Meet Whitney Surane | Founder & CEO of Madly Wish

We had the good fortune of connecting with Whitney Surane and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Whitney, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
“You’ll have bad times, but it’ll always wake you up to the good stuff you weren’t paying attention to.” –Robin Williams, Good Will Hunting

This quote from Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting first resonated with me on a deeply personal level as I struggled with my mental health. But, I think it also applies to entrepreneurship.

I started Madly Wish as a solopreneur, and over the last 11 years the team has grown, shrunk down a bit and grown again. As in life, a small business experiences many highs and lows and I think that we don’t celebrate the little successes enough.

Consistency is key and when we take time to move slowly, deliberately and thoughtfully, we can better appreciate the little wins along the way. Then, when we find ourselves in a difficult season of growth or sales, we can stay rooted in the ‘why we started’ and find strength and courage to keep going by focusing on the ‘good stuff’….There is ALWAYS ‘good stuff’!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
It started with a fruitcake.

Growing up in TX, I vividly remember watching and helping my grandmother make fruitcakes every Christmas. She gifted them to everyone, but I could probably count on one hand the number of people who actually enjoyed eating them (myself included). I kept a fruitcake from the last batch she made over 25 years ago and it lives in my freezer today.

I know that if I thaw it out, it would look, taste and smell just as it did the day she made it. Holding onto something she made so lovingly with her own two hands is tremendously powerful. The memories we make live on forever in our hearts, and sometimes in a tangible way. The fruitcake is the literal foundation for Madly Wish.

Madly Wish was born in 2012 while I was laid off after the birth of my 4th child. Today I am a mom of 5 and the owner of 2 small businesses. It’s never been easy. It’s been lonely, joyful, scary, unbelievable, really terrifying and fulfilling.

I still face challenges and insecurities. It’s hard not to when you are living and breathing your business. But in my core, I know that I cherish the same things that every mother holds dear….time. And with both of my businesses, our goal is to help families celebrate and create memories that will live on forever just like the fruitcake, but without the need for refrigeration. 😉

And that’s what keeps me going!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Wow, there are so many people who encourage me everyday. My dad always wanted to be an entrepreneur. I remember dreaming up so many silly ideas with him as a kid for sandwich shops and products that were mainly just for fun, but allowed me understand the power of dreaming big. My mom and hers as well, who both taught me to sew and dig in creatively. Together, they truly gave me the permission to just start, though I don’t think they fully understand that, even to this day.

Website: www.madlywish.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/madlywish

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-surane/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/madlywish

Other: www.Pinterest.com/madlywish

Image Credits
Sarah Eichstedt Photography Qiana K Photography