Reckless Country, Carmel
Jaime Ferrucio was looking for a way to live the best of both worlds.
Hoping to work from home, while still working a job that paid enough to make her financially independent, Ferrucio decided to make the bold move of starting her own online clothing company called Reckless Country. Having a 9-year-old daughter who is diagnosed with autism and Down syndrome, a rare combination, Ferrucio knew she had to be at home for her special needs daughter.
“The whole 9-5 wasn’t really a probability for me with my daughter,” Ferrucio said. “I really needed to be home when she got home from school.”
So now Ferrucio, a Carmel resident, is enjoying her life with her two daughters (her other daughter is 7-years-old) and new company, which has been around for a year, but has developed faster than she ever would have thought. Selling shirts, sweatshirts, tank tops, and hats that all have a country theme to them, Ferrucio continues to build a following of country fans throughout the region and even many parts of the country.
Coming up with the idea in April 2013, Ferrucio started to ask family and friends what they thought of her potential move to start her own business. To her surprise and pleasure, her family was all for it and many of friends also encouraged it.
At first, she had a few designs and put them on display at local fairs, chamber of commerce events, and thrift stores. She got plenty of positive feedback and kept moving forward with the plan.
“For the females, I only buy clothes that I personally would wear,” she said.
“I have this creative streak to me,” Ferrucio added. “So far it’s working.”
Ferrucio, who grew up in Mahopac, always had a love for country music. It was to the point she used her allowance in 9th grade to pay for her and her mother to go to a Garth Brooks concert because she couldn’t find one of her peers to go with her.
Many of her friends are convinced she was a “rodeo cowboy” in a past life, Ferrucio said.
Using that country love, she brainstorms the designs and phrases for each shirt. Anytime a thought comes to mind, she quickly jots it down and even has a continual list on her iphone. She tries to keep everything original.
Ferrucio said, “Luckily it comes easily to me.”
Along with online sales, in which her material was picked up Country Outfitter, she travels to parts of the country in order to sell more of her products. Her inventory is housed in Carmel and she is a member of the Brewster Chambers of Commerce.
So far, the endeavor has been a success and Ferrucio hopes it continues to make an upward climb. As school begins again, she looks forward to meeting her daughters when they get off the bus and providing for them financially.
“I keep pushing,” Ferrucio said. “So I’m home with my kids.”
