Meet Mandy Tom | Owner & Designer of Happy.Crafted

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mandy Tom and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mandy, why did you pursue a creative career?
I’ve always loved designing and creating new products as an engineer and product manager, and I was particularly interested in the design aspect of product creation. But, having a more technical background in math and science, I find myself having a hard time shaking this imposter syndrome feeling that’s tugging at me now that I’m nose deep in this new creative career. Like, how can someone who spent years working with such precise and delicate tech hardware do a complete 180 and jump head first into something so different. Thinking back now though, I realize that maybe my time as a product engineer and product manager “bringing products to life”, was actually just a stepping stone towards what I’m doing now. But I will say that it wasn’t an easy journey.
Ever since I was a little girl, I admired those who could pick up a pencil and draw things. I’m not talking about immaculate paintings. Just something other than stick figures. Artistic ability was not something I was gifted with, and I remember my mom would joke that we are missing the artistic gene in our family. Art and design still tugged at me though, and I just had this inner desire to get better at it, even if it meant stepping out of my comfort zone. I started taking design courses after work and on the weekends. Starting out with interior design at the design school near work, and later I took some floral design classes at a community college. I remember being the slowest one in the floral design class and I felt like a fish out of water. But that feeling of finishing my arrangement and looking at what I created gave me such great feelings of accomplishment that I was hooked. And I’d like to think that taking these courses really helped me to think more artistically in everything that I create.

I guess ultimately, even though my previous career is so different from what I do now, my engineer side of me that is so curious and eager to improve is how I ended up getting into this creative career and now I feel so grateful that I can create and design things that I love and others can enjoy!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Happy.Crafted is a design studio focused on laser cutting and UV printing of wood and acrylic products. I love making customized party details, signage, acrylic bar menus, baby milestone plaques. I like to think that if there is a special moment being celebrated, I want to be a part of it, crafting happiness, so to speak.

Initially, this started out as a hobby stemming from my curiosity in laser cutting machines. I love machinery and gadgets so I decided to purchase one to play around with. I just wanted to make little signs for my kids’ birthday parties and cute decorations for their rooms. But it soon turned into a small business that took over my entire garage once my husband encouraged me to start selling my products and designs.

What sets me apart from others is my attention to detail and making sure everything is perfect. You know, you can take the engineer out of engineering, but you can’t take the engineering out of the engineer. Or something like that… Everyone can say that each piece is made with 100% love and care but I can say it is made with 100% love, care, and an engineer’s obsessive attention to detail!

I would say the most exciting part of my job is when I see something I created at a special event. I know that at a wedding, baby shower, or other major celebration that my pieces aren’t the center of attention, but they are to me and my heart is so warmed when customers and guests take even a moment to notice my items while they are in the middle of celebrating something special. I get so giddy even if I only see a 1 second camera fly-by of my bar menus or cake toppers in an Instagram reel. I feel so accomplished seeing my work out there and not just at my kids’ parties anymore.

Getting to where I am today hasn’t been easy. I’ve definitely had my share of challenges. I split my time with work and taking care of my kids. When they were younger and weren’t in school yet, work only started after they went to bed and I was barely getting enough sleep. I really wanted to grow my business and I said yes to every request and I spread myself too thin. I’m only now starting to get a little bit more time during the day while they’re in school, but they still come out to the garage every 10 minutes to ask for snacks or complain about each other. My mom helps a lot and I can’t thank her enough, and I have become better at managing my time and I’m getting more sleep than before, which has been important as I’m getting more and more orders.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that I can’t do it all. Those who know me know I want to learn everything and do everything. But since starting this business, I’ve realized it’s not possible. I learn to plan my days better around my kids and the business, but also leaving some time to myself to rest and recharge.

Overall, I’m loving my journey so far with Happy.Crafted. I love working with clients and other vendors. I believe in supporting and lifting each other up, sharing tips and tricks with people in the industry. Life is so short, we need to work on staying happy, healthy, and uplifting each other!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m not even sure where to begin with this question! I’m an Orange County gal and there are a lot of little hidden gems here in OC.

Laguna Beach is my favorite beach here in OC, especially the area around Montage. It has a beautiful little park right on top of the bluff with amazing views. Laguna also has the Sawdust Festival and it’s a cute little place to take out-of-town friends to enjoy some art and live music. I would end the day with a visit to Nick’s for the best prime rib dip!

My current favorite brunch place is Nep Cafe in Fountain Valley. It’s a French-Vietnamese restaurant with some unique and delicious flavors. You really can’t go wrong with any of the menu items. My favorite is the bone-marrow pasta, yum!

The Great Park in Irvine is a fun place to hang out! There’s a small farmer’s market on Sundays and I love taking my kids there to ride their bikes, sit on the grass and have a picnic, or go on the merry-go-round. Also can’t forget about the giant orange balloon!

Westfield Century City is probably the best outdoor mall in the area. The mall is beautifully designed and has so many unique stores and don’t get me started on the delicious dessert shops there. I can spend an entire day just at the Westfield Century City Mall.

Of course, no visit to Southern California is complete without a stop at Disneyland! Besides the rides, my favorite things to do at Disney are eating the delicious food and people-watching. The blue and green milk at Galaxy’s Edge are a fun way to see people’s taste preference. The banyan beef and safari skewers at Bengal Barbeque are amazing. Also can’t forget the corn dogs and Dole whip.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My husband was the one who pushed me to get started with Happy.Crafted. I honestly think he believes in me more than I believe in myself. He is definitely my biggest cheerleader and my rock and deserves so much credit in me getting to where I am now. When I hit roadblocks, he’s the one who talks me through them. He helps me with anything I ask, in fact, he is out delivering something to a client for me right at this moment!
Second, a huge shoutout to my mom. She is a single mom who raised my brother and me through her relentless hard work and she never once complained or gave up. I have 2 kids of my own now and I couldn’t even imagine doing a fraction of what she did for me and my brother. I look up to her in so many ways and as corny as it may sound she is my hero! She’s also always helping me with the kids and chores so that I can find time to work and grow the company. One of my most cherished moments with her now is when she stays up late to keep me company when I have to pull late nights to get products out. I may not show it on my face because I’m stressed and tired, but I really enjoy those moments with her and I can’t thank her enough! Thanks Mommy!

Last but not least, I can never forget all my amazing friends who have supported me from the start. Friends who lift me up and encourage me to keep going even when I have doubts or want to quit. Friends who jumped in without hesitation and bought my products. Especially those friends who keep buying my products over and over! Friends who keep sharing my work to other friends and acquaintances via social media or word of mouth. And all friends who started out as customers, but have now become my actual friends. I would not be here today if it were not for my amazing family and friends!

Website: www.happycrafted.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happy.crafted/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lovehappycrafted/

Image Credits
222 Photography