We recently connected with Melissa Panszi Riebe and have shared our conversation below.

Melissa , appreciate you joining us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

I started my business later in life. I had two masters and a successful career. I felt like something was missing. I was around 45ish when I started dabbling with selling my jewelry, and did a few shows. I remember getting my business account and square, but really still treated it like a hobby. I kept making excuses why I couldn’t do it completely start. I thought everything had to be perfect. I met with an acquaintance (now friend) who told me, ‘nothing will ever be perfect and if you are waiting for that, you will never begin. You just need to start and you will grow from there.” I went home and start planning more on how to go from being a social worker to a jewelry maker and business owner. I had started compartmentalizing my business, not mixing personal with business, and it felt weird and not authentic. Covid happened, George Floyd was murdered, and I thought to myself, I”m going to share who I am and be true to my beliefs and what is important. I decided to donate 10% to featured nonprofits, share who I am. This was my company and people needed to know the person behind the creations.

I started to utilize Instagram from my marketing and putting my face and personality out there. I joined groups with PR experts, social media experts, and surrounding myself with other business owners. I did more shows, made more connections, and things started to snowball and I started to grow.

It has been the most I have ever worked and I have had to overcome fear and push myself to be out of my comfort zone more than ever before, but it has been the most rewarding time.

Melissa , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a female Latine jewelry maker/business owner. I grew up in the Midwest. I have two masters, Social Work and Nonprofit management . I worked predominantly in the medical social work field, mainly with death and dying and cancer.

While I worked as a social worker, I enjoyed making jewelry for fun. I would find found objects or take old pieces and take them apart and make new pieces. I would love to hear the stories about where the piece came from and who owned it. These gave these pieces a story, meaning, a purpose.

What started happening is that people started donating items because if was from someone they loved but didn’t want to throw away and liked it was being used for other pieces and these pieces gave back . I am so proud when I can honor someone’s loved one. When someone buys a piece and they hear the story about where the beads came from and they make their own memories while honoring that persons’ memory .

I believe that everyone has a story and that story is important. What we wear helps tell our story and is part of our memories. My goal is that when people wear my creations that they feel the strength and the beauty of who they are and they are able to share their beauty with the world by wearing the beauties that I create.

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

As a woman in her 50s social media was not originally in my wheelhouse, but as I started to grow my business I knew I had to make it a part of my marketing and sales plan. To say this was out of my comfort zone is an understatement.

I joined a social media group run by Kar Brulhart that not only showed how to make reels and deal with social media ,but explained how to be strategic. How to approach social media like a business and not a waste of time.

The key part was to put my face on the camera. Be yourself, because it will show if you are not. have fun. What is amazing is how many people watch and don’t realize it. I have been public and been recognize just from instagram.

The other thing and most important is to be consistent. Even if it is 2-3 times a week. Be consistent and committed to that.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best source has been other customers. They wear what I create and they share my information . I also have received a lot of new clients from collaborations with other makers . That has proven to be the fastest way to expand my customer base.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.adzineny.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/adzineny
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adzineny/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-panszi-riebe-mnm-lcsw-2543397/