Hi y’all!
I take it you received our update newsletter, and you clicked on through to check out my blog. This is a work in progress, and there are big design changes in store very soon. Please excuse pages with missing information and photos…all will be completed soon in colorful, bright shininess.
So glad you’re here though. If you want to find out a bit more about why and where I’m headed, please read my New Beginnings post which sort of sums it all up.
Thanks for stopping by!
-Tracey
Today is March 1st, and I am officially a consultant, a freelancer, and a stay-at-home-mom. After four amazing years as Co-Founder of Delight.com and GentSupplyCo.com we have closed down the business and moved on to other new adventures.
It seems strange and oddly disarming that I won’t be working 80 hours a week. For so long I’ve been attached to my BlackBerry and laptop checking orders, solving problems, ordering products, building pages, editing photos, securing press, and generally running myself ragged. Was my commitment too much? I’ve BlackBerried on the operating table, and I was typing furiously on my laptop while being induced. I never once went on vacation (which were few) and didn’t work; and there wasn’t a single weekend without many hours spent on the comp. I didn’t lunch with friends, my roots went waaaaay too long between highlights. I’m not saying this is healthy, but this was my life and I loved it. I loved my business partners, I loved LOVED my amazing staff and will miss them dearly, and I loved what we achieved with Delight.
I’m excited to now take all my bumps and scrapes along the way and parlay them into helping others achieve their dreams in business. I have some amazing clients already, and I can’t wait to dig in and support them in growing their companies. It feels good to go back to my writing roots as well. I think there might be a book in the works at some point about certain adventures my Husband and I endured while trying to get pregnant – but right now I’m also enjoying the adventures of raising my beautiful little girl.
Oh did I mention that part of my new life? Consulting will be amazing, but I am truly blessed to be able to stay home with my daughter. Anyone who knows me knows I won’t be long without my hands in a new project or venture – but this time around she’s gonna be by my side. If you can’t reach me on Fridays this summer, I’ll probably be at the pool. If I’m gone for an hour in the afternoon, we’re probably out for a walk. 15 minutes off chat? You can bet I’m changing a big poopie. It will be hard to create a schedule that supports both my clients and my daughter, but I know it can be done, and I’m up to the task.
My hope is my new site will also support these aspects of my life and give you, my readers and clients additional inspiration and advice you can apply to your own lives. My self-centered, namesake site will embody all that I love in life, and explore all that I’m good at in business. Reflecting back through my 20’s and halfway (ahem) through my 30’s I think I have a few interesting things to say. I hope whoever is out there reading this will join me in my conversation.
I can’t wait for the years to come!
A few years ago, I was interviewed by the LA Times about the growing Deer Head trend in design…a term I coined “Faux Trophy” while I was writing for the just launched social shopping site ThisNext as a blogger and product guide (under the pseudonym “Aunt Beep”).
While my house is still devoid of any Faux Trophy, I do have a space above our new exposed stairwell which has been patiently waiting for the perfect ode to the dead deer. I have been considering going waaaay over the top with this moose head, but to be honest the Dear Deer Antlers are a bit more my speed: clean, subversive, handmade, and will actually fit in the space.
Yesterday we made the announcement that the ecommerce site I co-founded and have been running for 4 years is closing its doors.
We didn’t come to this decision lightly to say the least, but my partners and I are moving onto other projects for now, and perhaps at some point I’ll pen the nitty gritty of how and why we decided to close, and the trials of running an independent ecommerce business in this crazy world.
Delight.com was my first “baby”, and it has been an amazingly insane four years bringing the site to where it is now. We’ve been fortunate to have amazing press in just about all the major women’s magazines (except for YOU, O Magazine!) and lots of TV features as well. I have thoroughly enjoyed shopping for all the products, managing the creative aspects of the site and working with so many fine editors and producers to have our products featured. I can’t say I’ll miss the 24/7 work days, but I will miss Delight terribly.
What I wasn’t fully expecting was the lovely notes and well-wishes from our customers and fans. While we have had to endure our share of serious kray-kray over the years, for the most part our customers are just the best; and yesterday proved it.
For my own memories I thought I’d pull some of the sweet tweets, facebook posts and emails we received so I can always remember how incredibly impactful taking 1 minute (or in the case of twitter, 2 seconds) to write kind words to a virtual stranger can be. These notes made all the hard work worth it.
Very sad news. What ever will I do without Delight.com?!?! =( You guys have made my days & shopping time such a DELIGHT and I’ll miss you very much! Thank you from the bottom of my heart to Tracey, Lynne & the entire Delight.com team for bringing not only DELIGHT into my life, but really awesome products that I doubt I’…ll be able to find anywhere else! And for always being above & beyond! You are the BEST online shopping site I’ve come across ever! You guys have done an incredible job with Delight.com and the ecommerce world will not be the same with you. All the very best! =)
so sad to see you go, but happy for your new path … you have made me, at 62, the fashion hit of my 14 year old niece’s circle … last summer when you had the mystery box sale my delightful ‘prize’ was the gloves and button attachable sleeves … ‘so very cool’ she said … ‘can I borrow them’ she ask … thank you, thank you, thank you. and truly I am happy for you … but you will be missed
But where will I find all the lovely things that make friends and family ooh and aah? Good luck and thx to all of you!
Wow! Delight is closing? You guys have opened me up to a whole new world of shopping! As I look around my home, I see so many things that came from Delight. Thank you, thank you for bringing me such great products and teaching me to love the earth. I’m never without my Rue Me bags! Take care!
Sad news from some fun ladies today. There is no other site out there that could fill your shoes! A huge gaping hole in cyberspace will remain forever. Thank you for the years of creative items and fun packaging. You will be missed!
always looked forward to checking out Delight.com for new, interesting, innovative & awesome products. You will certainly be missed, keep us up-to-date on your new endeavors, I’m sure your adventure will be fabulous & I don’t want to miss the ride!
So sorry to see your sunny shop go! Best of luck in your future endeavors. Peas & carrots and all things delightful!
I am HEARTBROKEN to hear about the site! I understand though, having worked for small businesses in the past. Good luck to you!
sad to hear the incredible e-commerce shop @Delight_com are closing their e-doors but SO inspired by everything they accomplished
Well hello there. This site has been a long time coming, but at long last it seems 2011 is the year a lot of things are going to change; and thus a perfect time to get the Tracey Tee site up and running. I’m starting this blog/website and egotistically naming it after myself for the following reasons:
1) This is a portfolio site, should you wish to hire me as a:
I also do television appearances and speaking engagements on the above topics. People say I’m funny.
2) My husband and I have been renovating our 1963 Ranch for 4 years now, and I need a place to keep track of all our adventures.
3) I have two gorgeous & insane dogs – Fran and Lucy – and I think I should show them off to the world.
4) I’ve been running and ecommerce company for nearly 7 years now, founding three sites that specialize in gorgeous gifts. I love discovering fantastic new products and sharing them with others.
5) I’m passionate about healthy living, cooking great food and all that surrounds those ideals. I recently had my first child, so these topics are even more dear and important to me, and I’ll be sharing those thoughts with you.
So onwards and upwards we go!!
tracey tee 