A Christmas Story
from homelessness to a vision fulfilled

by David Madison, PhD

Ask Mary Margaret Cannon about obstacles—she has quite a story to tell.

More than most of us, she has known the trauma of opportunities “falling away through no fault of your own.” Indeed, a series of dramatic setbacks resulted in her being homeless for twenty-five months. Today Mary Margaret considers it part of her mission to share her story and celebrate her good fortune as she surveys her life today.

Born and raised in Washington, DC, after college she jumped into government service, first at the Department of Energy’s Congressional Affairs Office, and then later at the Congressional Liaison Office of the White House during the Carter Administration. When Jimmy Carter lost his re-election bid in 1980, Mary Margaret worked in a variety of capacities for both the Democratic National Committee and also in assorted state and municipal races. In 1986, she accepted a position in the administration of New York’s governor Cuomo. But on April Fools Day—just 48 hours before her first day on the job—the position was eliminated when a line in the budget was deleted.

When her investors pulled out, Mary Margaret ended up homeless for 25 months.

Giving Up the November Elections for December 25
 But Mary Margaret believes that a door closing means that another is opening. It just took her a while to grasp that the new door led to an entirely different field, namely, the retailing of Christmas decorations.

Having worked in retail on and off during high school and college, she was aware of the difficulties of retail. She worried that her lack of formal training as a buyer, merchandiser or marketer would seriously hinder her efforts. But Irish persistence and an unwillingness to back down in the face of challenge proved invincible.

Cannon sought out innovative and unique handmade American and European Christmas ornaments to represent. By advertising these products in such publications as Smithsonian, Town & Country, Connoisseur and New York magazines, she developed a following and went on to design and produce a color catalog. And she designed a line of limited edition ornaments painted in the manner of Russian lacquer boxes, entitled the “Noel Angels.”

Mary Margaret was thoroughly hooked on being an entrepreneur, and she had become something of an expert on handcrafted Christmas decorations.

All of this came to an abrupt halt, however, during a traumatic divorce—an event that spawned a much deeper meaning to her faith and turned her new journey into a wild roller coaster ride.

Sacred Season® was a hit, and the entire
business model was working.
Then she received a stunning blow.

Ornaments with An Attitude
 Now on a spiritual journey as well as a charting a new course for her future career-wise, Cannon hit on a new idea. The convergence of expertise in the Christmas business and her deepening spirituality sparked a passion to convey a message of substance through ornaments. For some time, she had become alarmed that Christian had somehow become synonymous with religious right in the minds of many: “It bothers me deeply that people hear ‘Christianity’ and they automatically associate it with something that is punitive, judgmental and dictatorial,” she said. “I frankly don’t think that’s the message. The Gospels are filled with stories of mercy, love, peace, justice and forgiveness—and I wanted to incorporate those on the Christmas ornaments.”

Mary Margaret faced challenges on two fronts.

First, she had to find artists willing and able to convert her sketches—her vision and message—onto the ornaments. She had never considered herself artistic (she had never pursued formal training in painting because she believed her efforts would be inadequate). Certain color combinations presented a serious challenge to her—she knew she was color-blind for all practical purposes. Still, friends had often complimented her on her “artistic flair.” It required many hours carefully articulating to artists what “her mind’s eye” envisioned, requesting and receiving revisions until the ornament designs were “just right.”

The investor pulled out. Working capital was nearly gone. There was no money for the new line the Vatican had approved.

 Secondly, she had to find venture capital. Before she even had a product in hand, she presented her business plan to an angel investor who was willing to invest “month-to-month.” The offer was not ideal, but it enabled her to start operations.

And so, the Sacred Season Christmas ornaments were born. 

In January 1997, the new ornaments made their debut at the Atlanta Merchandise Mart’s International Gift Show. Her business plan was structured so that the growth of Sacred Season was enabled by representing other American and European artists.

Buyers flocked to her showroom, and she realized sales of nearly $500,000 after just three trade shows. Customers ranged from small gift shops to Marshall Fields and Asprey & Garrard, purveyors to the Queen of England. In 1998, Disney awarded Sacred Season the Rising Star (one of just six such awards that year) at its First Annual Christmas Collectible Convention at EPCOT. Sacred Season ornaments were used as set decorations on several TV shows, and found their way onto the trees of movie stars.

Sacred Season was a hit, and the entire business model was working. The future looked golden and full of promise.

