We were lucky to catch up with Lily Matthews recently and have shared our conversation below.

Lily, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s talk about social media – do you manage your own or do you have someone or a company that handles it for you? Why did you make the choice you did?

I created an instagram, tiktok and facebook for CreativityByLily. It’s definitely been one of the most influential and successful parts of my business. It has helped to show me other businesses in the local area, other teen entrepreneurs, and given me the opportunity to share my work with others all over the world. I made the choice to start social media for my business in order to expand my reach and create a following of people who are fond of my work. It helps me to create a positive community with others and meet other creators. I also sell my jewelry on Etsy and that’s my main source of online sales. I also use my social media to promote my products and events. I manage everything myself including my social media and as a teen, I enjoy social media but it can be hard to have good time management and keep track of trends, and not wasting time random scrolling online. So far I have 2.9 thousand followers and am still working on growing my account everyday. I have learned that posting good quality content at least once a day helps so much. Sometimes I can’t post every day and sometimes I don’t get the engagement that I hoped but other days I am blown away by the support. I would just say consistency and patience are very important and that feeling drained is normal. For me, being on social media all the time isn’t great and can make me feel worse about myself of my business so I have also learned to only go on when I have something I need to say and promote and make sure that I don’t spend too much time scrolling. I also recommend using hashtags and creating a niche/aesthetic. Allow for yourself to create what you love but also make sure it’s visually pleasing and engaging. Advice for future business owners-just start. Take the risks, spend the money in order to make the money and create the business that you are passionate about and let that light shine through to your buyers. Be yourself and don’t get discouraged when you are first starting out. Most companies take years to develop and take a while to become successful. Everyone has a different path and no ones journey is the same.

Lily, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hi my name is Lily! I was born in Rhode Island but moved to the Cape when I was 7. I started my business back in 2020 when I was 13 years old. Being in junior high school and stuck at home during quarantine I was so bored and dying for something to do to keep me busy. I always have been crafty and had an entrepreneurial mindset. From selling rainbowloom bracelets at the road race during the summer, to having lemonade stands I always wanted to make money and be my own boss. I got my ears pierced when I was 12 and as soon as I realized about all the different possibilities to styling and accessorizing myself I fell in love with jewelry. Jewelry was one thing that helped me to express myself and I always wore it. Before I had my ears pierced I wore headbands, necklaces and bracelets all the time. I loved sparkles and still do. Pink is my favorite color and that’s why my business is mostly pink themed and bright fun colors. It makes me happy and makes others happy too. As soon as I got my ears pierced I noticed how sensitive my skin was. They got infected fairly quick and I was nervous I would never be able to wear earrings. As soon as I found out about hypoallergenic jewelry I was thrilled. Then I looked at the price. I was not so happy anymore. I also live my the ocean and hated seeing jewelry tarnish and turn brown. That’s when the lightbulb came off. I realized that I could make my own jewelry that I could feel confident and comfortable in. I created an Etsy shop for fun and got a Cricut machine for my thirteenth birthday. I watched countless hours of tutorials on YouTube and was amazed at how much opportunity there was out there. I could create anything I wanted to and it was so much fun. As I became more experienced I took pictures and sent them to my family and friends and they were so supportive. I got some custom order requests and started posting them online Etsy. I got my first order a week later from a random person living in Arizona. I freaked out. I didn’t know what to do. I was shocked that this person I didn’t know wanted to not only purchase a piece of jewelry from me but something that I made with my own hands but put my whole heart into. I also didn’t have any shipping labels or thank you cards and had no idea what to do. I made a few handmade stickers for her and found a piece of paper that I made into a thank you card. It wasn’t what I was hoping my first order to look like but I was so proud of myself. As a thirteen year old girl, I was starting to learn more about myself and trying to figure out my purpose and passion in life. This was one of the most important moments for my business and instantly gave me the confidence to keep going. Now my jewelry is all hypoallergenic, waterproof/tarnish resistant and lightweight. Perfect for anyone looking for high quality affordable jewelry hand crafted and designed by yours truly. I follow the trends and create preppy beachy designs that are inspired by the Cape, my love for the ocean and bright colors. Our jewelry ranges from seed beaded anklets and necklaces. 14k gold and sterling silver Cape cod necklaces and bracelets. Real freshwater pearl necklace and anklets, dangle earrings and studs and so much more. What sets us apart from other brands is that we sell the best quality of jewelry for an affordable price as well as unique one of a kind gifts and accessories that will give you the confidence you need each day. We have our brand engraved on our cape cod necklaces and bracelet and sell our products in 5 stores on and off cape. I am most proud of my resilience and confidence to keep going and to starting this business as a young woman who was worried about what others would think and if it would be a joke to people in my school. I am most proud of how hard I have worked towards my goals and never giving up. I want my followers and clients to know that every piece is made with so much love and thought and that each smile makes our day. Seeing you wear our jewelry feels like a huge hug and makes me want to keep going and growing my business.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I have always been a genuine person. With owning up to my mistakes, being friendly and honest with my customers. I think just being myself and staying loyal to my brand and what I stand by has helped me build my reputation with my market and introduced me to positive and supportive people.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.

I chose to use Etsy as my main platform for online sales. I have thought about starting a tiktok shop but haven’t yet. I really enjoy using Etsy because it helps share my products to others all over the world and helps people find me easier. I don’t like how they take a fees though and percentages of my sales. I wish they didn’t and then it would be perfect. I enjoy reading the reviews and positive feedback from my customers but don’t appreciate the cost and fees. I have thought about starting my own website but I need to learn how.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CreativityByLilyCo
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creativitybylily.co/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/CreativityByLilyCo/
• Other: TikTok- https://www.tiktok.com/@creativitybylilyco?_t=ZP-8y5mqUyY8bP&_r=1