PYSK | Mary Beth Greene
The Bag Lady: Mary Beth Greene
-Liesel Schmidt
The very best entrepreneurs are able to identify a need in the market and fill it in a way that no one else has—and for Alabama native Mary Beth Greene, that meant creating simple, functional travel wares that were colorful, stylish, and unique.
Greene graduated from Auburn with a degree in Secondary Education and spent the first three years of her career as a high school teacher, followed by several years as a stay-at-home mom to her two boys before re-entering the workforce as a sales rep in Alabama and Mississippi, selling boutique products made by specialty vendors who offered everything from jewelry to candles. “Little did I know, this would be the springboard for my design business,” Greene observes.
Her background in the wholesale industry meant Greene knew well what it took to get noticed, and so she spent two years designing and networking before she officially launched her line, mb greene. It all started at her kitchen table, where she spent many late nights with paper, tape, and scissors making what she calls “paper bags”—prototypes and patterns for what would eventually become the foundational pieces for her brand.
“The concept for the business was to offer a well-designed product that would be considered a ‘classic with a twist,’” Greene explains. “I designed each piece with great attention to detail and quality, with the intent that mb greene bags are meant to be mixed, matched, and enjoyed by those who use them.”