Meet Christi Mathews | Custom Designer

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

Hi Christi, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
No matter where I have worked, I have always created, designed or decorated items to enhance my events. In 2016 my mom bought me a Cricut Maker for my birthday. At this time my husband, Todd Sjodin, had quit a carpentry job building houses and was working for a brilliant couple that made photo booths for events. He learned how to use Laser machines, CNC machines, Fiber laser machines and 3D Printing. Having Knowledge of these machines and what they can do was exciting. We soon realized the Cricut would not have the power to create our designs. We bought our first laser machine.

By 2018 I was working for Atlanta Marriott Peachtree Corners as a Catering Sales Manager and would make things to enhance our client gifts. My Marriott coworkers were very supported of our side business and used us to make many personal gifts. On behalf of Marriott, I attended a Georgia Wedding Circle event and I met Georgia Griffin the group organizer and many wonderful event vendors. After attending many of these events Georgia helped me realized that there was a need for custom made event items.

Then 2020 happened. We could not sit still and was helping a friend of ours, Tricia Lobban open her dream event venue called Touch of Class Eventz in Dacula, GA. She had us make several items for her venue. We designed her logo, made a laser cut logo sign, several plinths, painted many decoration items including a chase lounge from the 1800’s, wooden rolling planters for outside and acrylic front door signs. This job made us start Christi Mathews Designs LLC. or CMD.

When we first started it was slow and we were coming out of 2020. Todd took a carpentry job building photography sets for Rooms To Go. After 6 months of CMD, he had to go part time at Rooms To Go because we were getting so busy and I was not ready to quit Marriott. Rooms To Go also supported our small business by having CMD design and make their cherry wood fabric handles that are used at every Rooms To Go Patio across the US.

We had started a side business at a time when we both liked our jobs and our jobs enhanced our side business.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
We started with a Cricut Maker but now we have a full size CNC Router Machine, Laser Machine, two 3D Printers, 53 in. vinyl machine, Heat sublimation machines, binding machines and many carpentry tools. With these machines we can make many items such as back drop walls, large scale to small scale signs, props, furniture, seating charts, food displays, sentimental gifts.

Building a business is not easy especially when having a full time job. For the last year we have not been able to have a work/life balance. We have poured money made back into the business to build our stock of machines.

Making custom items has many learning curves. Our CNC machine came in 100 pieces and Todd had to figure out how to put it together. When we bought the vinyl machine I wasted $400 in vinyl.

We want to create items that enhance peoples lives, whether it is for a milestone event, sentimental gift or a specialty sign.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would take her to a braves game and eat at the battery.

We would spend a day shopping at Ponce City Market and have drinks on the roof.

We would stop by Little Five points and eat at the Vortex.

We would play some games at Top Golf in Buford and eat at Hammerheads in Suwannee.

We would get pizza at Two Cities Pizza in Suwannee. after escaping one of the many escape rooms.

We would throw some axes at Bury The Hatchet and finish a night at Slow Pour Brewing.

I have always wanted to take her to the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Lilburn, Ga.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I think I gravitate toward creative people. I would like to give a shout out to my very creative mother, Sara Mathews and my extremely brilliant husband, Todd Sjodin. Collaborating with my partner in life will carry my greatest memories.

I would also like to thank all the vendors I have met in the last 6 years through Georgia Wedding Circle. You have pushed our creativity!!!!

Website: christi@christimathewsdesigns.com

Instagram: instagram.com/christimathewsdesigns

Facebook: facebook.com/christimathewsdesigns

Image Credits
I Christi Mathews took these pictures.