Name: Marci Hopkins
Hometown: Wyckoff
Kids: Matt, 16 and Grace, 14
Business: Wake Up with Marci/Dragonfly Studios
New Jersey Family: Tell me about your business and what makes it unique?
Marci Hopkins: Wake up with Marci is your WAKE UP call to a better life and a happier future. A revolutionary show that promotes better living through meaningful life lessons and specialist interviews that help guests and audiences move forward with their dreams, hopes and aspirations. I have had so many amazing guests on the show to help us with our journeys. I recently had Suzanne Somers on Wake Up discussing wellness and the cutting edge advances in technology available to us.
NJF: When did you launch the business, and what was your biggest inspiration to launch it?
MH:Â I launched my business in 2017 with a Facebook Live show called Coffee with Marci, giving entrepreneurs and nonprofits a voice. The show was growing and very well received but I wanted to do more to help others. In September 2018, I launched Wake Up with Marci, a show all about empowerment. I have been through hardships in my life and I am now living my happiest life and I wanted to give that to others through Wake Up with Marci.
I saw the need for a safe place to share triumphant stories, provide empowerment and help others to live their happiest life. My guests are every day people that have gone through hardships but are now living triumphant lives, along with guests at the top of their fields that can teach us and help us to move forward. We tackle subject from beauty/wellness, mental and physical health to female issues, divorce and chronic illness.
NJF: In this unprecedented time of COVID-19, small businesses are being hit really hard. How has this affected your business?
MH: I had just opened a studio with my partner and was very excited about interviewing my guests on my new set. I am now unable to interview face-to-face and I’ve had to change my format of past shows I’ve taped making it relevant during this current time. We have been able to quickly leverage technology to continue producing relevant content that addresses current conditions with COVID-19.
NJF: How have you pivoted your business to adapt to this stressful and uncertain time?
MH: I am now having to interview others from home. Technology has been an amazing gift during this time.
NJF: What can others do to support you?
MH: Just to help spread awareness of the show so my guests can spread inspiration and help others to live their happiest lives.
NJF: How are you and your business giving back through this period?
MH: I am doing daily Instagram Lives at 11 am every day with guests that can inspire and help us evolve and move forward during this time. I want to bring happy news, encourage others to start to go after their dreams and evolve while we are forced to stay home. I am helping to uplift others during this time of ‘The New Normal.’ It’s time to grow our souls while we are forced to slow down.
I also give back in many ways to support my community. My studio, Dragonfly Studios (I am co-founder), is on standby for FOX5 so we can bring the news if needed. I am helping entrepreneurs bring their online courses to life. It’s time to grow and move forward.
NJF: What will be the first thing you do as a business when this is behind us?
MH: I will help with providing shows that will help with mental health, and how we can move forward from the fear that we faced during this time. I also will help women and children forced to be confined to homes with abuse. There will be many topics we must face after this epidemic. I will bring on as many specialists that can educate us and help us move forward to live in happiness.
NJF: What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve ever gotten that you want to share with others?
MH: To not start a business for the money. If you go into business just for money you will most likely fail. Go into it with passion and you will succeed.
