Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Neville

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?

Special Sparkle was created to assist Kelly in leading a fulfilled and productive life after school came to an end for her. She loves fashion, style and bling so what better way to express that than to create fashionable jewelry. Special Sparkle® is a mother/daughter team where mom designs along with Kelly, and Kelly makes all the jewelry.

Special Sparkle® was a solution to two problems we were having at the end of high school. The first was finding a competitive paying job for Kelly that was more than just a few hours a week. And the second was earning work credits so that she could apply for SSDI and receive early entrance into Medicare.

When school ends for individuals with disabilities it can be a huge adjustment. Not having anything to do or anywhere to go can be depressing. I was going to leave my job I had at the time to assist Kelly and we were not going to sit around all day. After looking with no success, I realized that the only way to provide Kelly with what we were looking for was to create it!

Kelly had always loved jewelry and she used to say she was going to own a jewelry company one day and then one day that “joke” became the seed that was planted to begin Special Sparkle®. Kelly and I went to Hobby Lobby, she picked some beads she liked and we tried to make some items. We had to see if she could do it, and if she liked it. Kelly has good fine motor and was quite good at stringing beads. She loved the sparkle and felt pride in her finished work.

Once Kelly made a bunch of items it was time to sell them so we started participating in craft fairs and eventually created a website. A lot of what we did not know how to do, we asked for help from our local SCORE agency. SCORE is the nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors. They helped us in every way to navigate our way through starting this business. And 13 years later we are still going strong and loving every minute!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?

Special Sparkle® began as a “let’s try this and see where we go” type of adventure. We were not sure if Kelly could make jewelry independently or if her fine motor skills were adequate for the task of stringing beads. How long she would be able to make jewelry without getting tired or bored was another concern. I was also concerned about how we would go about selling these creations. And finally, would Kelly like what she was doing and would this be something that she would wake up in the morning with excitement about and not feel like her job was a chore that she just had to do.
After a trip to Hobby Lobby and some online ordering we set it up and Kelly became the artist, creative director and entrepreneur she always said she was. It was easy for her. Her fine motor was always good and she blossomed in confidence and creativity. Above all else, though, is that she loved what she was doing. When we speak about our business we do emphasize that trying things and deciding it is or isn’t for you is a big part of the adventure. We were lucky and found a great fit off the bat, but it is OK to say that you want to try something different.
We became a mother/daughter team and work well together. We still needed to figure out the selling part of the equation and slowly found outlets to sell Kelly’s creations. One of our biggest obstacles was convincing people that Kelly was indeed the maker of the jewelry. This was a frustration for Kelly, but we started bringing something for her to make on site so people could see her making her creations which sparked conversation, and Kelly was in love with the attention! We have had some setbacks along the way, had to figure out some accommodations and modifications to find the best solutions to everyday issues when running a business, and received some help from Score.org for some business guidance, but we worked through each step and grew. We take it day by day and have been able to work through whatever comes our way. We are in our 13th year of Special Sparkle® and we continue to learn and grow and have loved our journey since day 1!

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?

Kelly identifies as an artist and entrepreneur. She loves to be creative and if you ask her about her favorite part of her job she will tell you it is the creative parts. She loves to go to gem shows, shop online for beads and create possible new designs. Naming the items is especially fun for her and she is really good at coming up with the perfect names for the new bracelets.
When Kelly is not working on her jewelry you will find her making diamond paintings, coloring or painting. She loves to go on Pinterest and look for new craft ideas and is always up for a new project.
When we are out and about she is always noticing other people’s accessories, nails and style. She will also tell anyone she sees with something she likes how lovely they are or how much she likes their style. Having our business has allowed Kelly to explore her creative side and build confidence in who she is.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?

Score.org helped us get started with opening our business and walking us through obtaining a website, structuring our short and long term goals and where to seek outlets for selling.

Chris Ulmer of Special Books by Special Kids came out and interviewed Kelly in 2017. He has been around the world interviewing individuals with disabilities to let them tell their story. When he interviewed Kelly and aired their video it was as if a spotlight was shone on her and it propelled our business to the next level. While local craft fairs are still our main selling outlet, our website business grew substantially! We have shipped to every state in the USA! It also allowed us to reach more people and tell our story.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://specialsparkle.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/specialsparklejewelry
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/specialsparkle

Image Credits

Top photo taken by Brianna Lynn Photography.
All other photos taken by Karen Neville.