Two Tightly Wound is how I may feel on many days, but it is in fact, a fabulous jewelry business run by two women, one of which just happens to be my childhood friend, Amy. The following is my interview with her:
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| "Midnight Madness" earrings in blue topaz $191 |
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| "Nuit Violet" earrings in amethyst $215 |
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| "Green Tea" earrings $183 |
LHD: Tell me a little about both of you and how you came up with the name of your business
Amy: The reason our business is called Two Tightly Wound is because there are two of us. Andrea lives in Oxford, Connecticut and is married and mother of Benny the cat. I am married, live in Pound Ridge, New York and am mother of 2 children and 3 dogs. Personally, we both love gems, bling of all kinds and skydiving!
LHD: When did you start designing jewelry?
Amy: After becoming bored with beading for years we decided we needed a challenge. Wire wrapping has provided the path to allow us to express our creativity
LHD: Who taught you your craft?
Amy: Andrea is self taught and then taught me. Then I asked her to go steady.... Seriously, we decided to go into business together because it provided us a way to buy gems and findings less expensively as well as sharing designing ideas. We also have each other as our greatest fans and you would be surprised how important that is to both of us!
LHD: What do you love most about it? And what is the thing you like least?
Amy: I love buying and selecting the gems and then designing a way to present them in all their beauty! I also like that no day is typical. Every day brings something new and interesting. The thing I like least is that Andrea always wants to keep what she makes but I don't let her!
LHD: Where do you get inspiration for your designs?
Amy: We get our inspiration from the current trends, the changing seasons and the gorgeous gems themselves.
LHD: When you started were you ever afraid of failing? And do you remember your first sale on Etsy?
Amy: We were never afraid of failing. We had nothing to lose and we poured our heart and soul into our designs. We truly love our jewelry and believe that our pieces are unique and marketable.
I remember our first sale it was on a Sunday night and her name was Jenny. We gave her 10% off her next purchase for taking the plunge and she has proven to be a loyal customer ever since.
LHD: Do you really make what you love, or do you create what you know will sell?
Amy: We have learned that you must do both to survive. We hope someday that we will be able to afford to make only what we love and if that ever becomes the case we will be driving company cars!
LHD: What advice do you have for anyone interested in designing and selling their product?
Amy: Contacts, networking and never allowing anyone to discourage you from your goal!!!
To see Amy and Andrea's designs at Two Tightly Wound CLICK HERE
Are you a woman who owns her own creative business? If you would like to be featured, please contact me at admin@laurenhamptondesigns.com
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