Meet the crew

Donna Despault or my mom thankfully has been with me at the Plum Porch from the start!!! She is the heart and soul of this store!!!

Scott Despault or my Big Brother…..We call him the “Pretty Face” or the “Mayor” of the Plum Porch

Christen Bishopric is our full time, chatty, very knowledgeable, upbeat sales consultant!

Audrey Duchesney is our favorite Millbilly, she knows everyone in town, cheery, upbeat sales consultant!

Gina Finnochi is our youngest and most adorable member of our crew.  No, she is not a family member, but certainly could be!

Shelley Estabrooks is our lovely, sort of quiet (if you can believe that with this crew), hardworking sales consultant!!!

Dad or Alan Despault keeps our grounds lovely, helps with everything we need and occasionally chats with the Ladies!!!!  We love him!!!

Deena Despault is the sole propieter who loves her job, loves her family and crew and who especially adores all of you  for all of your support and friendship over the years!

All in all, when you arrive at the Plum Porch and are a regular customer it feels like Cheers….we all get to know your name!!!  If you have never been in, please let us know and you can soon be a part of our family!!!!

History of Deena Despault, Owner & Operator of the Plum Porch:

It is amazing that several years have gone by since I opened the Plum Porch.  Was writing a plan, opening a store, and realizing my dream easy? Not always!  I don’t think I would be where I am in life if it had been.  See..thankfully I have been writing in a journal since grade school and at age 12 I declared I would be an entrepreneur some day.  For years I jumped from school to school, job to job, searching for a way to start a business.  I was determined.  After completing a course at Cape Cod Community offered by SCORE  I was aware that obtaining funds for a business would only be possible with a business plan in hand. So I settled down and spent 4 months in an entrepreneurship class at 4C’s writing my business plan.  Thankfully, when I finished I was asked to present it to a panel of judges and enter a contest, which surprisingly, I won! A year later I was then able to secure a loan with SEED CORPORATION to open a store.  I sold my first home and began construction of a new building which would contain my home on the second floor and a store on the first.   In the spring of 2000 I opened a gift shop called The Plum Porch in Marstons Mills….a baby that took me over 3 years to deliver, and almost 20 years of writing, dreaming, and searching for the perfect job. 

When people ask me, which is almost weekly, “ How is the store doing?”, or even better, “Are you a success”.  I am not certain how to answer this question.  What is their definition of success?  “Can I pay my bills, my mortgage, and feed myself?  Absolutely.   But my motivation for opening the store was never financial ….I was simply trying to fulfill my dream.  I was searching for a job that I would love.  A job that would enable me to spend more time with my family, which it has, my mother has worked with me since day one, and my brother has worked for me full time for almost 4 years.  My sister, father, nieces and nephew have all assisted in so many ways as well.  I am surrounded by wonderful people who thank us and appreciate the store daily.  So my definition of success, is knowing that every day that I have worked at the Plum Porch, I have truly felt blessed and enjoyed what I do for a living. 

Starting a business is extremely hard.  As an entrepreneur you are faced with months of planning, hours and hours of work a day, and often moments of fear.  But thankfully if you unleash your potential, believe in your dreams, focus, rely on programs to assist you will succeed.  One of my favorite quotes is from Nelson Mandella….and it reads “We are born to manifest the Glory of God that is within all of us.  Its not just in some of us, it’s in everyone.  And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people the permission to do the same.  As we are liberated from fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Having now gotten over the fear of whether or not the business will succeed.  I am able to really let my own light shine.  Thanks for all of your support and love over the years!!!