Mounting Success: How Two Women Turned a Taxidermy Class into Thriving Businesses | Eastern NC Now

Press Release:

Ginny Mason (left) and Paige Sawyer turned their interest in taxidermy into successful small businesses with support from the Small Business Center.

    WASHINGTON, N.C.     For two local women, a single class at Beaufort County Community College opened the door to unexpected business ventures. Paige Sawyer and Ginny Mason came to the college from different backgrounds. Sawyer is a lifelong hunter, while Ginny is a high school science teacher. Both discovered in a taxidermy course the spark that would launch them into entrepreneurship.

    Paige Sawyer's journey began with a duck mount class offered through Beaufort CCC's personal enrichment program.

    "I had been doing some deer mounts before, just on my own," Sawyer said. "But I wanted to expand what I could offer clients, so I took the class to learn a new technique."

    Ginny Mason did not have business in mind when she saw the course advertised on a digital sign outside the college.

    "I've been a science teacher for 18 years," she said. "My classroom was always full of bones, pelts, feathers. I thought taxidermy sounded like something I'd like. I figured maybe I could mount ducks for my family."

    Both women found early support at home. Sawyer's father, who introduced her to hunting and fishing, encouraged her efforts and offered up this year's game for practice. Mason, who comes from a family of avid duck hunters, found herself with no shortage of subjects either.

    After the classes ended, neither of them stopped.

    As their skills developed, word spread. Family members told friends, and soon both Sawyer and Mason were getting requests from outside their circles. That was when the next challenge came into focus. It was no longer just about mounting animals, but also about managing customers, creating branding, and handling finances.

    "Before I got into it, I thought the hard part would be the taxidermy," Mason said. "And it is. But then you realize the hard part is also managing the money, advertising, and learning how to operate a business."

    Both women turned to Beaufort CCC's Small Business Center for help. Through a series of free workshops and one-on-one coaching, they learned how to register their business names, create websites, design logos, and market on social media. Sawyer worked closely with the center to get her business listed on Google. Mason participated in and won two contests, one through the "Finding the Entrepreneur in You" class and another through the Seed & Sow program.

    "It was all free, and I can't get over why more people aren't doing it," Mason said. "They helped me with everything from business cards to record-keeping, and they helped me realize I really am a small business owner."

    Sawyer agreed. "It's been a learning process, but they really helped with things I hadn't even thought of," she said.

    For both women, one of the biggest changes was learning to see themselves as professionals.

    "That mindset shift was huge," Mason said. "The Small Business Center looked at me and said, 'You have a business,' and I realized they were right."

    Sawyer also had to navigate a traditionally male-dominated field. "It's different," she said. "But everyone I've worked with has been really supportive. There have been a few negative comments, but most people are just excited about the work."

    Today, Sawyer continues to grow her client base while still furthering her education. Mason teaches at Beaufort County Early College High School, building her business as a side project.

    What began as a personal interest has grown into something much larger. Through Beaufort CCC's combination of hands-on enrichment courses and supportive business services, both Sawyer and Mason have created real opportunities to turn passion into income and skill into lasting careers.

    To learn more about personal enrichment or small business programs at Beaufort County Community College, visit https://www.beaufortccc.edu/continuing-education/personal-enrichment/ or http://www.beaufortccc/sbc. Check out Ginny Mason's Fowl Art Taxidermy at https://fowlarttaxidermy.squarespace.com/ or Paige Sawyer at https://www.facebook.com/paige.sawyer.993832

• Attila Nemecz
• Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator
• Beaufort County Community College
• 5337 U.S. Highway 264 East
• Washington, N.C. 27889
• Ph: 252-940-6387
• Cell: 252-940-8672
• attila.nemecz@beaufortccc.edu