We recently connected with Jessica Estrada and have shared our conversation below.

Jessica, appreciate you joining us today. Almost every entrepreneur we know has considered donating a portion of their sales to an organization or cause – how did you make the decision of whether to donate? We’d love to hear the backstory if you’re open to sharing the details.

I do donate a percentage of my sales to various organizations and causes like local LGBTQ+ Youth organizations, Raices and various organizations for people of color.

These organizations usually align with my values and with causes that are near and dear to my heart.

Jessica, 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?

Hola, Hi, I’m Jess the Owner, Creative and Maker behind Modern Madera. I specialize in making customized goods for your home, special occasions like, weddings, birthdays, parties and so much more.

Modern Madera was started in 2019 when my little sister got pregnant with her first baby. As a big sister I knew I had to throw her a baby shower, we decided on a woodlands themed baby shower and my creative brain started thinking of all the things I wanted to do for it. Initially i wanted to buy wood rounds for centerpieces and buy wood cupcake stands and cake stands, but as I did research it was getting VERY expensive. So, I started to figure out how to make my own, with the help of my husband, who grabbed the wood for me when he saw cut down trees, He bought me my first chainsaw and I began slicing rounds, sanding them and sealing them up to be able to hold cupcakes and cakes.

Shortly after the baby shower I was asked to make more for other parties and weddings, then in 2020 the world shut down and I had to channel my creativity elsewhere since people were no longer having parties and weddings. i started to paint sayings onto wood, make lawn signs and porch leaners, I would go to the local lumber yard, buy as much wood as I could and cut it up, stain and paint it, by 2021 I was being tasked with making signs for small businesses. by the end of 2021 I was wanting to get myself a laser cutter/ laser engraver knowing it would help take my small business to the next level.

Christmas 2021 my husband surprised me with my Glowforge, he invested in me and in my business that i was very passionate about, without his support I’m not sure I would still have a business.

In 2022 my business really began to take off. I was asked to make various signage for small businesses, homes and so much more. As I was creating signs for businesses, I saw a need for personalized wedding signage and wedding favors, I had a few customers come to me and ask me for suggestions for wedding favors. I came up with wedding coasters personalized with the couples name and wedding date, I began to get orders for coasters which brought more customers to me asking for other wedding gifts. Most if not all of my products were made from wood and I didn’t feel the need to get away from wood because it’s what I was comfortable with, also it’s in my business name, Madera means wood in Spanish, but I was getting requests for acrylic payment signage, so I decided to get out of my comfort zone a bit and start working with acrylic.

At the start of 2023 I became comfortable enough working with acrylic and found myself working on more and more party decor and party signage using acrylic. Acrylic has really helped expand my business in a different direction, I find myself being booked for weddings, big parties and events. Although I was excited to start working in the wedding industry, it made me shift how I do things with my clients, I really start to get to know what their needs are, what they envision, and I do my best to make sure I create the vision they are looking for.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.

I do have an online store on Etsy, honestly, I was so reluctant to start on Etsy, I was worried about it being so overly saturated, but I tried other sites, and it was just too difficult, so I decided to give Etsy a shot. My first year on Etsy I made about $400 it was so inconsistent, I was very discouraged. At the start of this year, I decided to really put an effort into my Etsy store and revamp my store. that was the best decision I have made, putting in more time, money and effort into my Etsy store has paid off, I get repeat customers, rave reviews and the constant orders definitely keep me busy.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

on my Etsy page, i make sure to follow up with clients who ask for custom orders, i like to ensure they get their package on time and that they are happy with their order, i also make sure to send them discount codes.

i honestly believe communication and understanding what your clients needs are and creating a relationship is the key to having repeat clients. Having repeat clients says a lot about your business and yourself as a business owner.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ModernMaderabyjess
• Instagram: @ModernMadera.by.jess