{sponsor feature: Ike & Co.}

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.