Meet Colleen Marchi | Founder and CEO of Magical Order of Brave Knights

We had the good fortune of connecting with Colleen Marchi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Colleen, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
My favorite affirmation is, ” You can do hard things.” I was raised with two very tough older brothers and I always wanted to keep up with them, no matter what they were doing. From an early age, I would push myself out of my comfort zone and try hard things, even if I was scared. That seemed a little easier when I was only responsible for myself. I have noticed that as I became a mother the idea that I can do hard things seemed to still be present but the risks I took were getting less and less.

This is not always a bad thing, taking risks needs to be calculated, I merely mean that I began to play it safe. When one of my brothers died while serving in the Army it shook me to my core. His last actions were to be extremely brave and he gave up his life to save others. While his loss has left a hole in my life, I honor him by reminding myself that we are given one life and we need to live it.

I was a bit of a reluctant entrepreneur, the idea of starting a company and creating a product from scratch seemed daunting. It took me a while to remind myself, that I can do hard things. I had to remind myself, that success and failure are all part of the experience of life, and sitting it out on the sidelines is not the way to live. Doubt and fear can be the single biggest inhibitor to success or to positive thinking. Fear has a way of holding us back or limiting our creativity. I believe everyone needs to remind themselves that, “You can do hard things.” Sometimes just saying it a few times is enough to help bolster the courage to take the next step.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

The Brave Knights is an award-winning product created to help children overcome challenges in their lives and empower them to build self-confidence. Young children often struggle during transitional times such as a new move, a new sibling, a deployment or simply sleeping alone. When children struggle with something as impactful as their mental health and emotional well- being it affects the entire family, the Brave Knights bring peace, sleep, and a little magic back to their lives.

I am most proud of how many children we have helped along the way, the notes and emails from the parents are so rewarding. Being a small business owner is not easy and some days it is overwhelming at times. The feedback from how our Brave Knights have helped a child overcome fear, try something new or sleep alone in their own bed is what keeps me going.

As a military-connected family service to others is woven into the fabric of our lives as a family and a company. We donate a portion of all our sales to the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, helping military and first responder families when they need it the most. We have donated hundreds of our Brave Knights Kits to hospitalized children through our Be Brave campaign during the early months of the pandemic.

Our mission is to help empower children to unleash their creativity to change our world, but for that, they need to be well-rested.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
LA has always been a favorite place of mine, back in my college days my friends and I would take a weekend trip up from San Diego and explore. That is what I love the most about Los Angles is that there is so much to do, and you never get bored. My favorite is the beach, I am a firm believer that there is nothing that a little vitamin sea cannot fix. I grew up in Northern California and our beaches are more rugged, I love the peace and tranquility that comes from the beaches in LA. My favorite time to be there is in the early morning when the world is quiet.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have been incredibly fortunate to have some amazing people by my side throughout this journey. My family has been so supportive of me every step of the way.

I also have been lucky enough to be able to lean into the amazing military-connected entrepreneur community. The Association of Military Spouse Entrepreneurs (AMSE), The Rosie Network, and Bunker Labs have provided me with knowledge, support, and inspiration.

I was a collegiate softball pitcher, and the thing I miss from those days is knowing that I had a team behind me. I don’t remember every win or loss we had, I remember the support from my teammates. Every time I got out there I knew that I was not alone. Entrepreneurship can be lonely at times but these amazing organizations have been an integral part of my story. I am grateful for the support and guidance.

Website: https://magicalorderofbraveknights.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/magicalorderbraveknights/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleen-marchi/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MagicalOrder/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG2lcVLPeM_f5bPwo5CCl4Q

Image Credits
Photos by Brandilyn Davidson and Mistie Van Nort