Dec 7, 2021
This episode features a conversation between Maura Fredey '94
and Elina Kang '23. A proud alumna of Holy Cross, Maura has
stayed engaged with Holy Cross ever since graduation. They speak
about her journey to owning a Kitchen Design Business with her
husband and business partner-- both class of 1993. Forever giving back and staying engaged, Maura
proves that Holy Cross doesn’t have to be a four-year experience.
Even if you leave the Hill, the Holy Cross community is with you
for life.
Interview originally recorded on June 14, 2021. Due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic, all interviews in season 2 are recorded remotely.
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Maura Fredey:
With Holy Cross, if you have the attitude that it's not a four-year deal, it's a lifetime deal, and you make the effort to reach out and stay connected and keep that vibe going throughout your life, that it's a lifetime experience, that can be as much as you want.
Maura Sweeney:
Welcome to Mission-Driven, where we speak with alumni who are leveraging their Holy Cross education to make a meaningful difference in the world around them. I'm your host, Maura Sweeney, from the class of 2007, Director of Alumni Career Development at Holy Cross. I'm delighted to welcome you to today's show.
Maura Sweeney:
In this episode, we hear from Maura Fredey from the class of 1994. Maura is a proud alumna and enthusiastic champion of Holy Cross. After graduating from Holy Cross with a major in sociology, she began her career in writing, marketing, and PR. That's when an ad in the Boston Globe changed her fate and set her on the path that she's been on ever since.
Maura Sweeney:
With a newborn at home, Maura and her husband Gene, from the class of 1993, embarked on a new adventure running a kitchen design business. It was the best decision they ever made. Maura is joined in conversation with Elina Kang from the class of 2023. They speak about what it was like for Maura and Gene to run a business, and how their Holy Cross education prepared them to create a healthy environment for their staff and business to grow.
Maura Sweeney:
Forever giving back and staying engaged, Maura encourages students and fellow alumni to go out of their comfort zone to connect and engage with Holy Cross alumni. Holy Cross doesn't have to be a four-year experience. Maura's story is proof that once a Crusader, always a Crusader. Even if you leave the hill, the Holy Cross community is with you for life.
Elina Kang:
Welcome to Mission-Driven, everyone. Thank you for joining us. My name is Elina Kang, and today I'm honored to be joined by Maura Fredey, class of '94. Hi, Maura. How are you?
Maura Fredey:
I'm great. Hi, Elina. It's so nice to see you on Zoom, and I'm honored that you took the time to talk to me today.
Elina Kang:
Of course. Yeah. I've been looking forward to speaking with you and hearing more about your story. So to kick things off, why don't you just tell a little bit about yourself and where you're joining us from?
Maura Fredey:
So I am joining you today from Winchester, Massachusetts, just about an hour away from Worcester and campus. I actually grew up not far from here, either, in Watertown. So I always joke that I stick to W towns. I grew up in Watertown, lived in Worcester. My time in Holy Cross had a short stint in Walpole, when my husband and I bought a house after we got married there, and then we moved to Winchester, and our business is in Woburn.
Elina Kang:
Oh, very nice. So how did you kind of get to where you are today? At Holy Cross, what did you major in? What were you involved in?
Maura Fredey:
So I went to Holy Cross. I applied early decision. I was the class of 1990, public high school, Watertown, Massachusetts, and arrived at Holy Cross in the fall of 1990 having no idea what I wanted to major in or do. But from the first time I went on a tour, when I started looking at colleges my junior year in high school, the first time I went onto campus, I felt that feeling that I've heard others say, that this seemed like the right place for me. Couldn't really describe it, but I just felt like, "This is it. This is where I need to go." And thankfully, I got in early decision, and that was super nice, because I remember still to this day, hearing December of my senior year in high school that I got in, and it was great.
Maura Fredey:
I didn't declare my major until sophomore year, and I had taken a sociology class, and realized that I really, really loved it. I definitely have always been more of a communications, and writer, and reader type of person, instead of the math, science. So I quickly leaned into those type of classes, and I absolutely loved all of my sociology professors and classes. And I probably don't remember all the names of the classes I took, but I remember the professors, and I remember a lot of my fellow classmates, whether they were sociology majors or not, I remember those classes being so interesting and dynamic, and the books we read, and the articles being just so challenging to everything that I knew as how life is just growing up. Even though I came from a pretty diverse high public high school, it really challenged me to think, to do some critical thinking and did a lot, a lot, a lot of writing, which was really great training for the work world.
Elina Kang:
Right.
Maura Fredey:
So decided to be a women's studies concentrator, was called women's studies back then, and before, it's sort of evolved now into gender studies, but I loved that as well.
Elina Kang:
That's great to hear. I totally resonate with what you said about being on the hill and just realizing that it's the right place for you, because I felt that way too, even though when I went, it was a super rainy day, but I still felt super, super at home. It was great.
