We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Maria Carleton. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Maria below.

Maria, appreciate you joining us today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

I came up with the name MamaToBeJewellery & it was originally jewellery designed to inspire mums like me. After I had my son, I very much wanted to continue but the name no longer suited where I wanted to take It, so I subsequently decided on M2BJewellery instead.

Maria, 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?

My names Maria & I’m the owner of M2BJEWELLERY, the home of funky & affordable handmade jewellery. I’ve always loved jewellery since a young age, but the different & more unique styles from Claires accessories (like the rubber duck necklace etc) So, during that infamous lockdown of 2020 when I found myself bored, heartbroken and pregnant, I taught myself how to make my own funky jewellery, which I sent to friends first but then, under their advice started selling online on Depop. The reaction people had to how affordable and amazing my creations were was the best feeling ever & for the first time in a while, I was happy.

I believe that jewellery is the best expression of your personality, and everyone deserves to have accessories that make them feel good & that don’t break the bank to have. They also deserve products that last longer than a couple of wears & that’s why I created M2B. That’s why there’s often a sale on my website, or prices are lower than the average jewellery maker- not because my products are of low quality or cheaply made, but because I believe everyone deserves high quality products & accessories.

Do you have any stories of times when you almost missed payroll or any other near death experiences for your business?

Being an online business means dealing with postal services & unfortunately, they’re not always the most reliable! In my early days, one shipment of about 12 packages to 12 different customers got lost in transit, and I remember feeling absolutely terrified. Thankfully, as I had sent it tracked I was able to raise this issue & my customers could see it was out of my control- but even so I got in contact with each one individually to explain the situation, and learned communication is always the best way forward.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I had some previous experience prior to starting my jewellery business with building an audience- I’d had a YouTube channel for 3 years & was social media manager for my university, but building an audience for a brand new business is always slightly tricky. Friends & family were the first port of call, followed by joining groups on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram, making friends with fellow small businesses & then with the rise of TikTok & Instagram reels, making video content on them with trending sounds etc. Also, any customers were encouraged to leave reviews which were also shared on social media so people were encouraged! I’ve recently started doing craft fairs & building connections with other creatives, & that’s a great way to build an audience, so always have a business card handy!

My best advice to those starting out is to get creative but not get discouraged. It takes time and patience to build an audience, & even if you make the funniest promotion video with the sound that’s been trending at the top, you’re not guaranteed views and sales- that’s the algorithm! Just enjoy what you do, share what you’re creating & be yourself, people are drawn to those who love what they do & are passionate without any expectations. Don’t be afraid to be silly either, my most successful posts are the ones that showcase my humour!

Contact Info:

• Website: m2bjewelleryuk.bigcartel.com
• Instagram: @M2BJewellery
• Twitter: @M2BJewellery
• Other: Alternative site: m2bjewellery.sumupstore.com For custom orders & enquiries: [email protected]