Before moving to Norcross, Callie Chewning Murray founded a successful company, gaining national publicity and television appearances. Since then, she has continued to build businesses — and community — everywhere she goes.
It’s likely that you’ve met her or heard her name mentioned among friends. Callie is known for her remarkable ability to connect people and foster a sense of belonging. She consistently brings others together and creates lasting change.
She filled me in on her fascinating story over drinks at Refuge Coffee in Norcross.
Early influences
Growing up in Snellville, Callie’s entrepreneurial spirit was kindled by her family’s dynamic.
“My dad, Walter, was a high school dropout. He started a building business, which made sense because he was a third-generation home builder,” she recalled.
Murray, maiden name Chewning, was exposed to the hard work required to succeed, whether working for oneself or someone else.
“We saw the highs and lows of entrepreneurship through my dad,” she said. “My mom, Melissa, was a pharmacist and the most diligent person I knew. Her steady work contrasted with my dad’s highs and lows, giving my brother, Aaron, and me a balanced view of life’s possibilities.”
Made for community
Her home was always the center of activity, filled with friends and family.
“Our house was the go-to spot for middle school and high school gatherings. This sense of having people in our space was something I grew up with and cherished,” said Callie. “If I had a sleepover, there would be six girls at my house. We always had our school friends over. I loved it.”
Murray’s family life and early experiences with her parents’ work ethics left a lasting impression on her. “It was this weird dichotomy of extremes, but it gave us a balanced outlook on life. We knew that anything was possible if you were willing to work for it.”
The coolest thing
Callie met her future husband, David, when he was 19 and she was 17.
“We were camp counselors. He always wanted to join the military. He was in high school when 9/11 happened, and it inspired him to join. We decided to go to college first, but I remember thinking, ‘We’re going to drop out of college, get married, and he’s going to join the military,'” she recalled.
She was right. They eventually did drop out of college and get married.
“We both graduated later from online schools,” Callie shared. “We bought a house in Lawrenceville, but David felt claustrophobic, like he was giving up on his dream. Not long after we bought the house, he came to me and said, ‘I think I’m going to join the Navy.’ I kind of loved the adventure of it and thought it was the coolest thing.”
A glimpse into the future
David enlisted a year into their marriage in 2008, just as the housing market crashed, so they decided to rent their house out and move to California for his training. The night before David left for boot camp, a visit to Norcross left a lasting impression on the couple.
“We went to dinner during the Norcross Art Splash Festival,” said Callie. “It was magical. That’s when we decided we wanted to raise our family here one day.”
Training begins
The Murrays packed their bags and headed west, full of excitement for the journey ahead. Once they arrived, their first instinct was to celebrate with friends.
“We wanted to host a housewarming party, but didn’t have anyone to invite. We were across the country from our community,” Callie said.
They knew the move would mean making new friends, but the reality of it was lonely. After being surrounded by friends and family since childhood, they found themselves starting from scratch. The ground-up approach gave Callie a new perspective and appreciation for building authentic community.
“Thankfully, a few wives of Navy SEALs welcomed me into a Bible Study with them. Their support was invaluable,” she said.
The invitation to join a group of SEAL wives socially while having a husband in training was uncommon. Callie deeply cherished the gesture and friendships.
Rethinking the dream
While in Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training (BUD/S), David observed the lives of active Navy SEALs. Suddenly, it didn’t seem like the perfect fit.
“These were the best guys. We were surrounded by Christian families that we clicked with so well. But David saw that they were gone 300 days a year, even when not deployed. He realized he was a total homebody and didn’t want that life,” Callie recalled.
But it wasn’t as simple as dropping out of the program. David still had six years to serve for the Navy.
“He dropped out of SEAL training, feeling so humbled and sad. His dream was over, and we had given up everything back home. Everyone knew we were off to become a Navy SEAL family, and now he had a six-year enlistment in the Navy. It was a really tough time for us.”
‘BUD/S DUDS’
Despite the setback, the Murrays were given an opportunity in Monterey, California, where David attended language school to learn Farsi.
