Founded in 2017 by Mallory Whitfield, Badass Creatives serves up business, marketing & life advice for high-achieving, multi passionate creative weirdos and misfits.
Okay, but what is a Badass Creative?
#BadassCreatives are artists, makers, and creative entrepreneurs. We are supporters of indie business and the handmade economy.
We are the weird ones. The misfits.
Hippies and punk rockers, in the truest, original sense of those words.
We like the cult classics and the off-off-off-Broadway shows.
We embrace our weird, knowing that to feel “weird” is actually pretty normal.
#BadassCreatives stand for love, empathy, diversity, and equality. We are united in the belief that all human beings want & need to belong and feel included.
We’re big-hearted softies at the core, with a crunchy leather and neon exterior. (You can be compassionate and rock & roll at the same time.)
We are outsider artists who color outside the lines. (And we don’t quite trust the artistry of any artist who isn’t at least a little bit of an outsider.)
We believe that art, creativity, community, and kindness can change the world.
And we’re glad you’re here.
Hi, I'm Mallory Whitfield!
I’m a marketing mentor and small business coach for high-achieving, multi passionate creative business owners who want to figure out how to design a creative life, their way.
I started my first handmade business way back in 2004, and along the way, I taught myself all about digital marketing and how to run a business. I learned marketing the hard way, making a LOT of mistakes along the way.
In 2014, I switched to a full-time career in digital marketing. Since then, I've worked with hundreds of artists, creative entrepreneurs, and small businesses, teaching workshops on SEO, e-commerce, blogging, social media & email marketing at events like Craftcation and New Orleans Entrepreneur Week.
I learned so much the hard way. Now I'm passionate about helping other creative business owners not make the same mistakes I did.
I started blogging in 2001 and I began running my own business and selling at craft shows in 2004. I launched my company as a blog, Miss Malaprop, in 2006, and within the first month of the website’s launch, I got a mention in Bust Magazine’s weekly email newsletter. (That was the first of many mentions in local and national press!) In 2007, I won 3rd place in Etsy’s nationwide Upcycling Contest for an outfit I made using FEMA blue tarp leftover from Hurricane Katrina.
Miss Malaprop later evolved into an e-commerce shop and pop-up retail venue for handmade and eco-friendly products. In 2013, I wrote and self-published a book, How to Make Money at Craft Shows, based on what I learned during 10+ years of selling at art markets and craft fairs.
In 2014, I shifted my focus and began working professionally in marketing, as well as speaking, teaching and consulting other entrepreneurs on digital marketing topics. At digital marketing agency FSC Interactive, I specialized in search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, email marketing, and content marketing, and I also trained our small business clients in digital marketing skills. I also served as Marketing Specialist for Aeolidia, a top-ranked agency that develops Shopify ecommerce websites and offers logo and brand identity design services for creative product-based businesses. As Adjunct Professor at Tulane University's School of Professional Advancement, I taught & developed classes on Digital Media Principles & Strategy and Creating Digital Content.
In 2015, Gambit named me one of 5 Local Instagrammers To Follow, and in 2016, I was honored to be included in the 19th class of Gambit’s 40 Under 40, which salutes the brightest innovators, artists and professionals in New Orleans. I’ve also been featured in numerous tv appearances, podcasts, books, and print publications, including BUST Magazine, WWL-TV, Forbes, VICE, Gambit Weekly, Wharton Business Radio on Sirius XM, The Times-Picayune, and many more.
In 2017, I launched the Badass Creatives podcast which featured interviews with a diverse group of artists and creative entrepreneurs. In 2018, I hosted the first in-person Badass Creatives Marketing Accelerator cohort as a weekend retreat. In 2022, I launched a beta version of the new Badass Creatives Marketing Accelerator, an educational program for product-based small business owners (such as artists, makers & independent retail shops) to learn how to develop a cohesive brand and market their products.
In 2019, I wrote and produced the world premiere of my one-person show about diversity & inclusion, which offers a sequin-filled, entertaining perspective on how we can spread joy, hope, and allyship for a kinder, more inclusive world. In 2022, I released my second book, We Are The Weird Ones: Embrace Your Weird for a Kinder, More Inclusive World.
In 2023, I launched the Badass Creatives YouTube channel to offer marketing tips and advice for artists, makers and handmade business owners.