Maura Fredey:
Oh, that's so nice to hear.
Elina Kang:
Yeah. I love it. And I also think it's so great that so many people go to Holy Cross early decision as well. I know so many of my friends who were early decision, and they got in. I think that shows how people really love Holy Cross.
Maura Fredey:
I agree.
Elina Kang:
Yeah. So I know you mentioned that you kind of are in the kitchen and bath business, bath design business. So what inspired you to get there, and kind of just your path from Holy Cross to there? I think that's really interesting.
Maura Fredey:
Well, it's a very strange path.
Elina Kang:
Those are the best.
Maura Fredey:
I happen to be married to another alum, Gene Fredey, class of '93. We met in what was then Mulledy Hall. It's now Brooks Hall, I believe.
Elina Kang:
Yeah.
Maura Fredey:
We met each other my freshman year, and we're pretty opposite in our tonalities and our academic approaches. He was a physics major, believe it or not, which I didn't go anywhere near a physics classroom. So we got married. We actually got married at Holy Cross.
Elina Kang:
I love it.
Maura Fredey:
And we got married in 1998. I was in the healthcare communication field. In fact, I got an interview with a Holy Cross entrepreneur, Terry Driscoll, who had started Madison Publishing, in health care communications in Boston, and that was a super fantastic first job, with a lot of other alums. Learned a ton, and I continued on that path, stayed with that company for about six years. Then I went into public relations for a hospital system in Boston, which was also great. Kind of broadened from the writing and editing more to also encompass public relations. I worked with a lot of medical professionals, which was great.
Maura Fredey:
Gene went the CPA path, public accounting, and was working as a sort of a controller and a CFO. And we had our first child. At the same time, he was sort of thinking, "I really don't want to be an accountant sort of in an office. I want to spread my wings, and I'd really love to run my own show or do something that doesn't involve really being at a desk all the time. It's a little broader." And I had sort of built up a consulting basis in communications and writing. So I was doing that, and that was going great. I had a lot of clients and had a little baby. It was a busy time, but good. I had a plan.
Maura Fredey:
And what happened was, Gene started doing some research of business opportunities, and came upon, back in the day, when we were still looking at hard copies of the Boston Globe, a teeny tiny, two by three advertisement in the Boston Globe, looking for a consultant controller with an option to buy a building supply company in Woburn. And he was kind of intrigued. Gene has always been sort of like a hands-on, do it yourself, DIYer. He had refinished our basement in Walpole, in our first house, on his own. So he's like, "I want to go check this out." And again, we had a teeny tiny baby. I was doing my consulting work. He took that opportunity and started diving into this small business that was run by an older couple that had started in 1993, and they were kind of getting ready to retire.
Maura Fredey:
And the more he did the consulting controller work and learned about the business, he said, "You know, I really see a lot of potential here. I could see how I could get in here, and what I know from my business operations experience and my financial work and accounting acumen, I feel like I could really do a lot pretty quickly here to help this business really take off." So he decided to start negotiations to buy the business, which is a really crazy thing to do when you live in Walpole, and the business is in Woburn, and you have a teeny tiny, couple months old baby.
Elina Kang:
Right.
Maura Fredey:
But we had confidence enough in his judgment, and our skills, and our strength together, of the tools that we had in our toolbox, to go for it. And thank goodness. It's really worked out better than we could ever imagine. I quickly realized that my skills in communications and public relations and marketing could be better applied now to this business adventure that we were going to go on, and that I immediately got involved too. At first that wasn't sort of my design, to do that, but it quickly made sense that if we put our right brain and left brain together, we could really do a lot to grow this business.
Maura Fredey:
So neither Gene nor I design kitchens. I definitely shouldn't. I like to be around that atmosphere. We have an outstanding five-star team of kitchen designers, business operations people, truck driver, warehouse folks. Just an amazing team that's been with us for all these years. But what Gene and I really do, and what Holy Cross has helped us to do, is to provide the foundation to create a healthy business environment and a home away from home for this team of 20, about 20 people, that they can come to work and feel like they are contributing to a prosperous company that's doing great things for people's homes, right? How much time do we spend in our kitchens or bathrooms, living spaces? But also a place that is a second family, really.
Elina Kang:
Yeah.
Maura Fredey:
And the success of the company financially, and the vitality of the company, and what we offer in relationships in the community to our homeowners and the contractors we work with, and even the interactions with our vendors is very fulfilling, because I feel like at the end of the day, I always say it's not about the cabinets. It's not about design. It's about the relationships, and the ultimate experiences that you deliver for people, helping them meet their goals. Whether it's creating a great job experience and opportunity for someone's career who works on our team, or a family, or a couple, or an individual who comes in, really is trusting us with a good chunk of change to help improve the space where they live.
Elina Kang:
Right.
Maura Fredey:
And it really, it's fulfilling in that way.