“He went with a group called ‘BUD/S DUDS‘ — guys who had dropped out of SEAL training. They were smart enough to be in language school and humbled by the process. It ended up being an amazing job, and the community was unbelievable. You could say it was trauma bonding. We all had the same experience. There was no posturing,” Callie recalled with a smile.
Their time in Monterey allowed them to reflect and heal. “We had a year and a half to feel our feelings about it. That community was incredible. We were all so sad, but we were also in awe of this beautiful opportunity we got. It was the sweetest season.”
The big idea
While in California, Callie’s innovative spirit began to shine. She’d been working as a photographer and wanted to promote her business. Not one to settle for mainstream marketing, she began brainstorming unique ideas to advertise her services.
Naturally, she decided to arrange a fake wedding.
“Hosting a fake wedding allowed us to showcase real work in a real, emotional setting,” she said. Thus, the Not Wedding, later rebranded as The Big Fake Wedding, was born.
One of the unique aspects of The Big Fake Wedding was its community-driven nature.
“We would have a real married couple renew their vows, and their best party people would be their bridesmaids and groomsmen. It was always emotional. My goal was to make everybody cry. Planning your wedding is one thing, but seeing a couple renew their vows after 10 years brings a sense of reality to it for engaged couples.”
Rapid success
By the time Callie was wrapping up her second fake wedding, a magazine discovered it and wanted in on the fun.
“When we were in Monterey, a magazine licensed The Big Fake Wedding from me. They did it themselves and gave me a licensing fee,” she said.
This led the community-based venture to grow rapidly. Callie brought on a team and began licensing the brand to businesses hoping to host a Big Fake Wedding in their own town.
“We were doing 30 events a year in various cities. Each event required local community involvement to succeed. We always made sure to have people who knew the mission and could create an authentic, fun atmosphere,” she recalled.
Back to Georgia
After Monterey, David worked as a linguist for the National Security Agency (NSA) in Augusta, Georgia. When the Murrays moved to Augusta from Monterey with their 7-day-old daughter, Wells, the fake wedding business hit a bump.
“Someone licensed it in five cities and then disappeared without paying the licensing fee. I had agreements with venues and vendors across the country under my business name. I stepped back into a hands-on execution role to make sure we completed the contracts,” Callie said.
She quickly reached out to her network to create meaningful events in each of the cities.
“We knew that having the right people at the event changed the whole dynamic. We couldn’t just swoop into a city and do an event. We needed to have people on the ground who were tied into their community.”
Friends (and friends of friends) rallied to make each event a success. Locals utilized their connections to create authentic, tear-jerking ceremonies followed by unforgettable receptions. And, once again, Callie felt grateful for the power of authentic community.
Family of five
During the Murray’s six years of military service, David’s brother Stephen and his wife Brittany moved to Norcross. When Callie and David would visit from California or Augusta, they would stay with Stephen and Brittany and started to love Norcross more and more.
“It became our future during those six years of active military service,” she said.
As those six years were winding down, David decided to go into the reserves, which is a part-time military role. The Murrays, now a family of four after the birth of their second daughter, Charlie, planned their next move.
“We knew we wanted to live in Norcross. A couple of months before we were free to leave Augusta, we found a house in Georgetown Park. It was a short sale, a whole crazy thing, but it ended up working out. We moved in when I was pregnant with our third daughter, Marin.”
National television and shifting gears
After moving to Norcross in 2014, Callie continued to manage the highs and lows of The Big Fake Wedding. One of the high points was being featured on national television.
“When I went to film it, Marin was three weeks old. I left her at home and remember pumping in an Uber. It was insane, but it was such a memorable experience. The day our segment aired on the “Today Show,” everyone came to our house. We had champagne and watched it together.”
But balancing the demands of the business with family life became increasingly challenging.
“We moved to Florida for two months while David was in bomb school for the Air Force Reserves. He was switching from being a linguist to Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), learning to defuse bombs. It was an intense period with three kids and David working 14-hour days,” Callie shared.
The stress of running The Big Fake Wedding reached a tipping point.
