We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Maria Hall. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Maria below.
Alright, Maria thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?
I am Maria Hall and the story on how I founded Made in Michigan with love is A very interesting and lengthy story, so I willl try to shorten it down A bit for you. As someone who has worked in the medical field in A wide range of positions for 7 years prior to the pandemic. I thought my career would be in the medical field, however God had another plan for me and my life. I left the medical field behind in the heat of the pandemic and never looked back. It all began with A small idea in November 2020 to now having over 9k members in my www.madeinmichiganwithlove.com group that grows daily, hosting fun Michigan events for Michigan small business owners and of course operating and owning the Made In Michigan with love store in Clarkston Michigan. I began my business back in 2020 hosting online only shows on www.madeinmichiganwithlove.com, to then having requests to host in person shows once the world began to open up again. From my in person shows in which I began outside of A wonderful hippie style Cafe in Waterford I expanded to hosting my shows in Davisburg is A larger indoor venue, to now hosting 2 larger shows inside of the Oakland Yard Sports Dome in Waterford, which is A larger soccer dome. I opened my store in Clarkston that features all hand-made or owned products from many Michigan small business owners on July 1st 2022. It’s been an incredible and slightly nerve Wracking experience but an amazing one so far, we will also be having monthly themed events outside the front of my store beginning in May 2023. My main mission behind creating my business is to find and help as many Michigan small business owners get the support and recognition that they deserve, and to focus on the amazing talented everyday people that make this State such A wonderful place to live. I have many many ideas for the future and to keep this business fun and engaging but most importantly reach out and help as many Michiganders as I am able too with their growing businesses and creations.
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?
Hello my name is Maria Hall I am the owner of founder of the incredible Made In Michigan with love. My main mission behind creating my business is to find and help as many small Michigan business owners I can get the support and recognition that they deserve. I am A caring person and have always enjoyed helping others. Prior to my business I worked for 7 years in the medical field, In many positions such as; oncologist/hematology, phlebotomy, optometry, medical assistant, medical receptionist and pediatrics. My biggest accomplishment and gift in life are my children, and like so many we were faced with very challenging circumstances during the pandemic. I knew there was something that I had to do and I was being pulled in A different direction with my life, so I left the medical field behind and never turned back. I created Made In Michigan with love on Facebook in 2020 as A fun and different way for artists to showcase their amazing Michigan made and or owned products right in the comfort of their homes. I host monthly online shows that are fun and very affordable every month on this group and I have helped so many wonderful Michigan small business owners on their way to success. I was blessed to open the Made In Michigan with love store in Clarkston Michigan on July 1st 2022, and it’s been an incredible journey so far. The store features all handmade or owned products from Michigan artisans and small business owners and I seek to find the most unique and one of A kind products that you can’t find anywhere else. I have always loved Northern Michigan and I wanted to feel just A bit of that here, so my vision behind my store is warm, rustic and vintage all in one. When you walk into the door your greeted by A friendly smile from myself, and you are able to shop some of Michigan’s best of the best Artisans handmade gifts. It was A very scary decision to open my own store, but I just knew I was making the right choice. As the owner and operator of the store I like to arrange the products as well as provide most of the displays that the artists products are displayed on. My little idea I had back in 2020 has turned into such an amazing Phenomenon and I am so very blessed to have met and worked with such incredible Michigan artisans. I look forward to many years of helping showcase the best of the best that this beautiful state of Michigan has for years to come.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
Creating A new and different Facebook group was fun, but also alot of work. I not only had to find Michiga. Artisans and vendors I had to reach out to them and gain their trust. I wanted them to be A part of something amazing and I just had this crazy feeling that somehow someway I was bound to make A difference in many people’s lives. I searched and posted and joined many different Michigan based groups, messaging and communicating with many different people. Then once I had enough members to join the group I began putting together our very first online only show for December 2020. I only charged A very small fee for everyone to participate and I used most of the fee collected to purchase 3 brand new gifts to giveaway in our very first show. I purchased A mini Air fryer, copper pan set and an instant pot and did A raffle for the items that I personally delivered to each member who won. I wrote lengthy emails to many of my favorite news and radio stations including Dave from 101.1 The Wrif. This story gets very interesting as Dave actually responded to my email and contacted me with Scott and set up A 15 minute interview that was aired on 7 different Michigan radio stations. This was such A cool and wonderful experience for me and I was thrilled to participate. My husband and several friends of mine recorded the interview and I then placed it onto my group this way others could hear it, and from then on the group has went from 1 to over 9k members and growing in just A little over 2 years.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I would say one story that has alot of significance in my life and the bussiness was when I was planning my wedding and planning one of my larger art shows as well. This was A very trying time for my soon to be husband at the time and myself, trying to figure the best way to promote the business but balance work from personal life. I was thankful to have his support and managed to work everything out, and since then I have learned better time management skills this way I can enjoy those I love and enjoy doing what I love as well
Contact Info:
- Website: https://madeinmichiganwithlovestore.net/?utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=referral
- Instagram: Madeinmichiganwithlove_store
- Facebook: www.madeinmichiganwithlove.com
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@madeinmichiganwithlove5186
- Other: I also am on Tiktok with two accounts one personal and one business for the store https://www.tiktok.com/@madeinmiwithlovestore?_t=8aN24Yf2uGg&_r=1 https://www.tiktok.com/@maria_blueeyed85?_t=8aN26dcZSik&_r=1