(MUSIC).
FASHION WITH COMPASSION SUMS UP BEST OUR NEXT GUEST'S MISSION STATEMENT.
SUCCEEDING IN A HIGHLY COMPETITIVE FASHION INDUSTRY IS NOT EASY, BUT DRIVEN BY BOTH PERSONAL
TRAGEDY AND FAITH-DRIVEN ENTHUSIASM TO HELP OTHERS, THIS DYNAMIC ENTREPRENUER IS SUCCEEDING.
SHE'S AMAZING.
WITH US THIS MORNING IS MELISSA HINNANT, THE OWNER OF GRACE AND LACE, A FAITH-BASED COMPANY
HELPING POOR AND UNDER-PRIVILEDGED CHILDREN AROUND THE WORLD BY PROVIDING FOOD, CLEAN
WATER, SAFE HOUSING, AND EDUCATION.
TRULY A GREAT CAUSE.
GOOD MORNING!
(LAUGHTER).
THAT IS A GREAT FASHION.
I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT TODAY'S SEGMENT.
OH!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!
I'M SO EXCITED TO BE HERE.
(LAUGHTER).
WELL, NOW YOU OWN YOUR OWN BUSINESS, RIGHT?
AND IT BEGAN WITH YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND, AND IT'S A VERY PERSONAL STORY.
I JUST WANT YOU TO SHARE A BIT OF THAT WITH US.
YEAH, YOU KNOW, I ACTUALLY CALLED THIS BUSINESS, GRACE AND LACE, MY ACCIDENTAL COMPANY, BECAUSE
I DIDN'T START OUT TO CREATE A BUSINESS.
I ACTUALLY WAS HALFWAY THROUGH MY PREGNANCY AND WAS AT A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT AND WAS
TOLD THAT I WAS GONNA DELIVER A BABY WITHIN 24 HOURS AND SHE WASN'T GOING TO SURVIVE.
AND I WAS RUSHED INTO EMERGENCY SURGERY, AND THE SURGERY WAS SUCCESSFUL, AND THE DOCTOR
SAID, "YOU ARE GONNA HAVE TO REMAIN ON YOUR BACK IN THE HOSPITAL FOR FIVE MONTHS, FOR
THE DURATION OF THIS PREGNANCY."
AND THE THOUGHT OF DOING THAT, I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING WITH MY
HANDS.
I'VE GOT TO CREATE.
AND IT WAS DURING THAT TIME ON BEDREST THAT I CROCHETED, AND BEGAN TO KNIT AND LEARNED
THIS SKILL THAT LATER DOWN THE ROAD I MADE MY FIRST BOOT SOCK AND PUT A LITTLE LACE ON
IT, AND BEFORE I KNEW IT A BUSINESS WAS BORN.
MELISSA, BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT EVERYTHING WE HAVE HERE, TELL ME WHERE THE SALES GO, BECAUSE
I KNOW IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT MAKING THE MONEY AND BEING SUCCESSFUL.
YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING!
WHEN I WAS EIGHTEEN, I SPENT MY SUMMER IN INDIA IN ORPHANAGES, WORKING ORPHANAGES.
AND IT WAS DURING MY TIME THERE THAT I SAW THE POOREST OF POOR.
I SAW KIDS THAT DIDN'T HAVE PARENTS, I SAW BABIES THAT HAD BOTTLES STRAPPED TO THEIR
FACES.
AND I LEFT THERE, AS A TEENAGER, WITH A NOTE IN MY JOURNAL THAT SAID, "I'VE GOT TO DO MORE."
AND HERE I AM, YEARS LATER, THIS ACCIDENTAL COMPANY COMES AT ME.
(LAUGHS) SO WE DONATE A HUGE PORTION OF OUR PROFITS.
WE'VE BUILT TWO ORPHANAGES IN INDIA THIS SUMMER.
(GASPS).
OH MY GOODNESS!
THAT'S SO AMAZING. 100 KIDS TAKEN OFF THE STREETS.
GOD BLESS YOU!
THEY'RE GIVEN FOOD TO EAT, PUT IN SCHOOL, CLOTHES ON THEIR BACKS.
THEY HAVE HOUSE PARENTS.
SO 100 CHILDEN AND TWO GRACE AND LACE HOMES.
WE HAVE HUGE GOALS TO HAVE 100 HOMES BUILT.
UH!
SO IT'S THROUGH THE PROFITS THAT HAS BEEN WITH THIS BUSINESS SUCCEEDING THAT WE'RE ABLE
TO MAKE THAT LEVEL OF DIFFERENCE.
AND THAT'S WHY YOU'RE SUCCESSFUL.
BECAUSE YOU'RE GIVING BACK.
BUT I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT ALL--.
(LAUGHTER).
--EVERYTHING YOU BROUGHT TO SHARE WITH US.
I'M IN LOVE WITH, LIKE, THE BOOT...JUST SHOW US SOME OF YOUR ITEMS.
LOVE THESE BOOT LINERS!