There were times I slept in my car,
cheap motels, and even the floor
of my showroom in Atlanta.

When the Bad News Overwhelms the Good News
 But May 1998 proved to be a fateful month. Throughout this entire period of growth and promise for her business, Mary Margaret’s personal trials were increasing as a deadline approached for her to leave her home (finally lost in a court battle with her former husband). She found out in early May that she could no longer continue the legal battle. She would have to vacate the house on May 22nd.

However, on May 15th, she received spectacular news when she was offered the worldwide Vatican Museum License for ornaments, angels and Christmas decorations.  
 Furthermore, the master license holder said that the Sacred Season ornaments could be sold in the Vatican Gift Shops and in other Cathedral gift shops worldwide.

“I felt like I’d won the lottery. We were jumping up and down, laughing and crying, celebrating our great good fortune. I can still hear my associate Kathy Cox saying to me, ‘See, you’re losing your home, but just look at the window God has opened for you!’”

But just four days later, Cannon received a stunning blow. Her angel investor was pulling out—totally disinterested in the Vatican opportunity. He insisted there were faster ways to make bigger returns by investing elsewhere. He could not be swayed.

“None of us could believe it. One of my friends thought I must have misunderstood somehow, because the decision made no sense. We were successful. How in the world could this be happening?”  The bleak reality was that operating capital was nearly dried up. There was no money to produce the new line for the Vatican or to continue Sacred Season operations.

On May 22nd, she left her home for the last time and checked into a seedy motel. “I just sat and cried. Within one week, we had tumbled from an unbelievable high into a shocking loss. There are just no words to describe the disbelief and pain we all felt.” But Mary Margaret had no intention of letting her vision and her dream die, even though her friends, deeply concerned about her situation, were urging her to “give up and get a job.”

She tried to find more venture capital, and, of course, she looked for work. “That experience was a huge shock. People told me I was ‘unemployable’ because I had been on my own too long. Or people saw my White House experience—from 20 years ago! —and assumed I would be bored with anything they had to offer. Telling them there was nothing boring about paying one’s bills had no effect. I tried to find secretarial jobs, but was told over and over that I was overqualified. I was also told that entrepreneurs make poor employees.”

I couldn’t find a job. People told me
I was ‘unemployable’ because I had
been on my own too long.

The Night in the Wilderness, May 1998 to June 2000
 “I never in my wildest dreams imagined I would wind up effectively homeless for 25 months. Thank God for the spectacular friends and extended family who hosted me and encouraged me, and for the parish community that was so wonderful to me. But still, there were times I slept in cheap motels, in my car, and even on the floor of my showroom in Atlanta. There is no way to articulate the devastating effects of not having one certain place to call home.”

Throughout this long ordeal, Cannon explored various other options to re-launch her ornaments, including licensing the ornaments to major corporations. All of the deals offered were very one-sided—in favor of the corporations. She even offered to give the ornament business away to charity, but the offer was turned down, due to the charity’s lack of experience in the field.

“It’s for Your Own Good”—And It Really Was
 It was during these negotiations that Mary Margaret showed up at the Five O’Clock Club—reluctantly. Her friend, Bruce Robertson, was a member of the Club. “For a year, Bruce was Johnny-one-note about the Five O’Clock Club,” she said. “I told him, ‘I’m not going to sit around and wring hands with people.’ But Bruce kept telling me, ‘You don’t understand, this is a fantastic program—it can help you.’ But for a year I balked—I was very stubborn.”

Robertson wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. In the spring of 2000, he gave Mary Margaret the money to buy Five O’Clock Club sessions. “I’m making an investment in your future. I believe in you, you’re very talented, but you’re floundering because you need to learn how to target yourself.”

“When I arrived at the Five O’Clock Club,” Mary Margaret said, “I was at the end of my emotional rope. I had been without a home and solid footing for two years. I’d landed a couple of small consulting jobs, but I was sure I was never going to find the right niche for myself ever again. Most of all, I was devastated that I had not succeeded in re-launching the Sacred Season—because I knew in my heart it would be a success.”
 “I was floored on my first night at the Five O’Clock Club. I heard the counselor lecture, and thought how wrong I had been to dismiss the Club so casually, without checking it out. It was like going to graduate school—I knew I’d better pay attention. I felt so foolish for not listening to Bruce sooner.”

At the Club, I quickly learned that I should stay the course—that I am an entrepreneur.

