We recently connected with Erin Erhardt and have shared our conversation below.

Erin , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

I started Wandering Willow Designs after my youngest daughter was born. I’ve always been into art and have always considered myself an artist in a variety of medias. After life settled down with growing a family, I missed making art so much, I decided to get back into my love of art through jewelry making. I began creating what I call wearable art; jewelry that makes you feel like the best you with high quality gemstones and metals. That’s when Wandering Willow Designs was born.

I self taught myself the art of wire wrapping gemstones/stones. I progressively challenged myself and grew my craft that I implemented into my jewelry style; creating pieces of art. I’ve always had a certain vibe around my style, defined as a bohemian/gypsy, I’ve been drawn to this style my whole life. I later found out there was a reason for this. My heritage is just that. My grandmother was from Bohemia (when that was its own country), and her family were legit gypsies. So, my inner style was, in fact, a real part of me. I took that style and created what I make for Wandering Willow Designs, bohemian jewelry for the free spirit.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I started Wandering Willow Designs when I became a stay at home mom in 2014. It was more of a hobby that soon turned into a love for others that developed into an actual business. I posted my work on social media and soon found a following of my jewelry art on Facebook and Instagram. I started with basic designs that I used to make in high school. That quickly turned into large statement pieces to represent my heritage.

In 2018, my journey came to a dramatic halt. I lost coordination in my hands, legs and brain. I was struggling to function properly. I had slurred speech, could not write or walk without assistance. I was admitted to the hospital and told i had suffered a stroke and may not return to normalcy. After extensive testing and procedures, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Having lost my precision functions in my hands; I knew if I didn’t do anything, my dream of Wandering Willow Designs would come to an end. This was not an option for me. I found that jewelry making and designing was a viable therapy to help regain fine motor functions. I put my love and emotion into my pieces and without working hands and right arm working, I knew I needed to do something. I used jewelry making as a therapy for my fine motor skills. I didn’t give up. Even though there was so much pain; I fought through it. Slowly but surly my therapy paid off and i redeveloped function of my hands and retrained my brain to allow me to continue with my work. I have daily battles with myself, but after 5yrs I’ve learned how to cope and still continue the dream of being a jewelry designer.

I struggled. I fought. I cried so much that i was on the verge of closing the doors., I am proud of myself that I didn’t give in to my disease. I kept going. Soon enough, my designs were noticed by others and I was invited to run my own jewelry line down the runway at NYFW in 2021. My talents were recognized in being selected as Indie Fashions “2021 Designer of the Year” in NYC. I felt so free and inspired that I proceeded to make a whole new runway collection for 2022. I had my designs displayed in three separate runway shows where I networked with professional models who are now brand reps for Wandering Willow Designs. Through i’ve fought with this disease, i decided that living with MS would not define or destroy me. I developed my company; my brand, and my name to be more known at a higher level than I could have ever imagined.

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

I started my business on Facebook by creating a business page and a group that was specific to Wandering Willow Designs. Through networking with other handmade business on Facebook, I gained interpersonal relationships and networked in different groups. I promoted positivity and mental freedom to keep my business set apart from others. I learned there is a whole handmade community that sold their products together in Facebook selling groups; being referred to as WHAMs (Work at Home Moms). I gained a following on Facebook through word of mouth, others sharing their love of my work, sharing my business pages, and gaining repeat customers. Through this and selling in other online selling groups, I was able to grow my audience on social media. Networking at runway fashion shows also was a big marketing tactic for Wandering Willow Designs that gained some national notice.

There are a ton of groups for handmade small business sales. I wasn’t vibing with them, so I decided to create my own handmade selling group called Nomad Auction House on Facebook. I am big on empowering others so here, both vendors and members have a very safe and positive selling and buying environment. They can present what their talents are and what they were the best at making. This mind frame has created a selling space for others who have found success with sales. We invite all handmade businesses looking for a new audience, or who are just getting started, to sell in this group. With a team running this selling group with myself, and a group teamwork environment with vendors, we found that we all support each other. It has been one of the most successful ways to promote products and our businesses with a constantly growing group, gaining new customers and vendors every month.

We are willing to give any legitimate handmade business a chance at selling in this group. No one is left out,! And to me, that is most important. Where growing positive relationships and creating a safe marketplace together while working with each other to get our names out there.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

After getting diagnosed in 2018 with Multiple Sclerosis, with my first relapse, it took me 4 months to get back to my normal self. Since then, I have had several other relapses, all different symptoms from the others, and a treatment that created a blood clot that killed most of my right kidney. It took me months to recover once again, but jewelry making & designing literally turned into a therapy for me, and a continued therapy to this day.

I’ve learned that if I can over come one medical obstinate and regain my art again, I’m able to be resilient to any obstacles that come in my way. Whether it be medical, work or home life., it’s only made me stronger in having a higher appreciation for my art and business.

Contact Info:

• Website: Wanderingwillowdesigns.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/wandering.willow.designs
• Facebook: Facebook.com/wanderingwillowdesigns
• Other: Facebook Group: Facebook.com/groups/wanderingwillowdesigns

Image Credits
Image Credits: Jena Skara with Everlong Photography and Lynn Henley with Lynn Henley Photography