The Green Bay native and founder of Good Day Shop talks about creativity, her favorite makers and the shop owner’s life.
What were you doing before you founded your own business?
I did marketing for 10 years in the corporate, nonprofit and university settings. Toward the latter of [that] career I started doing upholstery on the side … and I kind of fell in love with [how] you can do something with your hands that creates a product that’s useful and functional. It reopened the creative side of myself, which I hadn’t had for a long time. I was at a pivotal point in my career. So, I decided to go for it and quit that career path [and] pursue a business idea around creativity.
You started with your original business, One-OneThousand, back in 2015. Talk about your journey with that company.
I was trying to create this entire ecosystem because there were so many different gaps in what I was seeing in Madison supporting the professional maker community. I [came] at it from all angles—affordable studio space, professional development specific to these entrepreneurs and then giving them a way to sell their goods. When we started, we just did pop-ups and meetups [for makers]. And then I opened the creative studio and I started to grow One-OneThousand with more workshops. Then, we launched the Good Day Market, which at that time was a twice a year market with makers.
Based off the success of your pop-up events, you decided to open a retail shop on Monroe Street. How has that been fulfilling?
I always thought that I was going to create that ecosystem from behind the scenes and help makers build their brands and give them opportunities to sell their goods. But I learned that I like being able to help [by selling] their goods. And I found it’s a meaningful way to work with makers and be a conduit for helping them build a livelihood much more directly.
One of the biggest questions I get is, “Is everything here local?” and that’s a great question to ask. Because what [customers] are really asking is “Where does this stuff come from?” and, “Is it a good purchase?” I try to source local as much as possible but my curation perspective has expanded. A majority [of products] are U.S.; in fact, [most] are Midwest-based. But I also carry pieces from Studio Non in the Netherlands and Mariana Muravito from Mallorca. What drives me in my process is sourcing from independent brands and small-batch makers that are mindful about their production process.
You always have creative ideas up your sleeve. What is next for Good Day Shop?
In April we’re bringing in some small-batch, sustainable clothing lines. We’ll [also] be continuing to refine our retail experience, whether it’s working with our customers on an individual basis for custom orders or with our makers on specialized product lines.
By Shayna Mace