Elina Kang:
Yeah. That's wonderful.
Maura Fredey:
That was a really long answer.
Elina Kang:
No, no. I love it. I love hearing about how Holy Cross has just affected your present day life, and how it continues to do so. And I also am actually on the CPA track right now. So that's really interesting to hear, because I know myself and I know I don't want to be in accounting forever, but I am glad to hear that there are so many things I can still do with what I learn at Holy Cross.
Maura Fredey:
You can do anything. I am the biggest promoter and cheerleader for a liberal arts undergraduate education.
Elina Kang:
Yes.
Maura Fredey:
One of the things when I was thinking about doing this interview today with you, Elina, is I don't really want to talk about myself all the time, or Gene. And I have an interesting story. I mean, how did a physics and a sociology major-
Elina Kang:
Right.
Maura Fredey:
... running a cabinetry design place in Woburn. I mean, if you ever told us that when we were in our residence hall, when we were at 19 and 20, I think that's just the craziest thing. But when I think about the relationships that we still have with our friends from Holy Cross, they are nothing less than like siblings to us. And when I look at the leadership positions they have today, and you people always say, "Well, what did you major in?" And it matters, but it also doesn't matter.
Maura Fredey:
When you get a Holy Cross education, I look at ... We have a very, very dear friend who's like a brother to us, Dave O'Callaghan, and he is the Chief Financial Officer for Massachusetts Department of Children and Families. He's a math major. So sure, that makes sense, as far as the type of skillset things you're good at, but I look at him and I see a leader, and I see a leader because of what he got at Holy Cross. And we have another friend who's a psychology major, and he runs the Sheraton Commander Hotel in Cambridge. And one of my classmates, Francine Rosado-Cruz, is the Director of Global Diversity and Inclusion for Microsoft. People are leaders. So your major matters, of course, because you have a concentration of a type of skill, but I really feel like the critical thinking, the ethics, and the community, the training you get to be an active, committed community member at Holy Cross, is what helps you do anything.
Elina Kang:
I totally agree. Yeah. I am only out of my second year now, but I am continuously learning about kind of what I'm learning at Holy Cross. And I feel like it goes beyond just what you learn inside the classroom. And I feel a drive to be a part of the community, and even though in high school I felt like that too, it was never, I guess, as passionate as it is now. So that definitely is something that Holy Cross, I think, brings out a lot in people. And I think those are the types of people that Holy Cross attracts as well.
Maura Fredey:
I totally agree. It makes me proud when I look at my classmates and Gene's classmates, and especially going through COVID and hearing about Dr. Fauci. And everyone from those people who are really famous alumni to one of my roommates, she always was so interested in teaching and young children and education. And I think about her, in the Albany area now, she's doing exactly what she was born to do, and she's so good at it.
Maura Fredey:
And then my other roommate, who is just a brilliant mind, and the most unassuming, modest person, is running a law firm that her dad had for years, and he's passed on. But I always joke with her when I talk to her, and it's few and far between when we reconnect now, but I always tease her and say, "Are you remembering to charge people?" Because she's just doing so much pro bono good work. And I think about her mind, and how she's sharing her legal mind, and her compassion, and her just amazing generosity with the world. And it just humbles me to know where all these people are today and what they're doing.
Elina Kang:
Yeah. And that's super inspiring from my side too, because I get to hear all these success stories.
Maura Fredey:
I know. It's amazing.
Elina Kang:
Yeah. Even though some people are maybe discouraged now about where they might end up, maybe they're not exactly happy, or are unsure or confused, there's always something, I guess, that Holy Cross will bring.
Maura Fredey:
Absolutely.
Elina Kang:
Yeah. It'll just continue to really resonate in them throughout their entire career. So that's amazing. I love that.
Elina Kang:
So I guess kind of related, but switching gears a little bit, I know we talked about this kind of the first time we talked, the alumni network that Holy Cross brings. And as I'm part of the Women in Business Club and the Conference Planning Committee, we are really, really interested in the alumni network and value the alumni at Holy Cross. So kind of, do you want to speak a little bit more about your passion for the alumni?
Maura Fredey:
I would love to. I could talk all day about different examples, since I became an alum in 1994, until today, the unbelievable loyalty, passion, camaraderie, and the feeling of commitment among the thousands of alums out there. And I guess the main message, and I guess I would like to speak to any, in particular younger, more recent grads, who happen to be taking time to listen to this. Thank you for listening, if you do. Let me know. But I guess the message I really would like for people to hear is, you get out of it what you put into it, and don't be afraid, right? Reach out to alums, even just to say, "Hey, I noticed that you're an alum. I want to thank you for how you're contributing in your field in this way." Or just create a touch point, and don't be afraid to do that, because if you reach out, I feel like with Holy Cross, the likelihood of someone reaching back is so much stronger because of the foundation we share. There is something different and something special about the Holy Cross alumni network.
