Meet Kaley Decker of Kaley Jewelry Co. & Merci Chloe

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaley Decker.

Kaley, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
When I was younger, I became interested in fashion and loved how it was creative and allowed me so much freedom to express myself. I secretly dreamed of having a career in fashion, but I didn’t believe I was good enough to “make it” so I put my dreams on the backburner and focused on building a career that felt more attainable to me.

By the time I entered my thirties, I had completely lost sight of my own creative side. I was in a career I thought I loved, but deep down I felt a desire for something more. I just didn’t know what that was so I kept at the corporate climb hoping I’d find what I was missing.

In November of 2015, my wake up call came when I gave birth to my daughter Chloe. And a little over a year later she made me do something I never thought I’d do: quit my advertising career to become a stay-at-home mom. It was the scariest decision I’ve ever made, but it’s one I’ll never regret.

Becoming a mother brought me back to something I had been ignoring for far too long: myself. I had been so distracted by all the things I needed to be and do to be deemed successful that I completely overlooked “me.” The irony of this timing is that, as a mother, I had almost zero time and space to call my own. So, I had to get creative. I declared 2017 as the year of self-care and set out to find myself.

Two major things emerged from this.

First, I realized through my own experience of becoming a mother that there was a general lack of emotional support for women as they transition into their role as mothers. I was compelled to share my own journey of motherhood in hopes that it would help other women. So I started a blog called Merci Chloe to provide resources and support for women as they transition into motherhood. The blog’s main focus is on the woman behind the mom — giving us permission to put ourselves first so that we can be better for ourselves and our families.

Second, through creating Merci Chloe, I rediscovered my creativity. Whether it was painting with my daughter or sketching with charcoals on my own, I started playing with art and design again. One day, I came across an opportunity to take a jewelry making class, and I signed up. From the moment I stepped into the class, I was hooked and couldn’t get enough. I was literally giddy inside. I knew I had found something special.

I think it struck me because jewelry combines my love of art and fashion. And it was a perfect outlet for me to have something for me in addition to being a mom. As I learned more techniques and experimented with more and more designs, I discovered that people really appreciated the pieces I was creating—and wanted to buy them! One thing led to another and what started as a hobby pretty quickly led to Kaley Jewelry Co.

I view these two ventures as part of one big shift in my life—from being lost to finding true purpose and fulfillment as a mother and entrepreneur who hopes to inspire and empower women.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
No, quite the opposite! It’s a bit cliché, but I think the biggest obstacle has been facing fears that were holding me back and choosing to have faith in my ability to overcome.

The day I launched my jewelry collection, I was so scared. But it was one of those things I just had to do. The fear didn’t matter. And the support from friends and family really helped.

Another challenge has been letting go of my perfectionist tendencies. I’ve had to stop comparing myself to others who are more established and just trust that if I stay true to who I am and the vision that I have, the opportunity to impact more people will present itself in time.

Time has also been a big hurdle. As a stay at home mom, I don’t have a ton of extra time, so I’ve had to get intentional (and creative) with how I use it. I’m used to moving very quickly through corporate deadlines, so this was a big adjustment for me. What would have taken me a couple weeks or months to execute my jewelry designs, took me seven months while I was juggling my 24/7 work as a mom.

Add to this the fact that you can’t force creativity. I’ve had to learn to ride the waves of creativity. There are times when I wake up in the middle of the night with jewelry designs in my head or a post idea for Merci Chloe, and I can’t get out of bed fast enough to bring them to life.

And then I go through dry spells where the ideas don’t flow as easily, and I feel as though I’m losing time or not making progress. I’ve had to embrace this natural rhythm and take advantage of the times I’m feeling inspired.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Kaley Jewelry Co. & Merci Chloe story. Tell us more about the business.
I design and make jewelry with intention and purpose. The jewelry isn’t just a fashion accessory; each piece is handmade using high-quality materials that carry symbolism and healing qualities to empower and support the woman wearing it.

One of the main messages that our jewelry embodies is the idea of fierce femininity. That as a woman you don’t have to choose between being strong or sensitive or bold or soft.

I’ve discovered that jewelry has the ability to embody this concept in really fun ways, and I love playing with the juxtaposition of fierce and feminine — pairing softer colors, healing stones, and dainty chains with more organic, rugged, textured elements.

This is probably what I’m most proud of — how tightly integrated the message I want to spread it with the actual end product — from the way the pieces look to the story they tell through their names and descriptions to the feeling they give the women wearing them.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
This is a tough one for me. Coming from the marketing world, I’m hardwired to obsess over the numbers and the bottom line. But I’m a new player in two very competitive arenas, so I’ve had to shift my mindset a bit.

Now, I try to focus more on the enjoyment of what I’m doing, making sure I love what I’m creating and continuously refining my process to improve the end product.

At the end of the day, I want to love what I do, and I want to create jewelry and content that others will enjoy and be inspired by. I see that as success.

Pricing:

• Jewelry retails for $30 – $150
• We have t-shirts that range from $22-$25.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/kaleyjewelryco & www.mercichloe.com
• Email: kaleyjewelryco@gmail.com & mercichloeatl@gmail.com

Image Credit:
Mary Hannah Harte Photography

Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.