Check Out Amy Rees’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Rees.

Hi Amy, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in a small town in upstate New York, which is about as far from CNN headquarters as you can get — but that’s exactly where I landed straight out of college, and Atlanta has been home ever since. Seven years at CNN felt like a cross between grad school, a start-up, and a giant co-ed fraternity. I loved every minute of it. But life had other plans. After leaving CNN for a life in the suburbs and a marriage that turned out to be a lonely one, I was searching for something. A friend dragged me to a pottery class in Sandy Springs, and that studio quietly changed everything. Surrounded by creative, funny, real women — I found my people AND my passion. Those first hand-built pieces eventually became Personality Plates, a collection of hand-painted stoneware that celebrates female friendship and the women who show up for you, especially on your worst days. Fast forward through two divorces, raising two kids as a single mom, and a long corporate sales career that kept the lights on and sharpened my business instincts — I finally bootstrapped Personality Plates into a real brand. I’m still in Atlanta, still hand-building in my studio, and still firmly convinced that a creative outlet and good women can save just about anyone.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has not been a smooth road at all. Life or business.

On the life side, I have been through two divorces — one of which led me to be a full-time working mom of two young children. I was trying to succeed in commission-based sales jobs while still trying to be there 100 percent for my kids when they were home from school. Trying to keep the financial stress and worry from them, while trying to keep my cool after a long, hard, frustrating day, and still trying to give them the best version of myself… it was exhausting. I’m sure I failed on many occasions.

On the business side, the highs are high and the lows are low. In the past few years, my sales have fallen off as I’ve watched other product-based entrepreneur friends and mentors have to completely shut their businesses down. We’ve seen retailers like Painted Tree close their doors nationally, and local boutiques go out of business. Being the owner of a small brand is especially difficult right now, as people are tightening their purse strings due to rising costs of living. But I will not give up!

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The simplest way to explain my work is this: I’m a hand-building potter and the artist behind Personality Plates® – a collection of hand-painted stoneware that I created, and then turned into manufactured tableware, as a tribute to the women who showed up for me when I needed them most.

What I specialize in is celebrating sisterhood and community. Every collection I design has a story behind it. A feeling, a specific kind of woman or bond that I wanted to honor. The plates aren’t just decorative – they’re functional, food-safe, dishwasher safe, and designed to actually live on your table. But the emotion behind them is the real intent. I include a card with every set that shares the sentimental meaning behind the collection, because I want women to connect with the pieces the way I did when I was making them.

What sets me apart is probably the fact that I am the brand. My story isn’t the backstory – it’s the foundation. I didn’t set out to launch a product line. I set out to create something meaningful for the women in my life, and it grew from there. Each collection is inspired by real relationships, real chapters, real women… including the ones who carried me through two divorces and the years I spent raising my kids on my own.

What I’m proud of is that the work still feels personal, even as the brand grows. I hear from customers all the time that their friend, sister, mom or aunt opened a set and absolutely loved it. Those messages mean everything to me. That “this is SO her” moment is exactly what I was going for. I’m also proud that giving back is genuinely part of the mission – not just a line on a website. Over the past few years, I’ve been involved with fundraisers, in-kind donations, creating a collection that supports breast cancer awareness, and when I can, I use our platforms to amplify organizations that support women who need it. Because not everyone is lucky enough to have a village or sisterhood around them, and I know what it felt like to need it.

We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
It might surprise people to know that I spent my high school and early college years dreaming of being a lawyer.
A courtroom lawyer to be exact. In high school I was even invited to participate in a mock trial at Syracuse University, and I was sure that’s what I wanted to do. Obviously, life led me elsewhere 🙂

Pricing:

• * Set of 4 Plates – $69.95 retail
• *Special Offer to Readers – VOYAGE2026 for 15% off

Contact Info:

• Website: https://personalityplates.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amywynnedesigns and https://www.instagram.com/personality_plates
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmyWynneDesigns
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amystraussrees
• Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@personality_plates