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

Hi Beth, thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

My goal is to create quality, handmade products that are as unique as the person who owns them. I want the person who buys one of my items to feel joy when they look at it and help express their personality. I have a variety of products because I am constantly learning and growing as a person therefore my business does as well. Even with the growth and changes the main theme stays consistent: positive improvement. In some products that message is more clear. The Sunshine and Sass Subscription Card is a monthly positive affirmation delivered to your door. The PositiTee is a positive affirmation mirrored on a tank top, when you look in the mirror you can read the positive affirmation. Very effective when working out. The positive improvement message is more subtle in the bags. The fun and colorful patterns people choose for their bag brings them joy every time they look at it. All the pockets bring calmness by creating organization so they don’t have to be frustrated searching for items. Mishmash by Design items are made for people that don’t want to get lost in the sea of sameness but want their sparkling personality to shine.

Beth, 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?

My name is Beth, MishMash by Design and I have gone on quite the journey. It started after failing to find custom polymer clay wedding cake toppers in the US. The shipping to get them from out of the US cost more than the cake topper itself, so I made my own. I started making custom polymer clay figurines because I figured if I couldn’t find them other people might be looking for them too.

At that time I started working at a dance studio and needed a bag to keep my stuff in. I got tired of losing stuff in the cheap bag I had and couldn’t find one I liked to replace it. I ended up making my own with lots of pockets to keep everything organized. Not only did I make the bag functional with all the pockets but I made it fun, the outside is shiny iridescent and the inside is neon popsicles. I’m proud that other people started asking for their own custom bags. I made the shift to creating custom bags.

One of the things that sets me apart from other creative businesses is my passion for positive and sassy affirmations. I love helping and encouraging others whether it be in the dance studio or their everyday life. We always ended our dance classes with positive affirmations and it really made people feel good. I started making tank tops with mirrored positive affirmations on them, that way we could read them in the mirror while working out to help encourage us.

While working on my business I would get together with friends to help keep each other accountable for our goals. We discovered that fun positive affirmations helped us succeed in our everyday tasks and I want to bring that to the world. Coming soon I will launch a monthly positive affirmation subscription card that I think can help everyone. We need to have something to get excited about receiving every month.

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

Doing in person markets that are geared toward my target clientele is what has helped my reputation. Also having great quality products. There are a few markets that I try to do each year. I’ve actually had people come up to my booth and say that they bought a bag last year and love it! They use it all the time. My bags do well in person because I like to use quality fabric that feels nice to touch. When people have the opportunity to feel the delicious fabric they want it even more.

Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?

All the products at MishMash by Design are handmade by me. This business is constant on the job training. While in college I worked for my aunt reupholstering furniture, so I had some knowledge of sewing when I got started but I’ve had to learn so many new skills along the way. I am always on the search for how to improve my skills. I enjoy taking in person workshops and classes when I can but I am constantly on YouTube trying to learn more. My best resource is my sister, Abby. She owns Knotty Fun Yarn in Michigan and knows all the craft things. I am constantly calling her with questions about sewing, clay, resin, sublimation, crotchet, and any other random idea I get. I think the key is to constantly be trying to improve.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mishmashbydesign.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mishmashbydesign/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mishmashbydesign
• Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Mishmashbydesign