The Unlikely Story of an Entrepreneur
Every group of girlfriends has one–the “go-to” gal. She’s the one that knows where to go, what to do and how to get anything done.
Even from the earliest age, Stacy Geisinger, was that girl. “I was always the social type,” says Geisinger. “And, I’ve been known to have an opinion.” What’s more, Geisinger, who hails from Bayside, Queens, has a fabulous sense of humor. Who wouldn’t want to hear what she has to say?
Although she’s been living in bucolic Bedford for more than 20 years, you can still hear that city energy in her voice. Yet, this grown woman, whose only son, Alexander, is in college, has surprisingly found herself at the helm of StacyKnows.com, the fast-growing blog that covers everything Stacy knows and then some. If you’d like a great tip or want to know what’s new in the world of beauty, fashion, shopping, music, travel, food, drink, charity or more, just ask Stacy. There’s usually no need for questions because Geisinger fuels her site regularly with everything you want to know and beyond.
Get Ready
How did a suburban mom turn into a savvy, social media entrepreneur? It took a few twists and turns of fate and a willing spirit. Geisenger wasn’t always the one to take risks. Although she wanted to study marketing in college, her father talked her into becoming an accountant. “Those were the days when being happy was not a priority; having a solid job was the goal,” she says. So Geisinger did what good girls from Queens do, she took the route to the solid job. “The goal was to have a job, even if it was a job you hated,” she jokes. Accounting led to marriage, the birth of her son, a move to the burbs and the “Kindergarten to Grade 12” lifestyle. “Life was about homework, projects and car pools,” she says. And, of course, exercise class.
Get Set
Being in the know, Geisinger was taking one of the hottest classes of the day–Power Groove kickboxing, twice a week.
“I don’t remember exactly how it started; the instructor was making a point about toning up our arms for the summer and in a fun way he started this little chant, “Stacy Knows… yes, Stacy Knows.”
Well, it just stuck. “Then my friends started telling me I should have a website because of all I knew, so I looked at some sites, but I didn’t know,” she says. On a trip out to the Hamptons, Geisinger started talking to a gentleman who just happened to be a ‘google guy.’ It was serendipity. “Two hours later, I had a website,” she says. She introduced her site to a mailing list she had of 500 addresses.
That was three years ago. “I am having so much fun,” she enthuses. “With this vehicle, you can make it as much as you want it to be.” She’s joined Facebook, opened a Twitter account, and became enthralled with things like search engine optimization and affiliate marketing.
Go!
So, has she found fame and fortune? “It might not be the best way to put food on the table, but I have some paying advertisers. They’re my favorite people, and I do a lot of barter. Food, books, soap and perfume presents just keep arriving at my door–how fun.” Even her husband, Edmund, thinks it’s cool. Geisinger says it took her a little while to find her niche. “I’m not that private a person, but I wasn’t looking to air dirty laundry and I wasn’t interested in venting,” she says. What she values is sharing new information that can help people in their lives. “I always ask myself–is it blog worthy?” she says. “Doing this is all for good–that’s the point.”
The only downside is that the web never shuts off. When asked if she thought the web is addicting, Geisinger replies, “I could use a good 12-step program!” In the end, Geisinger says she’s glad she’s started StacyKnows.com. “What else would I be doing? This is such a good outlet for me!”
Jean Sheff is a Chappaqua-based writer and editor who is glad someone knows.
