Mercia Cailloux is the founder of M Cailloux Cutlery, which boasts stylish and ergonomic cutlery that ensures proper holding positions. In addition to its stunning cutlery, M Cailloux Cutlery also offers courses in social and business etiquette, as well as courses specifically targeted at children, teens, and adults. A certified Etiquette Consultant and designer, Mercia has traveled the world extensively to study different cultures, living in France and Australia before settling in England for the last 25 years.
Why do you think manners and etiquette are still important and relevant in today’s world?
With so much communication being done online, many people have less experience engaging face-to-face than ever before. That makes it very tough to learn proper etiquette. But manners are the foundation of good communication. The skills you build while learning proper etiquette are necessary for nearly every part of life. By taking classes in dining etiquette, children learn why manners are important and how to incorporate them into their daily lives. Teaching them while they’re young allows them to build that confidence early and carry those skills with them throughout their entire lives, but it’s never too late to learn.
What makes you stand out from others in your field?
Cutlery has hardly changed in the past few centuries, meaning most people are still using cutlery that doesn’t support proper hand positions. Because of this, more and more people struggle with proper dining etiquette. My unique cutlery solves this problem, designed with grooves and curves that place your fingers in the right places to support proper holding. I have no competitors. It’s an entirely new approach to cutlery.
If you could start over, what would you do differently?
I would hire people to help me sooner instead of trying to do everything myself. It’s far too easy to get caught up in your own ideas and forget to ask for help. But I believe I could’ve taken a lot of stress off myself just by hiring others to handle some of the work.