We recently connected with Britney Semago and have shared our conversation below.
Britney, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
After finding some jewelry while shopping and freaking out when I saw the price tag, all I could think was “I could make that”! I snapped a pic of the necklace, started researching materials and got to work. After creating my own version of the expensive necklace I had to have, friends and family began asking me to make one for them. That was when my love for jewelry making was truly established. I found that creating different pieces was not only therapeutic, but it was a way for me to add that finishing touch to my outfit without breaking the bank on name-brand jewelry accessories. After receiving loads of encouragement from the best friends and family, I finally opened my Etsy shop, Pink Bird Co, in 2018. The name ‘Pink Bird’ came effortlessly as I wanted the brand of my shop to truly feel local but also be meaningful to me! I have always had an affinity for the Roseate Spoonbill, a beautiful pink bird native to the Tampa Bay area, and knew this would be the foundation of my little jewelry shop. After nearing the 1000 order milestone online, holding a few pop-ups, and living the jewelry-making grind, Pink Bird jewelry can now be found in a few local boutiques within the Tampa area! I am incredibly grateful to have found a way to not only create custom jewelry for customers, but to also incorporate local pieces into each seasonal collection. It has been so rewarding to feel the support from the community, and I am so excited to see what the future holds for Pink Bird Co!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
After moving from Virginia in 2008 to attend the University of South Florida, I quickly knew Tampa would be my forever home. Fast forward to the launch of Pink Bird Co 10 years later, Tampa Bay plays a huge part in how I design my jewelry and put collections together. Every collection has at least one piece that is related to Tampa in some way, even if it’s a subtle detail!
My main goal is creating minimalist jewelry that goes with just about anything but is still unique and affordable, but my FAVORITE thing is to create pieces that are specific to the Bay Area and provide an effortless way for other Tampa locals to rep their favorite city or our sports teams! It has been a fun journey bringing my jewelry dreams to life, but it has not come without challenges and feeling not-so-motivated at times. Aside from running Pink Bird and creating jewelry pieces on the reg, I also work full time as a Project Manager and am a mama of one, which is the greatest ‘job’ of all! In the midst of all of this craziness, I somehow find time to put the responsibilities aside and get out on the water for some fishing and diving with my husband (aka, my biggest cheerleader ever) and little one. It’s been pretty great to be have built a little business over the years doing what I love, but I think it’s even cooler when people find out more about the person behind the business. Getting to know who you are supporting by shopping small brings an extra level of appreciation to that purchase in my opinion!
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
Building my social media following is still a work in progress for me, but one thing that has certainly helped is knowing who makes up my target audience and interacting with them. I research various hashtags or local boutiques that I would love to have my jewelry in and try to build a relationship with their following by liking peoples’ comments, giving them a follow, or just posting something kind on their page to brighten their day. It’s little things that take minimal time but make a big difference in who chooses to follow your business and eventually turn into a customer.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
I feel that consistency and communication play the biggest role in building Pink Bird’s reputation. Creating jewelry that is consistently great quality at an affordable price yields happy customers, which yields positive reviews- Yay!! Positive reviews play a huge role in why someone will choose your product over someone else’s, so I put a huge amount of effort in this area by taking my time when making jewelry. Some items will take me hours to create, give me tons of blisters and dry skin on my hands, but getting that five star review and seeing someone super happy to have jewelry I made makes it all worth it! I also feel that building an intentional relationship with customers through timely and kind communication is key! It’s always nice to feel like if you need help or have a special request, you aren’t talking to a robot! I try to respond to customers right away to they know they are being prioritized, but I also try to have human and fun conversations so they get an idea of who the person is behind their jewelry. Being nice goes a long way!!
Contact Info:
- Website: pinkbirdshop.com
- Instagram: @pinkbird_tpa
- Other: etsy.com/shop/pinkbirdco