December Member Monday Rewind
Meet Anne Bishop of The Curated Coupe
I’m Anne Bishop, the founder of The Curated Coupe, where I create luxury gifts that celebrate Southern charm and timeless elegance. Each gift is thoughtfully curated; featuring vintage cocktail and champagne glasses paired with handpicked barware, linens, china, or silver—each piece with its own story. Sourcing these unique finds from estate sales and antique shops across the South is a true passion of mine. The Curated Coupe was born from my love for champagne and all things vintage, and nothing delights me more than serving up a signature cocktail in a gorgeous coupe glass to celebrate life’s special moments.
Why did you join TSC Membership?
I started following TSC several years ago and connected with so many talented and kind female business owners. Once I officially moved to the South last year, I joined as a TSC Member and when I say, “I found my people,” that’s exactly how I feel about being part of The Southern C.
What is a favorite small business you like to shop or support?
As a female, small business owner myself, I like to support other female founded brands. A few of my favorites include:
JuneStGeorge
@junestgeorge
Founder Ally-Catherine creates custom rugs, pillows, dog beds and even china. She is a one-woman powerhouse, and I feel so lucky to count her as a friend and mentor.
Hen House Linens
@hen_house_linens
I love this Georgia based company with whimsical table linens, pillows and tablescape ideas for every occasion.
The Potted Boxwood
@thepottedboxwood
Christina began as a blogger and has blossomed into an enterprising brand featuring gorgeous home tours, travel/shopping tips and beautiful collaborations.
Where do you go to get your inspiration now?
I’m still a devoted reader of shelter magazines. There’s something so satisfying about flipping through the glossy pages, then going back to dive into the details. I often hold onto past issues and revisit them for inspiration.
What is the best business advice you have ever given or received?
I was fortunate enough to connect early on with Emily Landers as she began How’d She Do That podcast. The advice I remember from one of her podcasts that still rings true for me today is “What’s the rush?”
Meet Bryn Hartzell of B. Hartzell
I’m Bryn Hartzell, I design the B. Hartzell line of handbags and silk scarves designed to bring color and confidence to anyone. I sell my handbags and scarves online as well as at my gift and accessories shop in Avalon, NJ (also called B. Hartzell).
After working in product development, merchandising and licensing the world of corporate fashion for over 15 years, I decided to branch out and start my own accessories company. One thing that always gave me life in my years in corporate fashion was colorful prints and accessories; I have always loved that accessories can completely transform your outfit and your outlook for the day. Putting on a silk scarf and a colorful handbag have always made me feel like the most confident & brave version of myself and that is how B. Hartzell was born.
In everything I do at B. Hartzell, I want to make sure those same feelings of bravery & confidence are available for everyone. All of the items curated in the store are from female-owned businesses and are available at a broad range of price points so everyone can afford a little confidence and bravery boost at any time. One of the biggest categories in the store has been needlepoint kits, a hobby that I find brings me a lot of joy and confidence and I wanted to share that same joy and confidence with others. I began hosting classes and snack-n-stitch sessions, and creating a community of learning and growing around this hobby has been such a wonderful experience for me.
https://www.shopbhartzell.com/
Why did you join TSC Membership?
I have been following The Southern C for a while and am excited to be a part of a welcoming and supportive group of creative entrepreneurs. As a newer entrepreneur, it’s always refreshing to hear others stories and experiences. Being around other creatives always gives me a boost of inspiration.
What is a favorite small business you like to shop or support?
So many to mention, where do I start? Paige’s Candle Co. is a candle company based out of Brooklyn. I love how spot-on their scents are! The Whiskey Neat is perfect for a cozy winter scent & their Tomato Leaf & Basil is summer in a jar. I love Unwind Studios needlepoint kits since I discovered my love of needlepoint from them. Finally the Blue Canary Canvas needlepoint hats are just the cutest and I love a needlepoint project that you can finish yourself.
Where do you go to get your inspiration now?
I am constantly inspired everywhere I go, but travel, color and interiors are some of my biggest inspirations. I love mixing and matching colors and prints and textures to make things more interesting.
What is the best business advice you have ever given or received?
Some of the best advice that I’ve received is the simplest: “Start with ‘why’”, “trust your gut”, “put your nose to the grindstone and just do it”.
It is so easy to scroll through Instagram and feel overwhelmed that everyone else has it all together, but I try to remind myself all the time, “don’t compare your chapter 1 to someone else’s chapter 18.”
