Sewing and teaching sewing motivates Martha, and she loves seeing the look on people’s faces when they sew a new technique and are filled with pride and joy. When a student can say that it is the most fun, then she knows her mission is accomplished. She refers to herself as a “joy maker” as she has shared her love for heirloom sewing with others and has watched their love of sewing grow. “I love my sewing family, and they are indeed family as I share my love of God,” Martha states. She even adds that she prays that her greatest talent is loving people. When you are with Martha and you hear “Heeeeeeey darling …….ooooh,” followed by a big hug, she has just reconnected with one of her sewing family members, and the joy begins.
From that first stitch she took as a child creating doll clothes to celebrating 34 years in business, she is a self-proclaimed storyteller and has loved telling sewing stories as well as family stories to her customers. “I have an incredible work ethic, and most weeks I have worked both Saturday and Sunday (afternoons anyway) as well as 5 days of the week,” Martha shares. “I have a great talent in hiring great people to work with. I have simply hired the best over the years. We have had an unbelievable team who lived and breathed my business philosophy of taking care of the customers. With all of that being said, God totally gets the credit for building the business.” Anyone that knows anything about the Martha Pullen team knows that Martha was surrounded by top-notch people who pioneered and lead the sewing industry to great success.
“I would define success as reaching so many people with the love of God and sharing so much joy of sewing. I believe the joy of sewing truly makes lives better and more content for those who love to sew,” Martha says. “We have felt success in knowing so many people from all over the world and having them love what we came to teach.”
Martha is also an avid collector of antique garments. “After Joanna was born I fell in love with antique baby clothes,” she says. “Joanna will be 40 next February! I have 500 pieces in my collection. I might add that most have a little something or a big something wrong with them. I bought my collection not to send to a museum but for the sewing details which I loved sharing for years and years with our sewing family.”
As one of her most recent ventures, Martha wrote the book G.R.A.C.E. Keys to Entrepreneurship in 2014, which speaks to her secrets of success through the eyes of an entrepreneur. When asked what the future holds for her, Martha is not ready to let the cat out of the bag, but she will admit that she has more dreams for the sewing industry. She loves to write, design, travel, and teach. One thing you can be sure of, Martha Pullen will be hugging, crying, smiling, loving, and encouraging everyone around her wherever she goes as she shares her special gifts. Martha works part time for F+W Media who acquired Martha Pullen Company in 2012. More information about Martha Pullen Company can be found at www.marthapullen.com.
—In Memory of Joe Pullen
Find this story and more in our Spring 2016 Issue!
