Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Hultquist.
Hi Jessica, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always dreamed of owning my own business. My career started out at Marshall Fields as a merchandiser in the buying office. My husband and I moved to Atlanta, and I continued working in wholesale for some incredible companies. I learned a lot in the field, representing names like Waterford Crystal, Wedgwood China, Kenneth Cole, and Nina Footwear. I took a brief break from my career to spend more time with my three children. As they got older, I decided to get back into something creative and decided that I didn’t want any regrets in life. It was time to take all my experience and start something of my own. I’ve always loved jewelry and had done some buying for a few small businesses while I was home with the kids. This gave me the confidence to do it for myself. We started out as a subscription box company, and I soon found out I didn’t like the business model. I quickly pivoted to making my own jewelry and selling it in a couple local businesses. We have continued to grow the business offering both wholesale and consignment in over a dozen locations between GA and FL as well as presenting in multiple events each month.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Running your own business is challenging in many ways. One of the biggest challenges for me was spending my own money. The risks involved are much bigger when it’s coming out of your own budget versus a budget from a major company. I was used to having large sums of money to work with in my previous jobs with little risk. The stakes are much higher when the success of the business is all on you.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We are a women-run, family-operated small business. Our mission, through our jewelry, is to bring awareness to ending child trafficking. Every purchase gives back to The Butterfly Project, rescuing girls out of trafficking and abuse. Being able to connect people with the cause is incredible. Not only are we thrilled to bring our customers quality handmade jewelry, but it’s extra special knowing their purchase supports over 64 girls at The Butterfly Project.
My daughters and I design and make our jewelry by hand. We offer an assortment of 18k gold, nickel-free designs. We are known for offering lightweight, nickel-free, dainty pieces that include natural stones and pearls. We also like to work in small batches creating many pieces that are one of a kind.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
In the beginning, we made quite a few large purchases to start the business. This was risky because we put large sums of money into materials that weren’t already proven to sell. What I’ve learned along the way is to continually apply the concept, “slow and steady wins the race.” To me, this means temper the size of a purchase. Don’t buy too deep into any one material. I’ll design something and see how it sells over time before I add it permanently to our assortment. I laugh now because we still have materials from the first year we started designing. The blessing in this is that my daughters can use these materials to get creative and try new designs as they develop their personal design styles.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://
lemonstreetbox.com/ - Instagram: http://www.
instagram.com/LemonStreetBox
