Today we’d like to introduce you to Catherine McLeod.
Hi Catherine, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am a retired NASA engineer. I decided to retire in December of 2024 after 34 years with the agency where I had numerous jobs over time. At the time of my retirement, I was responsible for the design and development of Astronaut radiation protection hardware development. There are still numerous pieces of my hardware flying on the International Space Station. A couple of the instruments that I managed will be flying on the crewed NASA Artemis 2 mission slated to launch in 2026. Needless to say, when I retired, things slowed down alot. It took me about 2 weeks to realize that complete retirement was not for me. So after discussions with my kids, I decided to sell everything and relocate from Houston to Denton, to be close to them, and start off into a new direction. I spent a couple of months looking around, knowing I wanted to delve into the world of being a business owner. When I found the Pack N Mail was available for sale, I immediately knew that was what I was looking for. So I bought the business, and have been running it since mid June. I really enjoy it for several reasons. I have my kids working here part time, so I get a little extra time with them. Plus, I love meeting all of the customers and developing relationships with each of them. It is amazing to me to think about the little snapshots of peoples lives that I am getting as this store’s owners.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Has it been easy? No. The first two months, I don’t think I slept much. There was so much to learn. Running a mailing and shipping store is not quite like running a strictly retail space. There are requirements to meet in to be able to provide mailbox services. Working with each of the commercial carriers has been a learning curve because they each have unique and numerous requirements and restrictions which must be understood and followed. I have had to go through quite a bit of training to ensure that I am following the rules of each of the carriers. On top of that, the day to day struggles also exist. Making sure that we are able to build up a clientele so that we can make payroll and rent are things that weigh on me regularly. But as I am getting my sea legs in this business, I understand the ebb and flow of the industry and am really beginning to enjoy all of these challenges.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I think I answered a lot of this in the first question where I discussed my retirement. Here is a bit more about me:
I was born and raised in Mobile, Alabama. I got my undergraduate and graduate degrees from Auburn University. My first career was teaching math and science in high schools back home. After a couple of years of that, I went and got my master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and after that, I began my NASA career. I worked at 3 different NASA centers over my 34-year span, as well as spent a year on Capitol Hill working on NASA budgets. And now, I am in my 3rd career as a Business Owner!
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
My favorite book is To Kill A Mockingbird. The book was very impactful to me as a young person. At a very early age, I began to realize how our differences can drive wedges in communities. We have to be diligent to call it out and to commit to love and respect for others, regardless of those differences.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dentonpostal.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/711867645334155?ref=embed_page
Image Credits
Ethan McLeod
