We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Shelba Malone. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Shelba below.
Shelba, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?
The first dollar I ever earned through my creative work was when I was about six or seven years old. I was with a group of friends in the condo complex we lived in and noticed that a homeless man would regular dig through the community dumpster to gather cans. We felt sorry for him that he would have to dig through trash to make an income. So we decided we wanted to help him. I was something of a aspiring cartoonist at that age and decided I would draw pictures and we would sell them. For a couple hours I would draw the pictures (cats, dogs, flowers, houses, anything that would come to mind), while my friends colored them. Once we had a good stack of drawings done, we would walk around the condo complex asking people if they would be interested in purchasing a drawing for one dollar. Soon enough, we had some sales. It was an exciting moment. If my memory serves me correctly, we made close to $30, which took about two days. I told my mom what we were doing and it turned out she knew the homeless man. He was not homeless, just gathering cans to have a little extra disposable income. However, since we gathered the money for the man, we had my mom still give him the money.
Shelba, 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 name is Shelba though I go by Shelby, I am the shop owner of Miss M’s Macrame which is on Etsy. I make and sell mostly macrame jewelry, however, that is not the only type of jewelry I make. I make everything from polymer clay unicorn horn pendants to simple yet beautiful beaded bracelets. I make jewelry that almost everyone can enjoy. I was born to be an artist, I started jewelry making as early as five years old, though I didn’t get introduced to macrame till I was 12 years old in an art class. Once I started making macrame wall hangings, I knew that that would be a fun style of jewelry so I began experimenting at home and made some really nice first pieces of work. Over the years, I got better till I got to a point where friends and family suggested I open an Etsy and I followed their advice to which I do not regret in the least. In the beginning, I think that what set me apart from other artist and jewelry designers was my age. Not many teenagers and young adults make macrame jewelry. I’ve had many older women approach me and tell me about how macrame was all the rage in the 70’s and how I was born in the wrong era. What I believe sets me apart now is my consistency, attitude, and the jewelry itself. My jewelry is becoming well known for the quality and durability as I don’t cut corners and use cheap material. I use the best string, beads, pendants I can get. What I mean for my attitude is that if for any reason my jewelry doesn’t meet the expectations set, I will go above and beyond to make it right. I’ve consistently made sure everything is quality and if anything goes wrong, I make it right. This sets me apart now because I’ve earned trust which is translated into my honest 5 star reviews on Etsy. What I’m most proud of is my five star rating because its a reflection of my dedications to provide beautiful and quality jewelry. The main things I want anyone to know about my brand and work is that it’s quality, it’s honest, and it’s kind.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
There are many rewarding aspects of being an artist. One of them is the satisfaction I get from people who enjoy my jewelry and the compliments I receive. I also enjoy the freedom of being my own boss and working when and how I want. It’s a very liberating feeling. However, overall, the absolute most rewarding aspect is watching my confidence grow with my business. I went from being unsure if anyone would like my jewelry, wondering if I’m charging too much, to now knowing that someone will love what I made and I have the confidence to know my jewelry’s worth.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
When it comes to any content that had an impact on me and my business, I can safely say that it actually didn’t come from books, videos, or anything like that. It came from other amazing business women. The first being this small Indie makeup company Aromaleigh. Being very pale, it was always a struggle to find makeup for myself, after some googling, I had found this company and tried it. Finally I found makeup that was right for me, and I loved her business style. Each order she included a free sample of an eye shadow and a hand written thank you note; it made me feel special. I’ve done my best to emulate that and create the same special feelings for anyone that orders my jewelry. The next amazing woman that helped shape my business is my previous boss at the pet grooming shop I used to work at. Tarol, was my boss and owner of Bowzer’s Body Shop in Yuma, Arizona and I learned a lot watching her interact with our clients. I saw how her kind and inquisitive nature created a long lasting rapport with our clients. She also showed me how to be disciplined and have a no nonsense attitude while still being kind and courteous. She also taught me how persevere when the situation was extremely difficult. Through the experience working with her, I learned that I can get anything done regardless what it is. These are lessons that I can takeaway and apply to almost anything, including my business. Lastly, the next amazing business women is my own grandma. She is a retired CPA, so she has taught me a lot about finances without even knowing I was paying attention! Thanks to listening to her lectures about taxes and general money management, I have been successful.
Contact Info:
- Website: MissMsMacrame.etsy.com
- Instagram: missmsmacrame
- Facebook: missmsmacrame
- Other: TikTok: missmsmacrame