Meet Meghan Smith of Desert Blondie Designs in Peoria

Today we’d like to introduce you to Meghan Smith.

Meghan, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I have been crafty and creative my entire life. My grandma taught me how to sew at a young age, and my mother always took me to the craft store to find items to fuel my creativity. I am born and raised in Arizona and attended ASU(Go Devils!) I spent 16 years working in multi-unit retail management and decided to re-invent myself after my 3rd son was born. The retail hours weren’t flexible or ideal for my young family, so I took a leap of faith and began working in Land Development. Three years later, I am a Project Manager for Pinnacle Land Development LLC and I absolutely LOVE what I do. Parts of the process are creative but much of it isn’t. I found myself making jewelry to wear and that really seemed to satisfy my creative spirit. Friends and Family asked me to make them jewelry too, so I took one more leap and created Desert Blondie Designs and opened a shop on Etsy. I thought that no one would ever buy from a small shop with ZERO sales, but here I am a year and 1/2 later with over 150 completed orders under my belt. I am really proud of this small business I have created, and it has been an incredibly inspiring journey for me.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
This has not been a smooth adventure, but anything worth doing in life usually isn’t easy, right? I cringe when I think of my original logo, but you have to start somewhere. I have learned so much through trial and error about the quality of the supplies and beads I use in my creations. It has also been huge learning with taxes and business related items too. I sometimes struggle with my ability to get orders done quickly. My family and my full-time career is my priority and will always take precedence, but my customers and followers I have gained have really embraced my story and never hesitate to purchase from me even with a 1-2 week turn around on orders.

Desert Blondie Designs – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I make jewelry. The majority of what I create is stretchy beaded bracelets made out of gemstones, crystals, wood beads, letter beads, accent metal beads, charms and so much more. Each piece I make is truly one of a kind, and even if someone requests one that looks like something they have seen on my IG feed, it is still one of a kind because each bead is unique and different from the next. I love using letter beads in my custom orders to spell out the names of loved ones that my customers want to carry close to them all day. It’s such a wonderful feeling for me to look down when I am busy at work and see my boys names on my wrist, something about that makes me feel like they are with me and it constantly reminds me of my WHY in life. I love all of the healing properties that gemstones I use offer. Essential oils are used in my household daily and I am happy that I get to offer diffuser bracelets using lava rock or clay beads to aid in diffusing healing oils for others. I taught myself how to hand stamp on metal and I will continue to learn new techniques and add to my shop offerings in the future. I am proud of the quality of the jewelry I offer and it really makes my heart happy that I get to make really special things for people that truly mean something to them. I created a special fertility bracelet with healing gemstones specific to what those women are going through, the response to those has been amazing. Many of my customers wear something I made with my own two hands & made with love almost daily – that’s extremely humbling.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I believe that what makes you successful is how you feel inside. It could be five completed orders or 1500, but it’s knowing that you’re delivering a quality product that you would wear yourself, it’s having the integrity to fix items if they break, it’s being an honest businesswoman and inspiring and lifting up other small shops like yours.

Hearing from my customers on how much they appreciate something I have made because they have lost a loved one and this bracelet with their name on it helps them have a little bit of peace while they are grieving – that is a success.

My WHY is my husband and my boys. I love showing my little boys what hard work looks like, that they can dream, and grow and do anything they want in life. We all have tough days, but it’s how you keep pushing that makes you successful. EVERYONE always says, “I don’t know how you do it all!” I don’t. I have an amazing support system from my husband, friends, and family. Being a working mom isn’t easy, and adding a side business sounds downright chaotic, but I pride myself in staying organized, staying positive (even when my plate is flowing over), and learning to let the little stuff go. The time I spend on orders for Desert Blondie Designs is my quiet time after my kids go to bed, everyone needs a little of that-right?!

Pricing:

• Word/Name Bracelets starting at $12
• Gemstone Bracelets starting at $15
• Diffuser Bracelets starting at $14

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/DesertBlondieDesigns
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/desertblondiedesigns
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/desertblondiedesigns/

Image Credit:
Danielle Paynter Photography

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