Madeline Subat Ellis, 37
Owner/CEO/Design Director, MIMOSA Handcrafted
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
- Starting a business that gives seven people full-time jobs in Baton Rouge.
- Co-creator of the Mid City Makers Market.
- Raising more than $10,000 for Together Baton Rouge after the 2016 flood.
COMMUNITY:
Donated class rings to Thrive Academy’s first graduating class and raising more than $8,000 for the Baton Rouge Food Bank to help with Hurricane Harvey efforts as well as donating a portion of the proceeds from the #goodsforgood jewelry collection to local groups like Iris, the domestic violence center.
WHAT IS YOUR BIRTHDATE?
8/18/81
NAME ONE BOOK THAT HAS INSPIRED YOU PROFESSIONALLY
This is a hard one, there are almost too many to list. I’ll go with The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan.
WHEN YOU WERE A CHILD, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP?
My mom says I always wanted to be a plumber but my first memory was that I wanted to join the Peace Corps.
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB, HOW OLD WERE YOU AND WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM IT?
I worked at a snowball stand. Making money gave me freedom to do things I wasn’t able to before. Also, I grew up in a house without central heating and air so working there was like making up for lost time with cold air.
WHAT IS THE STRANGEST JOB YOU’VE EVER HAD?
Shop keeping at a plumbing supply warehouse.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE FOR A BUSINESS LUNCH IN BATON ROUGE, AND WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DISH THERE?
White Star Market—the carrot tacos from Gov’t Taco.
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT?
My family.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST FULFILLING MOMENT IN YOUR CAREER SO FAR?
When my husband sold his company to join me full time.
WHAT WAS YOUR PROFESSIONAL “AHA” MOMENT?
When we did our first fundraiser through MIMOSA and raised over $10,000. I realized we could do so much more for our community than on our own and MIMOSA could be part of a force for good work here.
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED THE HARD WAY?
How to truly take care of myself.
WHAT GIVES YOU PROFESSIONAL INSPIRATION?
Books, podcasts, reaching out to mentors and other professionals. I’d say more than that though the fact that I get to do something I love, I never want to take that for granted so I wake up every day and try to earn it.
WHAT IS THE BEST COMPLIMENT YOU’VE EVER GOTTEN FROM A COLLEAGUE OR BOSS?
The compliment that stands out most to me is from my summer league softball coach from grade school. I didn’t make the school team and he said they’d missed out. Coach Meadors told me I had more heart and worked harder than anyone else on the field. That compliment kept my head above water all through college, work and starting MIMOSA. Hard work and a lot of heart are two key ingredients to where I am today.
ARE YOU ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA? IF SO, ON WHICH PLATFORMS ARE YOU MOST ACTIVE?
Yes, Instagram.
HOW MANY TEXTS DO YOU SEND ON AN AVERAGE DAY? HOW MANY EMAILS?
15 texts 6 emails
HOW LOW WILL YOU ALLOW YOUR REMAINING PHONE OR COMPUTER BATTERY LIFE GET (IN %) BEFORE YOU HAVE AN ANXIETY ATTACK?
2%. Honestly I like when it dies, it’s like a mini vacation from feeling like I “should” be doing something work related on it.
HOW MANY UNREAD MESSAGES ARE IN YOUR INBOX RIGHT NOW?
2.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE APP AT THE MOMENT?
Instagram.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT OF THE PAST DECADE?
Nest cameras.
WHAT TECHNOLOGY DO YOU WISH WAS NEVER INVENTED?
Atomic bombs.
WHAT TIME DO YOU GET UP ON WORKDAY MORNINGS?
5:45 a.m.-6 a.m.
BREAKFAST AT HOME? BREAKFAST ON THE GO? BREAKFAST AT YOUR DESK? NO BREAKFAST AT ALL?
Big Squeezy hand delivered to my desk by my husband – Awesomeness with no coconut sugar and a Super Green
THE SAYING GOES: “BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD.” SPECIFICALLY, WHAT ARE YOU “BEING” TO MAKE BATON ROUGE BETTER?
Empathetic.
WHEN DID YOU REALIZE YOU WERE “GROWN UP”?
I’m not sure I totally have 😉
WHAT WAS THE BEST VACATION YOU HAVE EVER TAKEN?
