Check Out Maggie Shenker’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Maggie Shenker.

Hi Maggie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I had my second son in February 2020, weeks before the pandemic lockdowns started, and being a parent to a baby in complete solitude outside of your husband is hard. Without getting too far into the specifics, the first year of his life was the hardest one of mine. I struggled with postpartum depression, little to no sleep daily, and awful anxiety, all while juggling my full-time job, 2 dogs (and a 3rd come May 2021), homeschooling my then 7-year-old, and everything else that comes with being a mom and wife. I had no outlets, felt more alone than ever, and was genuinely scared I’d never had something for myself again. I started making custom epoxy tumblers in August 2021 because I needed an outlet. I felt alone and almost forced into solitude with a new baby, and homeschooling was harder than I imagined.

Come July 2021. I knew I needed something purely mine that I could lose myself in and not have to share with my kids and husband unless I wanted to. I started posting in Facebook groups to see what other moms did for themselves and what helped them keep their sanity in the craziness of home life and the state of the world. That’s when I discovered creating epoxy tumblers. Initially, I thought it’d be fun to do when giving gifts, but it very quickly turned into my friends and family wanting one, and before I knew it, I had strangers reaching out to purchase a cup from me! I was blown away! That’s how CrankyMomDesigns came to be!

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a smooth road?
Since this started as a hobby, it’s been pretty smooth. Sometimes I get frustrated with myself when trying new techniques because I’m my worst critic, but I feel so lucky to have had minimal stress and bumps in the road so far! of course when I have no orders, I create things I like and posting them on Instagram and Etsy for others to purchase.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
During the day, I work in health insurance full time, and I create custom epoxy stainless steel tumblers in my spare time. These tumblers can be almost anything you want. They can have glitter, no glitter, painted like woodgrain, resemble diamond plate, have images, quotes, there are SO many possibilities! And each one has a hard, glass-like finish to ensure it lasts you a long time!

I’d have to say that I’m most proud of myself in this small brand I’ve created for myself. I have moderate ADHD and anxiety, so finding something that kept my interest long-term and genuinely filled my cup has always been a struggle. I’ve discovered a creative side that I didn’t know there. I stuck with it and kept learning new techniques. It’s also pushed me to put myself out there more, which I never thought I would do, so as proud as I am of all the different styles of cups I’ve created and how far I’ve come in that aspect. I’m proud of myself for finding this and the community that came with it!

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role you feel it’s played for you.
A streak of not-so-great luck led me to initially find this as a hobby but having such good friends and family brought me so much luck in expanding this into a little side business. I felt, and still feel, so lucky to have so much support because it’s pushed me to keep going and learning and brought me so much joy in the short time I’ve been doing this!

Pricing:

• 20oz skinny tumbler: $40
• 30oz skinny tumbler: $45
• 30oz curved tumbler: $45
• 14oz stemless wine tumbler: $35
• 14oz coffee mug:$35

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CrankyMomDesigns
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/crankymomdesigns?utm_medium=copy_link
• Other: https://linktr.ee/Maggieshenker

Image Credits
Personal photo – Kristin McFarland Photography
Maggie Shenker