Conversations with Madison Rogenski

Today we’d like to introduce you to Madison Rogenski

Hi Madison, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
A few years ago, I took my wedding cake out of the freezer to thaw and eat it. It is a common wedding tradition, or so I thought. My first ever video on TikTok went viral, amassing 8 million + views. I remember looking at my phone, glitching from the amount of notifications, absolutely baffled. I decided to make a follow up video of me eating said wedding cake, and more videos answering questions. From my first ever public social media post, I gained 10,000+ followers. I realized I had an opportunity in front of me, and I took it. I have always enjoyed writing poetry, and came up with the name peachyymaddi when I was a teenager. It is kind of weird to me how things fall into place. Peach was the color of my Maryland sunset that I would watch set the horizon each day. Back when the thought of ever going to California was but a mere pipedream. But before then, I lived in Georgia for a short period of time. Peaches to me represent love, softness, and the south. There is not a single peach inspired dish or drink that I will turn down. I started to build upon what I had created, and started posting more home inspired content. One day, I paced the floors of my apartment and looked over at the dining room table. On it stood a Dollar Tree vase with faux stems inside of it. With all of the online compliments to my decor style. I paid homage to my mother. My mother would take me to Dollar Tree and we would decorate the whole house for the seasons. Boujee on a Budget was born from me sharing my mothers way of seasonally decorating. I started to go around finding every item I had that was from a discount store, and the ideas poured into my mind. I posted Boujee on a Budget, and the series went absolutely viral. From there, through consistency and hard work, I grew my personal brand. While growing my brand, I started working for a label company on Amazon, taking over their social media page. We grew to almost 25,000 followers from nothing, even going viral a few times. I helped the company make it onto Ellen, to be a part of her Fall Subscription Box in 2022. My personal brand started to soar in 2022, and by 2023 I was working with brands like Walmart, and Amazon Music. I moved out to Las Vegas because of my husbands job. Once here,I was able to travel to Los Angeles and really establish myself within the social and professional scene. YouTube named me in 2023 as one of the year’s stand out black creators, and placed me on a billboard. My childhood self was sobbing happy tears. The blessings continued to flow as I became more involved with YouTube, and Google. Next thing I knew, I was flying to LA for movie premiers, parties, and events. I feel like I am living my creative dream. I would like to share my favorite piece of advice from my father’s dear friend who was on MTV in the 90’s. She told me to never focus too hard on press, negative and positive. She told me, and taught me to accept my accolades and continue on rolling!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Despite going viral on my first video, and gaining a substatial following because of it, I have had significant obstacles. The first obstacle was that I started my social media journey while serving on Active Duty in the United States Air Force. I was in my earlier 20’s balancing being a wife, a good Airman, and being peachyymaddi. I was also in full time college getting my degree in Environmental Management. I have always been a juggler, and have always considered myself capable of wearing many hats. I stayed on the Dean’s List, finished my military contract, and continued school while growing peachyymaddi. My road took a crossroads when my husband took his life in July of 2023. Instead of abandoning social media, I took the route of authenticity and advocacy. Since my husband has passed away. I have continued social media. But now my social media contains suicide awareness, a subject dear to many. My social presence extended to helping others, and saving lives. I recieved countless letters, and other widows who came to support and follow me. I live in my husbands honor, and I live for him. I have become a powerhouse in the social media space. A community of beautiful people was born. However, I faced significant backlash for sharing how I felt authentically. It made people uncomfortable to see my grief so raw, and exposed. I walked so that those sharing their story in 2024 could run. I helped break the stigma against speaking about grief and loss. All while maintaining my original niche of budget finds. I have started a personal project called The Blooming Peach Project, where I am taking steps for suicide advocacy such as sending out awareness bracelets to my followers for free, and donating to a women’s shelter.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am an influencer and artist. I am known best for my series called Boujee on a Budget, where I showcase my favorite budget finds at my favorite stores. I have created sub series to Boujee on a Budget such as the Lifestyle Edition showcasing purely at home, and DIY content. There is also Buy This Not That, where I review items in stores like Dollar Tree. I am also a pioneer in the suicide awareness scene, as my husband took his life in 2023. It has been my mission to continuously advocate using my platform. I am known for my audience’s favorite catchphrase, “So you want a cute apartment… But you’re broke! Welcome to Boujee on a Budget.” What sets me apart is that I am a full rounded lifestyle creator. I post everything from home decor, to recipes, DIY’s, beauty, and skincare. I broke into the beauty space over the course of a year or so, and have been able to partner with brands such as Ulta Beauty, and even luxury brands such as YSL. I am mixed with curly hair, and I am proud to be. I love showing my haircare routines, skincare routines, and anything else my audience wants to see. I am different because I engage with my audience on a level I have yet to see another creator reach. My fear of judgement is gone, and I love to livestream on YouTube, where I can talk to my subscribers. I have regulars on my channel that I enjoy seeing their comments every single day on my posts. What sets me a part is that my following would call in a wellness check if I did not post for a week. They genuinely care about me, and I care about them and love them right back. I am not afraid to say it either!

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
I have learned to cease the day. We never know what lies around the corner, not truly. I have lived a lot of life for a 25 year old. COVID taught me that tomorrow is not promised. I think we all had a wake up as a country to our own mortality. I learned to be more compassionate towards others, such as thinking about the random man who might have a preexisting respiratory condition, and staying home if I feel sick. I think that before COVID, we never really gave ourselves grace, or a break. It was admired if you pushed through being sick, at least in my world. Now, it is admired if you stay home and rest while sick. COVID taught us to check in with ourselves, making us all collectively more self aware of our own health, I believe.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peachyyymaddii/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peachyyymaddii?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCFhE_61mM6rT5iR2LwBFbDg
• Other: https://tiktok.com/@peachyymaddi

Image Credits
Madison Rogenski