This week’s Entrepreneur Crush is Whitney Herndon, the owner and creative mind behind Grace Graffiti in Downtown Brunswick. I met her for the first time during our interview, but she’s someone I’ve been noticing for many years, through her work, her storefront, and especially the fiddle leaf fig that’s lived in her window for as long as I can remember :) It’s always looked full and steady, like it’s been quietly thriving in the same place for a long time. After meeting her, that feels less like coincidence.
Whitney has been in business for over 16 years, and at the center of it all, she’s still a maker. Her favorite part of the process is engraving wood - working slowly, intentionally, letting each piece become what it’s meant to be. That connection to her craft has remained constant, even as the business around it has grown, stretched, and reshaped itself over time.
She started on Etsy, creating wood cut-outs, building something piece by piece. The shift into wholesale came quickly and not entirely by careful planning. It was, in a small way, an impulsive decision sparked by her husband, who has always been a strong supporter of her work and knew she was capable of the success wholesale could bring her. With very little time, they had to learn an entirely new side of the industry: building out a wholesale line sheet, organizing SKUs, pricing structures, product photography, and preparing for a market they hadn’t yet stepped into. They also had to design their booth and show up ready, all at once… and it worked!
That moment opened the door to wholesale in a way that would eventually lead to partnerships with major retailers across the country. It became a significant chapter in her business, one that proved her ability to adapt, take risks, and follow through under pressure. Today, she still maintains a presence in a small number of larger retail spaces, but it’s clear that scale is no longer the goal, it’s simply one part of a much broader picture.
In recent years, Whitney has chosen to shape her business into something more grounded and close-knit. Her retail space in Downtown Brunswick reflects that shift. It’s curated with intention, filled not only with her own handcrafted wooden pieces, but with the work of other local creatives. There’s a thoughtful balance to it - different price points, different stories, all sharing the same space without competing for attention.
You’ll find pieces from a retired veteran craftsman who carves mermaid soaps, alongside embroidered florals from Ms. Dot, a woman in her 90s whose work has become a quiet favorite in the shop. There’s also Emily Stewart, a local artist whose top-seller is a classy, fine-art print of the Red Carpet Lounge, titled, “Where the Girls Are.” Whitney has created room for others to be part of what she’s building, and she does it in a way that feels natural, not forced.
She also offers workshops, inviting people into the process to slow down, create something with their hands, and experience that same sense of focus and inspiration that has carried her through the years. It adds another layer to the space, one that turns it from a place you visit into something you step into.
Behind her shop is a vine-covered wall that feels almost tucked away. I photographed a small wedding there about nine years ago, and seeing it again now, fuller and more established, feels like a quiet reflection of Whitney’s work. Nothing rushed, nothing forced, just time, care, and steady growth.
Alongside her business, Whitney serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Downtown Development Authority, continuing to invest in the direction and vitality of the community around her. It’s clear that what she builds doesn’t stop at her own walls.
Spending time with her brought clarity to something I had already sensed from a distance. She’s thoughtful in the way she creates, but also in the way she chooses… what to grow, what to keep, and what to let evolve.
