We recently connected with Cole Parker and have shared our conversation below.

Cole, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Before we talk about all of your success, let’s start with a story of failure. Can you open up about a time when you’ve failed?

My first online jewelry company was based on more traditional, classic jewelry and I struggled to make sales outside of friends and family. I made a few sales to strangers, but it just wasn’t growing. One day, I had some spare materials from an unrelated project and turned them into a tassel necklace – I was immediately hooked! This was the niche for me. The next day I opened Madame Tassel’s, specializing in colorful, unique, tassel jewelry. It was the best business decision I’ve ever made. In six months, I’ve turned my idea into a real business and I plan to keep growing! Plus, I’m more proud of what I make now – it’s more unique and definitely more colorful.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I initially started my jewelry business on Etsy well before Covid, but between working two other jobs and being new to online business I struggled to grow beyond sales to friends and family. Recently however, I was able to start work as a librarian which finally allowed me the time to time to focus on my business; sales are growing by the day.

Being a business owner is, admittedly, a struggle – I wake up around 4am to make jewelry, prepare social media, and fulfill any orders before going to work – but this business is my passion and I’m obsessed with making it succeed.

My specific niche is tassel jewelry (mainly necklaces) which might not be for everyone, but no one else makes jewelry like mine, and their vibrant colors and design help people show off their creativity, style, and love of life. Each piece is handmade and unique – just like every one of my customers.

It surprises some people to learn that my background isn’t in art or design. I actually graduated as a political science major with the hope of going into public health policy, but the recession of 2008 (the year I graduated) made it hard to find work and diagnosed anxiety / PTSD only added to the challenge. A friend suggested jewelry-making as a form of meditation and self care; it clicked immediately and it’s been my life ever since.

Now I can happily say my anxiety and flashbacks are pretty much under control, and I throw my heart and soul into my small jewelry business. Who knew that a random suggestion from a friend would grow into an obsession, and then a business?

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I struggle with severe chronic pain diagnosed as fibromyalgia. When I first get up, I don’t know whether I’m going to have a good day or a bad, agonizing pain day. As a business owner, you have to be able to work even on bad days, including being active on social media, getting orders out on time, sourcing unique materials, and listing new products. I admittedly struggle on bad pain days and during fibromyalgia flare-ups. It’s extremely difficult sometimes, but I somehow manage to get everything done, even when I can hardly get out of bed.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

I’m a small artisan of handmade jewelry and although there are some issues I really appreciate the platform that Etsy has built. Instead of having to manage my own website and advertising, they take some of the weight off, and I can focus more on my craft. My designs, my materials, and my creativity are what make me unique – using such a popular platform allows me to benefit from the television and web advertisements they run, and the broader ecosystem of vendors (and customers!) that they’ve created. A website may be in the cards for me in the future, but right now, I’m very happy with how well Etsy works for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/madametassels
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madametassels/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/madametassels
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/madametassels