Maura Fredey:
And I think that what I feel is very different about Holy Cross than many, many other schools, even Ivy League schools, people think that there's just so much prestige attached. And of course there is, but I really feel that with Holy Cross, if you have the attitude that it's not a four-year deal, it's a lifetime deal, and you make the effort to reach out and stay connected, and keep that vibe going throughout your life that it's a lifetime experience, that can be as much as you want. And you can do things with Holy Cross ... I mean, I'm lucky to have two girlfriends that are like sisters to me that I went to Watertown Public Schools with since I was five. And they tease me about, "You go back to that school a lot still." And, "We're almost 50, you know." But there's never a lack of opportunity or really engaging chances to connect with people outside of the people who are on campus when you were there.
Maura Fredey:
One of the ways Gene and I have been able to really have some deep and meaningful connections is through President's Council. And I guess that's another message I'd like to share is, for the more recent grads, check it out. Go on the Holy Cross Alumni website and check out President's Council. And one of the great changes that the college, the advancement office made in recent years is making the levels of giving more accessible for more recent grads.
Maura Fredey:
And that group of alumni is just, the talent and the engagement and the opportunities for connection within President's Council are tremendous. No matter what field you're in, or geography, I really feel like it's been the gift that keeps on giving for us, and just by being part of President's Council. We've also made good friends, other alums from a wide variety of different class years. So the layers keep adding on over the years, and it's really something special that you can, especially during COVID, we've got Father Jim Martin, the Jesuit who does some wonderful writing. We got to log on and have a Zoom book discussion. And of course, Dr. Fauci, and there's regional events. And a lot of times there's opportunities to come back on campus, have lessons in Carole's. If you can get to Worcester, and there are little receptions, you can meet people before that.
Maura Fredey:
So it's just a really, it's a reinvigorating way to come back and have that touchpoint back at the college where I feel like gives me so much inspiration and grounding, no matter what else is going on in your life. And of course there's the more traditional things you can do, like using the online alumni directory, and I guess my message is, don't let it be a four-year experience, and be deliberate about finding ways to reach out, and I think you'll be happy about the ways that people reach back.
Elina Kang:
Absolutely. I love the phrase, "The gift that keeps on giving."
Maura Fredey:
It's so true.
Elina Kang:
Yeah.
Maura Fredey:
It's so true. We have met, even in the past five years, and I also, with my own class, I was one of the 25th reunion gift chairs, and I cannot believe the friendships that I've made 25 years out. People I knew of, because you kind of know by recognizing people or people's names in your class, but we didn't hang out at all, probably never had a conversation, now that I consider friends. And so it's just, again, it was a good amount of work serving as a gift chair for the 25th year reunion, but it was totally worth it. And I'm so lucky to have so many more relationships now with classmates, so far out from when we left the campus.
Elina Kang:
Right. Yeah. And that's great to hear. It just keeps on going.
Elina Kang:
I feel like there's something so special to Holy Cross, too. I don't know. Maybe it's because we both went, or I go to Holy Cross and you went to Holy Cross, so we're like, "Yay, Crusaders," but I don't know. I feel like my friends and I always talk about how people who go to Holy Cross are so passionate about Holy Cross and are just so excited about Holy Cross. If you see someone who went to Holy Cross or even have a Holy Cross sticker on their car, you're like, "Oh, Holy Cross! Holy Cross!"
Maura Fredey:
Yes. Exactly. Yeah. I feel like, my daughters have teased us. Of course they've got both of us, and now our oldest daughter is actually joining the class of 2025, as you know, Elina, for Gateway, one of our Gateways. And another hat you're wearing. Thank you for volunteering for Gateways.
Elina Kang:
Of course.
Maura Fredey:
Because you're wearing that hat as well, and we're lucky enough that you were assigned to Caroline. So we're just over the moon that she's going to be a student next year. So they've grown up seeing that in action. Whether we're traveling out of state or wherever, same thing. You see someone with a Holy Cross baseball hat and you're like, "Hey, did you go to Holy Cross? What year?" It's a little different, in a good way. Yeah.
Elina Kang:
Yeah. I heard actually, I was talking to a girl I met over at Gateways Orientation, and she was talking about how I think she was at a doctor's office or something, and this woman had a necklace of the Holy Cross campus or something like that, and she was like, "Oh, did you go to Holy Cross?" And then she was like, "I go to Holy Cross." And they had like a 10, 15 minute conversation.
Maura Fredey:
Yes. Yeah.
Elina Kang:
Yeah. So there's just that connection. I absolutely love it. So continuing on, as we were talking about your daughter, Caroline, I know she's going to be a Crusader in the fall, and I'm so excited to welcome her to our community. I'm sure you are as well. And there's probably so much great advice that you already offer her, but if you had to pick, what would be one of the best, or what's the one thing that you would tell yourself if you were in Caroline's shoes again?
