Tell us about Chestnut Sweet and why you started it. We started Chestnut Sweet in 2013, after deciding that the structure behind our house that had served for years as a three-bay garage and full workshop might have more practical uses and even some revenue potential. We spent about eight months converting half of that building into a two-floor space that could be used either for our businesses (our original thought), for family overflow or as an in-law apartment. We purposely designed the interior with comfort and simplicity in mind, and eventually we formally registered the space with the state as a B&B. People rent from us mostly in the summer, sometimes purely for pleasure and the enjoyment of Marblehead and the North Shore, and sometimes as an off-site/distance workspace. We’re now seeing many return visitors who have begun to feel like family.
What is the best piece of business advice you’ve ever received? Read widely, listen to your gut, and keep things simple.
What is your favorite spot in Marblehead, and why? That’s very tough, since there are so many sweet spots in Marblehead! The Red Steps, at the top of our street, is certainly one (there’s a secret bench there). The view from that spot, either night or day, is just spectacular; and so are Fort Sewall and the lovely quiet walking trails behind Seaside Park.
What is something people would be surprised to learn about you? OK, two things: I’m a trained Scuba diver and I’ve worked as a professional tailor and dressmaker.
For More Information:
Chestnut Sweet
Owner: Francie King & Robert Erbetta www.chestnutsweet.com
Tell us about your business. Work Loft is an oasis for independent professionals and remote employees looking for a convivial and focused environment to get their work done. Whether it’s a private desk or a private office, our members enjoy amenities that help them sail through the work day comfortably and successfully (beverages, snacks, amazing wifi, printing, breakout spaces for phone and zoom calls, a wonderful conference room for meetings, and more). Besides offering an amazing environment for a successful and focused work day, we offer members ultimate flexibility with no long term commitments or unpleasant notice periods. We keep it easy and fair – isn’t that how we all want to be treated as valued customers?
What made me want to start your business? Working from home for 15 years drove me to start Work Loft! At first, working from home was a dream. I could stay in sweatpants all day long, I could walk to the fridge whenever I felt like it, I could do a bit of work then a bit of personal things to break up the day. Then I realized – I was in sweatpants all day, hanging out at the fridge, and getting distracted by personal things that ended up dragging the work day longer and longer. Soon, my kitchen island became my office….that I never left! It was always there and I was constantly checking mail, putting out fires, helping colleagues. I lost my work/life balance, I never saw anyone else, and it’s really no surprise that the fridge/sweatpants combo led nowhere good. Realizing how many other people there were like me in Marblehead, I started looking for a great location. It had to be in the heart of town, surrounded by other businesses that people wanted to visit during the day, with a good vibe and plenty of parking. When the building at 1 Spring Street (across from Starbucks!) became available, I jumped on it.
What do you love most about Marblehead? The village lifestyle. I’d been living in Europe for fifteen years before coming ‘back’ to New England. When shopping for our new home town, I insisted on a location where I could walk to almost everything. That combined with the beautiful quaintness of the homes, historical buildings and small footprint drew us to Marblehead. Ten years later, and we’re still loving it. The people we’ve met, the connections we’ve formed with the town, have all made Marblehead our longest ever stay in one place.
What hobbies/interests do you have? Food and travel. And I love combining these – eating like a local wherever we go is an important part of experiencing the spirit of a place.
Melissa Stacey learned to love Marblehead and all its history and foibles from her grandfather and she has spun that passion into a business, Discover Marblehead, aimed at passing that love along.
When Stacey was growing up she would come to Marblehead every summer to stay with her grandparents, Donald and Mary Stacey. As the local postmaster, a member of the Board of Selectman and the board of the Marblehead Historical Society, Donald Stacey went out of his way to ensure that his young granddaughter shared his love of the town and its quirks, even down to the 18 public rights of way that the Selectmen walked once a year.
We can’t think of summer in Marblehead without thinking about the Festival of Arts. For over 50 years, the festival has been a celebration of all things art related, attracting incredible artists from near and far. Whether you enjoy film, music, writing, painting, photography, there is something for everyone to enjoy!
Marblehead is a community bursting with arts and culture and it’s wonderful to be able to celebrate that on such a grand scale every year. We appreciate all the hard work the volunteers and board members do to create such an amazing event. A lot of time and dedication, all year round, goes into making the Festival of Arts the great success it is!
The 2019 festival runs from July 4th – July 7th. To learn more about all of the events happening around town during the week of the festival, go to our culture page – https://discovermhd.com/culture/
Recent Comments