Today we’d like to introduce you to Brooke Malan.
Hi Brooke, 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?
Well I come from a family of entrepreneurs. Both my parents own their own businesses and I have 6 siblings and every one of them (and many of their spouses) all own their own companies as well. Its been a blast watching everyone choose their niche and succeed (or not some of the time 🙂 )
My adventure began when started this selling on daily deal sites like Jane.com and Pick Your Plum back in 2013. I had 3 boys at the time and since I have the personality that I need to be busy doing something all the time, I jumped in, ha! I had already owned and run a preschool for a few years and had sold that business and was on the hunt for something I could do to earn some extra fun money for my family, while being a stay at home mom and wife. So, daily deal sites was it. It was so fun to be apart of something new and fresh. This is when I learned how to import and find suppliers in China, Taiwan, the Philippines and other countries. For the daily deal sites I just found products that I knew people (mostly women) would love and did pretty well with it. Don’t get me wrong, I had a LOT to learn and made plenty of mistakes. Lots of days crying about crappy product and bad suppliers. But thats how we grow and progress. In 2014 I opened my first Etsy shop and decided to design and have my own product produced, which was Felt Letter Boards. It was a really fun product to bring in and it was something I helped design, to make it “my” product, so it was special, not to mention they did really well. From there things just evolved. I have always been crafty and creative, that is my happy place. I also LOVE the holidays. I made countdowns as a little girl for everything. Countdown chains for Christmas and Calendars for upcoming trips. So as things moved forward and my family got older I wanted to have products that I could use with my 4 boys. Thats when I started doing felt advent calendars. The first one I did was similar to a Christmas one I had seen years earlier but I wanted to make it my own style. So I did. From there I added a Halloween advent, Thanksgiving, Birthday, Valentines Day, and several more Christmas ones, including a Nativity scene. These are my pride and joy. I design them from scratch by using paper and pencil first, and then cutting out the felt as I go so its just the way I like it. I LOVE doing this. In addition to my felt advent calendars I have added other products like snowman kits, felt and vinyl bats, blanket fort kits, elves, personalized ugly sweater ornaments and so on. This year I added a felt and peg doll nativity kit that you make for yourself. Its something I have wanted to do for years and I finally did it this year. In the past I have been featured in Better Homes and Gardens Holiday magazine and in an Etsy email that was sent to every Etsy customer, which was a dream come true. A fun side note, Etsy reached out to me during covid and asked if I could sew masks. Oooofff course I jumped on that band wagon, ha ha. My shop sewed and sold thousands of masks that year. I had every friend I knew that could sew – sewing for me. We had a good time, ha ha.
I have a lot of people ask me where I came up with my company name – Wild Blu Yonder and I wish the story was more fun. One day I sitting with my sister working on packaging some product and it just popped in my head. I told her the name and she loved it. We decided that anything is possible out in the wild blu yonder and so it stuck. My slogan is “where magical memories begin” because that is what I think is most important. Spending time with your family and friends and making memories that not only stay with you, but create a foundation for generations to come. We can all use a little more quality time together. More-so now than ever.
So as I mentioned earlier I love being busy, busy and as luck would have it I got the opportunity to join my sister-in-law on one of her business adventures a couple of years ago. The company is now solely mine but she started it and it grew so fast she decided she needed help and asked me to team up with her. My other joy is that company, my coloring company, Artistic Chaos Ink. I design and print huge high quality coloring posters in house. I have a 10 foot printer in my basement, next to my laser cutter, industrial vinyl cutter, regular printer and 2 sewing machines. Not to mention shelves and shelves and fabric and do-dads, vinyl and paper. It’s a blast down there. Ha ha. I have over 50 designs and counting. I also sell mini coloring books, fabric, reusable coloring tablecloths, 18′ coloring rolls and paper banner type coloring posters like for tables at the holidays or they can be hung on the wall. My jumbo posters are unique in that the paper is super thick so it doesn’t tear as easy AND you can use different kinds of coloring mediums on it, like alcohol based markers that blend, watercolor paints, pastels etc. It has been a total riot to have this company. I love it so much. I get to draw and then create unique art that people really do love coloring. One of my largest demographics is medical professionals. I have created several medical type posters, like one for RAD (Radiology) Week, Nurses Week, Respiratory Therapy Week, Mental Health Month, Lab Week and so on. I offer personalization on the posters as an option and its hilarious what some of them put on them. They really get into it and enjoy making it about their team! They LOVE these to help celebrate their respective weeks and its been sooo fun to hear the feedback from hospitals and clinics who have enjoyed them. They are able to take a few minutes out of their crazy days serving and helping people to just relax and rejuvenate for themselves. Its also been fun to be apart of families holiday celebrations and traditions. As you know I’m a holiday girl and if I can create a way for people to gather together and have an actual conversation while doing something fun and relaxing – that is my jam and I am here for it. So thats how we got to where we are. I work from home as I still have young boys (and older boys) that I want to be around for. It’s been a beautiful journey to own my own businesses and be able to raise my boys at the same time. But, I couldn’t have done it without the support of my incredible husband, Dustin. Who not only has put up with all my crazy ideas and projects all over the house, but who has always been my right hand, willing to help in any possible way, and become quiet crafty by helping me all these years, but don’t tell him I said that… wink, wink.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I have had some amazing help along the way. But, Yes there have been struggles. I have brought in products that because of my lack of questioning or assuming it was something it wasn’t was a total bust. Money (lots of money) spent on inventory that I had to then liquidate and get rid of. Jane closing down, Pick Your Plum selling right from under all of us vendors. Thankfully nothing that would force to me to throw in the towel so to speak, but hard experiences and lessons learned along the way.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I love being creative in all the ways. I love getting inspiration (whether thats from seeing something and getting an idea from it or having it be born within me) and then being able to create it in a tangible way. It’s like bringing my ideas to life. Sometimes thats with fabric and yarn and sometimes it’s a form of art others can enjoy and color. I LOVE fabric, buttons, vintage things, yarn etc. I also love LOVE color! So creating products that are beautiful, fun and high quality is one of my love languages. I love to sew and do hand stitching and I love cute things. I have 4 boys so being girlie is extra fun for me. I think I am most proud and known for my advents and my personalized mini sweater ornaments. I have customers who return constantly for them – to give as gifts, once they have owned one. As for my posters – like I mentioned they are super high quality and I have lots of returning customers for those as well. Plus I am always adding new designs so that makes it fun and exciting to see whats new.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
My parents were and still are awesome at making the holidays magical. My mom especially is crazy about holidays and she went above and beyond making them special growing up. But on top of that we had a ton of fun spending time together as a family. I am the oldest of 7 children and my siblings and I are all very close. And I credit that to my parents. So to pick a favorite memory is nearly impossible. But one that stands out is one year for Christmas my mom did something extra fun. She had “Santa Mouse” visit our home on Christmas. She hid a tiny gift in the tree for each of us. It was unexpected and so magical. I honestly cant even remember the actual gift. I know it was a small box with jewelry in it but thats all. I just remember feeling like the luckiest girl in the world that we had such a special visit by Santa Mouse. Funny enough I was like 12 and I knew “all the things” about Christmas but it was still magical. I have never forgotten that.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.wildbluyondershop.com // www.artisticchaosink.com
- Instagram: @wildbluyonder @artisticchaosink
- Facebook: wildbluyondershop
