Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jeanae Pennington. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jeanae, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. 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 came up with the idea to start Lucy J Accessories by seeing the “need” in terms of completing a look for your outfit. As a former wardrobe stylist, one of my favorite moments on sets or shopping for my clients would be picking out a variety of accessories for them. I was able to build a glamorous look or a simple look just by providing a particular accessory such as sunglasses, a hat, a necklace, or statement earrings. I decided that I wanted to create a business that provides access for people all over the world to build their looks and elevate their outfits from accessories. We have options for everyone from simple and cute to bold and fierce Lucy J Accessories provides that at an affordable price.

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’m from Detroit but I have lived in LA for 9 and a half years now. I originally moved here for college where I attended The Art Institute for Fashion Design. In my sophomore year, I changed my major to Fashion Marketing Merchandise Management because I learned very quickly that you can be the most creative person in the room but if you don’t know the business side you will not make it in any industry. That was one of the best decisions I have ever made for myself because it prepared me for having my own business. Throughout my time in college, I did internships assisting other Fashion Stylists on red carpets, magazines, talk shows, and TV shows. I fell in love with the styling process so I became a freelance wardrobe stylist and got my own clients for a few years. I am forever thankful for the humble beginnings because I saw all of the hard work that happens behind the scenes and I was able to form some new connections with models, photographers, and graphic designers.

In 2019 on a random night, I got the idea to start my own E-commerce accessories company. Originally there was a theme to the brand and that was a phase I was going through so that did not last long. I came up with the name quite easily. Lucy is the short version of my middle name “Lucille” and also my great-grandmother’s name on both sides of my family. J of course is for my name “Jean’ae” which is from my grandmother Jean. Accessories of course for what I am selling to my clients. The name is an extension of my ancestors and a family legacy of some fabulous women who came before me. We will be celebrating 4 years on Black Friday and it has been a journey!

Being an Entrepreneur is already demanding but being a very hands-on business owner of a fashion brand is another thing. Every single detail matters! From the website design, social media, accessories selections, photography, graphics, packaging, pricing, etc. Not everyone can do it or some will stop after seeing how demanding it is. I still love my brand and I am excited for our future and adding more to the company beyond accessories.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A lesson that I had to unlearn quickly was that I could do everything for my company by myself. I created everything in the beginning from the website, social media pages, packaging, newsletter, and content. I burned myself out quickly and realized that if I am going to succeed at this I must bring in some help. I took it back to how I got my start and posted on social media about an internship opportunity to assist me with the content and social media.

I have had 2 assistants since then and my latest assistant has been with me for almost 2 years. She has been the biggest blessing. A team is essential for success and you can go further with the right people in your corner.

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

My assistant and I have built and maintained our social media presence by consistently posting and staying on top of what are the newest trends in accessories. I personally don’t like quick trends since they go out of style quickly but I have compromised by adding a piece or 2 to our site and that has worked very well so far. TikTok is the place to be so we do a lot of videos showing our audience how they would get their items when they purchase from us. Lastly, we do monthly pop-up shops and those are my personal favorite. Since we are a online business it is very important to get out there with the people and let them see our inventory in person and try things on.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lucyjaccessories.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lucyjaccessories/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LucyJAccessories

Image Credits
@LuciusjamesIV