The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in Mackenna Designori. The 14-year-old freshman recently launched Shop The Retro Factory, a creative company focused on customizing phone cases, as well as complementary phone charms.
Based from her Oakdale home, the teen has already begun a buzz with her creations, most recently custom designing a phone case for Oakdale Mayor Cherilyn Bairos.
“Everybody tells me, I’m an old soul,” Mackenna said of her phone case designs. “I like the more vintage, eccentric design.”
First beginning the business in December of 2022, the young entrepreneur shared she maintains in stock designs, some with matching charms and is also happy to do custom work.
“As of right now that’s just the trend,” she said of the phone charms which attach to the phone.
As for the creativity that goes into her original designs, the business owner shared that’s all her.
“I’ve always been,” she said of channeling her creativity into the cases. “I get my iPad and I just draw. I just get to work.”
And, she admitted, some sell better than others when it comes to customer preference.
“It’s just trial and error once you put it out there,” she said of the designs and learning which ones are most popular.
Designing and actually producing a phone case can take anywhere from three to 12 hours from start to finish, depending on the difficulty.
The 14-year-old shared Mayor Bairos first learned of her through Instagram. Reaching out, she shared a variety of ideas she had envisioned for her phone case. The two collaborated and the end result was one which the mayor was over the moon happy with.
“I love the rush,” Mackenna said of the challenge of taking something from concept to product. “I’m still starting up, so I’m still trying to get my name out there.”
Prices range from $15 to $20 for cases; $5 to $10 for charms and $25 for custom cases.
“It’s always been a thing in my household. If you have an idea and you want to make it work, you’ve gotta get out and do it,” the high school freshman stated. “Growing up my dad taught me how to do all the stuff on my iPad and on my laptop. So, we’re always like tinkering around.”
Still unsure of career aspirations after completing school, Mackenna shared she’s happy with the way things are shaping up currently, embracing the challenge of balancing school and her own start up business.
“I love being able to think of something, put it on paper and it’s bright and colorful and it’s just unique,” she said of designing. “Then seeing it out there and it’s like, that’s mine.”
With plenty of time left to make such a big decision, the teen is happy thus far with the positive feedback and buzz which has started around Shop the Retro Factory. For more information on products or to contact her DM her on Instagram at shoptheretrofactory or visit the website, shoptheretrofactory.com.