Mary Margaret read the Five O’Clock Club books—and the Seven Stories exercise proved to be a revelation. “It was a light bulb going on for me. I’d spent the better part of those last two years trying to fit myself into categories, depending on what was available. By doing the Seven Stories Exercise I found out what I was really best at, what my real natural talents are—what was going to make my heart sing. And I did it at just the right time. I was contemplating a licensing contract that would have meant, for all practical purposes, abandoning Sacred Season. The Seven Stories helped me realize I should stay the course. I saw that I am an entrepreneur, I am extremely creative, and can take a project from concept to fruition. I can handle crises situations and do very well with them.”

A Five O’Clock Clubber had been trying to get her to go to the Club for a year. He paid her way, and she showed up.

Getting a Grip: the Group Talks Strategy
 Her small group at the Five O’Clock Club also helped her stay the course. “I broke down one night in the group. I was depressed and very tired. I told them I was facing a painful decision about whether or not to license the product—and I asked if I could bring the ornaments in the following week to get feedback. Everyone was so tremendous. They couldn’t have been more terrific—and not in the sense of it being a handholding, hand-wringing counseling session. Rather, the attitude was, ‘This is a severe crisis. How are we going to tackle this? What’s the best strategy?’ It was all about getting a grip, figuring out the best steps to take.”

Looking back, Mary Margaret is able to articulate what happened. “I got focused again. I’d really become so scattered and emotional, telling myself that Sacred Season was a lost cause. The confidence I got from a careful evaluation of the facts came at a pivotal moment. The group wasn’t saying to me, ‘Hey, you’re a good guy’—it was saying, ‘This is where you’re strong, don’t give up.’ The group helped me believe in myself again—that I did indeed know my business and this market niche, and that I wasn’t just a cheerleader for myself with no substance.”

With the help of my Five O’Clock Club group, I got focused and figured out the best steps to take.

 With her renewed determination, everything did begin to come together again. Networking brought her in touch with a new angel investor, and she was able to establish her office in Manhattan. She also found an apartment in New Jersey—two and a half-hours away—but she doesn’t complain about the commute. “I pray I will never again take for granted having a home. Every day I marvel that I have my very own place, and cannot believe how fortunate I am to enjoy it.”

Mary Margaret traveled to China in the fall of 2000, and saw the rebirth of the Sacred Season ornaments, which brought tears to her eyes. “I’m sure the Chinese artists must have wondered what in the world was wrong with this woman who was so emotional over ornament samples! But I could not believe that it was happening once again—that so many prayers were being answered.”

Mary Margaret found new determination and new investors. She traveled to China in the Fall of 2000 and saw the re-birth of Sacred Season.

 In August 2001 Mary Margaret received the first container of ornaments from China, and her warehouse in Maryland started shipping product to a growing number of stores around the country, including Saks Fifth Avenue and Fortunoff. She is already designing new ornaments for introduction in January 2002, and is preparing a custom order of “private label” ornaments for a large customer. And, of course, there is a website, www.sacredseason.com.

Now Sacred Season Christmas ornaments
are sold at Saks Fifth Avenue, Fortunoff’s and other major outlets.

Another Major Focus: Helping Others
 Mary Margaret remains passionate not only about her ornaments and their message, but also about helping people realize their full potential. “Millions of people go through life in a coma. They never think, ‘What are my talents? What am I really good at?’ When you figure that out, and if you’ve got the guts and the support, you’re going to make your life fuller and happier—and you’re going to help other people become happier too.”

Mary Margaret doesn’t look back at her two years in the wilderness with bitterness. There were so many people who saw her pain and potential and offered their help. “Gratitude really has to suffuse your life,” she insists. “And the Five O’Clock Club is a blessing—it’s a gift. If anyone comes into the Club and just goes about the program haphazardly, they are brushing off that gift. Some people are sprinters, and others are long distance runners. I’m a long distance runner. God has blessed me greatly with so many wonderful people and opportunities. The Five O’Clock Club is one of those blessings for which I am very grateful.”

And now she plays the role with others that Bruce Robertson did with her. “I talk about the Club to anyone I meet who is looking for work, or seeking a different career. There are two guys I see on the train—they’re are out of work. I keep saying to them, ‘Have you called the Five O’Clock Club yet?’”

Mary Margaret marvels every day that
she has her own place to live, and talks about The Five O’Clock Club with anyone looking for work.