This week The Columbian-Progress spotlights Malory Martin of CMB Custom Trophy & Engraving.
Q: When and where were you born?
A: I was born in Gretna, La. in 1986.
Q: Where did you attend school?
A: I went to Franklinton High School where I graduated in 2004, and I went to Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, La. for college.
Q: Where do you work? Tell us about your job/company.
A: We just bought CMB Custom Trophy & Engraving in Foxworth where we build trophies and plaques and do engraving, and we bought it for my husband's fence company, Martin Fence. It's a place that we're eventually going to sell fence material out of.
Q: What led you to your profession?
A: What I did before we bought this business was tax prep and accounting at Foxworth Tax Service. That's what I went to college for, and I still plan on doing that during just tax season. That's what I really do for a profession. We bought this, and it's a family thing. I'm helping him, and now I'm doing the trophies and plaques.
Q: What do you enjoy most about your job?
A: My favorite part about the trophies is watching all the kids and teenagers who get the trophies, putting a smile on their face.
Q: What is the most challenging aspect of your job?
A: That I have so many jobs. Doing so many different things – taxes, the fence company and the trophy business. I'm awake a lot of hours, and I work a lot of hours. Lots of energy drinks.
Q: What is the most important lesson you have learned in your career?
A: Always believe who someone shows you what they are. If someone shows you what they are, believe them. That's it.
Q: When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A: A barrel racer. I grew up riding horses, and I barrel raced until I was 21. I honestly thought I would do that for the rest of my life.
Q: What was your first job?
A: I started barrel racing when I was 8, but my first job was waiting tables at Sofia's On The River in Mount Hermon.
Q: Who is the person who has been most influential in your life?
A: My parents – my mom and my dad – because they're both influential in different ways, but in the career aspect of my life, it would be Ms. Ann DeLancey, who I work for at the tax service.
Q: What is your spouse’s name?
A: Craig Martin.
Q: Do you have children?
A: We do. Briley Martin. She is going into the 10th grade at West Marion.
Q: If you could have anything for your last meal on earth, what would it be?
A: I'd probably go with a medium filet mignon, a loaded baked potato and probably lobster tail on the side.
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
A: There are so many places I want to go. I've never been to Australia, and I'd love to go. It's a unique place, and I think it'd be a good adventure.
Q: What hobbies do you like to do in your spare time?
A: Deer hunting and fishing.
Q: What do you enjoy about Columbia and Marion County?
A: It's a small community, and people always come together to help each other. Any time anything happens that's significant, everyone pulls together to help everybody.
Q: What clubs or organizations are you involved with? Where do you go to church?
A: We go to Woodlawn for church, and I'm a part of the booster club for FFA at West Marion.
Q: If you could have lunch with anyone from your life or history, who would it be and why?
A: I'm going to have to go with Donald Trump. I think he'd be an interesting person to sit down and talk to about past and present stuff. I want to know what he's going to do to fix everything that's going on right now and why he's still willing – if it were me, I don't know if I'd put myself through that again.
Q: What is your biggest guilty pleasure?
A: It's terrible. I binge-watch Judge Judy. My family picks on me and tells me I'm like an 80-year-old woman inside.
Q: What moment in your life has had the biggest impact on who you are today?
A: I don't know that there was one specific moment. I'll say the biggest decision was in 2020. My husband and I had a fence company since we'd been married in 2006, and he always wanted to solely do fencing. He ended up going back offshore because the economy crashed in 2008 and I was pregnant with our first child. He worked out there for 15 years. In 2020, we decided, as a family, for him to come home and take a short-term leave of absence – we didn't know how long it would be – and try the fence company. It took off more than we could have ever expected. It's working out, and it grew more than we ever thought it would. And he's home every night, so I'd say that was probably the best decision for us as a family because we were scared to go from a for sure paycheck every week to being self-employed. That's really scary, especially because that was when Covid hit. But we've been blessed.
Q: What is one thing you want to do that you’ve never tried?
A: I don't know that I'll ever do it, but something I would love to do is go scuba diving. My mom and dad scuba dove in their 20s and 30s. I've seen pictures and heard stories, and I'd love to try it. I'm somewhat claustrophobic so I don't know that I could manage, but I'd love to try it and see.
Q: Using one word for each, what are your top three defining characteristics?
A: I'm a hard-worker, loyal – to a fault – and I would say I'm giving.
Q: How would you like to be remembered?
A: Pretty much by the three words I used to describe myself – as a loyal person, a good friend, mom, wife and somebody who was a good friend to someone when they needed them.
