We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mallory Cerda. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mallory below.

Alright, Mallory thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

About two and a half years ago I bought a Cricut to make projects for my wedding. It was a fun hobby I had making stuff for myself and my friends. When the wedding was over, everyone said I needed to turn this into a full time job. I always laughed it off and said “maybe one day”. My friend, who also owns a small business, wanted matching shirts made for her birthday. She shared the shirts on social media and they were a huge hit. This gave me the confidence to take “Made by Mal” from just an idea to a reality. In the first few weeks, I was just putting vinyl on t-shirts. I knew I had bigger ideas than this so I invested my time and money into new equipment and skills until I was able to offer any custom apparel-related service that anyone might need. At the same time, I was brainstorming ideas I could design myself. So while I still offer custom options, my main focus now is creating my own signature apparel line!

Mallory, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m Mallory, owner and creator behind Made by Mal. I started Made by Mal because I loved clothes and fashion and I wanted to share my own ideas with the world. I started with just basic t-shirts, but today, I can make everything from hats and bags to engraved mirrors and custom air fresheners. If there’s something a client needs and I haven’t used that medium before, I learn it. I believe that’s what sets me apart. I don’t want to limit ideas or restrict anyone’s creativity. The best part of this business is that I get to be hands on with everything. Every item is handmade by me, designs are done by me, and I handle every customer interaction. I work well on a time crunch and no project is too big! Creating is a passion I’ve found that fulfills my purpose and I think that really comes across in my work.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

A large part of my clients have been found from social media. Either someone recommends me or I reach out from a Facebook post. One night while I was scrolling, I came across a post asking about custom sweaters for a school. I took a leap, not knowing what the job entailed, and I commented on the post offering my services. Before I knew it, I had an order for over 100 sweatshirts. This was 10x bigger than anything I had taken on before. I spent 3 days working from 8 am to midnight to get everything done. I pulled it off and to date I’ve received 8 more orders from the same school. I’m so grateful I took a chance and put myself out of my comfort zone.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

When I initially started Made by Mal, all of my orders came from Instagram or Facebook DMs. This was great in the beginning but as I grew, I quickly learned it wasn’t sustainable. I decided to move to website based sales and it was the best decision I’ve made! I can stay organized and on top of my to do list and communication with customers is much more stream lined. A key part of this was still leaving a line of communication open and not discouraging my customers to reach out via email or DM.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.madebymal.shop
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeby_mal_/