Meet Mady Eugenio: honor roll student, varsity cheerleader, and 16-year-old entrepreneur.
Quarantine has left us with a lot of extra time on our hands—and while I’ve spent much of it on TikTok, Mady has used it to turn what started as a hobby into a successful small business. Senior Valerie Mostajo sat down with her and learned all about how Masks by Mady came to be, and more importantly, how to support.
Given the fact that we’re in the middle of a pandemic, the need for masks (and, yes, the need to actually wear them) remains at the tippy top of our priorities. Already armed with a sewing machine and a few different fabric patterns, Mady had initially been making masks for fun. Her mom encouraged her to begin selling them, but she was hesitant, unsure if anyone would actually buy them. In the end, she realized everyone would need a mask anyway, and a lot of people were spending more than they had to on them. Thus, two months ago, Masks by Mady was born. (Yay!)
A nice mask on Etsy might cost $10 or more—one of Mady’s starts at just $5. She wanted to sell masks for cheap while still keeping them cute, and thankfully, it hasn’t been too expensive of an endeavor on her part. After all, they already had a sewing machine, and she says that fabric is pretty inexpensive. They go to Joanne’s almost every week to purchase some more prints (they’re usually on sale, and we all love sales), or sometimes, she’ll find them online. Now, she has over 200 different prints, ranging from sushi to Disney to narwhals. Her personal favorites—and some of her most popular, too—are the Hawaiian ones, pictured to the left.
But while maintaining her business may not cost too much money on her part, it definitely takes a lot of time. This is her first time starting something like this, and she’d only expected orders from friends when she first started out—so needless to say, she was surprised by how many people found out about it. She’s been swamped with orders, and now that the school year is in full swing, things have been especially busy.
Her mom and younger sister occasionally give her a hand, but for the most part, she works by herself. School comes first, so she attends classes and tries to finish her homework in the morning; afterwards, she gets to work on her masks. Depending on how many orders she has to fill, it can take anywhere from two days to two weeks to complete a mask.
So, here comes the most important part: how do you order one of her masks? Head on over to Mady’s mask instagram, @masksbymady, and take a look at all the prints she has to offer—with over 200 to choose from, you’re sure to find something you like. Masks come in all sizes (including toddler sizes!), and you can have them made with an elastic or a tie, depending on your preference. To order, just send her a DM with your fabric, size, and type. A mask will cost between $5-7, depending on the fabric, and they’re available for shipping, drop off, or pickup. Shipping also costs an additional $3-4.
Even after the pandemic has come to end, Mady will continue making masks, just in case anyone’s still interested. For the time being, though, they’re definitely a necessity—and Mady has been working hard to keep everyone safe in a manner that is affordable and also cool-looking (which is very important). So if you’re looking for a mask, we highly encourage you to go support her!
After all, as her slogan says: “If you have to wear a mask, might as well wear a cute one.”
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