Maggie Whitley Designs

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{sponsor feature: Ike & Co.}

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This giveaway is now closed.

HELLO, Friday! I’m here with a sponsored feature & giveaway from Ike & Co., one of my sidebar sponsors. Angie, the owner & designer, has some super amazing advice to share with you. As I was reading through the interview I was nodding in agreement the entire time. I know many of you will be able to relate, and I truly believe all of you will be encouraged by her words in some form or another. And ~ be sure and enter the giveaway at the end! Super fun! [xo]

Hi there! I’m Angie, owner/designer of Ike &Co, my little shop of fun jewelry! I’m also wife to Chris and mama to identical twin girls and a three year old son. By day, I’m an elementary school librarian, which is a great job to have when you love both books and kids!

When my daughters were in kindergarten they wanted to learn how to bead necklaces so I learned how to fasten clasps for them. Then I started beading for myself. And suddenly I had 30 necklaces. My husband asked me what I was planning to do with them. He didn’t think my answer, “Um, wear a different one everyday,” was the best choice, so I started giving them as gifts to friends and family and then people wanted to buy things from me and before I knew it, I was in business! That was almost two years ago and I love it even more now than when I started. I feel like I am constantly learning either something about jewelry making and design or the customer service/bookkeeping/marketing end of the business, which is really exciting and motivating.

There are a ton of things in my life that I am proud of – my family… my wonderful (and supportive) husband and my three amazing children. I am proud of my education… I have an undergrad degree in Middle School Education, a Master’s Degree in Children’s Literature and an Education Specialist degree in School Library Media. I am also really proud of the way my shop has really taken off in the past few months. Hooray! Definitely something worth celebrating.

I think a huge key to success is believing in yourself and being persistent. Set goals – realistic short term goals to help you feel and become successful along the way to your long term goals. My husband pointed out to me at one time that I was never going to feel the success of my business if I didn’t set goals with the idea in mind that I was going to meet those goals… goals that were realistic and concrete. Other things to keep in mind – find a mentor – someone that you can trust and turn to for advice and support. If you are doing something the online route – learn something about taking pictures (or using photo editing software to help). But more than anything learn from your mistakes and use them to better yourself, your product and your business.

I found that I was (and still am) hardest on myself and that I am my own worst critic. Sometimes I have to move out of my own way :) I am also not the best at reaching out and making new friends… I am dying to do a craft show, but am terrified of it at the same time. That’s silly, isn’t it??? :) So, finding ways to promote myself and my shop are always things that I need help with. I also struggle with time management. I like to think that I am better at this skill now than I was as an 18 year old, but with three kiddos and a day job, sometimes it can be quite the balancing act.

I feel like I have been creative my whole life. When I was a little kid, I was constantly building and decorating houses for my dolls, writing, putting on variety shows for my family. As a teenager, I danced and took to the stage – I even went to college with a theatre scholarship. I was voted most creative in my senior class. As an adult, I spent years scrap-booking before I found my love of making jewelry. Yes, I stumbled upon it, but once I found it, I knew that it was something I was passionate about and needed to go further with. When you find what your passion is, you should definitely do what it takes to make it become a part of your life.

Leave a comment below for the chance to win $25 shop credit!

Angie is giving away *TWO* – $25 shop credits, so there will be two winners. L U C K Y!

Need to order something now? Angie is offering 20% off with discount code GUSSY20 at checkout {valid July 8-15}.

♥ This giveaway is open to the US only and will end in a few days. I’ll announce the winner here and email them directly.


Comments

  1. Kristin says

    HI Angie :)
    Love your stuff :) I am a huge owl fan so those are my favorite <3

  2. Chris says

    I love the items you have in your shop! those yellow earrings are adorable! thanks!

  6. heather cloudt says

    I LOoooooooove the avacodo and peach necklace! Well, really everything is perfect! :) Thanks for sharing such great insight -now to get my butt in gear!

  11. Krista says

    Wow! I am in love with how colorful your jewelry is. thanks for the great advice. I am going to do my first craft fair in October. I’m super nervous about creating my own online shop because of all of the competing talent at there, so I feel your pain. :-)

  31. Maria says

    Eeek! What a cute shop! So many colorful fun items…I really love many of the earrings. Thanks for the giveaway!

  35. Georgia says

    whoop whoop! Your things are adorable! I’ve “hearted” many of them already!

