Creative Freedom
by Stephanie Hintz
If you are looking for a nomadic high-end look, the Karli Buxton "Black" collection features diamond starburst pendants, gothic crosses, angel wings, and African vinyl/bone clad styles.
Karli Buxton
Karli Campbell Buxton
Macon, Ga.
AmericasMart B3 4-2709
Facebook: @karlibuxton
Instagram: @karli_buxton
Twitter: @karlibuxton
Five years ago, Karli Buxton launched her self-titled jewelry company after a desire to get back to her roots and create for herself. Many of her jewelry styles are large, statement styles--making each wearer literally their own piece of fashion-forward walking artwork.
Buxton, a graduate of Georgia Southern University with a Bachelors in Fashion Merchandising, moved to New York City early in her career, where she took a job working under designer Don O'Neill of Theia. It wasn't long before the itch to head back south set in.
Karli's Wholesale Tips
- Stay focused and go after what you believe in. This was, and still is, scary at times with certain obstacles I am trying to tackle.
- What doesn't scare you doesn't change you. If you never try you'll never know!
One of Buxton's visions early on in her jewelry design business was to sell her products in various retail stores right from the start. In less than five years, her styles have been sold in over 300 stores--and growing. In addition, Buxton has a retail website where she also sells directly to customers.
Buxton says the best aspect of running a handmade business is the freedom it affords her: "Freedom to be able to work for myself and create my own life based on hard work and dedication. Seeing people love my work makes this so rewarding."
Buxton creates her bold, colorful, eclectic jewelry inside her studio in Macon, Ga., but she is always on the go keeping up with the latest trends and drumming up new design concepts. "There is so much out there, but the challenge of coming up with new and innovative ideas keeps it fun and super rewarding," Buxton smiles.
Rebecca
Rebecca Allen
Asheville, N.C.
Web: rebeccaaccessories.com
AmericasMart B3 4-505
www.facebook.com/Rebecca-Accessories-178343237818/
www.instagram.com/rebeccaaccessories/
A handcrafted wholesale jewelry company from the first day of business, Rebecca offers stores a whimsical, affordable line of fashion jewelry. The Rebecca brand, established in 2008, is comprised of the mother-daughter team of Diann and Rebecca Allen. Diann handles the business side of the enterprise, while Rebecca is the creative element.
Rebecca grew the company from what began as a handbag manufacturer to include jewelry, hair accessories, and most recently a children's line. While the company's focus is on wholesale relationships, a limited number of pieces are available for purchase on the Rebecca website and on Amazon.
"The best part of running a handmade business is being able to create custom pieces for customers. We have dozens of shops looking for a unique, one-of-a-kind piece personalized just for them, but don't want to spend hundreds of dollars for hundreds of skus," Rebecca says. "Rebecca offers low minimums on custom and current designs, allowing shops to create something no other store around them carries."
While designing, creating, and selling her handcrafted jewelry and bags is fulfilling, there are a few struggles that owners, such as Rebecca, face. "Taking time away from the business is my biggest struggle. Most businesses in the handmade field started out as a hobby that turned into a profitable career," she explains. "I love what I do for a living and sometimes get so wrapped up with work that I won't take time to enjoy life. Keeping a balance between work and relaxation is key, especially when you work in a field that is creative--your brain needs time to recharge."
Beatrixbell Handcrafted Jewelry
Beatrix Bell
New Orleans, La.
Web: beatrixbell.com
Facebook: @beatrixbell
Instagram: @beatrixbell
Twitter: @beatrixbell
Modern, eclectic, and fresh, is the tagline for New Orleans-based Beatrixbell Handcrafted Jewelry. Founder Beatrix Bell says the best part of running a handmade business is the freedom to be her own boss.
The company started when Beatrix Bell began selling her jewelry in a pop-up tent next to a pecan stand at a local farmer's market. "After many weekends, I took the entrepreneurial jump. I quit my day job and convinced myself that starting a business during a recession was actually a really good idea." Like many other handmade entrepreneurs, Bell battles finding balance with family and work.
Bell, a former full-time school teacher, has since grown the company from a one-woman operation to a brand that is carried in over 200 gift shops nationwide. Bell began selling to wholesale buyers in 2009. "To promote my brand, I continue doing retail shows throughout the year, such as pop-ups, music festivals, and retail gift shows," she says.
