Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shakisha Clark. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Shakisha, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you walk us through some of the key steps that allowed you move beyond an idea and actually launch?

21 years ago I was at the start of my IT career. I drove past a sign at Plano Senior High in regards to Homecoming Mum pick-up. A little lightbulb came on, since I had made my own mums with my grandmother. I thought this would be an easy way to make extra money on the side. Mums would then become way more than just a side gig, I was slightly obsessed with everything about them. I put a lot of research hours into understanding the business and building an online presence. As the company grew, one season (2012) I was approached by another mum maker inquiring about swapping supplies. I agreed and she came by and we talked for several hours. This is how the idea of Mums Inc. began. From that conversation I thought there had to be other mum makers who would be interested in sharing thoughts and ideas. Well, sort of! The homecoming business at the time was very quite and competitive. So reaching out to prospective business owners about this crazy idea I had was not the easiest thing to accomplish. Some folks were over the moon excited. Some folks thought I was absolutely insane while others thought I might be up to something. None the less many folks joined what was then just a simple Facebook group. We talked about the “business” of Homecoming Mums which wasn’t really happening at the time. We shared our pains and our successes. Over time our conversations became more complex and we started to organize the group. We focused on growing our membership and educating mum makers about marketing, supply organization, business 101 and of course design. Now some 11 seasons later Mums Inc. is a formal registered organization. We have over 188 business members and we have members in 5 states.

Shakisha, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Being in a craft industry lends itself to some scrutiny. Some folks struggle with understanding how much work goes into the tradition of Homecoming in Texas. Mums Inc. became a serious focus for me because I wanted people to understand and respect what we do. As an industry mum makers had no voice and no real relationships with vendors. As individuals we are all very small voice but together as an industry we can be heard much clearer. The ladies who are members are Mums Inc. are focused business owners who wanted to do and learn more. The goal is to be a great mum maker but its also to be an even better business owner. What they also find is a sisterhood that accommodates more than just mum season. Friendships have been born, we take care of each other. Now in about every region in Texas there are Mums Inc. mum makers who strive to not just be the best at what they do but to also change the industry for the better. Our motto is “better together”.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I think it has just been consistency of voice and sheer force as there was never anything like this in our industry before. I spend quite a bit of time marketing and letting the world know just who Mums Inc. is and what we are about. Each year we get new members and those members grow and it just keeps growing. As our members grow in size and success our brand speaks for itself. Again we are “better together”.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

In Texas, Homecoming Mums have mixed understanding. Some folks believe its very frivolous and others don’t get the tradition as they may not be a native Texas. I am a native Texan I grew up watching high school kids get their mums and I simply could not wait for my turn to create my own. I want people to understand taking a roll of regular ribbon and turning it into the story of a kids life to that point is a special gift. We get the opportunity to create something special that is just for them, and all about them. As mum makers we take that seriously. Mum makers today are ribbon artists, technical gurus and trend setters. We spend all year preparing for about 8 weeks worth of business but a lifetime of memories for our customers.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mums-inc.com
• Instagram: @mums_inc
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MumsIncTX
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scrooks99/
• Twitter: @MumsIncTX