Today we’d like to introduce you to Yanique Petioma.
Hi Yanique, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I am the owner of Stamp’d by Yaya. Some fun facts about me: My favorite colors are lavender, rose gold, and cheetah/leopard print. I am Haitian and I love Disney! Crafting is my unofficial middle name! (I actually don’t have a middle name). Ever since I was a little girl, crafting has always been my therapy.
Whenever I don’t feel like my usual happy self, I would create something with my hands to express those feelings. Michaels is my piece of heaven on earth. I can get lost in those aisles getting whatever catches my eye and just letting the creativity flow. Stamp’d by Yaya was created when I was blessed with my first two godchildren in October 2019. I didn’t want to gift them with stuff from the stores that anyone could’ve bought. I know it would’ve been easy to just buy stuff off the registry (which I did), but I wanted to be able to give them something that was just for them and they would feel the love I have for them. I didn’t even know I would be their godmother until the end of the baby showers. The first items I ever made were onesies for them and it was special because those were thought of before I knew the important role I would play in their lives.
My portfolio has taken off from there! I went from only customizing baby onesies to now customizing bibs, shirts, purses, face masks, bonnets, graduation stoles, birth announcement elephants and more to come! There’s been lots of trial and error but my mistakes strengthen my skill set every day. Never did I think that my hobby would grow into what it is today. To some, it may be small. But it’s everything to me. 2020 has been a wild, WILD year. And Stamp’d By Yaya kept me grounded. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to create for others and make every special day even more special.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Oh, definitely not. I have had situations where the vinyl just peeled right off the shirts or onesies that I created. A few times, I’ve mailed off the wrong sizes or spelled something wrong. I spent ALOT of money (more than I want to admit) trying to find the right materials and polish my craft to provide the perfect product. But, I had to realize that everyone’s race has a different pace. So what if I’m not making 100 shirts a day? Some day, I’ll get there. But for now, I’ve slowed down to fine tune the smallest details to enhance the experience for each of my customers and slowing down ironically pushed me forward faster. I’ve slowly found a pace and routine that works for me and it’s getting better every day.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
A motto I’m working on is “everything is created with your stamp of approval”. So far, I’m most proud of my graduation stoles. Like I said earlier, 2020 has been a wild year. Graduations are a rite of passage that definitely looked different from what we are accustomed to. When I graduated college, customized graduation stoles were not really a thing that I knew about or really saw much of. To be able to bring some happiness to the graduates during this time, during a pandemic has been such a blessing. The graduation stoles I create are like a time capsule, celebrating all the achievements during such a tumultuous time in everyone’s lives. I love seeing the excellence and radiance in the graduation photoshoots and can’t wait to continue creating more for the upcoming graduation seasons.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My tribe deserves all the credit. My friends and family keep me motivated. They provide all the referrals that I receive which expose my work to more people. If I’m beating myself up over a ruined product, they pick my head back up. They give me constructive criticism and feedback that translates into strengthening my business and work ethic. There is a saying, “Your name is in rooms that you haven’t even entered yet.” This year, especially the past few weeks, have been a testament to that. To all my friends and family, there are not enough words to thank you for your support. It means more to me than I’ll ever be able to express. I love you all.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/stampdbyyaya?igshid=of1y62zac9zh
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/byYayaInc/
