Blog

While almost anyone living in Westport knows what an enormous influence “Melissa & Doug” has had both on our children and this local community, not many know that Melissa has lived here for 35 years, has 6 children, and is a self-proclaimed introvert! She is also the quintessential bargain shopper (embarrassing her kids at times with her coupon cutting!), uses no apps, and holds a small number of friends close like precious jewels. In the midst of her very full life, she has recently found herself fantasizing about dance parties with everyone she loves most, and only regrets not being immortal so as to be there for every moment of her childrens’ lives. She has been using her imagination to create products since she was a child, and feels incredibly fortunate to have met Doug and to have taken a risk to follow her passion almost 30 years ago.

Since 2002, Linda Sharkey and her husband Scott have had a tremendous impact on the Fairfield County community with their founding of Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids, a business that now has 40 franchises worldwide. While Sharkey’s has been like a child in and of itself, Linda has 3 other children who she loves spending days with at Compo and a night out at Pink Sumo. She is recently addicted to SnapChat, a self-proclaimed beauty product junkie (Maybelline Baby Lips is a recent fave!), and like so many of us can’t get enough of Joey’s fries! She values loyalty above all, and shares how important she feels it is to ensure each of us maintains something – be it a hobby, job, friend – just for ourselves!

Though many in Westport know Irene for her incredible photography and passion for the “wonder Woman”, many don’t know she was raised on a catfish farm in Oklahoma, and had a very robust career behind the camera for many years helping to style models and fashion designers in NYC, including Betsy Johnson, and working alongside Annie Leibovitz. Here in Westport, she loves hiking at Earthplace, a good dinner at Bodega, and is a CrossFit addict! She also reveals how the Cozi app has helped her stay organized in life, and that her secret guilty pleasure is the show Scandal!