Meet Emily Schneider

Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Schneider.

Hi Emily, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have always loved making jewelry! For my 8th birthday party, all my friends and I learned how to make beaded necklaces from a pro! In middle school, I made beaded cross bracelets and sold them a little boutique in my hometown. In high school, the jewelry making hobby faded away as I focused on sports. In 2016, I graduated and headed off to the University of South Carolina, where I majored in Retail Management and Business Administration. The summer after my freshman year of college, my mom and I were walking around Scott’s Antique Market; we found some cool beads and a few charms and Emily Anne Designs was born! That summer I made so many necklaces, recruited my friends to be models, and built my first website! When I headed back to school in the fall, I really enjoyed taking the concepts I was learning in the classroom and applying them to my business. In 2019, Emily Anne Designs finally started feeling more like a business than a hobby. I started doing trade shows and pop up shops and was having so much fun!

When my senior year of college started in the fall of 2019, I told myself that if I reached the sales goal I had set at the beginning of the year, I would take this full business time when I graduated. I did it. 2020 started and I headed back to Columbia for my last semester of college. Don’t get me wrong, I still had a lot of doubt of whether I could really support myself with this business, but I was determined to give it my best shot. By the end of January 2020, I had more trade shows and pop-ups scheduled than I had ever done and couldn’t wait to see what the year held! I got my first two pop-up shops done in February and then Covid hit and every single show I had planned was canceled. It was frustrating, but at that point, companies weren’t hiring so whether I was really ready or not, Emily Anne Designs was my full-time job. Without being able to go to shows, I started the wholesale side of my business and was able to get into a few boutiques. I hosted my own socially distanced pop up shop in my home town and was so fortunate to be able to attend a few last-minute trade shows. 2020 ended up being the best year for this little business and I am so grateful for all the support I have received. I am so proud of Emily Anne Designs, but it would be nothing without all the love and support my parents have given me as they allow me to chase my dreams.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There have definitely been obstacles along the way! 2020 as a whole was one giant obstacle course. At the beginning of Emily Anne Designs, I really struggled with finding my own style and creating cohesive collections. When I look at some of the pieces I made in 2017, they are nothing like the pieces I have now. I have grown so much in the last three years and I learn something new every day.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Emily Anne Designs is a handcrafted jewelry and gift company with a mission to make every girl feel like her best self by providing high quality and affordable jewelry. Every piece of jewelry is handmade in my studio. We use 14k gold filled or sterling silver materials to create pieces that can be lived in. I think that is something that really sets us apart from others. You can swim, shower and workout in our jewelry without it tarnishing or turning your skin green.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
When I moved to Atlanta, I join the ATL Girl Gang group, which is an organization for networking, but it is so much more than that. I have met some great friends through it and they host pop-up shops for women-owned businesses, which have been great!

Contact Info:

• Email: emily@emilyannedesigns.com
• Website: https://www.emilyannedesigns.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyannedesigns/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emilyannedesignsjewelry