Practical experience pays off Maison de Mings owner credits SIC for successful start

Many people are proud to call Southeastern Illinois College the launchpad for their careers.

Amy Mings is such a person. Mings, a successful businessperson and Galatia native, began her education at SIC in 2002 as part of the summer honors program. From 2004 to 2006 she attended as a full-time student before transferring and beginning her career in the business world.

At Southeastern, Mings was involved in the Phi Beta Lambda business club, Phi Theta Kappa honor society and the Forensic Falcons speech team. She says that all of her experiences at SIC helped move her toward a successful future.

"SIC provided me with real life, practical experience and knowledge that helped me launch into a successful career path in accounting," Mings said.

Upon transferring to University of Southern Indiana, Mings joined multiple business skills teams and societies.

Now, her resume includes the Institute of Management Accountants, the Indiana Certified Public Accountant Society's accounting competition as well as speaking engagements for Beta Alpha Psi (an international honor organization) and USI's Accounting Club.

"The quality of education I received at SIC was superb," Mings said, adding she's grateful she chose SIC over a four-year university as a freshman.

"I had time to decide what career path I would take while completing my general studies and cultivating the skills necessary to be successful."

Mings' success is also a testament to her determination and hard work. As a junior at USI, Mings was offered an internship at Harding, Shymanski & Company, P.S.C., a prestigious firm in Evansville, Indiana.

After her first summer internship, they offered her a job. She worked her way up into a management position before leaving the firm in 2015 to be a stay-at-home mom.

In March 2017, however, Mings launched a small business with her husband, Mat. Maison de Mings offers a collection of handmade items, custom pieces for the home, and is a retailer of vintage paint and accessories.

Mings and her husband both love the kinds of quality products they are now selling.

"I wanted to create a cohesive brand that reflected our values, style, and love for all things French," Mings said.

Maison de Mings started while the couple were living in Shiloh, Illinois.

Starting the business, Mings said, was not as difficult as it could have been - a fact she credits to her accounting background.

"Going from an idea to a business was a fairly simple process for us," Mings said. "I worked with a lot of small businesses throughout my career so I was able to register our business and get all the necessary documents completed in a few days.

There is no physical store, so Amy and Mat don't have to carry a big inventory. They self-funded the venture.

"The most time consuming part of the process was product photography and creating our Instagram and Etsy accounts," she recalled.

For her, it all began at SIC.

"I believe all of these experiences would not have been possible without the firm foundation and knowledge I received at SIC."