Today we’d like to introduce you to Madaiko Payne.
Hi Madaiko, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My entrepreneur journey started humbly as a nesting project for my second daughter. For those unfamiliar with nesting, it is a process that new moms go through to ensure the environment is suitable for the new baby. It includes things like cleaning, organizing, and driving your loved ones crazy. I was successful in all of the above!
I am an intense nester, and with my second daughter I had the bright idea to make everything for her. I wanted to pour the love I felt for my children into every burb cloth, receiving blanket, quilt, etc. I knew that with my melon sized belly, that my child was using as her personal jungle gym, I needed help. I called my mom and pitched the plan to her, and she was all in. I knew she would be. With mom’s help I was able to do exactly what I set out to do. Ironically, though, once we were just about done I still had an itch to create. That being said, one day while mom and I were waist deep in fabric, I asked her if she would be interested in starting a business continuing to exercise our creative muscles by creating baby accessories for new parents. Once again mom was all in, and Zumamiko was born.
While Zumamiko started as a company dedicated to provided baby accessories to new parents, our catalog has shifted a bit. Though we still provide items for new parents, we have extended our offerings to include a menagerie of amigurumi items (crocheted stuffed animals). Recently, these items have been very popular. We are also stretching very soon to include crochet patterns for sale; currently we have free patterns on our blog called Passion Projects that include monthly adorable crocheted creations. Check them out if you haven’t already!
As a child I always new that I wanted to help people. As cliche as that sounds, it was always my answer whenever anyone asked the young me what I wanted to do with my life. As a kid I remember setting plates of food and blankets aside at dinner and special occasions to support the homeless in our community; it was somethin in my heart that attracted me to the satisfaction I felt when extending an act of kindness to someone. I believe that Zumamiko is now in a place that I can continue my childhood mission to service my community. In the very near future we will also begin to partner with community service organization to provide opportunities for Zumamiko to give back to those who are struggling with the fabric of society. Stay tuned!
I am elated to continue my entrepreneur journey that has given me the opportunity to learn more about myself, my family, and those around me.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Does a smooth road even exist? I honestly don’t think so as a business owner. So, my short answer is a big “no,” the road has been very bumpy.
As a first time business owner my struggles were mostly around finding my niche in an already saturated market. Additionally, the recent Covid pandemic created a lot of opportunities for creatives to spread their wings and create hobby based business with ease. Staying relevant, with competitive price points, while still maintaining work/life balance put lots of pot holes in my newly paved business road.
Frustration, imposter syndrome, the intense urge to scrap it all were at the front of my mind on too many occasions. Then I remind myself that Zumamiko wasn’t something I envisioned to be temporary, so with each obstacle I read, and re-read, our purpose and vision to remind me of the work still ahead. That is how I continue to push forward, to enjoy the work, and how I still manage a really cute happy dance whenever I get a sale.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Zumamiko was originally a company that specialized in baby toys and accessories; however, as we found our footing, we have incorporated many more items to our catalog. We get a lot of custom creation request for crochet items, and often times these items are so cute and show up well on social media that they are incorporated into our permanent catalog.
I would say that, at this point, we are known for our amigurumi creations (stuffed crochet animals). I am most proud that our customers feel confident requesting custom work knowing that they will get quality, love, and excellent communication. I love to see returning customers show me past orders that are still being used and enjoyed. The feeling I get seeing the joy people have when they see their order is probably the best feeling in my line of work. I had one person show me the amigurumi items I made her son, he carries them everywhere. The first thing I noticed was that they still looked really good (hello quality!), the second was how possessive he was of his “babies;” he actually loved them. My heart was never so warm, and this is why I continue to persevere through all of the obstacles.
Many textile business either create and sell patterns or create items from previously written patterns. I believe that we are separated from these in the fact that most of our items are created from in house patterns. I take time to think of the idea, draw it out, create the pattern, then create the item. This process does take lots more time, but the end result is for sure worth it.
What makes you happy?
Crocheting make me happy!
It hurts my heart when people think of yarn work as a granny hobby. Now that’s not to say that grannies don’t have skills and are probably the OGs of the textile world (shout out to granny!) What I mean is that crocheting is a skills for a all ages, and its actually very therapeutic. I have always been a creative and outside of the box type thinker, and crocheting give me the autonomy to break the rules and make something the way I want to make it.
Being able to take an idea drawn on paper and turn it into a 3D “thing” by connecting one stitch to another is nothing short of amazing for me. I am in love with the work I do, and I pray in the near future I am able to teach others to enjoy it as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: zumamiko.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/zumamiko
- Facebook: facebook.com/zumamiko
- Other: pinterest.com/zumamiko