Beatrixbell Handcrafted Jewelry is targeted to appeal to individualistic, independent women who seek a trendy, yet self-curated style. Bell describes her style as "contemporary with old-world appeal."
In addition to marketing to the independent woman, Bell is adamant about inspiring cultural change in her community. This year she chose to support the nonprofit organization Ignite for Change, which focuses on positive social and policy changes in violence prevention, education opportunities, health, employment, and earnings.
Christina Kober Designs
Christina Kober Kauke
Nashville, Tenn.
Web: www.christinakober.com
AmericasMart B3 4-104
Facebook: @christinakoberdesigns
Instagram: @christinakober
How often does a successful entrepreneur cite a budding hobby as their early days of handmade? It's hard to put a number on it, but Christina Kober Kauke of Nashville, Tenn., is one of them. Kober Kauke learned the trade from her father, who owns a jewelry supply store in Atlanta, Ga.
She put on her jeweler's hat at the tender age of 14, working a summer job to help fill her closet with clothes. This part-time summer and holiday job would prove to fuel the creative passion that ran deep through her veins.
In 2007, the burgeoning artist opened an Etsy shop and stocked it with a few designs. Armed with some business cards and more jewelry, she branched out and began exhibiting at art festivals. One of the most effective ways she connected to her customers was through her fortune cookie collection and inspiring messages.
In 2011 a popular blogger featured her jewelry, and an unexpected and large social media following ensued. The attention caught the eye of retailers all around the nation, forging valuable relationships for the young jewelry designer.
Christina's Wholesale Tips
- Do your own research when it comes to participating in wholesale shows. I usually walk a show 2-5 times before committing to exhibiting, making sure the buyers who attend those markets will be a good fit.
- Make sure your retailers are a good fit--that they will represent your brand well and their customer will understand and appreciate your product.
- Plan ahead for wholesale orders. Give buyers a realistic expectation of turn-around time for initial orders and reorders.
In a few short years, Christina Kober Designs has grown to employ six highly-skilled women, and her jewelry can be found in 90 global retail locations, including Anthropologie.
Kober Kauke doesn't shrug off the roots of her business; in fact, still to this day you can find her exhibiting at art festivals and selling in her Etsy shop.
Meghan Enright, Wholesale and Marketing Manager for Christina Kober Designs says: "Christina loves that she has so much creative freedom and can physically touch and inspect each piece before it leaves the studio. Putting so much care into a piece of jewelry that will be treasured for years to come is really rewarding, as is knowing that she has created something that has so much meaning."
As many of our featured artists in this issue say, finding balance between work and home is a challenge. "Owning your own business takes a lot of dedication and time, so sometimes it's a challenge to make time to relax and enjoy [my] personal life."
Another challenge is working around the demands of buyers. Since everything is handmade by Christina or one of her jewelers, Enright says it can be tempting to always say "yes" to the next order, or to rearrange personal schedules to accommodate a business request.
Kober Kauke is a firm believer in nurturing healthy business relationships, especially in the wholesale marketplace. "Communicating all the little details of the ordering process up front with your buyers will help manage expectations and enhance the buying process. Hopefully this solidifies relationships with happy, consistent accounts," she says.
Crafts and Love
Courtney Weil
Atlanta, Ga.
Web: www.craftsandlove.com
AmericasMart B3 4-2517
Facebook: @craftsandlove
Instagram: @craftsandlove
According to jewelry artist Courtney Weil, Crafts and Love began as a side-hustle Etsy shop in 2011. Weil's handmade jewelry, which is decidedly minimalist with a natural appeal, suited many buyers. This afforded her the opportunity to pursue her business full-time just two years later.
Weil's colorful, textured, trendy jewelry is now available in over 300 locations all over the world. Inspired by clean lines and natural gemstones, Weil strives to combine these two aesthetics to create affordable, wearable jewelry. Today, Crafts and Love sells to both wholesale and retail buyers.
The freedom to challenge Weil's creative nature on her own schedule is an entrepreneurial benefit that she truly appreciates. "That freedom can feel daunting and requires time management, but the reward is so fulfilling every single time a customer decides to spend their hard-earned money on something I created from the ground up," says Weil.
