Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany Marra and Mari Wagamon.
Hi Mari & Brittany, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
We started Sunny Rae from our love of unique and ethically made children’s clothing. We both had small children at the time and liked to dress them in fun and playful clothing that supported other women-owned small shops. We continually were asked where we got our kid’s clothes, and that’s when the idea came to light of starting our small shop, Sunny Rae. We started as just a children’s boutique and have grown to sustainable and handmade wooden toys, home decor, womens wear and gifting items.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Like any new adventure, it’s been a ride! We started our business at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, which led to many challenges. We didn’t expect extreme manufacturing delays and increased shipping costs. Although we’ve faced many challenges along the way, we’ve learned and grown a lot together. We’ve been best friends since high school, which meant learning how to separate our friendship from business roles and navigating those separate relationships. Due to the current state of our economy, we’ve seen a big drop in sales as everyone is struggling to keep up with the cost of inflation; through this, we, as consumers, have learned the importance of supporting other small shops and local businesses.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Outside of Sunny Rae, Mari is a Registered Nurse with 8 years of experience in the NICU. Last fall, she switched careers and moved into the Medical Aesthetic field, where she is now practicing as an Aesthetic injection nurse at Remedy Wellness Clinic in Maple Grove, MN. She is the mother to four boys, ranging in ages two-seven years old, and enjoys all the triumphs and joys that motherhood brings. She shares her creativity, fitness journey, lifestyle, and everything on her Instagram @mariwags. Follow along to keep up with her everyday life. Outside of Sunny Rae, Brittany has worked at Anthropologie for 6 years and just started selling wedding dresses at the BHLDN located within the Anthropologie in the West End. She also started a permanent jewelry business called Stay Golden MN. You can follow her new venture on Instagram at @staygolden_mn and staygoldenmn.com. She also stays very busy with her three children (1 boy and two girls) ranging in ages 1-4. In her free time, Britt loves to go to the gym, do anything outside, shop and travel the world with her family and friends, and make memories with those she loves most.
In terms of your work and the industry. What are some changes you expect to see over the next five to ten years?
Long-term goals, we’d love to have a storefront where we sell strollers, cribs, and breast pumps and offer a sense of community classes and events that bring mothers together. We’d also love to start and manufacture our clothing line and be able to offer all our experiences and love of children’s clothing because that’s where it all stemmed from. We’d also love to start and manufacture our own clothing line.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shopsunnyrae.com
- Instagram: Shop_SunnyRae
