It should come as no surprise to learn that Maddie Shutts has a degree in graphic design and gained extensive experience in the field before opening her store. Just look at these photos of Modern Companion to see her creative talent and expertise. “My background in design with a focus on multimedia, including motion design, 2D/3D animation, user interface (UI) and user experience (UX), has provided me with a unique perspective on store design and merchandising,” she says.

"When you’re making your list and checking it twice this holiday season, don’t forget about your furry friends!

Modern Companion Pet Boutique is here to help you find the ‘paw-fect’ gifts for your dog, or the pet lover in your life, all while getting them prepared for the New Year fireworks."

"Small Business Saturday is back for another year.

The marketing initiative pushed by American Express to direct their customers toward small businesses has become a rallying cry for locally rooted stores to drive their own sales spikes the day after the infamous Black Friday sales at major retailers.

With the Nov. 25 event fast on its way, the Chronicle caught up with a few local businesses to ask about how they hope to leverage the visibility and excitement created by Small Businesses Saturday."

"Meet Maddie Shutts of Modern Companion!"

"The 2023 Fall Fido Festival raised thousands of dollars for local animal rescues."

"The dog days of summer may be over but that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate all things Fido this fall! This weekend hundreds of dogs and their owners will meet at the Crooked Creek Park in Chapin for the Fall Fido Festival!"

"By building meaningful relationships and creating memorable moments, Madison St. Gelais has turned her love of design into a successful pet accessory brand and brick-and-mortar store."

"This is the second time the event appeared in Chapin after nearly being canceled due to Hurricane Ian."

"A Chapin pet store was one of 16 businesses selected for a national award.

Modern Companion was chosen as one of the “America’s Coolest” by PETS+ Magazine in their annual contest. The business competed against 80 submissions in this year’s competition."

"Pet parents know that the perfect pet store is hard to find. A small, local pet boutique in Chapin just earned the title of America's Coolest.

Modern Companion started as an online pet accessory brand created by owner Madison St. Gelais. It grew into a brick and mortar location in 2021. Out of more than 80 entries, Modern Companion was chosen as one of 16 businesses to win the PETS+ America's Coolest award in its sixth annual contest."

"On July 4th each year, the United States commemorates the Declaration of Independence with backyard cookouts and fireworks displays. Here at PETS+, we celebrate another freedom as well, that of the independent pet retailer and service provider. These amazing small businesses operate by their own rules and ethics, helping pets and their people in ways that big-box and e-commerce operations simply can’t."

"Madison St. Gelais won first place in the 2021 Clemson MBAe EnterPrize Awards competition for her community-driven lifestyle pet brand, Modern Companion. 

Clemson’s EnterPrize Awards is a pitch competition and capstone course where students enrolled in the MBA in Entrepreneurship & Innovation program have the chance to sell their business ideas to an audience of venture capitalists and successful entrepreneurs. The competition takes place over 3 rounds, allowing students to practice pitching while receiving feedback and revising their presentations."

"Modern Companion, a new dog store opened in Chapin last weekend. Owner and founder of Modern Companion, Maddie St. Gelais, says she started her business out of her own home in Chapin. She started manufacturing the accessories herself and then selling them online and at local farmers markets in 2019. With the support from the community and her success online, St. Gelais decided to open her own store."

"Pets in Chapin are about to get a lot of stylish options. Modern Companion, a pet boutique owned by Maddie St. Gelais, is scheduled to open on Lexington Avenue in early March."

"In this episode, I’m talking to Maddie St. Gelais, an online shop owner who is an advocate for shopping small and community over competition. Maddie has some great ideas to share about getting involved with your customers through Instagram, she strives to be on a first-name basis with many of her followers which really brings a sense of community to her account. Her customers-turned-ambassadors are actually so invested in her brand’s success that they created a hashtag campaign to share her wares every week."