Conversations with Mallory McClendon

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mallory McClendon. 

Hi Mallory, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was new to Arizona, looking for a job in the middle of the pandemic and entering a new relationship. I was spending a lot of time visiting my boyfriend Clint, who had a single-chair Barbershop at the time. When Clint shared with me his vision of how he wanted the space to look and the direction he wanted to take it in, I kinda took the reigns and we built up a small coffee shop in the space connected to his Barbershop. Soon I was running the coffee shop! When we first got started, we offered Cold Brew that we made in-house and donuts on the weekends from SoJo’s, a local donut shop in Mesa. We had fresh vegan and gluten-free treats that we baked throughout the week. One challenge our space presented was a lack of foot traffic. We still did ok, just selling to clients of the Barbershop, but the dream was evolving. 

Somewhere in the many conversations Clint and I had, he mentioned to me that he wanted to create a masculine line of candles that could be marketed towards men. Little did he know back in 2013 I had actually planned out a business model for a candle company that I wanted to start. So, I threw out the idea that I would make the candles. A few more conversations later, and we started Flagship Candle Company. I took a few weeks… probably a couple months to be honest, to research every aspect of candle making. We found a concrete vessel that we loved, but it only shipped from China and the shipping cost was unreal! I decided I could make the vessels myself. I ordered all the supplies, and shortly after we launched our first line of candles in our hand-poured concrete vessels! After the first release of the candles sold out, we kept going. We released our Fall line, then Christmas candles. During a date, Clint noticed that the restaurant we were eating at offered bouquets of flowers. He mentioned that he’d always wanted to put bouquets of flowers together for Valentine’s Day that guys could purchase after getting their haircut. I knew that my ideas with the bouquets would align with his vision, so I decided to take on the project. Custom bouquets with our limited-edition Valentine’s Candle. We visited flower markets and put together the perfect bouquets! We hoped to sell at least half of what we made. We sold out! It truly made our first Valentine’s Day together an unforgettable day, it felt like we were creating something special. 

Somewhere in creating the candles, I started dreaming of making a ceramic vessel. I watched video after video of potters and soaked up the techniques and the terminology, everything. I looked at taking classes at a community center to get some hands-on learning, they were all full. I enrolled in the community college to take a course in ceramics… all virtual (heavy sigh). I decided I would teach myself. I started a hunt for a wheel and kiln. I looked for months, had OfferUp and Facebook Marketplace alerts set up on my phone and bought tools here and there. I snagged the first good deal that popped up. I practiced with clay for months and it inspired me to start my own business, Mallory Makes Things. I took on-screen printing our own shirts, making pottery, baked goods, growing organic loofahs for the soaps and serums we are curating. Making all these different things has been the inspiration for opening Flagship Mercantile. Handcrafted and small batch. We want to be our community’s Rose Apothecary! 

We are continually growing and adding things to the shop that we love and can’t stop talking about. If you want the best hot sauce, you’ve ever tasted- we’ve got it here. Who knows what we’ll be adding next? 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Easy? Definitely not. I decided to walk away from a career path that I was really good at and knew would provide my kids with financial stability. I was starting a business doing things I’ve never done before. I wanted to create something. I wanted to craft something with my hands. I needed to challenge myself. I had to teach myself all these new skills. I learned about all the different parts of pottery: the clay, the tools, centering, the equipment. Learning how to make repairs and calibrations on a kiln, having never run or been around a kiln before was definitely scary. I researched hours on end, becoming addicted to learning. Lots of failures over and over and over before a few successes. I have become a self-taught learner in pottery, screen printing, candle making, masonry, branding/marketing, design, and most recently woodworking (I’m creating an A-Frame Sign out of Pine!). Trying to do all that and starting a business while being a full-time mom during a pandemic has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a creative person who loves to work with my hands. I struggle with calling myself an artist because I don’t paint big murals or sculpt elaborate ceramic pieces. I’m someone that loves to take the skills I learned while gardening with my grandfathers, watching my dad use his power tools, and cooking with my mom, to create things that showcase those skills in an artistic way. I wouldn’t say I specialize in one thing in particular, “I know a little about a lot of things, but I don’t know a lot about everything.” (One of my favorite quotes, Samuel J. Wurzelbacher). I’m proud to set an example to my kids of what it looks like to work toward a dream, to put something beautiful out into the world, and to be undeniably yourself. Clint tells me that I have this ability to learn the ins and outs of everything that I’m passionate about. So much so that I can explain it back to him in a way that makes sense. I’d like to say that sets me apart and allows me to pick up things quicker. I’m proud of that. 

One of my five to ten-year goals is to be a resource for other up-and-coming small business owners (women especially), alternative creatives, and my community. I like the idea of teaching pottery someday, either in my own studio or at a community space. I’m currently looking into renting out a commercial kitchen to stock our Mercantile with my home-cooked spaghetti. In my opinion, it’s the best Vegan/Gluten-free spaghetti out there, and I plan to make a regular and spicy version! Becoming a Certified Permanent Make-up Artist is on my list of immediate goals. There’s no ending in sight to the things I want to create! 

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
That’s a tough question to answer because I feel like I’m new and still learning the industries that I’m in. I will say that I believe in the next 5-10 years, commerce, in general, will benefit the creatives. I believe the pandemic forced creatives to sit down and gave them time to map out their next moves. I believe the consumer will grow tired of buying things online and through major corporations and they will return to wanting hand-made items that come directly from the artists that create them. We hope to be a part of that shift and provide space to local creatives, in addition to the items that we want to sell. 

Contact Info:

• Email: mallorymakesthings@gmail.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/flagship.mercantile , instagram.com/mallory_makes_things