“I had my first panic attack and realized something had to go. I couldn’t do it all. My mentor, Shannon Miles, told me, ‘You host fake weddings. This isn’t a legacy business you leave to generations.’ She coached me through the process of selling it. We had a team of 10 employees, and I wanted to ensure they were taken care of.”
Callie sold The Big Fake Wedding to a couple who kept it going until 2023. “Selling the business was bittersweet. We had big highs, like being featured in The New York Times, and small business lows, like worrying about making payroll. The experience refined me and deepened my heart for business owners.”
Navigating Norcross
No strangers to building community from scratch, the couple got to work.
“We finally moved to Norcross with Stephen and Brittany already there, but we didn’t know anyone else in our stage of life. Norcross didn’t have a ton of younger families at that time. If we saw anyone remotely in our stage of life, we would stop them and ask, ‘Do you live here?’ Usually, they were visiting their parents.”
It wasn’t long before they formed a circle of local friends. “Soon we met Thad and Emily Thompson and David and Emily Stoniecki.” The little community started to grow.
Friends would come from other cities to visit and quickly fall in love with downtown Norcross as well.
“We laughed that the third of July was our biggest recruiting event because friends would visit and say, ‘What is this place?’ and then move to Norcross. Chase and Landrum Sitten are one of my favorite third of July conversions.”
Young Norcross
Callie’s involvement in the community deepened with the creation of Young Norcross.
“A group text got started with the friends we were making. After a while, I had a town hall in my backyard with the group to help us get organized. I took on writing a weekly email to keep people updated. It had become too much for a group text at that point. I started an email with probably 30 people. That was Young Norcross.”
Callie managed the Young Norcross newsletter from 2018-2022, then passed it to Kristen Corley. Intended for the young and ‘young at heart,’ the newsletter’s mission is to provide opportunities to connect with others. There’s a new edition each Friday morning with a list of upcoming events, community submissions and neighbor spotlights. The newsletter has now grown to more than 600 weekly readers and recently celebrated the 300th edition.
Supporting entrepreneurs
After selling The Big Fake Wedding, Callie shifted her focus to supporting other entrepreneurs.
“I worked with Plywood People, a nonprofit that supports founders. My role as community manager allowed me to meet hundreds of founders and understand their struggles. This was incredibly healing and enlightening.”
Callie found that business ownership could be lonely without a supportive community. “I met with so many founders, and I saw the same patterns. Everyone was stressed by the same things — hiring the right people, growing their business, having enough money. It was super healing to realize that nothing I experienced was unique. Business owners have been dealing with these issues for centuries.”
Reflecting on her journey, Callie offered advice to those seeking community and emphasized the importance of authenticity. “Community is about proximity, connection and authenticity. It’s not about followers or performance. Real community is when you can be yourself, share your burdens and support each other.”
Today, Callie is a partner at Same Page HR, a company providing fractional HR services to small businesses.
“This venture is less stressful and more rewarding for me,” she said. “It’s a smarter business model, and I love it. We provide HR services to businesses with 10 to 100 employees who don’t need a full-time HR person. We handle everything from onboarding to running payroll to performance review management.”
The Brunswick
Callie’s entrepreneurial journey also led her to write a novel, “The Brunswick,” historical fiction inspired by a true story about a couple who rescued children during World War II.
She began with research to find a subject that captivated her. “I Googled ‘foster care leading up to WWII’ and found a small story about a Jewish couple in Pennsylvania who went to Austria and brought 50 children back to America on unused visas,” she said.
Touched by the family’s story, Callie felt inspired to write, setting the narrative in Norcross. She also shared that the process was deeply personal for her.
“It’s a 40-chapter book, and it feels like building a house. It’s emotional because it incorporates elements of my own experiences and the history of Norcross. Writing this book has been a personal and healing project.”
During the process, Callie enlisted the help of friends and experts to ensure historical accuracy.
“One of the Navy SEAL wives who had published a novel became my ‘book boss.’ She coached me through the process. Gene Ramsey, who wrote a book on Norcross’ history, read one of my drafts and provided invaluable feedback. It truly became a team effort.”