Maura Fredey:
I think when I look back, I wish I was a little bit more daring. I mean, I was very, very reserved, and I would say she is as well. We share that at that age. And I was so blessed that I had just a random roommate assignment. We ended up being roommates for four years, and I was so lucky with the friendships that I developed. It was very easy. But looking back, I wish that I explored more clubs or had the confidence to be more engaged. I feel like over time, and that's probably normal, as you get through college and into your twenties, you start to gain more confidence. I feel like I was a late bloomer.
Maura Fredey:
So I guess I would say to try to push yourself out of your comfort zone, because, oh, I just, I'm jealous now, because you know, if I could go back and take classes that seemed a little more daunting, or a club that I thought, "Oh, well I don't know anybody there. I don't think I'll go." Just to just go for it, because Holy Cross provides such an amazing atmosphere to experiment with different ideas and experiences and academic content. And the idea is, it's okay to try something and not ace it, and it's okay to try something and not love it. And that's kind of the point, right? It's okay to not know.
Maura Fredey:
So I guess I would say to feel confident leaning right into that, and just make the most of it, because it's such an amazing, amazing opportunity to figure out who you are and what gives you passion, right?
Elina Kang:
Yes. There are so many opportunities that Holy Cross, I think, offers, and as an orientation leader, I try to emphasize that too, because I know that it can be intimidating, because I've been in that position before.
Maura Fredey:
Sure.
Elina Kang:
Where, yeah, I've been interested in something, and I didn't have any friends that I met right off the bat who were also doing that. And so kind of leaned back a little bit and second guessed. And I feel like the opportunities that I did take advantage of, I always got something out of it. It was never like, "Oh, I shouldn't have done that. If I never did that, then my life would be the same."
Maura Fredey:
Right. You always learned something, right?
Elina Kang:
Right.
Maura Fredey:
Even if you aren't the best at something, or it turns out you really don't enjoy it, you still learn something about yourself, right? So I think that's such an important thing about how you approach your college experience.
Maura Fredey:
Interestingly, last night, we had our module one, where parents logged on, and Caroline logged on in a different room with her student link, and I just feel like the messaging and the inspiration of Dean Freije, and her class dean, and the chaplain's office speakers, and all the student experiences that are available, everyone is just so warm, and welcoming, and encouraging. And as a parent now, putting on that hat, it just feels right. I'm thrilled that I have that same feeling for her that I had when I first walked on campus. I said, "This really feels right for her." Of course, Gene and I are biased, but I really am feeling that great sort of peace with the fit.
Elina Kang:
Always. Yeah. And Holy Cross always takes that extra step to make parents feel that way, or make students feel that way. And that's so special to Holy Cross too. And I felt that when I was choosing, and I was looking specifically for community that didn't feel like a competition. That it felt like everyone wants you to succeed and everyone wants you to do great, and I am totally happy with how I feel about that now.
Maura Fredey:
That's great to hear.
Elina Kang:
Yeah. And so I hope that incoming students feel the same way, or that they have felt the same way so far with the orientations or with their campus visits.
Maura Fredey:
I have a good feeling about it.
Elina Kang:
Yeah. Me too. I think it's going to be great, and with everything kind of opening up again, and there's a lot more hope, and I think people are ready to jump back into just opportunities and experiences. So very excited.
Elina Kang:
I don't know if you have anything else to add, any closing remarks. This conversation has been really inspiring and encouraging.
Maura Fredey:
I guess the last thing I would say that would be important as far as bringing a meaning to my professional life and my role as a parent, and a spouse, and a daughter, sort of caring for elderly parents through their challenges, is the Jesuit piece. And that part of the faith formation, and a Catholic education, undergraduate education, but also Jesuit specifically. And I think that at the time, when I was 18, it felt nice. And it felt like a nice type of angle, as part of your education. But looking back, I'm so grateful for that. And I think it's just been such a beacon for me personally, in every role that I have in life. And I want to say thank you to Holy Cross for that. I think that it's just been so important, and I'm so grateful to have my child have that opportunity. So I think that's important to mention.
Elina Kang:
Yes, definitely. I think it's so important that Holy Cross, that people know about the Jesuit component of it. And I think some people kind of let that part go over their head, but just our mission statement and our motto of, "For and with others," I think is just really important.
Maura Fredey:
I agree. And I think at this point in the timeline of the world in which we live, I am so grateful to have that foundation, and I'm so grateful that my daughter will have that. It's something that I couldn't even begin to put into words. I'm so grateful.
Elina Kang:
Right. And I'm so excited to kind of go into the real world. Even though I've only been there two years, I feel just so right. I feel like my path to go into the real world, it's just so right, and it's following exactly how I would have imagined or how I wanted to.
