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Date: 12/12/2018
AGAWAM – Allyson Sorcinelli, a 13-year-old Agawam resident, has entrepreneurism running through her veins – her grandfather owns the R G Sorcinelli Painting & Wall Papering Company. It was no surprise when she planted the seed for her current business, Mommy Magnet, at just 7-years-old.
In 2012, Allyson’s mother announced she was pregnant after five years of experiencing secondary infertility – the inability to become pregnant or carry a baby to term after previously giving birth. Her mother posted a sonogram of Allyson’s future baby brother on the refrigerator.
Allyson said she was so excited for her family, she drew a picture of her pregnant mother. She then cut out a hole in the belly and taped the drawing over the sonogram.
Fast forward to 2018, and the official Mommy Magnet was born.
The young entrepreneur told Reminder Publishing that she spoke with her dad throughout 2017 about how she wanted to turn the concept of her cutout into an actual magnet for other pregnant women to enjoy. It wasn’t until this year, when she joined an entrepreneur class in school, that was she able to fully realize the magnet.
“We talked about it on and off until 2017, when we kind of tried to start. We got a graphic designer on it and then we kind of stopped it a little,” said Allyson. “Then in 2018, in September, I joined an entrepreneur class at my school and you had to come up with a product. I said, ‘hey, we’ll do Mommy Magnet,’ and we got it made then.”
The magnet, which currently sells for $10 on Etsy, features a woman in a dress with no skin or hair color. She has long flowing hair and appears to be looking down at her pregnant belly.
Allyson explained she didn’t want to add any distinctive features or colors so that a more diverse range of women could identify with the magnet.
“We looked up a couple of pictures and had a couple features in mind – we wanted it very cute and stuff,” she said. “We wanted a cute dress on the mom – they like to wear cute dresses and stuff. We wanted it not to look like anybody, so it could be universal – you could sell it to everybody.”
Allyson was recently contacted by Jelly on my Belly, an ultrasound studio located in East Longmeadow. The studio expressed interest in selling her Mommy Magnets at their location, she explained.
She also added that she has shipped several of the magnets “out of state” as well, and that her goal would be to sell more magnets to ultrasound studios.
“I am so glad to have a business. I always wanted to have a crafting business, I love to craft and do art. I love having an Etsy account and just being able to sell it [the magnets],” said Allyson. “I’m so excited that I can have a product, it feels really accomplishing.”
Her father, who jokingly identified himself as the “venture capitalist” in the situation, expressed his support for his young entrepreneur.
“It’s very exciting. She has such a good mind for business,” said Mike Sorcinelli. “We’re a family of entrepreneurs and she’s following right in the family footsteps.”
He mentioned that Allyson had business experience prior to the Mommy Magnet.
In 2011, she started a rabbit breeding business, called Sorcinelli Hop Shop, with her brother Lincoln.
Mommy Magnets are now being sold for $10 at the Jelly on my Belly Ultrasound Studio, located at 310 N. Main St. in East Longmeadow, and online here.