Meet Catherine de Montaigu of De Montaigu Designs
Catherine de Montaigu started her career as an international trade attorney but decided while her son was young, she wanted to have a career that would allow her to spend more time with her family. After a few months of reflection, she decided to lean into her passion for French antiques and design. Born in France, raised in Texas, Catherine’s design style melds the two cultures. Always striving to strike the perfect balance of French je ne sais quoi and southern charm. Art-driven color palettes, the mix of contemporary and antique finds, and a focus on approachable interiors are all hallmarks of her designs, though no two designs are the same. She now lives in a cute cape cod in the Washington, DC, area with her husband, son, and dog.
https://www.demontaigudesigns.com/
Why did you join TSC Membership?
As an attorney, I used to have a lot of colleagues that I could learn from and commiserate with. I miss those relationships now that I have my own small business so I joined the Southern C so I could find new “coworkers.”
What is a favorite small business you like to shop or support?
There are so many small businesses I love to shop from, most of which are on Etsy. I also love to support my favorite artists, from Statuette to Jennifer Pino, they help make mine and my client’s homes feel special.
Where do you go to get your inspiration now?
This isn’t exactly revolutionary but I draw so much inspiration from travel, my interior design books, and good old Pinterest. Mark Sikes is perhaps my favorite—he is a master at mixing French antiques and contemporary pieces.
What is the best business advice you have ever given or received?
I am still in the market for a niche business mentor but I think the advice that has resonated the most with me came from Ina Garten. She said she didn’t go through life with a list of goals but instead decided what she wanted to do that day and did it as well as she could, and then was open to opportunities as they come to her. As someone who was very goal oriented as an attorney, there is part of me that feels like there is benefit to releasing yourself from setting goals that you may or may not reach. Living in the present and doing your best—a new approach to life and business.
Meet Gretchen Pettis of Interlude Antiques
As a lifelong collector & story lover, I have found my home in the world of antique jewelry. From a little girl playing in my grandmother’s jewelry box to a young professional in the corporate world of New York, I have spent countless hours lost in jewelry. From playing to treasure hunting on my own, antique jewelry has captured my imagination. For as long as I can remember, I have worn antique pieces often mixing it with contemporary pieces to create a look of my own.
As life often does, I was at a crossroads in 2019, ready to change. My life has been a book of chapters, living in the Northeast pre-children, moving home to Louisiana after 9/11 where I had 3 children in 3 years, staying home, going back to corporate and then standing on the cusp of 3 high schoolers set to soar. On a trip to Maine in the summer of 2019, Interlude Antiques was born. I have often heard “do what you love” and I knew that for me it would involve antique jewelry. By then I was teaching music and religion in the Episcopal school my children had attended, and I was teaching piano full time. That summer I curated my first collection and started doing popups locally in friend’s shops and homes.
Since 2023, Interlude Antiques has been my full-time focus. My twin sons left for college and as an “empty nester” I was free to travel more. Now I spend my time doing popups in boutiques and shops across the South as I share my fall and spring curated collections. I love Instagram and how it has allowed me to connect with other who share my values of faith and family. The stories of these antique pieces transcend time and working with others to find special pieces for building their own collection brings me great joy.
https://www.interludeantiques.com/
Why did you join TSC Membership?
One of the things I enjoy most about TSC is the inspiration of watching fellow women build their dreams. I marvel how across so many industries the members find a place to carve out their corner to create and craft business that fulfill dreams and meet needs. I have made so many connections and now call many favorite members “friends.” I have been welcomed in shops and at the Summit Sip+Shop and it has been a wonderful gift at this capture to feel validated in reaching for my dream. In 2023 I attended my first meeting in Birmingham and met my friend, Jamie Darling, who first welcomed me to her shop for a popup. Jamie and I did a live real at the event and I have since connected to half of the shows in my current calendar. The invitation to participate in Sip+Shop at the Summit last year was an honor as it allowed me to share my business with others. Last summer, I spent a month on St. Simons and did popups across Georgia which all stemmed directly from connections at Summit 2024. It is a beautiful domino effect of creativity and connection that is a daily blessing to my business and also my life.
What is a favorite small business you like to shop or support?
I have so many small businesses that inspire me and the first I would have to say is my friend, Sue Sartor. Sue has been my neighbor and fellow mom raising children over the last two decades. To see her living her destiny as both a fashion designer, artist and now businesswoman is a joy. My children have watched her grow and know that it is possible to be a great mom and entrepreneur. They encourage me because they have watched Mrs. Sue also. I am a big believer in shopping small – whether it is online or a local small business. My dear friend, Rhonda Neal, is also a local TSC member now and she has inspired me over many years. When I started my business, Rhonda designed my logo and has been with me every step of the way. Much like Sue, Rhonda has been a fellow mom and friend. I am excited to have her attend Summit with me in 2025. I love our Monroe, Louisiana, roots as all three of us now find ourselves TSC members. New chapters with deep roots…. much like our wonderful old oak trees that grace our town.
