From project manager for men”™s contemporary couture at Macy”™s to founder of a private label division at International Male, Barbara Newman Mannix has covered many miles of retail terrain.
When the Cornwall-on-Hudson resident met a challenge during years spent working among fashion figureheads such as Armani and Versace, research was the underlying factor of her success.
“Macy”™s trained you to, as they said, ”˜Take a reasonable risk of being wrong,”™” Newman Mannix said. “If that”™s not being an entrepreneur, I don”™t know what is. It”™s been an entire career-building tool I”™ve used since day one.”
After leaving Macy”™s in 1986 and moving to California for International Male, she soon met her husband and moved back to New York.
From 1988 on, Newman Mannix worked for Nautica Children”™s and Everlast Children”™s; she then joined USA Classic and IKL International, a knitwear specialist.
Around that time, she decided to be a stay-at-home mom to her twins and assisted husband, Jim, a criminal attorney, with paralegal work.
Â
On March 15, 2006, Jim was diagnosed with gastric terminal cancer.
Â
A drive home from the city was characterized by rapid-fire phone calls to contacts for help and within 40 minutes, the couple had covered their calendars with appointments.
“Every other Monday we went to the city for chemo,” she said. “Every other Monday was a date for us. We dressed up and said, ”˜We”™ll just have to stop for chemo while we go on our date”™ as opposed to ”˜We have to go to chemo and it”™s going to ruin our day.”™ We saw people around us who were so washed out and overwhelmed.”
That was the preliminary “a-ha” moment for Newman Mannix”™s future business.
Six months after his diagnosis, Jim died.
Rather than reeling from grief, Newman Mannix got busy.
The brainstorm period for her new business began in January 2007 and about a year later, A Dignified Life L.L.C. (www.adignifiedlife.com) was born.
The concept ”“ personal assistance for those in crisis mode ”“ originated from observation.
“Many people we met said they didn”™t know where to begin or who could help,” she said. “There was this whole ”˜Where do I begin?”™ process and it just hit us.”
Newman Mannix conceived the idea of being the go-to in recruiting specialists from attorneys to financial planners for those facing life transition.
Â
Finding an avenue to prevail by honing in on a support system prevents that moment of “hitting the wall and not knowing what to do,” she said.
Â
A Dignified Life now offers 12 services, opened an office annex in White Plains and hired on an assistant.
The company provides planning services in sectors including legal, estate, financial planning, personal data organization, downsizing and relocation assistance, elder care, real estate and life insurance.
Gaining exposure to industry professionals is one of Newman Mannix”™s strategies.
Between her time as an associate member of the Westchester Bar Association, she attempts to boost awareness by participating in groups such as the Northern Westchester Geriatric Committee and National Association of Elder Law.
“I would love to franchise,” she said of the future. “There are so many tools in our society and many specialties within fields like law, insurance, special needs and financial planning. I hope this becomes a subculture ”“ to be able to research general contract service packages so people are supported and aided.”
