Madison Beaulieu,
Woodstock’s Economic Development Operations Manager
What is your background?
My degree is in art marketing from the University of North Georgia. I worked in agencies before launching a creative studio with my husband in 2015. I kept seeing clients with amazing products, beautiful websites and not a lot of sales. I deduced that the missing link was people. Small businesses need to be in the community to make sales, create relationships, receive feedback and learn more about their customers.
From there, I began working on finding a space for a shared studio, retail shop and classes in Woodstock. I met with Brian Stockton, director of economic development, about the concept in 2018. At the time, I couldn’t quite get all the pieces to fall into place, so I pivoted and launched Maker’s Mash, a pop-up shop at local breweries.
In 2020, Brian had a space that might work, proposing that the maker’s space be powered by the Downtown Development Authority. Made Mercantile would function as a small-business development program, and I would be able to continue building and supporting our maker community. After opening to the public in November 2020, I worked as a volunteer for the first few years and was officially offered a full-time job with the city in 2022.
What is your main responsibility?
My primary responsibility is Made Mercantile. As manager, I identify and interview potential members, help members get situated and keep tabs on supplies. I work on scheduling our shifts, managing our class schedule and coordinating learning opportunities. I also have the pleasure of contributing designs to various initiatives of Visit Woodstock GA and the city of Woodstock. I am also working on Woodstock’s Public Arts Master Plan project team.
Describe a typical day on the job.
I generally stop by Made to check on things, take photos, merchandise the shop or meet with local makers. I try to be at my desk in the afternoons for coffee and computer tasks — designing newsletters, creating content for social media and working on various projects. Our department hosts a lot of ribbon cuttings and networking events, so we’re often out and about. You might even find us planting flowers or cleaning out a dumpster enclosure. There are many behind-the-scenes things our team does to help make Woodstock a wonderful place to live, work and play.
What do you like most about the community?
I grew up in Woodstock. I love that it became a place I wanted to stay. I’m excited to raise my family here. Our community is kind, gracious and generous. We genuinely value locally made products and want to see businesses grow and thrive. I cannot find a city that is more supportive and interested in the needs of small businesses and entrepreneurs. That kind of support is so special and so appreciated!
Describe a memorable work experience.
I love all the fun interactions I’ve had when painting murals. Once a man stopped by and offered to call his cousins to help paint. I unfortunately had to turn that down!
What projects are you excited about?
I’m excited for our team to complete our Public Art Plan. I think Woodstock has done a great job implementing public art, but a formal plan will help make the process more clear for our local artists.
What are your goals?
I would love to broaden Made Mercantile’s programming to serve more creative entrepreneurs in our community and open a second location that offers larger production spaces in a more industrial setting. Personally, I’m always trying to figure out how to expand my garden and doing “chicken math” to justify expanding my little flock of backyard hens.
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