  44. Page says

    I’m such a huge fan of your shop! The teardrop earrings are amazing. And making their way to my jewelry box very soon :)

  45. Sydney S says

    Helllloooooo!! ~ this is one fun shop. The Lime Teardrops are CALLING my name =)

  49. Mary DK says

    Great shop! You have some great items there, my favorites are the amazonite flower earrings and the all across the universe earrings… pretty!! Thanks for the chance to win! :o)

  54. Stacey says

    Oh, I already know what I’d use it on! The Botswana Agate Drop Necklace!! Beautiful stuff. Thanks for the chance to win!

  57. Michelle McCray says

    Oh, earrings!!! These are lovely. I would love to have a pair or two :0)

  59. JeNeal says

    I love your jewelry and I absolutely love your advice!!! It was honest and so very true! I am still trying to find a single thing i’m passionate about instead of a 1000 different things!! Love it!

  61. Rachel K says

    I love the amazonite flower earrings and the marigold bouquet earrings! She has such pretty things!

  70. Kiley says

    everything in her shop is SO cute! I especially love the earrings. my fav are the hot pink filigree earrings. ♥

  78. Kristen Hess says

    Just love your stuff. Especially the owl earrings.

    And thanks for the inspiring story. I really do need to set more “short term” goals for myself. :)

    -Kristen Hess
    @KristenUH

  83. Jen @ Sunny Vanilla says

    I almost teared up just a smidge because I felt like I was reading about myself. Thank you so much for the helpful insight and inspiration. I was once a third grade teacher and I used to tell my students all the time, “slow and steady wins the race.” I must always remind myself of that as I work to open my own shop.

    Your work is fun and creative and I love all of it. Congrats and best of luck to you!!!

  86. Mary B says

    Love, love, love the owl earrings! We have several owls in our neighborhood and I love to listen to them at night. We had one on our roof a few weeks ago in the early evening. It just say there and my whole family spent time just staring at it! So cool!

  94. Claygirlsings says

    So many cute things! I really like the blue sakura earrings, although with my need for surgical steel earwire, I’d probably opt for a necklace instead.

  96. Kim says

    Love everything! I especially love that this fabulous shop is from a mom who loves her family, loves her job, and has found something that is uniquely hers!

  97. Laurie G. says

    Such adorable jewelry! Now that I have short hair, I LOVE wearing fun, dangly earrings like those owls ;o)

  101. Michelle C says

    Love that necklace in the last photo! Super cute. Thanks for the chance to win!

  106. Vanessa B says

    yep, I tend to be my own worst enemy too when it comes to my crafts :-) when everyone else loves it I still se that one “spot”, LOL! Thanks for a chance to win a great GC!

  121. Tiffany says

    I enjoyed reading your story Angie. I agree with you on so many points about being your own biggest critic, same here! I used to scrapbook as well and feel like now I get to be even more creative. Good Luck with your store and the necklace with the 5 beads is my fav.

  123. Sarah says

    Awww…you sound like a wonderful person ~ your proud of such amazing compliments – being a mom, wife, and educator! Love your jewelry!!

  129. Kathleen says

    What a great shop! I love the faceted coral necklace or the red coral necklace. Thanks so much for offering the give-away.

  136. Michele says

    I love Angie and her blog. Her jewelry is awesome! I’m glad she put a reminder on her blog to enter the giveaway :)

  139. Leah C. says

    Thank you for sharing your shop! You are amazing for balancing work, family, and “you” time. Too few women remember to do things just for them!

  143. Verena says

    What beautiful bright colors! Thanks for offering this giveaway, I’d be so pleased if I won it!

  146. Trish says

    I love, love, love her shop!! Everything Angie makes is so much fun!! I own a pair of her Chantilly Lace earrings and they are to die for!

  147. Meg says

    Thank you for the encouragement to follow our true passions! It’s inspiring to know that I could make a living from what I like to do best!

  148. Jamie Hill says

    Very good advice, Angie. I’ve recently taken to creating some fun things with my sewing machine, and the thought has crossed my mind about selling them….now I can use you and your advice as an inspiration!

  151. Lisa says

    Love her shop and her story! Thanks Gussy for linking us all up with a chance to win a shop credit and to add yet another to my favs! ;)

  154. Abby says

    I love that Angie @ Ike&Co!!! :) We met in grad school and have been blog buddies ever since. She gives me hope that one day I can pull off the “mom thing.” ;-)

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