Where do you go to get your inspiration now?
I think the foundation of everything I do is my faith. Words from the scripture and the songs that weave through my life. I love sharing through my Instagram stories as they related to these wonderful old antique pieces. I have spent countless hours in the car driving to shows listening to Laura Cox Kaplan. I have long followed her podcast and meeting her at Summit last year was a highlight. I have quoted her to my children, taken her talks to heart and found great wisdom as I continue to pivot my way through life. I watch my own daughter doing the same and share episodes from Laura with her. My friends often get texts saying listen to a specific episode. I could go on and on about who inspires me as it is a gift to learn from others. I am also inspired by my friend, Sheri Corey, of Sassy Slipcovers, who I met last year at my first meeting in Birmingham. Sheri has a creative gift of sewing and I love her concept of a workroom on wheels. She has been to my home and done popups here in Monroe and my life is more beautiful because of her skills and talents.
What is the best business advice you have ever given or received?
The best advice I have been given comes from a book I read many years ago. It referenced our life as a quilt and how there are threads that weave through it sewing together scraps and pieces that make this beautiful mosaic. When you step back and look there is beauty that can be missed when too close but over time, they create a work of art. There is a song I love by Casting Crowns that has a line that says, “when I get to the end of my life and look back I will see how all the pieces fit together.” I have lived that and continue to as chapters are written; interludes move forward and the music continues. A beautiful book to tell of Grace. The name of my business is Interlude as a touch of my life spent playing the piano. Interlude is a period of rest in music before it continues into the next verse. Much like the pieces I curate in each collection which have a life before, rest with me and are ready to continue as part of someone else’s treasured music.
In the words of one of my favorite blessings:
“Life is short. We don’t have much time to gladden the hearts of those who walk this way with us. So, be swift to love and make haste to be kind” Henri-Frederic Amiel.
Meet Lisa Munz of Bam! Let’s Mahjong
Lisa Munz is a self-taught artist from Oklahoma. Her work centers around abstract art, blending acrylics, watercolors, and oil pastels to create vibrant pieces. In 2023, during a trip to visit a dear friend in Dallas, Lisa was introduced to Mahjong, and from the first moment, she was hooked. Upon returning to Oklahoma, she quickly immersed herself in the game, spreading the joy of Mahjong to her friends. Fueled by her creative spirit, she soon realized she wanted to design her own Mahjong tiles and accessories, and thus Bam! Let’s Mahjong was born.
For Lisa, Mahjong is more than a game—it’s a way to connect people, build community, and share in the joy of competition and camaraderie. The game has even become a family affair, with her two daughters playing alongside her and her husband cheering from the sidelines. Launching Bam! Let’s Mahjong has been an incredible journey of creativity, challenges, and growth, and Lisa is excited for the road ahead.
Why did you join TSC Membership?
My primary goal for this joining TSC is to build meaningful connections with fellow women business owners. I am excited to exchange insights, learn from each other’s experiences, and offer genuine support. I believe that fostering a strong community of like-minded women will empower us all to grow and succeed both personally and professionally.
What is a favorite small business you like to shop or support?
I’m passionate about supporting small businesses across the United States. I especially love discovering unique gems from Etsy shops, local artists, and boutique stores during my travels. These one-of-a-kind finds bring a special touch that you simply can’t get from large retail stores.
Where do you go to get your inspiration now?
When designing my mahjong tile collection, I wanted to bring something truly unique to the table. I love thinking outside the box and pushing creative boundaries. For instance, I chose to represent bamboo with a chandelier. I thought, what better way to add elegance and flair to a tile than by reimagining traditional elements in unexpected ways? This out-of-the-box thinking is what sets our tile designs apart and makes them so loved.
What is the best business advice you have ever given or received?
Take the leap—don’t wait for perfect timing or circumstances. Surround yourself only with people who genuinely believe in your vision, because the energy around you will shape the journey. Build a circle of supporters who inspire you to reach higher, dream bigger, and keep pushing forward.
1. Learn from Every Step – Success isn’t always about the big wins. Even the setbacks can teach you something valuable, so embrace each experience as a stepping stone.
2. Stay Authentic – Never compromise your values. Your passion and authenticity will attract the right customers and partners.
3. Adapt and Innovate – The business world is ever-evolving. Stay flexible, keep learning, and always be open to fresh ideas.
4. Know Your ‘Why’ – Remind yourself why you started. A strong purpose will keep you motivated, even when things get tough.
5. Celebrate Small Wins – Don’t wait for major milestones to celebrate. Acknowledging progress along the way can keep you and your team energized.
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