Meet Mankisha Pike

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mankisha Pike a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Mankisha, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?

I have always felt like the only one in the room regardless of where I was and who I was around. I’ve always been “different” to say the least and I had to understand that at a very young age. It took me a long time to accept the fact that I am different because I really wanted the approval of family and the space to build strong friendships with people. I have always a person of respect, dignity, integrity, honesty, and loyalty. I also started my business up with the idea of being able to gain customers’ trust because I am this way. I know that this is in fact what differentiates me from many but it’s not easy because even though the truth tells, lies sell. I believe that these characteristics are also the very things that helps me to effectively reach a different audience daily. Meanwhile, I’ve learned that consistency helps me to be successful and I don’t have to step outside my morals to do this. I have to be completely transparent about the fact that this is not easy as an entrepreneur because of course I want to make an abundance of sales. However, I am who I am and I would fall into a state of depression if I let society change that. Being the only one in the room is rewarding because at the end of the day, I get to stay true to myself without guilt or regret.

When I first decided to go into the crafting industry back in December of 2020, I knew it was already saturated and I had to figure out what will set me apart from competitors. Well, the light bulb went off while I observed a flask someone had gotten a as favor from a wedding. This flask clearly was cheap and the very simple design on it, a name, was placed on one side of it. I said out loud, “These are the type of things that people spend all their money on?” I also said, “I can make this but better and I won’t make it to where you can just peel the design off.” It took me for surprise because it was not made to last a long time. It was literally some cheap adhesive vinyl placed on the side of a cheap flask. I knew this because I was able to lift the vinyl right off the flask and the flask itself was so thin. This was the moment I knew what would set me apart from competitors, quality. The philosophy of my business is that I provide optimal customer service offering quality products made with quality materials. With that, my business stands on the ability to turn orders over within 1-3 business days.

When this light bulb went off in my head I immediately started investing in equipment, materials, business certifications, and so much more! I just knew this was what would help me be successful in my business but I never once thought about marketing. During the beginning of my journey, I’d not officially launched my business but I’d opened a Square account for it. Initially, I was practicing and perfecting my craft and I would give things away. I would also get a lot of people who demanded to pay for my products and suggested that I list them on Etsy. I took the suggestion into consideration and impulsively opened up my own Etsy shop. In that moment I had to come up with a business name which wasn’t that hard for me because I knew what my business would stand for. There I am with both a square site and an Etsy shop not knowing a thing about creating listings, the importance of pictures, pricing, fees I’d be paying, etc. I was indefinitely winging everything until I decided to start doing some research on how to set up my Etsy shop. Long story short with that is I learned very quickly some of the do’s and don’t s with Etsy. When I mastered SEO, which took me months to do, I started getting sales within 2 weeks. Shortly after making those sales I’d officially launched my business publicly, July 21, 2024.

I put a lot of focus, work, and energy into building up my Etsy shop, so much so that I had practically abandoned my Square site. I really didn’t bother with my square site much unless one of my locals wanted to buy something that was not listed in my Etsy shop. This was a very big mistake on my part because I had no idea that my Etsy shop would come crashing down behind a customer who lied on my business and reported my shop. I learned in that situation that Etsy does not protect sellers and at the end of the day, sellers really don’t have complete control over their business. When this happened, I walked away from my Etsy shop sometime between May & July of 2023, which I was doing very well on, and shifted my focus on building up my square site. Since then, I have truly learned so much about marketing, listing products, SEO, etc. I still have so much to learn and have been pushing forward each day to make yesterday better than the day before.

Ever since I walked away from my Etsy shop I honestly had to learn what it’s really like running and operating an e-commerce business. Etsy actually made it too easy for me and I thought I could take what I learned to do with my Etsy listings over to how I list items on my square site. I was absolutely wrong about this thought process but I put my boxing gloves on and have been fighting the fight to understand everything about my square site since. I sometimes feel like I am going in circles but when I see my listings show up on google or when I get orders from new or different people, I know that I am doing something right.

I wake up every day with a positive mindset about my business and I know that my business approach is different but I would not change it for anything. This world is full of people so I have to keep pressing forward to reach those who appreciate what I have to offer and what my business stands for.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I sell a wide variety of custom products such as mugs, shirts, tumblers, doormats, team gear, shot glasses, buttons, decals, stickers, and so much more. I stand on my deliverance of quality products made with quality materials. I am a meticulous person so my attention to detail, even the smallest that nobody else sees, shows up in my crafts. The most exciting thing about my business is that my customers have options. Everything I offer can be custom/personalized to the way they want it and they can choose from a number of blanks that they would like their design on. I sometimes get customers who like to leave designing in my hands which I like to do sometimes because I am not a simple person so when they get their products they are floored with the end results.
My main focus for my business right now is to bring in more customers and to contract with some businesses, organizations, and/or schools. I have been practically building my brand since I cut ties with Etsy and I have been very hopeful that I will be able to seal a contract with a company no later than the middle of next year.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I will have to say that consistency, optimism, and determination are the three qualities that has been most impactful in my journey. I say this because I knew when I got into this business it was going to be one that I have to work even harder at to reach my goals. The market is saturated for business owners who sell custom products but I know without a shadow of doubt that there is a place for me. I work in and on my business in some way each day. Whether it’s working on my website, testing out new materials, learning about marketing, creating new designs, pushing out new products, etc, I show up every day. I may not be the best at keeping up with social media, which is my weakness in business, but I am always active in, on, and for my business. The best advice I always give to anybody who is early in their journey is literally to keep going. I know that sounds cliche but it has kept me going thus far.

Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?

My ideal clients are those who make the decisions to partner, contract, or do business with businesses for their custom or personalized product needs. This person could be a business owner, event planner, coach, pastor, school director, etc. These same clients would be those who look to buy quality products and are actively looking for a business which meets or exceeds their needs.

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