We were lucky to catch up with Maddie Haulenbeek recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Maddie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Parents can play a significant role in affecting how our lives and careers turn out – and so we think it’s important to look back and have conversations about what our parents did that affected us positive (or negatively) so that we can learn from the billions of experiences in each generation. What’s something you feel your parents did right that impacted you positively.
My entire life, my parents have been my biggest cheerleaders. If I had an idea, no matter how big or small, they were there to talk through it with me. If it was something I decided to pursue, they were behind me every step of the way. Because of my parents’ encouragement, I never felt like there was anything I could not do. This created a sense of confidence and self-assuredness in me that has helped a lot in owning my own business. I still call my mom regularly to show her new designs, bounce ideas off of her, and recruit her to help with my photoshoots. The unconditional love and support from my parents has shaped me into the confident business owner I am today.
Maddie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Hi! My name is Maddie and I own a small business called Partee Designs. I make custom items (hoodies, shot glasses, hats, t-shirts, etc… you name it, I can make it!) and I also sell my own designs. I also recently expanded with The Partee Boutique, a line of cute + affordable clothing options! I started Partee in college. After my freshman year at Michigan State, I felt like I was buying a shirt for every sorority event + tailgate. I knew there had to be a way to make my own custom merch… and Partee was born! I started off mainly doing customs for people I knew. I made my own designs, but never really marketed them. In 2020, I started creating my own hoodie and t-shirt collections. My designs usually incorporate a fun phrase or positive message. For some reason, I was lucky enough to have this platform that gives me the opportunity to spread joy and make people happy. My most recent collection, the Better With You collection, is a line of hoodies in different colors. Each hoodie says “Life is better with you in it” on it. I think that this message is SO important. Life is short, and we need to tell our people we love them as often as we can! In a lot of ways, these hoodies are what I’m most proud of. I think the message they carry is something that we all need to hear. Life is better with you in it, and don’t you forget it!
In terms of The Partee Boutique, I’m proud of how affordable each item of clothing is. I wanted to choose items that were high-quality and had that fun and trendy boutique-y feel, but were still affordable. I also do custom orders. Whether it’s for your bachelorette party, birthday party, family vacation, summer camp, or even your business, I’d love to create something awesome for you!
How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?
Social media is HUGE for me! I love messaging with my followers on Instagram and TikTok. Literally nothing makes me happier than when someone shares a picture wearing something from my website! I think that forming a connection with customers, even if it’s virtually, is one of the best parts of owning Partee. Just the other day, I got an email from a customer who placed a custom order almost two years ago. She said that her hoodie was such a hit that she wanted to order several more for her friends. It really made me realize that one hoodie or hat can have a huge impact! My customers are also just amazing people in general. After a viral TikTok, I was getting hundreds of messages a day. Everyone was so positive and would share photos of them with their items or tell stories about who they were giving them to. It was SO cool to me to be able to connect with my customers like this!
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Two occasions come to mind. The first time I had a massive order was my senior year of college. I made over 70 shirts, all of them customized and made by hand, in 3 days. It was an overwhelming task at first, but I pushed through and got them done! My friends were a HUGE help during those few days. They’d run to the store with me, go on coffee runs, and keep me company while I got everything done. Their support made all the difference!
The second time is when I unexpectedly (but awesomely!) went viral on TikTok. I posted a video that I thought was fun, but didn’t expect to blow up. I ended up making thousands of shot glasses by hand… it was insane! My family was SO supportive during those busy few months. My mom became my shipping team, and I literally could not have done it without her. We were making runs to the post office a few times a day, and it was chaos in the best, most fun and exciting way.
While I think that both of these stories show my resilience and commitment to Partee, I think that they also show how important it is to have a good support system. Without the support and encouragement from my friends and family, this journey would have been a lot harder and a lot more lonely. Surround yourself with people who want to see you succeed!
Contact Info:
- Website: shoppartee.com
- Instagram: @parteedesigns
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maddiehaulenbeek/