If you follow my blog, you have seen me share some of my “Favorite
Things”. Today, I want to share some of
my Favorite People who happen to be un- believably talented and make some of my Favorite Things!
A couple years ago, I had the chance to "live" with Pat & Amy Smith, the owners of The Mad Cow Company, in Las Vegas, Nevada during the Cowboy Christmas Trade show. I didn't know them from Adam but after a couple weeks of all day bonding...we became fast friends and the rest is history!
A couple years ago, I had the chance to "live" with Pat & Amy Smith, the owners of The Mad Cow Company, in Las Vegas, Nevada during the Cowboy Christmas Trade show. I didn't know them from Adam but after a couple weeks of all day bonding...we became fast friends and the rest is history!
Since we all like to do business with people we “Know, Like and Trust”…. I wanted to share with you a little about the amazing Smith Family and The Mad Cow Company! Thank You in advance to Amy for taking the time to do an interview and share her life with us.
Meet the Maker, Amy Smith ~
"I am a forth generation rodeo girl. My great aunts are Alice
and Marge Greenough. We used to get to have every Thanksgiving with them when I
was a kid. Alice was a big tough talker about all the broncs and bulls she has
busted over the years and Marge was petite, sweet and quiet little lady. When I
was little I used to tell people I was going to ride bulls when I grew up like
my aunts, but that only lasted until I got bucked off a calf really hard at the
first rodeo I ever entered. I really like to rope. I am left handed and all my
life I have fought to be allowed to rope that way. My Dad made me rope right at
breakaway most of the time, and I got to heel left. When I was in high school I
switched to all left and feel most comfortable with that. When I started
hanging out with Pat while we were dating I got him hooked on roping. We both
still like to rope, but our kids are not interested in horses so we have not
been doing much rodeo these days."
How Did You Get Started?
"I have been playing around as a silversmith for 10 years. It all started when I was a teacher and the birth of my second child made my day care costs about the same as my teacher's pay. So I started looking for a way to bring in some income and stay home with the kids. My best friend, Natasha Robert's, in Texas was starting a little bead stringing jewelry business and I decided I could do that too. I started out selling at the farmer's market and some home parties, but it was not real lucrative.
How Did You Get Started?
"I have been playing around as a silversmith for 10 years. It all started when I was a teacher and the birth of my second child made my day care costs about the same as my teacher's pay. So I started looking for a way to bring in some income and stay home with the kids. My best friend, Natasha Robert's, in Texas was starting a little bead stringing jewelry business and I decided I could do that too. I started out selling at the farmer's market and some home parties, but it was not real lucrative.
I had been doing a little leather work since college making
a few purses and belts. One day the idea of the horseshoe belt came to me, I
was looking at a bar shoe in my brothers junk shoe pile and said I was going to
make it into a buckle. He said that was a dumb idea and no one would wear that.
So I started making piles of belts with turquoise chunks sewed on and stones
glued on the buckles. I took them to some trade shows around Arizona and they
started to take off.
It Takes Off
It Takes Off
A friend of ours, Beau Compton was getting his silversmith
business going at the same time so we decided that we were going to go big and
share a booth in Vegas. We borrowed booth from my Mom, shared a hotel room and
we shared a tiny 10x10 booth for 10 days. I insisted we had to have my life
size fiberglass cow to draw attention to our booth. Beau insisted it did not
fit. I guess we know who has a stronger personality because we crammed
everything in and sold lots by our standards.
The belts were a hit. I told Beau I needed to learn to
solder so I could make the buckles cooler and harder to copy. So when we got
home from Vegas he taught me the basics of soldering and I spent my Vegas money
setting up my jewelry shop. I have no formal training so I just started
soldering things to everything metal. Bits and spurs were one of the first
things that I decided needed to have turquoise. I was not selling a lot locally
so I made the big jump to wholesale and went to my first Denver market with my
life size cow and my little pile of stuff.
A Family Affair
I was having a hard time keeping up with demand just on my
own. At the time my husband Pat was working out of town mostly, we had two
small kids and the business was growing like crazy. We decided to throw all the
eggs in one basket and take a leap and we both work for The Mad Cow Company. At
first I thought he would be too big and clumsy to do small delicate jewelry
work so I had him shipping, taking care of the house, and things like that.
An Engraver is Born!
Then he wanted to go to an engraving school to learn about that and I thought he would come back scratching on metal with mediocre skills. I was wrong, he was good and he loves doing it. He has come a long way with all the skills he has been acquiring. He has been to several schools and has been a huge help in growing the custom side of the business. We are a pretty decent team.
Sampling of Pat's Engraving:
An Engraver is Born!
Then he wanted to go to an engraving school to learn about that and I thought he would come back scratching on metal with mediocre skills. I was wrong, he was good and he loves doing it. He has come a long way with all the skills he has been acquiring. He has been to several schools and has been a huge help in growing the custom side of the business. We are a pretty decent team.
Sampling of Pat's Engraving:
FAVORITESAmy's Favorite Piece to Date:
My favorite thing about what we do is seeing something new
be created everyday. When I make a huge pile of something I feel very
productive. I love making new pieces. Everything we make spins off into
something else. Each new design element, or new skill we acquire leads us down
a new path. I don't think I will ever run out of ideas, because sometimes it is
all I can think about. It robs my sleep and fills my days and I am thankful
everyday that we can make a living doing something we both love.
Sampling of some of their amazing pieces! I LOVE the creativity, color, and fun designs.
Sampling of some of their amazing pieces! I LOVE the creativity, color, and fun designs.
These are MY Favorite Mad Cow Pieces from my own collection!
I wear one of their pieces almost daily! 
The Mad Cow Company Contact Info:
WEBSITE: www.shopmadcownow.cow
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopmadcownow
Email: madcowcompany@yahoo.com
Phone: 520-559-6106
Address: 3741 S. Moson Rd/Sierra Vista, AZ 85650
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopmadcownow
Email: madcowcompany@yahoo.com
Phone: 520-559-6106
Address: 3741 S. Moson Rd/Sierra Vista, AZ 85650
THANK YOU so much for stopping to visit. So grateful to share some of my favorites with you!
Much Love, Mindy
Much Love, Mindy
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