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

Alright, Danielle thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

I, like many people, picked up new hobbies during “Rona Arrest” (the COVID shutdown). I’ve always been an artistic person, but resin was a completely new medium for me. At the time, I was researching ways to update my kitchen countertops—I was over the linoleum but didn’t want the cost or maintenance that came with the usual options.

At one point, I was close to settling on concrete countertops, but I still wasn’t fully convinced. Then I came across a few videos of resin countertops, and that was it—I was intrigued and decided to give it a try.

What started as curiosity about countertops quickly turned into something much bigger. That spark led to experimenting, creating, and eventually… Dani’s Bazaar.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Danielle, Owner and Artisan of Dani’s Bazaar. I like to spark creativity in the willing—and when I decided to begin my journey as a business owner, that intention guided everything.

I knew I wanted to create something unique, something that felt personal to me, but also allowed me to build meaningful connections with those who discover my work and choose to invest in it. One of my core mottos is simple: spark creativity in the willing.

I create from a space that RESINates with me, and that’s how I connect with others. Every piece I make is rooted in something personal from my life. I love to entertain, so I create bottle stoppers, wine caddies, multi-purpose trays, and charcuterie boards. I’ve never been big on having mass-produced art in my home—and if I do, I tend to alter it—so I create wall art, and even pieces like charcuterie boards that can double as display art.

And when I finally take a moment to slow down, I enjoy writing and reading—so I create journals, pens, and bookmarks, along with games and other functional pieces.

A lot of people who come across Dani’s Bazaar initially see my work as high-end and hesitate. But once I explain that my art is functional home décor—designed to be both durable and beautiful, without the fragility—they begin to see it differently. And once they RESINate with a piece… the rest is history.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One lesson I had to unlearn is that hustle culture will destroy you if it’s not aligned with real, scalable goals.

When I first started my business four years ago, I thought I had to be everywhere. I was signing up for every event I heard about just to get my name out there—without doing the research to see if it actually aligned with my brand. A lot of those opportunities didn’t land the way I expected.

I also fell into the trap of creating products I saw others making because they claimed they were making a sugar.honey.ice.tea ton of money from them. But those pieces didn’t perform well for me, because they weren’t authentic to who I am as an artist.

Do you have to hustle to build your brand? Absolutely. But I’ve learned that when your hustle is aligned with your foundation—your purpose, your voice, and your goals—that’s where sustainability and real growth begin.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Over the last two to three years, I’ve experienced unemployment twice, and there were moments when I questioned whether continuing to build my business was the right decision—especially while still in the self-funding phase (which I know comes with its own challenges, and I’m actively working to change that).

There were times I was ready to throw in the towel and shift my full focus to my family and financial stability. But each time, something aligned—a blessing, an opportunity, a reminder—that let me know I was still on the right path.

Do I still struggle? Absolutely. But by adjusting how I approach my business, I’ve found a rhythm that allows me, within reason, to balance stabilizing my home while continuing to intentionally build and structure Dani’s Bazaar.

Contact Info:

• Website: HTTPS://danisbazaar.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danisbazaar?igsh=dWdsNGxvMHZteWR6&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: Dani’s Bazaar