We were lucky to catch up with Kerri Pine recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kerri, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
Two things play a part in this. First, I’ve always loved fashion & personal style. It’s so fun to get dressed and have fun with it. One day you might find yourself in a power-suit, and the next in matching tie dye sweatpants, but can all be exciting. Especially with accessories. People have always taken an interest in things I’m wearing and would ask where I bought something. Eventually I realized this could be more than just “something I liked”. Additionally, I found that there was a hole in the market. It hard to find good quality jewelry that didn’t break the bank. I knew there was jewelry out there that was strong and held up to the elements without spending a lot of money. It took me a bit to find exactly what I was looking for and had things made. That’s when I really started to feel like I had a brand. There was a real reason people should purchase from me. I have an entire SHOWER SWIM GYM line of jewelry that lets you do it all without having to remove your jewelry!
Kerri, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Iv’e always wanted to emerse myself in fashion one way or another. I just knew I need to be a part of it in some way shape or form. I’ve found thatJewelry is such a fun way to express yourself and no matter what else might be changing in life (ie, pregnancy ) your jewelry always fits. This was when I really started getting creative with jewelry and accessories. It’s so fun to see a “boring” outfit transform with a necklace and pair of earrings!
I not only wanted someone to find a peice of jewelry they liked from my collection, but I wanted them to be able to wear it forever if they wanted to. They shouldn’t have to take it off everytime they wash their hands, go to the gym, or take a shower. Our SHOWER SWIM GYM collection is now the majority of our jewelry and by mid 2023 it will be the only jewelry we curate.
I’m most proud that I basically did this on my own! I hired my first employee in 2020 and everything else I have either done myself or contracted out small jobs.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
Email Marketing! In the world of social media, emails are the only thing you own! If a social media platform was to go down, you can’t reach your customers. With email, you can always reach them. About half of of my sales come from email. It’s a mix of weekly email campaigns as well as many funnels that I set and let them do their thing.
In addition to email marketing, influencers have been most effective in reaching new people (to put on my email list :) ) You don’t need to use a influencer with a large following either, as long as they have good engagement. I took a chance on a brand new influencer right around the time I started Harper & Jewels, and she is HUGE now. I’m so happy we took a chance on each other!
How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.
I primarily use Shopify. I’ve dipped my toes in the etsy pool for a bit but it wasn’t for me. It all goes back to owning your customers. With etsy, you have to communicate via their platform only. And not to be super repetitive about email, but they don’t even give you your customers email address. They are essentially Etsy’s customer, not mine.
I have toyed with the idea of Amazon but I think that takes away from the small business feel I’ve worked hard to protect over the last 7.5 years.
With Shopify I have full control of everything which is super important when you own a business.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.harperandjewels.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/harperandjewels
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/harperandjewels
- Other: Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/harperandjewels
Image Credits
All photos taken by me