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

Macie , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I’m extremely happy as a business owner. I get to be my own boss so what’s not to love about that! I get to create art in a practical way that people get to use everyday and every time I think about that it makes me smile. I think the best part of being a business owner is that I get to be there for my family when they need me the most. I’ve had regular jobs in the past that have made it seem like they try to guilt trip you when you have to call in or try to take time off and I think that’s what really pushed me over the edge to take my hobby and make it a full time gig. I’ll never look back. I absolutely love what I do!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Macie and I am the creator of Das Bunnay Creations. DBC is a small, locally owned business that creates personalized gifts for all occasions and all demographics. My customized tumblers and keychains always peek the most interest, but I also offer other knick knacks like book marks, straw toppers and pens. Das Bunnay Creations can be found on just about any social media platform and at craft fairs and shows around Central Florida. I’ve always considered myself a crafty queen, but it wasn’t until about 6 years ago that I got my first Cricut and put it to good use. It only took about 6 months for me to realize that this was something I wanted to make a living out of. It’s just something I really enjoy doing and I’m good at it! I recruited my husband and mother in law to help me when things got bigger and they really bring the same passion and motivation that I have to the table.
I like to think that Das Bunnay Creations would not have been as big as it has gotten over the years without the attention and love I pour into each handcrafted gift. I think that is just one of the many things that sets me apart from other Tumbler makers. Everything is handcrafted every time. I wish there was a word or phrase to describe the excitement I feel when I see customers pick up their designs and see them for the first time in person. It’s one of the best feelings.
The future has some amazing things in store for Das Bunnay Creations. I have so many more ideas that I cannot wait to bring to life and I just hope I can share these things with as many people as possible.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

I started Das Bunnay Creations as a side hustle. It was just a hobby for me that I was able to make a little money with at a time when I was unable to work a regular 9-5 job. When I was finally able to go back to a full time working position I continued to grow my little business. Eventually it started to become a struggle for me to work full time and continue to create with my business, I also had some huge things going on in my familial life that required a lot of my attention. So, something had to give and I turned in my notice at work and decided to finally take a bigger step at investing in myself and make Das Bunnay Creations my sole work focus. This allowed me to focus on my business by allowing me the ability to take more orders for my business while also lending me the time and freedom to work on things that I wanted to try and test out. This allowed me to build an inventory of ready to sell items that I could then take to craft shows and markets. After I did my first market I was hooked and I’ve just been growing ever since. Each year I challengemyself to add more shows and markets for nothing more than to just get my name out there and give my customers somewhere that they can come and see the physical items that I make instead of just staring at a picture on a screen. Trust me, all of the glitter is so much prettier in person and it’s very humbling to see how much people enjoy and love the things I make.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Social media wasn’t even a thought until a few years ago. I started a Facebook group as a means to show off some of the things I was creating and to let everyone know when the next show was and then I would post what was left the day after a show. When customers, or potential customers, started reaching out to me to ask questions and actually place orders for customized gifts, I realized I had been using it wrong! I have always catered to my customers. Everything I have ever created has been a recommendation, a suggestion, or an order, and I’m very proud to say that. I take pride in listening to my customers and bringing their visions to life. My advice to those just starting out would be just to take it one day at a time. You might have lulls where your social media pages get no hits, and then you’ll have peaks where you really consider your ability to remain a small operation, and sometimes your sanity too. Just believe in yourself even if no one else does. Like Dory says, Just Keep Swimming!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Das Bunnay Creations
• Facebook: Das Bunnay Creations
• Other: TikTok @Dasbunnaycreations