Resilience, reinvention, and resourcefulness—these are the recipe for success for serial entrepreneur, Sharon Reynolds.
A fifth generation Nashvillian, the entrepreneurial spirit lives within Sharon’s bones. Her story is one guided by faith and rooted in resilience.
Sharon’s first glimpse of entrepreneurship didn’t come from a business book—it came from watching her grandfather run a welding shop in the 1950s and 60s, right out of his backyard in North Nashville. He was successful at a time when success for Black men came with constant threats. “Sometimes he and his sons, including my dad, would have to stay up all night to make sure the Klan didn’t come and burn it down,” she recalls.
Despite that reality, her grandfather drove new cars, owned his home, and worked for no one but himself. “That always resonated with me,” Sharon says. “I knew even then that I wanted to work for myself too.”
That independence took root early. In middle school, Sharon’s Aunt Gloria taught her to sew. By high school, she had built a small fashion empire, creating custom clothes for her classmates and their mothers. “Fashion is still my passion,” she laughs. “I couldn’t afford the clothes I wanted, so I learned how to make them.”
Sharon has worn many hats: real estate broker, mortgage professional, and ultimately, founder and CEO of DevMar Products, a company she launched in 2007.
“I told my husband, ‘Nobody’s buying houses, so I’m going to sell janitorial supplies, and you’re going to be my first customer,” she remembers, detailing the season during the economic downturn at that time.
He wasn’t sold at first. But Sharon, as always, had a plan. She negotiated pricing with a longtime supplier, built her company from the ground up, and named it after her two sons, Devin and Marco, to preserve the generational thread.
From there, DevMar grew. Her second customer? The Nashville Airport Authority. She bid on a large-scale contract and won.
But what truly set her company apart was her vision. DevMar now holds 17 international patents for pathogen-eradicating products, including those that combat Norovirus and SARS-CoV-2. Her innovation offers real, lifesaving impact.
Sharon has always been financially disciplined. She self-funded DevMar by saving diligently during her real estate career, a decision that proved pivotal.
“It’s hard, but it’s rewarding,” she says. “You will have days when you ask yourself why you’re doing this. But the key is to stay grounded in your vision and in your faith.”
That faith is what carries her. “I always keep that direct line to our Lord and Savior,” she says. “He may not deliver when you want Him to, but He’s always right on time.”
For Sharon, success isn’t just about personal gain; it’s about creating opportunities for others, especially young women.
Through the Enterprising Women Foundation, she hosts an annual STEM event for 100 high school girls from five Nashville schools, including her alma mater, Maplewood High. Held at the downtown offices of AllianceBernstein, the event offers girls exposure to career paths, financial literacy, and mentorship from powerhouse women in STEM and business.
This year, 16 of those girls attended the national conference in Nashville, joining over 500 women entrepreneurs from across the country. “Most of them come from at-risk communities, and it was a great experience for them.”
Next year, she plans to expand the program to 10 schools and double the number of girls who attend.
Today, Sharon continues to do what she’s always done: build, uplift, and lead with grace. Whether sitting in a boardroom or mentoring a teen girl, she brings the same values she learned as a little girl watching her grandfather come home after a day’s work.
Her story is a reminder that success isn’t always glamorous. It’s earned. It’s layered. It’s full of sacrifice, doubt, and unexpected pivots. But with resilience, reinvention, resourcefulness, and a whole lot of faith, the journey is worth it.
As she puts it: “You’ve got to have grit. You’ve got to have grace. And you’ve got to believe.”
Photos: Sharon Reynolds/DevMar Products
