PEABODY — On most days, Callie Mignault is “running around like a chicken with her head cut off” between softball practices and games, dance recitals, craft fairs, and school.
When she has some time, however, the high school sophomore is doing work for her small business in her basement, intricately weeding vinyl to prepare the designs that customers requested for wooden lazy Susans, trays, and charcuterie boards.
Mignault started Callie’s Creations “after running out of puzzles to do” during the COVID-19 pandemic when she was in seventh grade. Now, the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Massachusetts District Office has honored her as “Young Entrepreneur of the Year.”
“I know people say how awful COVID was,” Mignault said. “But if COVID never happened, my business would have never happened. So I’m grateful for it, as much as it did stink.”
Mignault explained how some of the women in her life have inspired her and supported her work.
Her grandmother, coupled with her love for crafting, for example encouraged her to start a business.
“She’s a major influence on my business,” Mignault said. “She said that I should start a business, then a couple months later here I was, starting my own business, doing craft fairs, making friends with other young entrepreneurs and even older entrepreneurs.”
Mignault started by designing custom shirts, onesies, and porch signs before delving into wooden materials. Then one day, her social-media savvy got one of her Instagram and Facebook reels viral.
“I got a good amount of orders in 24 hours,” Mignault said. “And that’s when it all started to become real. I own a business. This is really happening.”
Mignault’s mom, Jess Balbo, also helps out by driving Mignault to as many as 40 craft fairs a year, helping her carry products, and occasionally manning Mignault’s sales table at the fairs.
Mignault’s business continued over the years and her reasons for working hard to expand it have also evolved.
“As you know, I started this because I was bored during COVID,” Mignault said. “Now I get to be able to say, ‘I can buy my own this,’ or, ‘I can buy my own that.’ I’m able to say, ‘I can buy my first car, I can work my own hours,’ which is great.”
Mignault also said that she wants to go to business school someday and that she loves meeting and hearing people’s feedback on her work.
Balbo commended all the work Mignault has done for the business.
“She’s inspiring,” Balbo said. “She’s motivated to do pretty much anything you hand to her, and she’ll put everything into making whatever the customer asks for and make sure it’s her best work always.”
Callie’s Creations can be found on Facebook and on Instagram @callie.m33. Interested customers can message her on these platforms directly, or through an order form found on her Instagram bio.
