A great way to help people achieve their goals is by supporting small businesses.
A local Peoria resident named Marie Hattermann started the business, Made by Marie in February of 2021. She started it when she was a senior in high school. Her business has continued to grow, and she has found success in customizing cups, key chains and t-shirts.
Hattermann started by making custom cups for her friends and family, and she found she enjoyed the job.
“I chose to start my business because being a high school student who was involved in a lot at school, it was difficult for me to have a “real” job at the same time. So, once I found out that I enjoyed making cups, I decided to find a way to make money from it as well,” said Hattermann.
She has continued her business through her first two years of college, while she majors in biomedical science and is on the Pre-Med track.
Hattermann doesn’t keep all of her profit. Instead, she gives most of it to various charities she finds.
“I donate a lot of my profits to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. I chose to donate a majority of my proceeds to St. Jude because they are an amazing organization that is extremely near and dear to my heart,” said Hattermann.
St. Jude uses the money Hattermann donates to find a cure for childhood cancer and other life threatening diseases.
Some of Hattermann’s classmates have purchased her products and have ended up loving the final product. One of her classmates, Hannah Pigott, said, “I use my cup on the daily, I love it and I didn’t pay much for it. I especially love how it wasn’t a waste of money because most of what I paid went to cancer research.”
Hattermann charges anywhere from $5 to $25 depending on the product. The best way to find her is through her Instagram (@MadeByMarieXOXO).
