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Story & Lesson Highlights with Mrs. Gracy McGuigan of Leander

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Mrs. Gracy McGuigan shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Gracy , really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
Mornings are my golden hours, I’m like a train running at full speed (my brain just works best before noon). Before anything else, I wash up and take Churro, my dachshund with the world’s tiniest bladder, outside. Then I let Cookie, our golden retriever, out of her crate for her big morning stretches. We step into the quiet morning together, Cookie loves to sit right next to me, listening to the birds and scanning the yard for squirrels while I give her a full-body massage and scratchies. It’s one of my favorite parts of the day, calm, still, and just ours.

After that, my husband and I take both dogs for an hour-long walk before it gets too hot, gotta protect those little toe beans! Back home, I clean and refill their bowls and, of course, add a little treat because they deserve to kick off their day right, too.

Funny enough, I don’t drink coffee or touch caffeine (yes, I know, shocking). Instead, I fuel up with some water and a berry smoothie or sliced apples dunked in chunky peanut butter. It’s simple, but it powers me through that magical first stretch of the day where my brain is in overdrive.

Once I’m fueled, I check in on my part-time work as a senior graphic designer contractor. If all’s clear there, I dive into Pup Confections. That could mean baking, brainstorming packaging ideas, working on socials or whatever is on my trusty to-do list (and yes, checking things off is ridiculously satisfying). y the 90-minute mark, I feel grounded, energized, and already excited to see what the rest of the day holds.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, I’m Gracy, a senior graphic designer by trade and the founder of Pup Confections, a brand that blends my love for creativity with my obsession for dogs (and their happiness). By day, I work part-time as a contractor in design, and by night (and honestly, plenty of mornings), I’m dreaming up drool-worthy dog treats and playful packaging that make tails wag.

For years, we hunted high and low for treats we actually felt good about giving our dogs. Every bag bragged about being “natural,” but flip it over and yikes, it read like a chemistry lab report: fillers, cryptic meat meals, preservatives that tripped us up even with Google’s help. It was terrifying to think we might be risking our pups’ health over a handful of snacks. That fear lit a fire under us. We became downright obsessed, scrapping “good enough” and going all-in to craft treats from scratch. No shady stuff, no compromises, just honest-to-dog goodness. If our own pups didn’t go nuts for them, back to the kitchen we went. Lucky for us (and yours), they’re still drooling for more.

Pup Confections was born from that mission, to create treats that are not only safe and healthy but also bring joy to pups and their people. I treat the brand like it belongs on the shelves next to gourmet human snacks, except it’s designed for our four-legged family members. Right now, I’m working on new packaging ideas, building our dog-loving community, and (my favorite part) testing new recipes for the fall.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My parents, hands down. They’ve always had this uncanny ability to see pieces of me long before I could. Where I saw “just doodling,” they saw design. Where I was always dancing, they saw a ballerina. They never tried to steer me into something I wasn’t, instead, they cheered me on to lean into the quirks and passions that make me, me.

One of the things I admire most is how they always made sure I had the tools and opportunities to succeed in whatever I wanted to try. At six years old, they signed me up for dance lessons, where I first fell in love with the stage. That same year, they brought home an Apple IIc, which became my little design playground before I even realized what “graphic design” was. When I wanted to play basketball, a hoop appeared in the driveway so I could practice my shots. When I wanted to draw, they stocked me up with how-to books, crayons, and coloring books. I always stayed in the lines, but somehow managed to make it my own. They consistently introduced me to new artistic ways to elevate my creativity and I loved that about them.

Even when I doubted myself, they were the voices reminding me, “Nope, this is who you are, creative, stubborn in the best way, and someone who will find her own path.” They’re both so talented in their own right, and I’m deeply grateful that they not only passed that passion down to me but also shared it with me along the way. Looking back, I think they lent me their vision until I grew into it myself.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering taught me lessons that success alone never could, things like resilience, empathy, and the ability to hope even when hope feels impossible. My childhood was rough. My parents became parents fresh out of college, one eager to embrace the responsibility, the other not yet prepared for its weight. That imbalance left us in a home filled with both physical and emotional hardship.

As a kid, I remember praying constantly, not for material things, but for freedom from anger, for a life built on joy and wonder, and for a partner who would love to explore with me, push me to learn, and encourage me to see the world differently. Those prayers shaped me. They gave me vision and grit long before I had the tools to create the life I wanted.

What I’ve learned is that suffering carves out space inside of you, a deep well. It can be filled with bitterness, or, if you let it, it can be filled with compassion, creativity, and appreciation for even the smallest joys. I chose to fill it with the things I longed for: kindness, curiosity, laughter, and love. That shift didn’t happen overnight, it took years of unlearning patterns, many of which I’ve come to realize are tied deeply to my culture. I’m constantly working on myself: setting boundaries, re-writing old narratives, and giving myself permission to imagine a life different from the one I was born into.

The transformation is real. I built a life I once only prayed for, one rooted in freedom, joy, and partnership. I found someone who challenges me to grow and explore, and I’ve created work that celebrates creativity and connection. Success feels great, but it’s suffering that taught me how to imagine something better, fight for it, and savor it once it arrived.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes, 100%. People often carry different versions of themselves, but what you see with me is exactly who I am. I grew up around fake, two-faced people, and I knew early on that I never wanted to live like that. I wear my heart on my sleeve, and when you meet me, you’re meeting the real me every time.

I’ve always believed that if you can’t be yourself, you’re either with the wrong people or the wrong partner. I couldn’t bear living a life of pretending to be something I’m not. My authenticity is what grounds me, and I think people can feel that right away, I’m trustworthy, open, and someone who will always have your back.

At the end of the day, I’m just me, no filter, no act, and honestly, I couldn’t fake it if I tried.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people say that I lived with heart, joy, and curiosity, that I chased creativity and adventure in the big ways and the small ones. I want to be remembered as someone who loved fiercely, laughed loudly, and always showed up as her true self.

I hope people tell stories about how I wasn’t afraid to try new things, how I turned struggles into strength, and how I poured love not just into people, but into the little things too, like baking for pups, giving my dogs their morning “toe bean” walks, or the way I found wonder in simple moments.

I also want to be remembered as someone who always strove to be her best, no matter what she set her mind to, and who encouraged others to do the same. I believed in people when they didn’t believe in themselves and, because of that, I know I changed a few lives for the better. I’m a little rough around the edges, but I’m strong-willed, and I never let anything stand in my way once my heart was set on something.

One of my greatest joys has been bringing joy to others. If I could put a smile on someone’s face or help their heart feel a little fuller, then I felt like I’d done my part to brighten a bad day or ease a heavy moment. That, to me, is one of the greatest impacts a person can leave behind.

I’ve always loved the motto: “Live life like everyone is watching.” To me, that means living with integrity and authenticity, showing up as the real me, whether people are paying attention or not. It’s about living in a way where I’d never feel the need to hide, because what you see is what you get. That’s the story I hope people tell, that I lived true, with heart, and made life a little brighter for those around me.

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