About Me

Mary GersemaHello, and welcome to “marygersema.com“.  Lots of times when meeting someone I am tempted to ask the question I really want to ask “who are you?” and not use the standard “how are you?”.  I’d imagine I’m not alone.  If you are here I’d like to think you’re wondering that very thing.

First, having my very own .com is pretty cool.  I’m sure my elementary teachers would be thinking “how did this happen?”.  I was born in those boomer years (1950s) to an alcoholic father and a mother who completed 6th grade.  My parents both grew up in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and  moved to Richmond a few years before I was born.  I grew up in south Richmond (close to the wrong side of the tracks) and my goals then were simple.  Survive childhood and get out.  I made it!!

While still Southern to the bone, I now live in Boise, Idaho and have been here for 26 years.  I am married with three children and own my own company (along with my husband) and this year we celebrate our company’s 25th anniversary.  I recently read that only 25% of companies survive more than 15 years, WOW.  That’s what hard work, a strong will and a big heap of blessing will get you.  My company is Employers Resource and we are a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) and one of the very oldest companies in this industry.  I have to tell you that I wanted to open a jewelry store instead where the business concept is much simpler… “buy inventory, take some home, sell the rest”, but… here I am instead ‘making the lives of clients easier”.  It’s a lot less glitz but a whole lot more rewarding.

My children are the joy of my life and being their Mom is my greatest accomplishment.  I have three daughters and currently have a niece with me as well.  My girls are Rachel (16), Hannah and Sarah (the twins are 11) and my niece is Molly (also 11).  Now in case you don’t remember… I was born in the 50’s, 1953 to be exact… do the math… I’m an old Mom.  I started my family late because in the 80’s when I should have been having my babies I was having my company instead.  I wouldn’t change that for anything.

Whew, that was the most abbreviated life story ever.  I’d love to share all the many twists and turns that brought me here and I’ll do that in snippets as I move forward into this thing they call “blog”