June 2024 Business Support Services Grant Awarded to Mosaic Makers Collective

Congratulations to Katy Sensenig Schilthuis, founder of Mosaic Makers Collective for being the WomensNet $10,000 June Business Specific Grant recipient in the category of Business Support Services.

Recently, WomensNet Advisory Board member Marcia Layton Turner sat down with Katy for an exclusive interview. You can listen to their conversation and view the transcript below.

Video Transcript

WomensNet: Hi everyone. Welcome to a conversation with our category-specific grant winners for June, 2024.

Today we have the pleasure of chatting with Katy Sensenig Schilthuis of Mosaic Makers Collective, who’s our Business Support Services winner.

As you probably heard late last year, WomensNet decided to increase the number of monthly $10,000 grants we give to three. The startup grant is for entrepreneurs in the idea phase of developing their business or who haven’t yet hit $10,000 total in sales. The business specific monthly grant is for a company that operates in that month’s category, which was business specific support services in June. And our Amber Grant is open to all women business owners in the US and Canada.

I’m Marcia Layton Turner, and I’m one of several WomensNet advisory board members.

So, Katy, thank you for making time to speak with me; I’m excited to just chat with you about how your businesses got started and what you’ve learned so far. Could you tell everyone a little about your company and where the idea to start it came from?

Katy: Yeah, absolutely. So I have Mosaic Makers Collective and it’s long story short, born from a lot of former businesses and a need I saw in myself and in the community.

So if you can see these shelves behind me, this is my stationary line, it’s called Fresh Out of Ink, and I started as an artisan making stationary in around 2015, 2016. Loved it, loved being creative, loved being my own boss, but pretty quickly realized that being an entrepreneur can be isolating and difficult and you wear all the hats and you do all the things with very little support.

I started doing pop-up markets as this company in areas around Dallas, Texas where we’re located. A lot of women, like minded women, working hard, trying to make things work, feeling a lack of support. So I just knew I wanted to form a community that could really come together and support women owned businesses and entrepreneurs specifically in Texas.

I didn’t know how I would do that until one day I was delivering my cards to a storefront in the Bishop Arts district, which is a big touristy neighborhood in Dallas. And there was a space for lease, so it was kinda like a light bulb moment for me. This is how we build the community. We can also profit by selling our goods. We can work together to run this shop and make it happen.

So a couple days later I signed a commercial lease and then within four weeks, this was in 2018, we were up and running with eight women in about 300 square feet. Now we’re at over a hundred women in 2000 square feet and with a long wait list and it’s just exploding and I’m so thankful.

So I saw a need. Thankfully other people needed it as well.

WomensNet: Excellent. I love your businesses. It’s awesome.

So when you were get getting started, and I know some are very new and others have been around for a while, but were there any resources that you turned to that you found really helpful? Whether they’re books or podcasts or coaches or programs…who was that for you and Katy, let’s start with you this time.

Katy: Absolutely. So from the beginning when I started my stationary company back here, I really dove in. I took a class called Proof to Product by Katie Hunt. She also has a podcast called Proof to Product, and she is amazing for any artisan looking to start their business with a product based company, doing things that you make and you deliver essentially.

And then, once I opened shop, I joined a group coaching mastermind called Savvy Shopkeeper by Kathy Cruz. That has also been an amazing resource for me because like I said, my background was creative artisan work, not necessarily all retail. And so I had a lot to learn and she was a great resource.

WomensNet: Excellent.

So how about marketing wise? Again, I know some businesses owners have more experience than others, but what are some effective marketing strategies that you’ve found or that you’re exploring now?

Katy: Yeah, I definitely agree with the word of mouth, getting the good word out, having people recommend you. I think that’s the strongest form of marketing. And then again, social media, you know, it’s a big deal these days and when we coach our artisans at the shop, we really tell them to focus on a “per personal brand,” which is personal and professional into one people like faces. They like your genuine self, your authenticity.

And so building yourself into that brand and making it one thing is a really good way to do it these days.

WomensNet: Excellent, excellent advice. Thank you all. So now how can the WomensNet community return the favor? What can we do to show support for you that might help your business? Is there anything in particular that we can help with to really boost your business? Reviews?

Katy: Yeah, reviews are big. They’re absolutely so helpful. I would also say, coming to the shop and then just supporting local in your own community if it’s not Dallas, where we are like supporting these small businesses, supporting these women owned businesses.

And just really like sharing on social, getting the word out, talking to people about the fact that these things exist and they’re incredible. So love it. Just make people aware.

WomensNet: Excellent. Well, thank you so much. Really appreciate your time. I know the WomensNet community is going to be inspired by your story and your advice. And congratulations again on being one of our three June winners.

Katy: Thank you!