(LAUGHS) WELL, YOU KNOW, IT STARTED...MY VERY FIRST ONE WAS A LEG WARMER, I WANTED A LEG
WARMER THAT HAD A LITTLE BIT OF CUTE...CUTENESS TO POP OUT OF MY BOOT, SO I PUT A LITTLE LACE
ON IT, LIKE A COUPLE OF THESE HAVE ON THE TOP...
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS IS?
YEAH.
THAT IS ACTUALLY A BOOT CUFF.
THOSE HAVE BEEN OUR MOST POPULAR RECENTLY.
YOU KNOW, IT ALLOWS FOR, YOU DON'T HAVE THIS HEAVY, YOU KNOW, THICK BOOT SOCK, YOU GOTTA
SHOVE YOUR PANTS IN IT.
BUT THIS JUST LINES, LINES THE TOP OF YOUR BOOT.
I'VE WORN MY HUSBAND'S SOCKS--.
YEAH.
(LAUGHTER).
--AND I HAVE TO PUSH THEM DOWN.
PUSH THEM DOWN.
(LAUGHTER).
CAUSE THEY'RE SO UGLY!
(LAUGHTER).
IT'S OKAY.
WELL YOU DON'T HAVE TO.
AND THIS--.
YOU KNOW IT'S A LITTLE...
--CARDIGAN IS LIKE TO DIE FOR.
THE CARDIGAN IS CALLED OUR FLIP-CARDI.
SO IT CAN BE WORN TWO WAYS.
POCKETS WORK BOTH WAYS.
SO YOU'VE GOT THE LACE.
THIS IS OUR TOP EXTENDER.
THIS IS A HUGE, HUGE SELLER FOR US.
ONE OF OUR MOST POPULAR.
JUST ADDS A CUTE LITTLE TOUCH TO ANY TOP.
YOU DON'T NEED TO BUY A CERTAIN TOP THAT HAS LACE ON IT.
JUST THROW THIS UNDERNEATH.
WEAR IT WITH ANYTHING.
YEP.
IT'S A SMALL LITTLE DETAIL THAT MAKES IT JUST SO MUCH NICER.
YOU KNOW, HERE'S THE THING, IS THAT I HAVE FOUND WOMEN LOVE TO BE COMPLIMENTED.
WE LOVE TO FEEL LIKE WE LOOK PRETTY--.
YES.
--AND WE LIKE, WE LIKE PEOPLE TO TELL US THAT-- YEAH.
--"HEY, I LOVE YOUR SHIRT.
WHERE DID YOU GET IT?"
THAT'S WHAT I LOVE TO DESIGN.
I LOVE TO DESIGN THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE STOP AND "WHERE'D YOU GET THAT?
WHAT IS THIS?
IS THIS PART OF YOUR TOP?"
ALL DAY LONG.
IF I HAD THIS ON, I'D BE STOPPED LIKE FIVE TIMES.
AND IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE GETTING FROM CUSTOMER?
YES!
"I JUST FEEL PRETTY IN IT"?
YES!
SO MANY REVIEWS.
YOU KNOW, I LOVE FEEDBACK.
AND EVER SINCE, YOU KNOW, BEING ON SOCIAL MEDIA, ON OUR FACEBOOK SINCE THE DAY ONE,
I CREATED MY BOOT SOCK, I ASKED FOR FEEDBACK.
AND I HAVE TO ASK YOU, YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE SOME GREAT GRACE AND LACE THINGS FOR THE HOLIDAY
SEASON.
I KNOW YOU DO.
BECAUSE SHE'S GONNA BUY ME SOMETHING!
YEAH.
YES, I AM!
(LAUGHTER).
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THAT?
YOU KNOW, THIS FALL, WE CAME OUT WITH OUR BIGGEST FALL LAUNCH EVER.
SO WE HAVE SOME STUFF COMING FALL TOO, IN HOLIDAY, THAT PEOPLE ARE GONNA GO CRAZY FOR.
AND WHERE CAN VIEWERS FIND OUR MORE?
ON OUR WEBSITE graceandlace.com.
ALSO, HUGE ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
OKAY, SO I HAVE SOME IDEAS FOR THE HOLIDAYS!
OH!
I...I CAN SEE YOU SALIVATING OVER HERE.
(LAUGHTER).
YOU HAVE CHRISTMAS LISTS AND SHOPPING RIGHT HERE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!
YES!
IT WAS SO GREAT TO HAVE YOU.
THANKS, LADIES!
I HAD A GREAT TIME ON.
WONDERFUL.
AND IF YOU'D LIKE MORE INFORMATION ON HOW YOU CAN TAKE YOUR OR YOUR LOVED ONE'S FASHIONS
TO THE NEXT LEVEL BY WEARING OR GIVING SOME GRACE AND LACE (MUSIC) APPAREL THIS HOLIDAY
SEASON, WE WANT YOU TO DO WHAT?
GO TO OUR WEBSITE!
thebalancingact.com.
THAT'S thebalancingact.com AND GIVE US YOUR OPINIONS ON GRACE AND LACE ON OUR FACEBOOK
AND TWITTER.
(MUSIC)