W(O)W: Madison Kendall McBurney x Made by Madison
Charismatic. Driven. Loving.
Madison does everything with love and appreciates people for who they are. Love is her motto. She is the hands and the heart behind Made by Madison, her self-operated business through which she creates personalized watercolor cards, prints and handmade clay earrings!
She strives to start every morning with a grateful heart in order to create the landscape for a positive day. She lives with a focus on the good and all the blessings she has been given and remembers how “it could be worse” when facing trials. Forgiving and forgetting is how Madison keeps her life balanced and full of happiness. Fun fact: when Madison was a kid she had an innie and outtie bellybutton so she could twist and pull it out.
She is currently studying Elementary Education at LSU and wants to teach second graders in the future. The inspiration for her clay earrings came from Tik Tok, she went for it and has been taking it to the next level for her clients and brand.
She is constantly on that college grind, so if she isn’t working or creating you can most likely find her napping. She also lives on a lake, so she may trade her nap in for some time on the water and wake surfing (she once did this while on her boyfriend’s shoulders, big flex).
For Madison, purpose is whatever God has made her to do.
“To me, purpose means fulfilling God’s requests and accomplishing what I was made for.”
-MM
Madison appreciates the flexibility and creativity allowed when designing products for Made by Madison. You think it, Madison can create it.
In the midst of challenges, Madison tries simplify the problem by taking a step back, breathing, and starting over from the beginning. She shares how when she was in the middle of creating a set of clay earrings they kept breaking and to avoid frustration she took a break to gather herself and returned with a new mindset and fresh perspective. Sometimes in life these same tactics are helpful and necessary.
She advises other entrepreneurs to, “keep trying until you get the results that you want.” She shares how when she first started, specifically on the clay earrings, at first, they were not up to her standard. Through practice, trial and error and a lot of clay, she has learned helpful techniques and processes that will help her create earrings and create what best represents her brand and mission.
She also acknowledges the importance of authenticity. When on the path of entrepreneurship, this is an important aspect for Madison, who stresses the necessary act of connecting with her customers. For her, it is more than earrings or a creative project, Made by Madison is about a relationship with her customers and connecting with them in order to make intentional creations unique to them.
Although Madison appreciates the entire process that occurs from the beginning of an idea to placing the finished product in the hands of customer, watching the reaction of her customers and the joy that comes with their personalized creative piece is what motivates her to continue building and growing. For the clay earring specifically, it is encouraging and exciting for Madison when she watches her customers wear her jewelry that she handcrafts with love.
Receiving orders and interacting with an audience interested in her work has been one of her proudest accomplishments. She shares how starting Made by Madison was a “shot in the dark” and she went for this without knowing where it would go or if it would receive support.
Looking ahead Madison shares her goal to “become the teacher I’ve always looked up to.” Growing up, she remembers having teachers that she adored and wants to be that for other students. She wants to intentionally impact the education industry and provide students a safe space to be heard and have their needs met. She also looks forward to starting a family and becoming an amazing mother and wife one day and doing all of this while spreading love to any and all who cross paths with her.
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