While customers must decide to purchase her jewelry, Weil must choose which opportunities to pursue, or not pursue, in the small business world--which she says isn't always easy.
Canoe
Lynn Kemp
Blue Ridge, Ga.
Web: https://canoelook.com/
AmericasMart B2 10-1000B (Tango Reps)
Facebook: @canoelook
Instagram: @canoelook
A mom on a mission--Lynn Kemp's early days of jewelry-making began when she crafted spirit bracelets in support of her son's high school baseball team in 2001. The demand for her bracelets took hold and other schools wanted some. In 2003, she took the plunge and started her jewelry business full-time and left her corporate job.
Her first wholesale show was at AmericasMart in Atlanta (apparel) with the jewelry company, Gawdy Bobbles in 2003. She continued until 2013, when she began to create and sell her handbags under the Canoe name. "We didn't like having two company names, so I rebranded everything under Canoe," says Kemp.
Kemp says what really jump-started her business was going to the gift shows instead of apparel. "The gift shows are fewer, but they're attended better," Kemp says. She attributes a lot of her success at shows to their eye-catching displays. "You only have a few seconds to get those [buyers] in your booth."
In the past few years, Canoe has grown and is now carried in over 1,000 retail stores nationwide; the majority of them are smaller Mom-and-Pop downtown specialty stores. Kemp says one of Canoe's advantages is they also have their own retail store in downtown Blue Ridge. "We are directly communicating with the end user--the consumer. If we are trying something new, we try it in our retail store and get some feedback on it."
Because of this feedback, Canoe can adjust quickly to trends and demand. Kemp says she also follows apparel trends. "We listen to our customers; it works for us," Kemp attests.
Canoe makes all their handmade jewelry and handbags made to order, right in their studio in Blue Ridge. The studio operates in a converted former auto dealer shop; all items are designed, cut, sewn, assembled, packed, and shipped there. Five artisans make the bags, six craft the jewelry, and there are three retail employees. Kemp takes deep pride in providing high-skilled jobs in her rural area. Next month, Kemp will participate as part of a panel for the Georgia Economic Development Association where she will talk about rural manufacturing and how other small towns can tap into manufacturing. "You know, you just have to start with an idea and be persistent," says Kemp.
Canoe has seen some notable press coverage, including six years in a row in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, People en Espanol, Where Women Create and this fall they will be in Southern Living's gift guide.
Kemp says that like most people who start a business that grows from a hobby, "You run out of friends to sell it to. Luckily, I knew about the wholesale world from years as a buyer. A lot of people don't know how to take that next step."
Freshie and Zero
Beth "Freshie" Lawrence
Nashville, Tenn.
Web: www.freshieandzero.com
AmericasMart B3 4-2615
Facebook: @FreshieandZero
Instagram: @freshieandzero
Twitter: @freshieandzero
Pinterest: @freshiebeth
A pink and purple Caboodle is what Beth "Freshie" Lawrence used to sell her jewelry out of, door-to-door back in elementary school. As she grew, her artistic focus shifted to painting and drawing; after college she went back to her childhood passion--jewelry making.
Lawrence graduated from Belmont University with a Studio Art degree in 2000; she began making jewelry "on-the-side" to supplement what she described as a meager income from her job as a retail clerk.
"Over time my style evolved from one-of-a-kind pieces using vintage components to a much more streamlined style, bending wire and then hammering it," says Lawrence. "My signature minimalist style took shape in 2000, and that's when I officially launched Freshie and Zero."
Lawrence says all her work used to fit on her coffee table; she has now grown into a studio in downtown Nashville, Tenn., with four employees that help her create and manage the business. Early on, Lawrence started selling Freshie and Zero at craft shows, but she knew she wanted to make the switch to wholesale. "To really build a wholesale business, there is no way around doing trade shows!" she exclaims. "I signed up for my first Atlanta Gift Show in 2009 and have done it twice a year since. I've done other wholesale shows as well (BMAC, Acre, NYGift), but Atlanta has always been consistently good for me."
