I Started My Business in My Dorm Room

Here to talk about my long list of why I specifically choose to make jewelry every day for the last 3 years.

Spoiler: I didn't.

People I think often assume that people have everything together, and that everyone is making really intentional decisions that will lead to a really amazing ROI at the end of the year.

Truth is: I am not really that person.

I don't like routine and I am entirely uninterested in having a 9-5 forever.

Consistency is my worst nightmare honestly.

3 years ago, I desperately needed to fundraise for a trip I was going on so I made these dinky, scratched up earrings that took me an hour each to make.

I remember crying because I had 6 orders.

Crying. 

How would I ever do it?

Fast forward to the holidays of 2021 where I could also be found crying because I was receiving 20 orders a day. That was overwhelming, and it will still be overwhelming this holiday season.

I fell into jewelry. It feels almost like it chose me. Haha. 

After about a 2 hour session with my sister on “How to Form a Teardrop Shape Out of Wire,” I was sent off and had to get crafting.

I’ve always been a crafty, experimental person. 

When I was 10 I would cut up old sheets and create hammocks out of them that I would then hang from the beams on my ceiling.

When I was 13, I wrote horribly emotional songs that all had very similar tunes to Taylor Swift's “Love Song.”

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had my favorite pages of books I've loved hanging on my wall. Just torn straight from the book because I know I'll never read it again, and that was a really good page.

I mostly do what I want, in a kind, God-following kind of way, but you know, gotta live a little.

When I started crafting jewelry, it didn't feel like swinging from my ceiling or sneaking off to house shows in high school, it felt really overwhelming and I wasn't good at it.

But I also liked it. And I liked that other people did. And I liked that I got to talk with so many people all the time.

I never would have thought I would have the ability to do something I love this much.

Especially something I never knew I could love so much.

Jewelry has given me this ability to experiment daily, create new things, take pride in something I have created, and it has become a way I worship.

It honestly feels honoring to God to be doing this; I feel that at peace when I'm creating.

I realized last year that I had maxed out my potential without professional training.

I desperately needed to learn how to solder, I got messages nearly daily about when I would sell rings, and I couldn't just make earrings forever.

I looked to my favorite jewelry companies and found what had worked for them: technical training.

I looked into training in my car one evening: New Approach School For Jewelers.

Typed in the address from my house.

34 minutes.

34 miles.

Whoa. 

It was a done deal.

I told everyone I knew.

“Guys, I am GOING to this school.”

12 weeks - the price of an average college semester - done deal.

That was summer 2021. 

I didn’t jump the gun, it just felt a little forced then.

Another semester went by.

I decided to revisit the idea in December of 2021.

Spring semester is full.

Sigh.

I revisited the idea in April of 2021.

Fall applications begin next month.

Finally.

I applied.

I toured.

I asked a lot of questions.

Someone even told me, “If you miss a day, you might as well not even do it. It moves that quickly.”

Whoa.

Intense.

Just how I like it.

So I got accepted that day - put in my deposit - slowly started telling friends and family.

Told my boss.

So here we are - full time with Wearing Hope.

FULL TIME.

A business owner - enough to support myself. 

Things moved quickly since last summer.

Last year, my business tripled from the prior year.

This year I’m projected to grow another 30%.

But it really is all in the right timing - and for that I am thankful. 

So here’s to going back to school, pursuing a life and lifestyle I’ve only ever dreamed of.

And to all my small business owners: only you know what is worth it to you, work hard and remember that money isn’t everything.