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

Hi Paula, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
At the time I was working long hours as a waitress and that’s when I decided I wanted to start my own business. I wanted to work in a field that I was passionate about and work on my own terms. I have loved antiques and vintage items ever since I was a little girl. My mother use to take me to antique malls because she knew I loved them. I started my business during Covid after I was laid off from my jobs due to them shutting down. I started my business by selling items online and local markets doing popups.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
What sets me apart from others is, my brand is all about being different. I call my brand Mad Dollhouse. I thought of the name from Alice in Wonderland when The Cheshire Cat said “We All Mad here”. My Antique items are odd and they are all unique. I am very proud of myself for how much I have accomplished and for my brand name, Mad Dollhouse. I got here today by working hard and staying focused. A lot of determination to be better. It was very difficult and still is but I will never give up. I overcame a lot of difficult challenges by remembering who I am and why I am doing this. My daughters are my number one inspirations. The lessons I learned along the way are eliminated bad and negative people. Have people around you who want better for themselves and take action. I want people to know it is OK to be yourself, the weirder, the better. I never want to be like anyone else. I want to be me and my brand represents myself and everything I love. From my childhood favorite toys, to historical items.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would take my best friend to our local estate sales. That is a must. Estatesales.net shows local estate sales happening in the area. I would take them to Gloria’s for lunch. I would bring them to historical haunted places around town as well.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
During Covid, I watched a lot of Slobby Robby’s videos and he inspired me to get up and thrift to make money and I did just that.

Website: https://Maddollhouse.com

Instagram: Pauladeencakes

Twitter: PAULADESIMIO

Facebook: Paula DeSimio

Youtube: Maddollhouse666

Other: Tik Tok: Maddollhouse

Image Credits
@shotbyluna @thedfwvintageswapmeet

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutDFW is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.