Business Success Is All Sewn Up
Erika Gee Harris taught herself to sew for a practical reason.
She needed skirts for a part-time job she held as a student at N.C. A&T State University.
Harris learned how to sew from a book, using her mother’s old sewing machine.
Harris did the sewing for her own wedding in 1992 and planned the event with the help of two bridesmaids. Friends and family members took notice: she began fielding requests to sew and to help plan other weddings.
Now, she runs GC&Co., which plans weddings and other events. The “G” stands for Gee, her maiden name. The “C” stands for couture. Business is growing; in 2007, she handled 17 weddings, plus other events.
Seated behind her desk in her office off Ramsey Street, Harris is trim and seemingly full of barely contained energy. She needs the energy — some weeks she logs 30 hours in the office and 30 more hours on weddings.
She tells brides that the information she needs from them to do her job, such as guest lists, are like pieces of a puzzle. They must provide her all the pieces so she can help put them together for a beautiful picture.Harris did the sewing for her own wedding in 1992 and planned the event with the help of two bridesmaids. Friends and family members took notice: she began fielding requests to sew and to help plan other weddings.
While living in Greensboro, Harris met her future husband, Chris Harris, who owns A&H Cleaners on Murchison Road. They have a 7-year-old daughter; Chris has a college-age son from a previous relationship.
Harris’ mother, Winona Gee, who lives in Durham, helps her daughter with GC&Co.
“She is the ‘&Co.’” Harris says.
No comments yet.
Leave a Reply