Maura Fredey:
That's so amazing to hear. And I think that you seem wise beyond your years, and I am, just getting to know you over a few conversations, preparing for this interview, I'm just so impressed and amazed at all the things you have going on. And you've already grown into a leader in your sophomore year. And I also want to mention how awesome the Women in Business program conference I've gone to, I actually was on a panel years ago, in its earlier days. I've attended many. I am always absolutely blown away by the students who step up and coordinate that, and the opportunity. I think it's fantastic that Holy Cross now has the business ethics and society minor, and the business certificates. Caroline's actually very interested in both. But I think that adds a dimension and enriches the experience tremendously.
Maura Fredey:
I'm a huge fan of Professor David Chu. I really admire his work, and what he has done for the college and that program over the years is tremendous, and I'm happy to call him a friend now. And as great as Holy Cross was in the early nineties, it's a million times better. And so I thank you for stepping up and helping to be a leader for that program. We're lucky to have you.
Elina Kang:
Thank you so much. I love the Women in Business Conference. It's so rewarding. It is a lot of work, but it's always rewarding to see so many alumni coming out, so many students coming out and just being so willing to connect with one another.
Maura Fredey:
Right. So you're already reaching out, and hopefully everyone's reaching back enthusiastically.
Elina Kang:
Yes. I hope that people-
Elina Kang:
We kind of had a stunt in the networking portion from the virtualness of it all, but I'm so excited to kind of jump back into things. And also Professor David Chu, I love his motto of, I think it's, "You can do anything with business," or, "You can start with business and go anywhere."
Maura Fredey:
Yeah. Major in anything, succeed in business, right?
Elina Kang:
Yeah. Yes.
Maura Fredey:
Yes. I love it.
Elina Kang:
And I love that.
Maura Fredey:
He's right.
Elina Kang:
Yeah. Because I was always concerned about kind of what I was majoring in, and I was like, "Oh, I have to do business to go into business." Or, "If I go into business, I can only stay in business." But that really changed my perspective on things. So it's really just amazing. Yeah.
Maura Fredey:
It's all good stuff.
Elina Kang:
Yes. And I think holy cross continues to get better. I know you were saying it was good in the nineties, it's better now. And I know it's just going to continue to get better and better with just so much advancement and just people, the community growing. So I love that.
Maura Fredey:
Exactly. I agree.
Elina Kang:
Okay. So before we end, I'd love to end with just a couple of speed round questions just to lighten things up and just to kind of have a fun little ending to our amazing and inspirational conversation. So the first question is, what was your favorite dorm?
Maura Fredey:
Oh, for sure, Mulledy, which is now Brooks. I lived there for two years. It was so much fun. There's like 20-something classmates of mine and Gene that I 100% consider siblings. We go out. We have a few of them to our home in Martha's Vineyard. Their kids are friends with our kids. I love them to death, and that all started in Mulledy, which is-
Elina Kang:
...That's amazing. You lived there for two years, you said?
Maura Fredey:
I did. Yeah. Second year by choice, because we didn't want to get split up.
Elina Kang:
Oh, wow. That's great. Yeah. I don't think they offer it as a second-year dorm anymore, but it's a very nice dorm building. I didn't live in Mulledy, or Brooks now, but I didn't live in Brooks. I lived in Clark. But I went to Mulledy, or Brooks, Mulledy then, Brooks now, at the time. So yeah, I went...
Maura Fredey:
That's an easy answer for sure.
Elina Kang:
And then your favorite class. I'm not sure if you remember, but-
Maura Fredey:
Oh my goodness. That would be really hard to answer, but I would have to say any of the sociology classes I took with Dean Swigert, but also Professor Ed Thompson. They were just fantastic. I couldn't really pick specific sociology classes. Just anything taught by them. They were just fantastic. And Vicki Swigert was also our class dean, so that was awesome as well.
Elina Kang:
Yes. I really want to take a sociology class if I can before I leave Holy Cross, because I haven't really dived into the psychology, anthropology, sociology world, so I kind of, yeah, I want to.
Maura Fredey:
One of my classmates, Joanna Geraghty, is now running JetBlue, and she was a sociology major. So there you go.
Elina Kang:
Very nice.
Maura Fredey:
She did get a law degree ... She was a lawyer as well, but she was a sociology major. There, again, there's another example of major in whatever you want, and take it anywhere you want.
Elina Kang:
Right. That name sounds really familiar. I think she may have come to Women in Business before, too.
Maura Fredey:
She did an awesome Zoom interview recently, in the past couple of months.
Elina Kang:
Nice. I'll have to check it out. Okay. Favorite place to eat on campus?
Maura Fredey:
Well, once again, back in the early nineties, there weren't a lot of choices. So I mean, it had to be Kimball. Honestly, it was like Kimball, Lower Kimball, and The Pizza Cellar. That was pretty much-
Elina Kang:
Oh really?
Maura Fredey:
Yeah. There was a little convenience store, on the third floor of Hogan I think, but we just didn't have the choices that you have today.
