Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shelby Blair. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Shelby , thanks for joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
As a business owner for 2 creative brands and a full time freelance design consultant, jumping into the world of creative careers was a no brainer for me. I’ve always had an urge to create but in college I developed an understanding that artists can thrive in corporate and career setting. So many businesses need that imaginative eye to guide their brands to stand out in any market, especially in today’s ever changing world. After school I was able to work for some amazing large corporations like Macy’s, Dillard’s and Vince Camuto where I developed women’s footwear. In these larger arenas is where I gained the confidence and expertise as a designer.
They taught me how to produce beautiful quality shoes that would appeal to a wide range of consumers. Getting into the mind of the customer and really understand who they are and how they function on a day to day basis. This allows designers to cater that specific product to their client. Hopefully improving or solving a dilemma for that person. This is where I learned to shine and really pay attention to the small things. Like customer reviews, do they need more comfort or are they looking for a better price or even what trends are they looking to add to their current collection? All of those factors have to be considered with any brand regardless of the product or market. It’s what I believe leads to a successful product line.
In the pandemic the corporation that I had been working for became unstable due to the uncertainty of the time. This is when I decided to take a leap of faith into myself and my creative ability. With all that I had discovered, I decided to venture out on my own and start my first business, a design consultation and freelance studio. Shelby Ann Designs became my driving force and I used not just my knowledge and connections in the corporate fashion world but my ambition to strive for the freedom and flexibility I had been looking for with every project that I took on. Consulting for brands such as Frye, Cole Haan and Steve Madden allowed me to expand, giving me the confidence that what I was creating was sought after and appreciated.
It also allowed me to connect with a smaller crowd of entrepreneurs. I got to meet other small businesses within my Connecticut community and help them grow their businesses. I found a lot of small business owners often feel overwhelmed when it comes to creative projects like developing branded merchandise lines or promotional products. With my years of merchandising knowledge and overseas production connections, I was able to help these businesses develop smaller lines that remained in their budgets. Also helping them bring in additional sources of revenue to help get out there and grow.
Through this journey, I realized in 2021 I wanted a smaller line to call my own. Talking to other local artists and developing an online community through social media, I started to customize shoes and other small accessories. Using the craftsmanship taught to me in school and the expertise with working on leather products in the corporate world. I now have Shelby’s Sneaker Shop where I hand paint and customize shoes for clients. From bridal shoes to one of a kind birthday gifts, each pair I create is a chance to work with the clients one on one and really create the perfect pair just for them. It keeps my creativity flowing and brings so much joy to everyone I get to meet.
And if all that creativity wasn’t enough, at the beginning of this year I decide to launch a sustainably made line of 18k fine gold jewelry. Through my product development adventure, I had gotten obsessed with the innovation of 3D printing prototypes. This helped my smaller business clients to produce smaller lines of product at more affordable prices and throughout that discovery I started to play around with my passion for jewelry. Accessories have always been an infatuation of mine from a young age and I was finally able to create them at the push of a button. That paired with the realization of the impact and consumption that products have an our planet, CharD Fine Jewelry was born. Using 3D printed designs, I am able to work with NYC casters who sustainably source the best quality gold and forge elegantly simple jewelry. Each piece within this collect is perfectly priced with transparency and quality so the customer can rest assured they are investing in jewelry that will last a lifetime.
All of my businesses have shaped me into the artist and designer I am today. Being able to create and bring joy to my clients everyday is the greatest gift I could ask for in this life. And none of it would be possible if I hadn’t taken the leap, believed in myself, and created a dream I was determined to pursue with unwavering passion.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am a 30 year-old artist and designer who is based in Greenwich, CT and more recently expanded to my southern roots opening a second studio in West Palm Beach, FL. Traditionally trained in footwear and accessory design, I studied at Savannah College of Art and Design where I earned a Bachelors in Fine Arts.
While in school, I took an internship in my home town of Eastampton, NJ at the distribution center for Vince Camuto. Here I got a wide knowledge of customer service, international imports and exports as well as the ins and outs of managing a e-commerce site. I fell in love with shoes and dove even deeper into my studies at SCAD. After college, I moved up north to Greenwich where started working full time in corporate footwear, designing product for larger private labels and really getting to know every aspect of a product driven business.
After 5 years, I decided to take a design position in New York City with another large corporation, where I produced footwear for big brand names. This is when I discovered and developed a passion for 3D and digital design. Working on all digital prototyping, I realized I could save not just time but money in developing footwear. I got to work on a few sustainable projects and expand on this new skill.
This took me into the pandemic, where companies struggled to present to one another virtually. Having to produce products and keep the supply chain moving as best we could with the challenges at that time. This was when the uncertainty of the market lead me to venturing out on my own and starting my own design studio. Shelby Ann Designs is where I now consult for companies and smaller businesses using this knowledge to make strong design drive products. I now work with a variety of clients on a wide range of products from footwear to apparel and everything in between.
Having this freedom within my own business has allowed me to open 2 other product lines. Shelby’s Sneaker Shop is a e-commerce custom shop where people can come to customize their shoes and small accessories. Every piece is hand painted and made to order. I get to work with people creating their dream shoes and making that item extra special.
And CharD is my line of sustainably made 18k gold jewelry. With my passion for 3D printing, I am able to make each design in house and source the gold with local NYC casters who then hand craft each piece to ensure quality and a life time of long lasting wearability. Customers can shop our online catalogue of designs or request a custom piece made just for them.
Each of my businesses is based on innovation and thoughtfulness of the smallest of details. I cater to every client with an individualized attention to make them feel special. It’s my mission to make this world a little brighter with everything I create and help each person that I meet to ensure they walk away with a smile.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
When it comes to supporting other artist and creatives I feel its something that lies within each and every one of us. For the longest time artist “struggled” to be seen and appreciated within their own lives and within the art that they created. Now we live in a world of social media where art and creating can be shared. Spotlighting and voicing others art is how we can connect, inspire and collaborate with one another. This is how we truly support one another.
Next time you see an artist or see something that inspires you, scream it to the roof tops! Share it with a friend. You never know who’s life you will touch just by being kind and getting outside of your own head to foster the creatives that cross your path. Creatives have the power to change and improve our society, they deserve to be nourished.
Have you ever had to pivot?
As small business owner, I’ve found you always have to be ready to pivot. Especially as a creative, things change, trends evolve, markets move and new technologies are created every day.
Within my first year of business at the design studio I discovered as a one-woman show, I wasn’t able to do it all. Having to bring in revenue while keeping up with social media and meeting all my clients needs, it became too much. the value of my time verses the amount of time that was in the day wasn’t living a reality that I could maintain. I had to pivot a come up with other sustainable sources of revenue to keep the business a float while also realize and asking for help where I could get it.
I took the things that were consuming a lot of my time like social media and delegated this a manager who was willing to help. I took on projects that I knew would help my business grow from expanding out of my comfort zone or leaning into the areas of my market where I knew I shined brightest. And biggest of all, I learned new technologies that helped cut my prototyping mine down to a third of the time it would take me before. You have to be willing to learn and relearn. To fall and fail but get back up again and try something different. You never know where something will take you unless you try.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shelbyanndesigns.com / www.shelbyssneakershop.com / www.chardfinejewelry.com
- Instagram: @shelbyanndesigns / @shelbyssneakershop / @chardjewelry
- Facebook: @shelbyanndesigns / @shelbyssneakershop / @chardfinejewelry
- Linkedin: @shelbyanndesigns / @shelbyssneakershop