Amy enjoys taking her Manebangle trailer to festivals. Her first trip this year will be to the local Alzheimer’s Alliance Tri-States Area’s Twice as Fine Texarkana Wine Festival scheduled for May 1.

*Amy and John with their white Lab, Holly, at their farm in Arkansas.*

*Jon cuts out leather on the clicker press, the first step in the making of a Manebangle*

Creating a successful business venture requires much more than a grand idea. While a captivating concept is a required starting point, dedication and drive – and a solid business plan – are also crucial. Many dream of owning their own business but few have the passion and commitment to bring their dreams to fruition. Texarkana native Amy Torrans Thomas is one of those rare individuals.

Amy credits her parents with her innate entrepreneurial spirit. “My father was a perpetual entrepreneur who pursued and succeeded in many varied business ventures,” Amy explained. “He always insisted that his children start hanging out and working for him as teenagers.” Her admiration for both of her parents is evident. “My mother gave me the confidence to do whatever I set in my mind,” she shared.

Growing up and still residing in Texarkana is a point of pride for Amy. She has fond memories of spending time with her parents who, as Amy lovingly recalled, truly enjoyed the company of their children. “As far as siblings go, my father always said I was the youngest of six ‘only children!’”

As her first foray into conceiving her own business, Amy drew upon her impeccable taste and personal style to create Gables. This upscale home décor boutique provided the Texarkana community an opportunity to indulge in luxury linens and unique home furnishings and gifts. Amy’s eye for distinctive merchandise along with her gracious manner made Gables an immediate favorite in the area.

A strong commitment to the Texarkana community led Amy and her partners to her next – and even greater – venture … the transformation of Northridge Country Club. Her vision for the club led to a significant expansion of the facility and a “facelift” that made it quite a showplace. The new look and commitment to exemplary service breathed new life into the club that had been a part of the Texarkana social scene since the 1960s. “The customers at Gables and the members of Northridge were always very supportive and kept us motivated,” Amy stated with gratitude. “I am especially proud of what all the partners were able to accomplish at Northridge and am pleased to see it continue to thrive today.”

Those with a creative spirit seem to be constantly observing their surroundings in search of their next venture. The idea for Amy’s latest business adventure, Manebangle, actually came to her while she was “hanging out at Trinity Groves in Dallas.” (For those unfamiliar with Trinity Groves, it is a restaurant “incubator” where new restaurant concepts and innovations are born and developed.) “We noticed that almost all of the young women around us were wearing elastic ponytail holders on their wrists,” she recalled. “So the idea to create a more attractive bracelet that could also serve as an extremely comfortable and functional ponytail holder was born. Creativity begat creativity!”

*Without the talent and hard work of Brooke DuPree and Laura Steed, Amy admits that Manebangle would not be what it is today.*

For those who are fortunate to know Amy Thomas, she has a relaxed elegance about her … refined, yet comfortable. Seeing Amy in a pair of jeans and old boots would remind one more of a Ralph Lauren commercial than of someone straight off the ranch – yet she would likely be at ease in either setting. Thus it was not surprising that Amy would create something simple and functional, yet with heightened style and beauty.

As aforementioned, the clever idea is only the beginning. After several trips to leather stores and many trials and errors over the next two years, the current design was eventually developed. “With pride in our accomplishment, we decided to trademark our name and, most importantly, were recently awarded a patent for our creation,” Amy shared. “To further delineate our invention, we acquired the ability to custom engrave our products.”

The “we” and “our” Amy refers to is the partnership with her wonderful husband of 25+ years, Jon. “He has always been very supportive and encouraging of all my business ventures,” Amy was quick to declare. “My journey through life has been enriched beyond measure due to him. As the sole rheumatologist in Texarkana for over 21 years, he is extremely loved by his patients due to his dedicated, compassionate, and caring personality.”

*Engraved Manebangles are available as special orders with a 45-piece minimum.*

After hours and hours of online research, Jon designed and acquired the equipment necessary to mass produce their products and streamlined the manufacturing process. However, the Thomases give a great deal of credit to two dedicated young ladies, Laura Steed and Brooke DuPree. “Manebangle could not have been brought to life without their help,” Amy said. “But for their talents and hard work, Manebangle would not be what it is today.”

So what is Manebangle today? It is primarily a wholesaler for boutiques and salons but they also have online retail stores on Shopify, Facebook, and Instagram. They have dedicated a small section of their Richmond Road location to retail sales as well. Manebangles are currently sold in several boutiques and salons in Arkansas, Missouri, and Louisiana. “Boutique and salon owners are already such dedicated entrepreneurs that it makes our venture working with them that much more rewarding and enjoyable,” Amy reflected.

Though life is extremely busy for the Thomases with Jon’s bountiful medical practice and Amy running a successful business, they find time to spend at their farm in Arkansas – dabbling in blueberries, trees, and pumpkins. It is obvious that they genuinely appreciate each other and enjoy their time together. “We’ve always had one or more dogs instead of children,” Amy shared. “Currently we have a white Lab – Holly - who pretty much goes wherever we go and is Manebangle’s mascot.”

Amy added, “If our future is anything like our past, it will be full of laughs, hard work, and a continuing appreciation of the little things in life.” When asked to describe herself in three words, Amy preferred to offer the words she believes Jon would use to describe her … impassioned, impatient, and impatient!

Favorite quotes or words to live by are often a window into the soul. That certainly seems to hold true with the words Amy considers the best advice she’s ever received. From The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz …

If you are impeccable with your word, if you don’t take anything personally,

if you don’t make assumptions, if you always do your best,

then you are going to have a beautiful life.

While creating lovely things for others and taking Ruiz’ advice to heart, Amy Thomas has indeed created a beautiful life.

Feature Stories

A creative journey ... a beautiful life