written by Megin Potter | Photos provided
The legend of her great-great grandfather’s famous solo sailing expedition has inspired entrepreneur Tracy Slocum since she was a child.
In the late 1800’s, Joshua Slocum, an expert mariner, set sail in the old, single-mast boat he rebuilt and christened the Spray. During the three-year voyage to follow, he braved disease, hurricanes, pirates, and other hazards before returning to America as the first person to circumnavigate the globe alone.
He had accomplished what others considered impossible. What made Slocum’s success even more incredible was that the 51-year-old seaman didn’t know how to swim!
Testing the Waters
Like her ancestor, Tracy Slocum is a dreamer and a risk-taker.
Tracy, who grew up in the Capital Region, attended Shaker High School, and then LeMoyne College in Syracuse. She married her husband, Daren, in 2001, and worked in pharmaceutical sales before staying home for nine years to raise their two sons, Michael, and Charlie.
For as long as she can remember, Tracy has been jotting down ideas for new products in her journal.
“The list goes on and on,” she said. “Still, to this day, I think of things.”
A love of the wind and the water also courses through Tracy’s veins. Inspired by the fur garments that protected the captain from harsh sea conditions in his day, Tracy developed the modern equivalent – a windproof, waterproof, washable faux fur blanket that’s been making waves ever since.
“I created this blanket that seemed so simple but it really was a gamechanger,” she said.
“You must then know the sea, and know that you know it, and not forget that it was made to be sailed over.”
– Captain Joshua Slocum,
author of Sailing Around the World Alone.
All Aboard!
Tracy continued travelling across the country for trade shows, and just before the pandemic, she and her team ventured to China to tour the mills creating Pretty Rugged’s products.
Pretty Rugged’s buttery soft Rugged Tex TM, with its nylon backing, and the waterproof SatinTex TM are used to make blankets, outerwear, and accessories.
Witnessing the fabrication of something that would not exist without her fortitude and her team’s dedication was motivational.
“When you see it come to fruition in front of you, it’s a proud moment,” she said.
Acknowledging that this may not be as economically efficient as an alternative arrangement, it’s important to Tracy that the women she employs have an enriching quality of life that accommodates family commitments.
“I absolutely know how difficult it can be as a woman working full-time and all the things that come with being a woman in business because I am that woman,” said Tracy.
