my own website. (Fullylovedandfree.com) I eventually started selling clothing. Not just any clothing, but clothing that spreads love and positivity. I am praying that clothing purchased through my business will remind you that you are Fully Loved and Free.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Fully Loved and Free (formerly ShopMoreMATter) started in 2018 by just selling doormats. The doormats would have funny and cute sayings on them. My mom and I would paint the doormats. At the beginning, I just sold the doormats to my family and friends. Then they started to become more popular so I started an Etsy shop in late 2018. My business quickly grew on Etsy, Facebook and Instagram. I sold doormats for a couple of years. I always knew in the back of my mind that I wanted to sell clothing, I just wasn’t really sure about the timing. Then in 2020 the pandemic hit. Personally, I was in a funk. Business was going well but I didn’t enjoy what I was doing. I knew I didn’t want to paint doormats forever. So, with lots of prayers and talks with my family and friends, I changed my business name to “Fully Loved and Free”. Then, I began selling clothing. Not just any clothing but clothing that spreads love and positivity.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

There are many different strategies for growing your clientele especially when you are first starting out. In my opinion, word of mouth is the most important. This can happen through family and friends or at events. Pop-up markets are another way to get your name out there and gain more of an audience on social media.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.fullylovedandfree.com
• Instagram: @fullylovedandfree
• Facebook: @fullylovedandfree