How a million-dollar business started with a single mannequin
Judi Henderson turned a ‘happy accident’ into Mannequin Madness, growing her business with AI and new digital marketing skills.
Judi Henderson with her mannequins in Oakland, CA. Photo credit: Gabriela Hasbun
If finding yourself in a dark warehouse filled with dozens of mannequins in disarray sounds like an unlikely beginning for a new business — well, it probably is. But that’s precisely where Judi Henderson’s entrepreneurial journey began.
“It was eerie, but something about it still drew me in — maybe my days of playing with dolls,” says Henderson. Today, Henderson, 67, is the owner of Mannequin Madness, a million-dollar mannequin rental business that has grown thanks to her willingness to embrace digital tools like AI, social media and online learning.
She describes her company’s beginnings as a ‘happy accident,’ when she went to the Oakland, California warehouse in 1999 to buy a single mannequin for an art project. When the seller told her he was closing up his mannequin rental business, Henderson’s entrepreneurial instincts kicked in — and Mannequin Madness was born.
Mannequin rental is as unique a niche as it sounds. On a day-to-day basis, Henderson might be loaning her mannequins, typically recycled from department stores, to fashion students, luxury stores, or for events. Sometimes her warehouse is rented for photo or video shoots, too. “There’s always a lot of variety happening here,” Henderson says. “In the 20 years I’ve been in the business, no day is like the previous day.”
Henderson loves her product — and keeping discarded mannequins out of landfills by giving them new purpose — but with no previous experience as an entrepreneur, she found challenges in running business operations. Resources such as Verizon Small Business Digital Ready have helped her keep pace in the age of digital marketing. “I like online learning,” Henderson explains. “I love the convenience factor of it.”
Social media didn’t exist as a marketing tool 25 years ago when Henderson launched Mannequin Madness, but now Digital Ready has helped teach her how to utilize it for business, including understanding which platforms are most strategic. “Some of the courses [on social media] allowed me to really zero in on where’s the best place for me to spend my time and money,” Henderson says.
With inspiration from Digital Ready courses, Henderson has even embraced AI as a tool for business, using it to generate images to revamp her website, to help create content for her blog, or even to add whimsy to her writing. “AI is my new friend. It’s just like having another staff member,” Henderson says. “And I’m pretty sure if I had not initially taken some of those classes on AI in the Digital Ready program, I would not be embracing it with as much gusto as I am now.”
Also having taken advantage of live coaching events and 1:1 Reviews with small business experts, Henderson appreciated seeing diverse people, of all ages and races, taking part in the Digital Ready program. “You can see people who kind of look like you, who were giving you advice. I like that,” she says. And the price point can’t be beat. “I’m amazed that something that's free has so much value,” Henderson says.
Beyond learning new skills, Henderson has also made sure her business stays connected with the right technology. She’s a Verizon Business customer, using mobile devices, a tablet, and a smartwatch to manage her growing operations. “They upgraded my equipment with signing up for a [promotional business] package. So I now have an updated phone, especially great for taking photos, which are critical for my business.”
Even as the landscape for her business changes with metamorphosis of the retail market, Henderson is putting off retirement and pivoting her company to focus on art projects, DIY crafting, and more. “I am a little bit past retirement age, but I still love what I’m doing,” Henderson says. “I have so much fun and creativity and freedom in my job. It doesn’t feel like a job.”
Verizon Small Business Digital Ready is part of Verizon’s goal to support 1 million small businesses by 2030 with free resources to help them succeed. To sign up, visit Verizon Small Business Digital Ready. Visit CitizenVerizon.com to learn more about the company’s responsible business efforts. An individual user's experience may vary and results are not guaranteed.
