We recently connected with Mackenzie Hendrock and have shared our conversation below.
Mackenzie, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?
My first client seems like a lifetime ago, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I was sitting at a small table at Oporto in Midtown with a friend of a friend who was spilling every detail of her destination wedding in Italy – this was the first time we had ever met!
I didn’t even have a business or a company name when I took on this project. I had been making greeting cards for friends and family, but hadn’t pulled together anything except for a few Instagram posts.
I was mesmerized by the details of this bride’s wedding and knew I wanted to take on the challenge of diving into my first professional client. Easier said than done (as it always is) because there were a variety of things I wasn’t an expert on yet; knowing which paper fibers would work best with specific pens, nibs, ink, not to mention the time it took for layout and formatting, too.
Even still, I was in heaven. The bride dropped off her handmade, cotton envelopes with and matching cotton deckled place cards and I spent every night of the week making sure these items were the perfect representation of my work, my style and what the bride had wanted.
I was really proud of what I created and that was the beginning of it all for my creative business. Since that lunch date in Oporto, I have learned so much, gained so many “friendors” in the wedding industry and have a long list of clients I’m so appreciative to have worked with. It’s been a dream come true, and I still imagine it as I’m just getting started.
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 background and context?
My name is Mackenzie Hendrock and I am the owner and lead calligrapher at Hendrock Handmade Calligraphy. I specialize in day-of wedding signage and paper accent details creating everything from welcome signs, seating charts and bar signage to table numbers, place cards and vow books – every little detail that matters.
I truly fell in love with the wedding industry when my (now) husband proposed to me and I became my own client! When we had to postpone our wedding due to COVID, I had more time to practice with different materials and create unique designs. This became my obsession – I loved thinking outside of the box, networking with other wedding vendors and participating in styled shoots to get some of my work out there.
Going through the wedding planning process myself has helped me understand the exact challenges my clients go through. The wedding industry has transformed so much in the past few years and decades, but what’s most important is the couple getting married and having their vision come to life, exactly as they want it.
My process starts out where I schedule a design consultation with my clients where we walk through the décor details of their event and then talk about their signage and paper accent needs. I also walk through the items I recommend so their event day is seamless and educates their guests on where to be and when!
Sure, everyone knows what happens at a wedding… ceremony, cocktail hour, reception with dinner, dancing and toasts. But… there are specific signage enhancements to make the event flow easily. Your welcome sign sets the mood as guests walk in, the seating chart (arranged alphabetically!) helps guests find their seats faster and bar signage lets guests know what to expect when they order so they can grab their drink and get back to the dance floor.
I love designing custom pieces for each client – they truly bring me joy when my couples see their custom details come to life. I feel so honored to get to work side by side with my clients and watching their wedding journey to one of the most important days of their lives!
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Artists and creatives are inspiring, incredible and thoughtful people. They are some of the best individuals I’ve had the chance to know. To best support them, I’d encourage anyone to go to museums, go to a local art market or share a post on social media to your friends and family.
The best thing you could do to support an artist is to take a class from them and learn their craft. Social media glamorizes everything these days, but it’s true dedication to learn the craft yourself and see how much time, effort, blood, sweat and tears go into perfecting their profession.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
Always! I make sure to set a creative goal and a financial goal every year. My creative goal is something wild, out of the box that I am scared of putting on my list – something that truly challenges me. I loved the quote growing up, “if your dreams don’t scare you, they’re not big enough,” so this is what keeps me driving for more creative opportunities.
As always, being a business means setting financial goals for myself, too. Each year I grow and challenge myself to provide for my clients in the best ways possible and work within their budgets, while facilitating what works for me, too.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hendrockhandmade.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/hendrockhandmade
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/hendrockhandmade
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hendrock-handmade
- Other: Google reviews: https://g.page/r/CVTlJ2q0DoB6EAg/review
Image Credits
Headshot – Houston Studio Table number – Christina Elliott Photography Seating Chart, Champagne Glasses and Welcome Sign – Mollie Jane Photography Ceremony sign – Kelsey Horner Photography Pear Place Card – Rachel Lynn Photo Acrylic Place Card – Moments of Grace Photography