Supporting small businesses has been a very important action taken this past year. With stores not being able to open fully or at all, online stores have taken off. Xavier graduate Maddix Stovie (X17) kicked off her online Etsy store “Simply Things by Maddix” this past spring.

“I was inspired to start my business during quarantine. I was struggling to find a job and internship to gain marketing experience, so I said why not start from scratch. I knew that no matter what way it went, I could at least take away an experience and learn something new,” Stovie said. 

Stovie is a senior at Cornell College and has been active in track and field, student senate and Greek life. At Cornell, she is majoring in marketing. This has helped her realize her passion for creating content. 

“Brad [her father] and I are very proud of her. We love seeing her be so productive and so successful. She has taken such pride in her accomplishments, and as a parent, that is awesome to watch,” her mother, Becky Stovie, said. “Maddix has always been a strong willed young lady. We watched her work hard for grades, in sports and everything else she has been involved in. She loves to read and is very passionate about her shop.” 

Maddix has proven it is more than possible to be a dedicated student athlete while pursuing one’s own career. With any business, there are always obstacles or problems to figure out and overcome. 

“I have honestly loved everything that has come with managing my business. Something that I would say has been a challenge is figuring out my marketing strategy to reach the audience that would be interested. Along with that, the hardest part is figuring out the small business related tasks, for example what permits I need for expenses, inventory, etc,” Stovie said.

Maddix’s business has grown to reach all over the United States since April of 2020 and she continues to be successful selling products such as sweatshirts, T-shirts, tumblers, stickers and much more. To view Maddix’s store, see the following link: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SimplyThingsByMaddix.