CREATIVES: Entrepreneurs to Watch – Marion Blount and Leslie Chapman of Charleston, SC

Entrepreneurs take chances on their ideas and dreams and that is just what Marion Blount and Leslie Chapman did this past summer. The friends were enjoying their lifestyle blog that featured favorite cocktail recipes, hostess gifts and home decor trends and decided to go for it and quit their jobs and channel their passion for the home into an online shop. Open Door is a curated collection of home accents and decorative tabletop pieces. As the shop has evolved, Marion and Leslie have expanded their website to offer bridal and baby registry services and they now have a showroom on Meeting Street in Charleston. These savvy stylish ladies are on the move!

We asked Marion and Leslie to share some of their entrepreneurial spirit here–

Inspiration:

Marion – Travel. Whether I am traveling near or far, I love exploring shops, hotels and restaurants to find inspiration.

Leslie – Anything and everything I see around me. Whether it’s walking down King Street, browsing the internet, or looking through magazines, my wheels are always turning!

Theme Song:

Marion – If I am taking photos of products for the website, I have to listen to Run This Town by Jay-Z. Otherwise, Girls by Beyonce is a good theme song. Side note…I am going to see Jay-Z and Beyonce this Summer, clearly I’m a fan of both.

Leslie – Anything from the Beatles, I grew up listening to old records my mom had collected and the Beatles were my go to.

Fave book or author:

Marion – I read mostly non-fiction books. I enjoy any book by Malcolm Gladwell.

Leslie – The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay.

Favorite charity:

Marion – The Green Heart Project, it’s based in Charleston and pairs volunteers with students to build and maintain an urban garden.

Leslie – Louie’s Kids.

#1 skill/attribute needed to be an entrepreneur:

Marion – The three C’s: Communication, Confidence and Collaboration

Leslie – Constantly making yourself available.

Role model:

Marion – I am very fortunate to come from a creative family. My mother and my grandmother are my role models. They are both artists and have created successful businesses out of something they love to do. They are both strong, smart and inspire me to achieve something that I love to do.

Leslie – My grandmother, she was a go-getter, trend setter, and always evolving entrepreneur.

Favorite social media:

Marion – Instagram! I am very much a visual person, so being able to scroll through images and post images is very appealing to me as a consumer and business owner.

Leslie – Instagram

Favorite quote:

Marion – “Kindness is always fashionable.” Amelia Edith Barr

Leslie – If you can’t stop thinking about it, don’t stop working for it.

Interesting tidbit about you or your business:

Marion – We just recently moved out from my guest room to a showroom at 1600 Meeting Street in Charleston.

Leslie – We offer a wedding registry to those looking for unique items that cannot be found at a department store.

The Southern Coterie is a social network (tscoterie.wpengine.com) with events (thesoutherncsummit.com) that connects influencers, entrepreneurs and marketing professionals with an affinity for the South- the Makers and Doers.

Enjoy this series where we introduce you to Southern creatives we find inspiring-

• Nan Myers, Jay Ducote and Jane Pope Cooper
• TJ Callaway, Natalie Evans and Javacia Bowser
• Marquin Campbell
• Putt Weatherbee
• Jamie Meares
• Molly Jane Gravitt
• Ursula Reynolds
• Claire Bruce
• Ashley Schoenith
• Hillary Crittendon and Laura Martin
• Sarah Almond
• Louise Van Winkle Breen, Carrie Van Winkle Greener & Chenault Van Winkle James
• Tracy Blanchard
• Katherine Frankstone
• Kyla Cox
• Morgan Hutchinson

CHERI HARDEN LEAVY

Co-Founder of The Southern Coterie

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