Freshie's Wholesale Tips
- Commit to an established, well-trafficked wholesale show that fits your product; do it at least three times before you judge if it is good or not. Most people like to see you a few times before they'll buy from you.
- Don't ask strangers on the internet for advice. Do sign up for wholesale training courses, like the Trade Show Boot Camp.
- Understand that it takes a lot of money to get started--you can do it on a budget, but don't skimp on important things like advertising and display.
- Don't expect to just show up to a show and sell out--you have to tell potential buyers that you will be there and invite them to your booth. We do a postcard mailing before every show and advertise in pre-show mailers sent by the show. It's always been worth the investment.
Lawrence says she still occasionally does craft shows as she enjoys traveling and direct selling. The company sells retail online, but her wholesale customers comprise 90 percent of overall sales. Lawrence says she loves being a part of a community of other creative small businesses. "We are in quite a unique position as handmade manufacturers, so connecting with each other is vital in reminding me why I started this in the first place. I am also lucky that I can take days off when I need them, but I have to plan ahead to make it happen," Lawrence says.
Keeping up with producing enough handmade jewelry to satisfy all her wholesale orders is a challenge: "I tend to overwork [myself], but I am getting more disciplined in taking breaks. I also struggle with managing employees--I have management experience, but no management training so I tend to manage from my gut and sometimes my gut is clueless."
Girl with a Pearl, LLC
Martha Flynn and Sharon Lowe
Nashville, Tenn.
Web: www.girlwithapearl.com
AmericasMart B3 4-302
Facebook: @GirlWithAPearlDesigns
Instagram: @girlwithapearlllc
Taking flight into the world of handmade jewelry takes on a whole other meaning for Martha Flynn and Sharon Lowe. The pair started their jewelry company, Girl with a Pearl in 2008 when the two veteran flight attendants met through a company merger. "Putting our visions and alternating tastes together, we began with a single necklace in the living room of a dear friend. Friends told friends and soon, our phones were ringing with requests for new designs," recalls Flynn.
"As our line grew, we were 'plucked' from a boutique in Nashville to enter a wonderful apparel showroom in AmericasMart," she added.
As their customer base grew, Lowe and Flynn say they gained the knowledge and confidence to expand to the January and July International Gift Markets. "As full-time flight attendants and best friends, we are afforded the opportunity to source our items from our travels from all over the world," Lowe explains. "We appeal to all tastes--vintage, trendy, Bohemian, and one-of-a-kind."
Girl with a Pearl prides itself on knowing that each and every jewelry item created is a joint effort between Flynn and Lowe--from designing, hand-selecting the pearls and stones, and to the final shipment to stores. "We want our customers to be able to offer feedback and ideas and to feel valued, knowing they are the reason we are here," Lowe says.
Currently, Girl with a Pearl can be found in over 100 retail stores, and they have visions to expand beyond the Atlanta marketplace. Since 2014, wholesale sales have comprised the majority of the company's sales. Their Nashville studio is available for private viewings, shopping, and seasonal parties for local buyers and friends. "Naturally, as flight attendants, we love to entertain, laugh, have fun, and bring people together. We truly love our customers," the pair shares. "We offer limited sales on our website and try to drive business to our buyers in support of small business owners."
Martha and Sharon's Wholesale Tips
- For those interested in entering the wholesale market, we encourage you to visit AmericasMart if you can--see first-hand the operation and how and where you envision your product.
- Take note of, and always respect, the lines you may be competing with; discover how you can set yourself apart from them.
- If you work hard and succeed, make sure you have an employee(s) who can help you stay organized--along with a really good bookkeeper. If you believe in your product and you work hard, it can be a success and lots and lots of fun!
The women say the best part of running a handmade business is the ability to control their designs and to be able to offer the type of customer service they can be proud of. Every piece of jewelry that leaves their studio is guaranteed. "We want our buyers to feel as though they are buying from someone they can trust--someone who values and appreciates them," says Flynn.
Time management is one of the biggest challenges for the talented and driven duo.
"We travel all over the world, and are often away for a few days each week. Ensuring our products arrive meeting our customers' expectations, and producing great sales for them, is our number one goal. We have high standards for our business, and we want our buyers to be happy and keep returning. A two-woman operation requires detail, commitment, attention and follow-through," Lowe explains.
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