Elina Kang:
Oh, that's so funny.
Maura Fredey:
I would say it was Kimball, and my roommate Tara and I, we would go to Kimball, and we would sometimes stay there, and stay there, and stay there, and talk. And so it's probably just that. Just hanging out there. Not necessarily about the eating, but about being with people and laughing. The laughing, and the nonsense, and the silly conversations, that would be the memory, in that big, cavernous, the room of Kimball Hall.
Elina Kang:
It's still the same. My friends and I, we still did the same thing our first year. We would stay there for maybe two, three hours when we were supposed to go to the library.
Maura Fredey:
Easily. Well, that's just it. I would remember that my memory would be talking and laughing, and making up just silly, silly stuff, and looking at the clock and saying, "Well, we should probably ... I have that paper to write. I should probably be going to the library." Or you had in mind what you should be doing, but end up hanging out with your friends and talking.
Elina Kang:
It's the best.
Maura Fredey:
The best part. Yeah.
Elina Kang:
And then best restaurant in Worcester. I'm not sure if you went when you were a student, but-
Maura Fredey:
Yeah. I mean, the restaurants, we would go to restaurants really only if your parents were coming up, or if there was some kind of fancy event. There was an Italian place, I think it was called Arturo's. There was Culpepper's Bakery down the hill. Then there was a place ... Oh gosh. I'm not going to remember the name. Going toward Auburn, under the bridge. It was a pub that ... Honestly, compared to today, what I even see on Instagram for the food, there's this cupcake place apparently that I'm going to try. There's so many more options now.
Elina Kang:
Yes.
Maura Fredey:
Which I hope to soon learn all about when I'm now back in Worcester a lot, with visiting Caroline, or coming to take her out, maybe. But yeah, I think the options have broadened, and broadened immensely since my day.
Elina Kang:
Yes. They've done Shrewsbury Street up really nice.
Maura Fredey:
I hear. Yeah.
Elina Kang:
There's restaurants all along that street, and I think because of this past year, the presence of going to restaurants was bigger. So we went to restaurants a lot more this year, because it was harder to get on campus, and also the way that they did the food was takeout, so it didn't have that same feel. So once things started opening up again, and it was a little safer to go out, when we would meet up, it was more likely for us to go to a restaurant.
Maura Fredey:
Sure.
Elina Kang:
Yeah.
Maura Fredey:
We'll have to get your top 10 list.
Elina Kang:
Yes. Yes. Let me know. I do have a few favorites that we typically go to. I still need to do some more exploring too, because I like to stick to what I like, but I definitely need to explore more.
Maura Fredey:
Excellent.
Elina Kang:
Yes. Okay. Just two more questions. Maura, what's next for your business, Carole Kitchen & Bath Design?
Maura Fredey:
So the next chapter for Carole Kitchen & Bath is one that I'm always thrilled and grateful, and frankly, really proud to talk about, because it's been a wonderful next chapter and a way to elevate Carole's to the next level, bring it to the next level, and also has a really amazing and cool Holy Cross piece to it. So as you know, we purchased the business in the early 2000s, and a few years ago, Gene and I started to think hard and strategize about our vision for the company, and for us, for our personal lives. Gene just turned 50, and I am in my 50th year. I turned 49 in July. So we were really starting to think about, "Okay, what's our vision?" We've been in this for quite a number of years. It has surpassed our expectations. We're so blessed. But we said, "Okay, what's next? And what do we want for our lives and for the company, the next chapter?"
Maura Fredey:
So interestingly, Gene, earlier in his career, had worked for a good friend of his, a class of '93 alum, Patrick Sansonetti. We call him P.J. All his friends call him P.J. He had been involved in a couple of startups, and running and managing small businesses, mostly in the high tech field. And anyhow, Gene worked for Patrick in the capacity of a financial manager and controller, sort of CFO role for one of those businesses earlier in our lives and in our careers, and that was a great experience. They worked really well together. We had always kind of joked, "Boy, Patrick would be great at Carole's." He just is really talented with people. He's a good logistics person. He's a great leader. And we share common values, and there's a tremendous amount of trust and comfort in our friendship with him. He's like a brother to us.
Maura Fredey:
So long story short, the stars kind of aligned. And when Patrick was at a place in his career, he wanted to make a big change and pivot, and Gene and I were thinking, "We'd like more flexibility in our lives," we decided that it was a good opportunity to bring Patrick on as a partner. So he is now co-owner of Carole's. And as many high hopes we had for how it might go is, it has surpassed it in so many ways. It's going smashingly well.
Elina Kang:
Great.
Maura Fredey:
He is now the operational owner. We share ownership of the company, but Patrick is the guy you're going to get as the owner with boots on the ground, and Gene and I have more flexibility, on the one hand, to stay really involved in the company, but to pursue with our time and interest, other things on a day-to-day basis, with that trust in Patrick running the show at the showroom.