My honeymoon to Fiji.
FAVORITE GIFT YOU WERE GIVEN AS A CHILD?
The dollhouse my dad made for me.
WHICH TALENT OR SUPERPOWER WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO HAVE AND WHY?
I wish I had one of those Men in Black sticks, but instead of wiping out people’s memories it showed you all of the other person’s life experiences, how they came to believe what they do and the choices they’ve made. There is a quote about how “you don’t see other people’s experiences, only their behavior.” It’s easier to dismiss someone who disagrees with us than it is to dig deep into why they believe what they believe. I think we could all benefit from learning more about the people on the opposite side of opinions of us rather than de-humanizing them and making it a good side bad side thing (in politics, religion, whatever). We’re all more alike than we are unalike as Dr. Maya Angelou said.
WHAT’S A NICKNAME YOUR FRIENDS OR FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE FOR YOU?
My grandmother called me Meddlesome Maddie because I always loved looking through all of her “treasures.”
WHAT ARE YOU SUPERSTITIOUS ABOUT?
People’s positive or negative energy being attached to things! I buy a lot of things from estate sales and second hand stores and I always wonder what the previous owner was like.
WHO FASCINATES YOU?
Astronauts. I think about them a lot, I just can’t wrap my head around actually going to outer space. It’s fascinating to think people do that!
WHICH FICTIONAL CHARACTER DO YOU MOST IDENTIFY WITH?
No idea.
FAVORITE DRINK?
Decaf chai tea with coconut milk.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BAND OR SONG?
Cat Stevens.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE?
Forrest Gump.
WHO WOULD PLAY YOU IN A MOVIE?
Hillary Swank.
IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR 18-YEAR-OLD SELF?
Get enough sleep.
PETS?
2 old Catahoula dogs, Willie & Lucy.
HOBBIES?
It was making jewelry till a few years ago 😉 Now it’s mostly DIY projects around the house and camping.
TELL US ABOUT A MOMENT THAT CHANGED YOUR LIFE.
My 4th grade teacher Mrs. Gates paid for me to take summer art classes out of her own pocket. She noticed something in me worth nurturing and took it upon herself to do so. Even as a kid I knew that was a big deal. I like to think she made a really good investment and am forever grateful that she did. I’ve been trying to pay that kindness forward ever since.
WHAT’S THE NEXT BIG PERSONAL OR CAREER CHALLENGE YOU PLAN TO TAKE ON?
To be the best wife/parent/business owner I can be. Just keeping up with those feels very BIG!
WHAT CONCERNS YOU MOST ABOUT THE FUTURE?
Taking on more than I should.
WHAT GIVES YOU THE MOST HOPE ABOUT THE FUTURE?
It comes at me one day at a time, my job is to show up, be my best and do the next right thing. I have hope in knowing I can do one day at a time, I don’t have to jump into 5 years from now tomorrow.
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ADVICE FOR FUTURE FORTY UNDER 40 HONOREES?
Connect with your fellow honorees- you can do so much more good together than alone!
DO YOU PLAN TO BE IN THE CAPITAL REGION FIVE YEARS FROM NOW? WHY OR WHY NOT?
Yes. We love our neighborhood and friends and family that are close. My son is in a great public school program in French Immersion and we love the faculty there. We’ve invested so much in this community and vice versa that it feels like family.
IF NAMED QUEEN FOR A DAY, WHAT IS ONE CHANGE YOU WOULD MAKE IN BATON ROUGE?
I would clean up blighted properties.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN BATON ROUGE; WHAT WORKS AND WHAT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT?
We have no shortage on wonderful places to eat and shop. I love and very much take advantage of time at the LSU Lakes and BREC parks. But as a mom of small kids I think we are still lacking in family friendly experiences. There have been some wonderful additions in the last couple years but we still find ourselves struggling to figure out something fun to do on the weekends as a family.
DO YOU HAVE A BUCKET LIST? IF SO, WHAT ARE THE TOP 3 THINGS ON?
- Spend a couple of months with my husband and kids traveling around/living in Alaska (see the Northern Lights).
- Learn how to speak French fluently.
- Be able to donate at least one million dollars to local charities by the time I’m 45.
See the entire 2017 Forty under 40 class
