Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jennifer Welle. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Jennifer, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?
I certainly wish I had started sooner on this path. I love what I do. My craft is unique and touches many people and I have built many meaningful relationships through Lady Anvil!
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 background and context?
My journey to becoming an entrepreneur began over a decade ago. I was working at a university and supplementing my income with other part time work to make ends meet. My dad introduced me to hand stamping rings. It started as a weekend business at local events. It was fun and rewarding to make special keepsakes for people. Creating hand stamped jewelry led me down a path of creativity I had never known before. My business evolved into crafting vintage silverware jewelry and greatly expanding my product range. I took on Lady Anvil full time in 2015 when I married my husband and moved to Spring, TX. I have never been happier and more fulfilled.
Lady Anvil is unique in that each piece of jewelry is made at the shows and festivals I attend. The customer and I design together, and I craft their selection for them while they attend the event. It’s fun for them to be involved in the design process. I demonstrate my craft and the customers love to see a woman working with various tools like hammers, vices, bending and shaping tools to create their jewelry.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Probably the greatest struggle I have overcome in my business has been related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The past few years, for all entrepreneurs, has required incredible amounts of resilience. All of the events I would normally attend were cancelled indefinitely, and my business came to a total halt. It was a very emotionally difficult time.
I had to find a way to pivot my income stream and keep my customers engaged. I invested my energy into my online store and social media. With my fiscal sensibilities and a whole lot of faith, I was able to keep my business afloat through a time of stress and uncertainty. When shows and festivals started up again last Fall, it felt so good to be working again. It’s been very heartwarming to see returning customers (and new!) and other vendors I have befriended along the way.
Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?
I was able to fund my business with a savings account I had established over the years. I started out with small, modest craft shows and then as I got to know other vendors, they would direct me to bigger and better events. I would take vacation hours from my university job to attend the larger events so I could generate the income needed to operate the business without taking out any loans. I feel blessed that I was able to start up Lady Anvil in this way.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ladyanvil.com
- Instagram: @lady_anvil
- Facebook: Lady Anvil Keepsakes