Maura Fredey:
One of the things I'm most grateful for is the flexibility I have now to care for my parents, who are both battling significant health issues. My mom has Parkinson's, in the later stages of Parkinson's disease. And my dad, for the past couple years, has been fighting metastatic melanoma. So I am sort of their wing woman, so to speak. And also Gene's mom, Gene is a single child, so Gene's mom has some health issues too, so it's allowed us the flexibility to help them and to do what we need to do as children of aging parents. And also to pursue some substantial volunteer commitments in our community, on boards, and also a little bit of real estate development. But again, to know that we can still be stewards of Carole's, and the brand, and that Patrick shares our values and our mission and our investment in the company.
Maura Fredey:
So it's just another way that Holy Cross has provided the foundation, and the trust in shared values, and education. And another kind of fun story of a math major, a sociology major, and a physics major, in our fifties now, the next decade for us, just sort of taking this business story to the next level. So I'm really happy to be able to tell that part of the story.
Elina Kang:
That's great. I'm sorry to hear about your parents, but I'm so glad that you're able to really depend on another Holy Cross alum, and I feel like that contributes a lot-
Maura Fredey:
It is absolutely-
Elina Kang:
... to our conversation.
Maura Fredey:
... it is a gift, and I will say, coming up on this milestone of turning 50 in the coming year, and Gene just turning 50, and really understanding as much financial success you can have in business, and we've been so blessed in that way to have such a successful company, at the end of the day, that the success that we've seen through our business and that endeavor, what I'm most grateful for is, when you have that success, it allows you flexibility. It gives you time, and the tools that I've learned from business and negotiating, and advocating and all of that, I can't even put into words how much that's helped me navigating the health care system with my parents. You need all of those skills in ways that I never predicted. But at the end of the day, the success that we've seen through business has allowed me now, in this part of my life, the comfort and the tools and the ability to pivot and have time and the tools to advocate for the people who are so important to me in my life.
Elina Kang:
Right. Absolutely. Awesome. Well, I know we talked about this basically the entire time, but the best part about being a Holy Cross alum, if you could pin it down to one, two things.
Maura Fredey:
Well, I guess I have to say, I found my spouse there, right? It would be bad if I didn't say that, but it is the friendships and the relationships. It is just so grounding and sustaining in every way. I just love our friends to death. They are so important to us.
Maura Fredey:
Here's one little tidbit, that one of the friends I mentioned earlier on in the interview, Dave, he's just a great guy and good friend. And when Caroline was going through her college application process, she knew she wanted to apply to Holy Cross early. And of course you've got to do the interview. It's really important at Holy Cross. So I pawned it off on Dave. I said, "Dave, will you help her out?" Because who wants to practice with your mother? Nobody. So he was the best. I mean, he interviews people for his job, and the interview was on Zoom, of course, during COVID, and he was awesome. He did some role playing with her. So whether it's friends who do that with you, for your kids, they're just great role models, great friends, there through thick and thin. You can get a great academic education at hundreds of schools, right? No question, but you can't get all this other stuff everywhere, and Holy Cross does it like no nowhere else. So I guess that's probably a good place to end. It's building the relationships, and it's more than four years. It's a lifetime.
Elina Kang:
Yeah. For sure. Well, Maura, thank you so much for your time. It has been a pleasure to speak to you and get to know more about you. I was extremely honored when I was asked to host, but now I'm even more honored that I got to know you, just such an inspiring and genuine alum.
Maura Fredey:
Oh, you're so sweet, and I'm so inspired by you. And I'm excited, because I already have the Women in Business on my calendar for the fall.
Elina Kang:
Right.
Maura Fredey:
I'm so excited to hear more about what you're up to, and to have a new way to get back and stay engaged with Holy Cross. I'm thrilled and I'm really honored that you took the time out of your summer to talk with me.
Elina Kang:
Of course. Yes. Keep in touch definitely. If Caroline needs anything, let me know. And thank you so much again.
Maura Fredey:
Thank you. We'll talk soon, Elina. Bye-bye.
Elina Kang:
Bye.
Maura Sweeney:
That's our show. I hope you enjoyed hearing about just one of the many ways that Holy Cross alumni have been inspired by the mission to be people for and with others.
A special thanks to today's guest and everyone at Holy Cross who has contributed to making this podcast a reality. If you or someone you know would like to be featured on this podcast, then please send us an email at alumnicareers@holycross.edu. If you like what you hear, then please leave us a review.
This podcast is brought to you by the Office of Alumni Relations at the College of the Holy Cross. You can subscribe for future episodes wherever you find your podcast.
I'm your host, Maura Sweeney, and this is Mission-Driven. In the words of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, "Now go forth and set the world on fire."
Theme music composed by Scott Holmes, courtesy of freemusicarchive.org.