We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Maya Gutierrez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Maya, appreciate you joining us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

I’m a huge Harry Potter and Disney fan – which a majority of my products will show! – so I wanted something that related to both of them, but also was relevant to what I’m doing. I make everything one by one, by hand, often customizing things for each order, so “Made” just made sense. And I’m hopeful that every item brings a touch of magic into that person’s life, so “Magically” was just the right word.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m a work from home mom with a son and a daughter, and doing crafts is something I’ve done with both of them for a very long time. I thought I’d start crafting things that were useful to them and/or their friends, as well as my friends, so I started with bows – something we were spending a ton of money on but never getting EXACTLY what we wanted, and then branched out to do tumblers – something that was wildly popular but also flooded, so everyone seemed to have the same stuff. In the interest of not only saving money but also engaging with the kids and getting them the stuff they really want (and, in turn, all of their friends too), I started making them myself. It turned out to be so much fun and grew an audience quickly! If you make something with love with the customer in mind, people will love it so much they’ll tell everyone. So now I make bows and cups pretty much daily, and I’m so happy doing it. It started as a fun hobby that turned into something I truly feel passionate about, and I’m so proud of how far it’s come.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Taking the time to make the product with care every single time means every product is the best I can do. And the customers feel that. They appreciate what I put into it, and they’re happy to share it with others.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

I use my Instagram. I post stories and ask questions, engage the audience, find out what they’re looking for and what they like best. I also reach out personally to people to say there’s a sale, or to ask for what they’d want for upcoming seasons. Make them a part of the process, and they’ll stick around to see where it goes!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.magicallymadebymaya.com
• Instagram: @magically.made.by.maya