Spotlight Series: Ava

Meet Ava, the creator of Joyful Creations, an up-and-coming clay earrings business. She and I met at school this past fall, and I have loved getting to know her! She is such a sincere, thoughtful friend, I’m excited to share her thoughts on becoming an entrepreneur. 

How did you come up with the idea of making a jewelry business?

It was the first week of online school and I knew I needed something to keep me busy. I’ve always been the creative type so I got to thinking. It didn’t take long before I stumbled across a picture of handmade clay earrings. Note that the picture of the earrings are not even close to the style of earrings I make today. I ordered some basic supplies on amazon and two days later, got to making earrings. 

What steps did you take to make it happen?

The first step was ordering a few supplies on Amazon. The supplies included an exacto knife, glue, earring post, jump rings, and kids polymer clay that was almost the equivalent to play doh. I already had business experience from my dad and sister so it didn’t take long for me to get into it. Then I just kept making earrings, made an Instagram account, and had my sisters post about me to get at least a few people to notice me. Since then, I’ve grown in knowledge and experience everyday.

How did you market your business, and what tactics have been most successful?

One of the first steps I took was making an Instagram account. Just a few days later, I made a post on Instagram announcing that I was doing a giveaway. Hosting a giveaway is a great way to grow your business. I was giving away a small product that didn’t cost me much in return for about 200 followers. The second best decision I’ve made with my business was creating a website before I thought I needed one. I felt like I was doing great, fulfilling all of the orders myself and keeping track of inventory with a pen and paper. I was so wrong. Since day one of launching my website, I have never looked back.

How many hours a week on average do you spend working on the business?

I’m not sure how many hours a week I work on my business. It fluctuates all the time. I fulfill orders everyday after school and make some earrings here and there. I’m constantly ordering products and supplies online, even during my 5 minute breaks between each block of the school day. I try to save the earring making for the weekend. I’ve caught myself sitting down to make a couple pairs and end up making several batches throughout the week. I’ve found that saving the most time consuming step in the business for the weekend has worked best for me. 

How do you come up with new ideas?

I’ve found that inspiration can be found anywhere! I’ve found inspiration through Pinterest, color palettes, outfits, prints or wallpapers. 

What has been the best part of running a business?

I love the interaction with people and hearing their feedback. Markets and pop up shops are so much fun! I get to see people in person and hearing their kind words makes me feel so happy. Also, receiving direct messages on the daily with encouraging words is just so amazing!

What do you do in your free time?

I don’t have much free time these days but to be honest, when I have free time, I like to spend it watching movies. Just relaxing and spending some quiet time is just what I need after working. I also like to put aside some time to get my nails done once a month. I think of it as treating myself after a crazy week.

I love to ask this question, who is your style icon?

I don’t have a style icon for Joyful Creations, but I guess you could say I have a personal one. Whenever I need some inspiration for outfits, decor, or pictures, I love to look at Macy Willcutt’s pintrest. I’ve just found her Pinterest to be very inspirational.

Would you rather meet Joanna Gaines or Lauren Daigle?

I would rather meet Joanna Gaines! I absolutely love her style and I would love to ask her several questions. I would ask her what inspires her and what keeps her motivated to always put your best foot forward. 

*Thank you to Ava for sharing some tidbits about herself and her thriving business.