Malia Riggs
Elmore Autauga News
Sunrise + Sheridan is creating custom creations from the heart. It’s where every trophy, medal, award and personalized gift is made with love and tells a story. However, owner Whitney Sheridan never knew her story would be so intricately interwoven into the Prattville community.
What started as a vision from Sheridan’s husband two years ago this January, quickly became a creative calling and so much more. After finding widespread and vast success with Sunrise + Sheridan in the Fountain City, they will now be making the ultimate move, to Historic Downtown Prattville. This is something the Sheridan’s have envisioned since the start.
Both graduating from Troy University, the two found their way back to Cas Sheridan’s hometown, Prattville. Sheridan stated the first six months of their marriage in Prattville, they would walk around downtown before they owned any businesses together.
“We would walk around and peek our heads in the windows and say I wonder what we could do here if we could own a business in one of these, not even knowing what that would be. There wasn’t even a seed planted, which is kind of how the Lord has directed our lives. The Lord says, jump and we say how high,” Sheridan said.
When Sheridan’s husband sent her a text on December 3rd that said he wanted to open up a business, Sheridan stated she was unphased by that point, they had several businesses in town, and Sheridan thought she would continue as a stay-at-home mom.
“He’s an extreme entrepreneur. We’ve got a lot of different businesses. I was like, okay, you do that (tour the facility). I’m going to be a stay -at -home mom right now. You go, honey,” Sheridan said with a laugh.
Sheridan was a second and third grade teacher for eight years, and then a stay-at-home mom. At the time, Sheridan’s husband Cas was orchestrating the new business. As they toured the building before purchasing, Sheridan stated she stayed at the front counter and let Cas “do his thing.”
Before long, the business that Sheridan didn’t have an interest in, quickly became quite literally her everything, and her new passion.
“I never thought I would own a trophy shop. I knew how to be a good teacher. I felt confident in that position. I knew this was going to take a lot of work. But I didn’t even go past the counter. So, I had no idea what was back there. I’d never even seen the laser and I didn’t even know it existed,” Sheridan said.
There was a defining moment for both Sheridan and her mom, Angie Weeks, who quit her job just to help Sheridan embark on this new endeavor.
“I’ve always been her biggest cheerleader and biggest fan. I always knew that she would do great things. I don’t think that there’s anything that she and Cas can’t do,” Weeks said of Sheridan.
But the defining moment that changed everything was the mother daughter duo’s whoop-de-doo, moment, Sheridan explained.
“I literally didn’t know anything. We were up here right after Christmas that first year until about 2 a.m., learning the machines, watching videos and figuring it out. When we really started going and it was just me and mom, we didn’t know what we were doing, but we were figuring it out. We still laugh over this, and now we can do it in our sleep,” Sheridan said.
The whoop-de-doo was an accented squiggle off of the letter W. Sheridan confirmed that the whoop-de-doo is still saved in the computer, and that was the moment that everything clicked into place.
“After that, I really realized how connected we are with the community. As a teacher, I was connected to parents, other staff and other teachers. I loved teaching kids. But then we were getting orders from the YMCA, local schools, sports teams and other events, I began to realize that this job is important, and I need to make this important because it’s important to so many other people,” Sheridan said.
Sheridan stated when she accepted her calling, that is when the creativity and the now local staple in Prattville that everyone knows and loves came to fruition.
“When I was a teacher, I used to pray, ‘Lord put the right kids in my class. The ones that I can make a difference with, and the ones that are supposed to make a difference on me. Now I know I’m making a difference and I’m proud, thankful and humbled at the opportunity to be sprinkled throughout this community. The returning customers, new customers, smiling faces and words of encouragement have always been overwhelming,” Sheridan said.
Sheridan stated that she is also excited that her two daughters SaraFranklin who’s eight, and AnnaCharles, who’s six, get to see her be so passionate about something she loves.
Now with a staff of five, Sheridan confirmed that each product touches at least four to five different hands before going home. It goes through the machines, cleaning, various processes, and eventually bagging, taking a tiny piece of a family owned and operated business into the community with each customer.
“A lot of times, when people are in here, they’re in here for life changing moments. We’ve done baptism gifts, retirement and wedding gifts. Then that wedding gift turns into a baby gift. I used to pray about the kids in my class, now I pray every morning about how I can best help my customers. This isn’t my business; this is His business. These aren’t my trophies, they’re His trophies. Now I know I can bring a little glimmer and sparkle of Sunrise + Sheridan to any occasion. How blessed am I to be a tiny piece of big moments?” Sheridan said with happy tears in her eyes.
Sunrise + Sheridan has two lasers, Sheridan confirmed, and both do about the same thing. However, the laser using UV is able to do certain materials in color, while the other does more traditional engraving. With the two lasers they can custom engrave more than just trophies, plaques and medals.
Sheridan stated they can engrave and customize anything in store with products ranging from stainless steel, wood, acrylic, leather, aluminum, crystal, glass, marble and so much more. A new feature that Sheridan confirmed is a bible embosser, which is also customizable and creates raised designs on materials such as paper, cardstock and other book-like materials.
Sheridan confirmed that their projected downtown opening date will be January 10, 2025, the very same day she opened Sunrise + Sheridan less than two years ago. The old location at 774 S. Memorial Drive in Prattville will remain operational while Sheridan makes the new location in downtown Prattville her own.
“It literally is a dream come true. I mean, an absolute dream. We’ll be doing things like painting, switching out light fixtures and making it our own from November until then. I poured my heart and soul into this for a year and a half. I don’t feel like my heart will be happy unless we wait to open until January. This really did fall into our laps, and what a blessing it has been,” Sheridan said.
Photos by Clementine & Co Photo
