The year, 2009, my father whom was a retired Vietnam Vet and aspiring jazz musician was struggling to reach new potential customers for his St. Louis, MO based HVAC business outside of his immediate radius as illness started to dance around him sporadically. Bred into an artistic family of painters and musicians. I inherited the gift and love of the arts. Throughout childhood I always looked at almost everything with an abstract eye. I went to my father with the idea of creating a platform online for him that embodied the value of his HVAC business in the community and his character. I smile as I think about daddy’s response to me stating, “sunshine, you understand more than I do when it comes to computers. I am learning but you are creative and talented. Go ahead and create this for your dad.”
In remembering the year was 2009 at the time of this discussion, websites for small businesses were just starting to explode and not many in my area had thought of using websites to their advantage or saw the opportunity as financially feasible. Living in Colorado Springs, CO at the time, with excitement and intrigue, I worked on my father’s website after work in the evenings, caring for my children and tending to the house and on the weekends. My father was just as excited as I was. My heart since I was a little girl has and will always be with communities. With those who need help.
My heart was overjoyed to both hear and see the smile on my dad’s face when he would see the work on his developing website. Unfortunately, my father was not able to see his site completion as passed away both unexpectedly and tragically. I was with my father when he passed away and held his hand until he took his last breath. It felt like my soul dropped to the ground and everything haulted. I transitioned into shock and numbness and it took many moons to heal.
Fast forward to New Year’s Eve 2011, the online presence I initially started for my father surprisingly started getting views from friends and co-workers. I began to get requests to build sites for friends who owned small businesses and those in the local entertainment community. From that point I created my first completed site “Taggleme (website for artists)”, releasing in January 2011. Developing the website name after my father, I embraced my thoughts of providing a forum for the world’s talent and community business without having to sift through extra additives. Since the inception of first entity, Taggleme, Sunshine Marie Network has grown into a hub following my nickname (Sunshine) and my Middle name (Marie) to include SMN Web Services, SMN Radio and new retail MARIEVINE.
Most importantly, the work that I do is not for me. When it is my time to graduate from this life I want to leave support and genuine love. The core of Sunshine Marie Network is in its philanthropic efforts. Our program “You Gotta Do This!” will provide free web development services to single parents in need via SMN Web Services by receipt of one page essay’s and “A Soul Left” is dedicated to individuals experiencing and fighting against homelessness.
SMN is still growing and I am very excited as my joy comes from being able to provide joy to others with their means of talent, expression, further business and support base, and doing more for others as things are so much bigger than ourselves. To learn more please visit Sunshine Marie Network at: https://sunshinemarienetwork.com