Supporting foster care communities
Callie is excited about the potential of her novel and its impact.
“If the book makes any money, my hope is that it can go towards foster care efforts in Norcross. There are 400,000 children in the American foster care system and 300,000 churches in America. If each church supported one foster family, there would be no children in need of families,” she said.
Her involvement with Promise 686, an organization supporting foster care, reflects her commitment to community service. “Promise 686 has care communities for foster families. Only 50% of foster families continue after the first year. The support from care communities makes a huge difference.”
Balancing life and work
Balancing her work and family life, Callie continues to stress the importance of community.
“My husband, our three creative daughters and the support of our friends and neighbors make it all possible. Community is at the heart of everything we do.”
Her daughters have also inherited the family’s entrepreneurial spirit.
“We had a King of Pops freezer in our garage during the pandemic,” she shared. “The girls loved selling popsicles. They made signs and organized a kids’ game night. They are very involved in the community.”
For those looking to build community as entrepreneurs, Callie offered one final bit of advice she’s learned from her own journey.
“Find your community and be authentic. Business ownership can be lonely, but having a supportive network makes all the difference. Be open-handed with your successes and share your burdens,” she said.
Future aspirations
Looking back on her time in Norcross, Callie acknowledged the importance of the community in her life and work.
“The community here has been incredible. We went from benefiting from community in the military, entrepreneurship and young motherhood, to building it in Norcross and among entrepreneurs. Now, we’re wondering how to best steward and share it.”
As Norcross continues to evolve, Callie remains dedicated to contributing to its growth and well-being.
“Community can sometimes be insular, but when it’s open-handed and shared, it makes a real difference. I believe that our story in Norcross is still unfolding, and I’m excited to see how it continues to develop.”
A legacy of kindness
Callie’s experiences, from her early influences to her entrepreneurial ventures and community involvement, highlight the significant impact one person can have on fostering an active and supportive community. Her warmth, creativity and genuine approach make everyone feel valued and included, emphasizing her role as a passionate people-connector.
Through her dedication, Callie Murray continues to inspire and uplift those around her, creating a legacy of kindness, connection and growth. Many, including myself, are grateful for her invaluable contribution to shaping the town we love.
Please enjoy the following poem written by Callie Murray about Historic Norcross.
Town Called Kindness
There are sidewalks to walk on
To chalk on
To stop and talk on.
Green-grass fields for picnics
And play dates
And walking a dog on.
With babies in swings
We mamas talk of the things
That keep us from sleep otherwise.
But here we find others
Who know us
And sometimes grandmothers
Who show us
Who tell us they’ve been there
That they’ve gotten the shirt
(Our toddler looks up then, a mouth full of dirt)
And we feel seen
And we feel heard.
Someone else calls our name
And we wave
We start to talk
But we pause
For the train.
Here, we know the hills that make our calves burn
The time of year the leaves turn,
The names of our servers,
And their stories;
They know our orders.
We rent the white house on the corner
And we pray
That one day
We’ll have four walls to call our own.
And then it happens, again and again
That a friend of a friend
Has a house to sell.
And a letter is written,
An offer is made,
And through prayer and petition,
We get to stay
In this town where our roots have grown.
These roots, they run deep
Like the trees lining our roads,
And we add to our branches,
As our families grow.
And these babies start walking
And talking
And side-walk chalking.
And we ask ourselves, how did we possibly find this?
This town that reminds us of our Father’s great kindness?
Life Abundant.
It overflows.
We are rich with it
But we know
That this is not something to hoard.
And yet
We wonder sometimes if the well will run dry
And we worry sometimes that this great tree will die
And we cling to this goodness as something to store.
But then,
God gives us more.
It’s too much to hold
So, we open our hands
And we share
Our stories
And gifts
And even burdens to bear.
Because a town is houses and sidewalks and trees
But a community is people, and it’s in one of these
That we get to be
And often we
Also need
God’s heart for the lonely
And His hands
And His feet.
