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

Rachel, appreciate you joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission the drives your brand?

When my husband and I were told we needed IVF to become pregnant back in 2018, it turned our whole world upside down. Fertility treatments are painful and expensive, and unfortunately they don’t guarantee a baby, either. Another huge difficulty facing infertility patients is the lack of a social standard for support. When someone tells you they’re pregnant its, “Congrats! How far along for you? When is the baby shower? Can I bring you something?” It feels inherent that we all know what to say and do with this good news.

But with infertility these social protocols just don’t exist, which is very unfortunate because 1 in 8 couples will face infertility. Well-meaning friends and family say often, “just relax and it’ll happen!” To someone facing a medical issue, these words fall very short of loving and supportive. We can’t cure our infertility by “relaxing” and suggesting so perpetuates so much misunderstanding and loneliness.

The mission behind Peak and Valley Beads is to act as the bridge between those going through infertility and losses and the people who love them. We might not all know the right thing to say in such a hard season, but we can do something to help someone feel seen. Our gifts are made with love by me, an IVF Mama, who understands what it feels like to walk this journey.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

For the last 10 years I worked as a wedding photographer and I loved every minute of it. But in February 2020 I went on maternity leave after the birth of my son, not knowing the world would never be the same since. My husband and I lived on Oahu, Hawaii when the pandemic started – beautiful yes, but also extremely isolating during already isolating times. I was then diagnosed with Postpartum Depression around the time my husband deployed with the Navy in August 2020. This was truly the hardest season of my life.

Knowing I was entrepreneurial and very much missed my work, my therapist suggested I “do something.” And so, I did.

I was inspired by our own experiences with infertility and IVF to start my jewelry company, Peak and Valley Beads. It began with simple stretch bracelets and has since grown to keychains, 14k gold-filled necklaces, clasp bracelets, rings and the occasional apparel launch. All of our products are tailored specifically for infertility and losses with customizations to represent miscarried babies or IVF embryos etc. Our products also include pre-written message cards of support and hope. In the beginning I was making bracelets on my couch at night after my baby was asleep. Eighteen months later I have my own home studio and am working on finding the perfect employee to grow my team.

The success of my business has been wonderfully overwhelming. For the general public the concept of motherhood is very simple: you’re a Mom or you’re not a Mom. But there is a more complicated middle ground that so many women find themselves in. My shop gives women and families in these hard circumstances an opportunity to feel seen and loved in a way that the typical retail market just doesn’t provide for them. I am the most proud of what I’ve built when I receive a review or message on Instagram from a customer saying how much their jewelry means to them. When I make each piece I think about their story and I feel like I’m sending a gift to a friend I haven’t met yet. This translating over to my customer experience makes me feel immeasurably proud of the work I am doing.

What I’d like my customers to know is simple: you aren’t alone. There is at least one person out there who sees you and understands what you’re facing. Your story matters. It matter to you and it matters to me.

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

I think one gift of the pandemic has been the change in what most people want to see on social media. We no longer follow the person with a picture perfect life online because we know there is an element of dishonesty in portraying perfection. Most people crave real and raw stories that are relatable. If you aren’t authentic on social media or if your brand message just hovers over surface issues, I don’t think it’s going to resonate with a lot of people. My brand message and social media presence is built upon bringing light to something that most people struggle with in private: infertility and pregnancy losses. There is a massive community on Instagram of “infertility warriors” that most people don’t even know about. But we’re there and we are fiercely supportive of one another online: following, liking, commenting, and sharing. Its important to find your “people” and commit to them. If you run a business that tries to appeal to everyone, it’s difficult to have a clear brand message that would make someone instantly want to follow you online (and then ultimately buy from you.) Authenticity online is what breeds brand loyalty,

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Peak and Valley Beads is my biggest pivot in life so far. I had run a wedding photography business with my two dearest friends for going on 8 years when I had my baby and the pandemic started. The wedding industry was hit very hard. To be coping with postpartum depression, new motherhood, and deployment while also working through all the issues that come up with couples postponing or cancelling their weddings… it took a toll on me. I knew I couldn’t continue giving to my wedding clients the way I always had. It was clear that if I tried, it would only hurt me and my family in the end. There’s no amount of money or perceived success that is worth an unhappy home. But this doesn’t mean walking away was easy. It’s really hard to move on from something you’re good at and enjoy doing, especially when you have business partners who are also your lifelong friends. That season of limbo between finishing up my obligations to wedding clients and jumping in full-time with Peak and Valley was so lonely and difficult for many reasons. Ultimately though, it was the right choice and I learned that you don’t need everyone to understand “why” something is what’s best for you. It just is.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://peakandvalleybeads.com/
• Instagram: @peakandvalley.beads
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-sloan-478b944b/
• Other: Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/PeakandValleyBeads

Image Credits
Photos were taken by myself (Rachel Sloan) and Mikenzie Ryan