02/17/2020
G'afternoon lovely followers,
Long post to follow.......
Last month we said farewell to our beloved company, MarryMyCity. Bitter Sweet doesn’t even scratch the surface, but sometimes you have to know when to move on. In June of 2016 we launched our pilot website, and from there we took off running. A swarm of creative energy and unequivocal passion was channeled into making MarryMyCity a success, and we couldn’t be more proud of the company we built together.
MarryMyCity operated in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and Des Moines, and while our sights were set on taking this concept to a national level, we just weren’t able to scale fast enough. After spending the better part of a year trying to shift the business model, bring on a new partner and pass the torch, we decided it was time to move along.
So, now we want to take a step back and say THANK YOU.
Thank you to our friends and family for cheering us on at every turn. Thank you our incredible Board of Advisors and mentors who helped us to take our ideas and make them real. Thank you to our MarryMyCity couples who sought out a non-traditional gift registry - valuing time spent together instead of collecting more stuff. Thank you to our vendor partners who took a chance on us and continued to believe in the concept, even when there were small bumps in the road. And last but not least, an extra heartfelt thank you goes to our husbands for constantly digesting and offering feedback on all the ideas we tossed their way, and for never once telling us to throw in the towel. Without this type of support on the home front, the leap of faith we took to start and grow this business would have been near impossible.
Over the course of the past 3.5 years, we both grew tremendously. We learned how to GROW A BUSINESS, but we also learned a whole lot about ourselves. How do we make decisions when the decision feels extra personal? How do we react to taking risks? How do we handle tense situations? And what is it like to be married to your cofounder? This experience will no doubt propel us forward professionally and personally in so many ways. Some people have asked: “If you started over, would you have done something different?” After a glass (or three) of wine at Cedar Ridge last year spent pondering this question, we collectively and whole-heartedly decided we truly wouldn’t have changed a thing.
And now, with three little boys between the two of us, two full time gigs, and a host of other community commitments and artistic endeavors, we are excited to spend this next chapter slowing down a bit (well, for now at least). One thing we know for sure is that this next chapter is sure looking bright. And, if you are reading this, that means you follow us in some way and are linked to our MarryMyCity voyage. So, thanks you for being a part of our story! And thank you for taking the time to get out and experience the beautiful Iowa cities you live in.
All the love,
Kaitlin & Tallis
