Exploring Life & Business with Octavia L. Shamily of Mama’s Makings

Today we’d like to introduce you to Octavia L. Shamily.

Hi Octavia, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today. 
Overview: Mama’s Makings was birthed in 2018. The company is a woman-owned, minority-owned small business located in Detroit, Michigan. We specialize in providing everyday products that can virtually be used in every household and business, and we also provide delicious, healthy, ready-to-eat food products. 

Our company was founded for these reasons: 

• To provide my grandmother seniors, who I call mature adults, with good healthy food that they can enjoy any time of the day.

• To provide products for households, factories, restaurants, etc.

• Last but not least to provide the community with jobs and empowerment, which is very important to our company.

Mama’s Makings mission is to stop tears. The tears of one who opens their refrigerator to see no food, and while standing in their home, the lights, water, or gas shuts off. All of this is happening while still working two or three jobs. Mama’s Makings will stop these tears by rebuilding the communities with jobs, empowerment, and opportunities. Mama’s Makings vision is to rebuild the community by provide jobs to produce mild, spicy, dairy-free, and vegan chicken salads to the major stores, the first major store is Meijer. Providing opportunities for the least of these will help the community to grow and become empowered. 

Some history: 

Unfortunately, in past years, I have experienced having an empty refrigerator and not enough or no money to pay my recurring bills. I could not think about any wants, only survival. No one, no single parent, married couple, or family should have to work two or more jobs, begging for money or food, just to feed themselves or their families. I was introduced to entrepreneurship when my uncle told my mother he would install a phone downstairs for me, and he would give me $5 dollars a week to pay for my phone bill if I would clean his bedroom. He did not know what he was instilling within me: entrepreneurship. 

Cleaning bedrooms went to cleaning homes went to working at my junior high school went to getting many jobs, which included working at restaurants. When I found a job, I always told others. I wanted to help others find a job, too. I wanted to help others, but I did not want to be a nurse or a doctor. I enjoy feeding my mature (elderly) babies, and anyone who would say yes, I want to try your creation(s). 

What motivated the birth of Mama’s Makings: 

As a young girl, I always was in the kitchen with my godmother and great-aunts. Over the years trying to find out who I was, in the early 1990’s, I started cooking with Chefs, but that fail through for me. Women were to cook at home or for someone, not become a Chef. At this time, I heard God tell me, “You are going to do food differently.” I did not understand, but I kept working in the restaurants as a second job. I was inspired to make different dishes for my grandmother and her friends; chicken salad was one of the items. Everything was great, but the chicken salad and the adult fruit salad was the bomb. My grandmother died at 96, and my girlfriend’s mother died at 103, and all they wanted was for me to make them the spicy chicken salad once a week. They encouraged me to cook. Almost 30 years later, Mama’s Making was birth, mild was birth early 2021, and on December 9, 2021, Mama’s Makings Chicken Salads, Spicy and Mild, were put in Meijer Rivertown Market refrigerator for consumers to enjoy a healthy, hearty full meal ready-to-eat. WOW, God told me I was going to do food differently. Feeding consumers who have health issues, who are picky eater, children and adults, the on-the-go individuals and families, and the healthy eaters are the reasons why I became a small business owner. 

I have three questions I ask when I demo: 

1. Do you like chicken salads?

2. Do you like spicy food?

3. Can mama feed you everything?

Thank you for this opportunity. 

Mama’a Makings 

Octavia L. Shamily 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No road is smooth; there will be a stick or two thrown in the path. I have learned to keep stepping out on faith, trust GOD, and pray. 

Mama’s Makings has encountered some struggles along the way. Not having working capital has been the biggest struggle. I have been putting majority of the earnings into Mama’s Makings. I am preparing for staff increase, a building, and equipment. The other struggle is having enough capital to expand to other stores. I am still stepping, praying, and trusting in GOD. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Mama’s Makings LLC?
Mama’s Makings LLC is the dba of Theos’s Distribution LLC. Mama’s Makings was birthed in 2018. The company is a woman-owned, minority-owned small business located in Detroit, Michigan. Our business specializes in providing delicious healthy, ready-to-eat food products to the consumers. Our specialties are chicken and vegan chicken salads. What sets our chicken salads apart from others are our options; our products have fresh vegetables and made with sour cream and soy-free vegeniase. Mama’s Makings started making spicy chicken salad in the early 1990’s. Mild chicken salad was birth in 2021, vegan chicken salad was birth 2022, and the dairy-free chicken salad was birth 2023 and will be on the shelf this fall. Our chicken salads have less calories, and you can say all the ingredients. Also, our products are gluten-free and freshly made with lots of love. I am most proud brand-wise to be able to provide ready-to-eat healthy food products to the guest customers. Guess have reported their children enjoy our salads. Also, bodybuilders, marathon racers, picky eater, health continuous eater choose Mama’s Makings to be their stable food item in their homes. I give GOD all the glory. 

What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
My most important lesson I have learned along my journey is to learn how to keep my emotions in check by trusting GOD, praying, and keep stepping. I had to learn to keep moving and pray, even when things seemed a little dark. Starting a business is not easy, but rewarding. The reward for me is to learn how to run a business GOD’s way. I want to let others who are entrepreneurs and who are on the fence about going the entrepreneur route step out in faith, believe in yourself, don’t doubt yourself; you can do this (it). Every step you take is showing yourself that you have improved every day and in every way, you are getting better. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mamasmakings.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mamasmakings_detroit/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100066570729740