When Brooke (Magary) Fuller ’03 first started Superkid Capes in her basement in 2010, she never imagined she would one day run a booming online business with celebrity clients, seven employees and a physical shop to call her own.

Sewing in her shop

Seven years later, Superkid Capes has shipped an estimated 22,000 capes all over the United States and the world — even to the palace of the United Arab Emirates. Fuller has created custom capes for actors Sarah Jessica Parker, Jennifer Garner and Kristen Bell, among others.

A kindergarten teacher turned stay-at-home mom, Fuller has always loved making things, especially for her children. She started by making nursing covers, burp cloths and baby carriers when she couldn’t find ones she liked on the market. As her daughters developed a love for pretend play, the idea for Superkid Capes was born.

“I had a desire to make and sell things centered around kids,” Fuller says. “I started an Etsy shop … made a bunch of capes. My goal was to make enough money to stay home with my kids and send them to a Christian school.”

Brooke (Magary) Fuller ’03 met her husband, Andy Fuller ’02, at Bethel. He studied broadcast journalism (with a theatre minor) and currently works at the University of Notre Dame. Together, they have four daughters.

She began with capes, then added accessories, T-shirts and items for babies, adults and even dogs.

In the last two years, Fuller has grown her business significantly by moving into a retail space in South Bend. She went through the SPARK program at St. Mary’s College and developed a business plan with a SCORE (Senior Core of Retired Executives) mentor.

Now, with employees (including Bethel alumni Angie (Mabry) Liskey ’03 and Emily Sigg ’03) and a place of her own, Fuller has been able to streamline the production of Superkid Capes and ship items faster (from 2-3 weeks to 2-3 business days), which she says has been key to her business’ continued growth.

However, the most meaningful orders for Fuller have been the ones she has donated to hospitals for sick children.

“One of the coolest things [about my job] is that we get stories about kids all the time … kids who are fighting illnesses … and sometimes we are able to donate capes to different causes.”

CUSTOM CAPES FOR BETHEL’S K-LAB
In February, Fuller donated nine capes to Bethel’s lab Kindergarten class, including three custom Bethel-themed capes. These will be used during indoor recess to foster imaginative play. Masks and accessories, including wrist bands, were also donated to the class, and each student was also provided with a mask to take home.

She recalls supplying “I beat cancer” capes for a hospital reunion party for pediatric patients who had been cancer-free for one year.

Another time, she was commissioned to make a cape for a little girl who would be having heart surgery. On one side, the girl’s name was embroidered in a big heart; on the other, 17 hearts were carefully sewn in, each with the name of a family member or friend who would be praying for her.

“That is my favorite cape I ever made,” she says.

For Fuller, her work is not only satisfying — it provides her the flexibility of setting her own schedule and taking care of her family while helping to provide for them. Her girls now attend a Christian school, and Fuller doesn’t plan to stop making capes anytime soon.

“Sales have grown every year, and my goal is always, ‘what can I do better to make a bigger impact?’ I will just keep on doing it — as long as there’s demand.”

Learn more about Fuller’s business at SuperkidCapes.com.