Artem: Hi everybody! We are doing a short review from the CinemaCon 2019 expo in Las Vegas. I want to present to you some very unusual lady, a person who is involved in the cotton candy business and she will tell about herself.
Madison: Hello!
Artem: What is your name, and what are you doing?
Madison: Well, My name is Madison, and I am originally from South Florida. I have a small cotton candy cart that I opened almost a year ago, and I am actually working on the organic side of cotton candy with events and catering called “Mad X Sweet.” Most of my cotton candy is white. So I don’t focus on the colors, but I do concentrate on flavoring. And I’ve started by making cotton candy with beet sugar, so not regular cane sugar, I wanted to try organic so I’ve made organic beet sugar and started putting them in these machines and it comes out silkier, fluffier. In the last 9,5 months of business, I returned all my money back and doubled what I put in it in already.
Artem: How do you find this idea? Because many customers they think “Uh.. it's like a small business, like a kids-business, you will never earn real money with this small cotton candy business. Why do you start with cotton candy?
Madison: I was inspired by another girl who makes cotton candy in another state in the United States, and she is a girl who focuses on clubs for adults (like dance clubs). I just thought that she was very cool and I like her. Also, her cart was so cute, and I felt that I could do that too. So one day I just went home and called my mom! I said that I found somebody to make my cart on Craigslist (* popular US free classifieds website) And after that, I started my business, I started making cotton candy from my house, and I do more than just kid’s events. I do events like bridal showers, weddings, I pre-packaged my candies for Bar Mitzvah (*famous Jewish religious initiation ceremony). And it’s been entertaining! The best is part, you know, is that they think that this is business for kids. But the people, who love this most are the adults! Because it brings you back to your childhood.
Artem: Oh yes.. Madison: So many people tell me “I haven’t had cotton candy since I was 8 or since I was a kid” And they are 50 or 60 years old, and it’s just a reminiscing, nostalgic thing. Everybody loves cotton candy, everybody loves sugar-sweet, and it’s my favorite.
Artem: Can you tell me about your equipment? Because every customer want to know which machine is better to buy? So tell me about your equipment, your mistakes.
Madison: Yeah, I’ve made a lot of mistakes. I have a lot of machines that I’ve tried. I started with the cheapest one I could find of Amazon (*Chinese cotton candy machine), it was actually a small commercial-grade one, and it broke very fast.
Artem: How many months?
Madison: Two or three months! And I blew that thing to shreds. And then I bought another one which was coupled hundred dollars more and that one lasted about six months. And now I am on my third Amazon machine, but I purchased the real commercial machine from Gold Medal Products Co (*USA producer) …and I am not very happy with it..sorry, Gold Medal! I don’t like the way my cotton candy comes out – it comes by the sides. But I just tried this machine that he uses and, honestly, I am sold on the RoboJetFloss!
Artem: We are selling this machine, and it’s a unique machine with vertical feeding, the sugar doesn’t go by the sides, but...
Madison: The sugar comes out of the top instead of on the sides, unlike on many other cotton candy machines, which is super cool.
Artem: Thank you so much! And it’s more reliable actually.
Madison: He told me he’s been using the same machine for 8 years.
Artem: I used the Twister cotton candy machine from Robolabs for 8 years, and nothing breaks!
Madison: There is even cotton candy on the ceiling from him from the last time we were here in 2016..cotton candy is way up there! Artem: Oh yeah some of it…
Madison: If you think that this business is a business where you cannot make a lot of money – it is wrong! You actually can earn 60% plus your profits in this business, if you know what you are doing. Or you are trying to make a little bit of fun out of this world.
Artem: The last question I always ask people who are involved in this business. Just imagine there is some young gentlemen or young lady sitting, for example, in Arizona, who are 18 or 19 only. And they are thinking, “Alright, I want to start this business.” Which advice can you give to her or him?
Madison: My advice is - just do it, make it! Don’t sit there waiting to do it. Make your cart, get your commercial cotton candy machine. Even if you are scared, also if you feel like you don’t have the money, put a couple of dollars in, and you’ll do it. Seek other people that are in this business, because we are all looking to be friends. Be part of this community! There is so much room for people to make cotton candy!
Artem: By the way, for example, if I want to order your cart, for example, for my kid’s birthday, how much should I pay for 2-3 hours?
Madison: So, I do it hourly. I charge about $150 just for first hour + 100$ for each additional. I specialize in a topping bar so you can put pop rocks, glitter, flowers or any stuff like that on top, that’s additional. For 2 hours it will be about $250, and it will be unforgettable. And then for any kind of special events, I ask people to message me before - so we can work out something unusual.
Artem: Ok, thank you so much! As I see, it is a very profitable business. And the only thing you should put inside is your patience. Is it true?
Madison: Your patience, and your love, and a whole bunch of happiness. Because that is what you are really spreading into the world, people are happy when they see this. So, when you think…really, when you see people out, and they are talking to you, people are always smiling when they’re looking at you doing cotton candy, right?
Artem: Correct.
Madison: So it’s a happy business to have, you are not making people upset, you are making people happy.
Artem: Thank you so much!
Madison: Thank you!