We recently connected with Emily Grace and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Emily, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I have always been a creative person but the first time I realized i wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally was when I saw the faces of people i gifted my creations to light up in excitement. I was making jewelry for myself and family for fun and began to gift some of my creations to friends for their birthdays/holidays. I always got complimented on the accessories i was wearing that i had made so eventually i just took a leap of faith and said ” Why not try to make a living doing this since i enjoy it so much?” Fast fore-ward, its been almost 5 years of making jewelry full time, and although it is a lot of work owning my own business, I wouldn’t change it. The impact it has had on the people who purchase my jewelry makes it all worth it. Who doesn’t like to see a big smile on others faces? Its amazing how something as small as someone getting a new accessory could shift their whole day around.

Emily, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Emily Grace, owner/ founder of Mad Mellow. We are a crystal jewelry small business as well as a band that provides live entertainment at local bars/venues. I got into jewelry making simply by making things for myself and eventually branching out to starting the business once I saw how many people dug what i was creating. Who doesn’t like a good accessory to spice up your favorite outfit? I’ve always been a creative and artistic person and staying in that creativity keeps me calm and focused. The fact that others like my creations is just a plus. At Mad Mellow we have all your crystal jewelry needs covered as well as an assortment of 90s inspired rings, earrings, & enamel pins. We take custom orders as well if you have an idea you want to bring to life! I have also always been a writer. It started out growing up just to get thoughts out of my head as i tend to overthink a lot. As i grew older, the writing became more and more poetic. I have always had an extreme love for music as well and it was another outlet for me mentally. I grew up dancing and always felt music on a different energetic level. As i grew my jewelry business, I met more and more local bands and would always picture myself on the stage singing and sharing my poems and life experiences living with anxiety. As i sat in the background for a few years and observed, I started going to open jams and sharing my poems which were now turned into songs. With my music, I hope to reach people who are also struggling with mental health and that these people can find solace and comfort by listening to Mad Mellows music in hopes that they will know they’re not alone in their struggles, and that in fact, it is a lot more common than you would think. I am proud of how far I’ve come with my mental health and how I’ve created healthy outlets of release. I am also proud of how quickly the band has evolved and how much support we have gotten locally! I cant wait to see what the future holds! If you want to follow the band, We have original music out on Spotify under Mad Mellow, or on Instagram @mad.mellow,music. For the jewelry, its @og.mad.mellow!

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

The following Mad Mellow has built on social media is strictly organic. We don’t pay for followers or anything of that nature. We did unfortunately deal with a hacking incident a little over a year ago, so we had to start over and rebuild from the ground up, as we were unable to retrieve the account. This speed bump forced us to rebrand but in my opinion it was just another opportunity to learn and grow. Although we lost a lot of the following we had built, we are slowly making our way back. We are always looking for new ways to market, but if I’m being honest, I am not the best when it comes to technology and knowing what type of posts i need to gain the most traction. It’s all a continuous learning process as technology continues to change. If I have any advice, I’d say to watch what is trending and make videos/content that is similar. Also, just be yourself! Everybody loves authenticity!

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

The simplest/ cheapest way to show your love and support is to follow the social media accounts and like/share/comment on the posts! You can also always shop small! This allows your favorite small business to stay afloat and to stay in business. Also, Sharing the knowledge that the small business exists with your family and friends helps get the word out to people that may otherwise never come across the business in the first place.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://madmellowjewelry.com/
• Instagram: @og.mad.mellow & @mad.mellow.music
• Facebook: Mad Mellow Music & OG Mad Mellow
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2LlLJlkvy6qEOxLmfcaZoA
• Other: Spotify:

  https://open.spotify.com/artist/1Vvj3ywHNMWeTRXt6aBeeW?si=JPEVR0YGR_uZhWCQia5TGw