Today we’d like to introduce you to Gena Page
Gena, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Gena’s journey into jewelry-making started almost by accident. In 2012, while working as a camp supervisor in Chicago, she spent her days helping kids in the arts and crafts department create their own custom jewelry. But in her free time, she found herself drawn to beading gemstone bracelets—at first just for fun, without realizing it would soon become much more.
After camp, she often visited a small bead store near the campsite. She started making bracelets for herself, experimenting with different patterns and materials just for fun. It wasn’t a business idea yet—just a side passion.
When she returned to Cleveland, she got her first real opportunity to share her work with others at a fundraiser. She set up a small table, uncertain if anyone would be interested in buying her jewelry. To her surprise, people flocked to her display, admiring her bracelets and eagerly buying them. The overwhelming interest gave her a new perspective—maybe this hobby had real potential.
Originally, Gena had only been selling bracelets to save up for photography equipment, as that was her primary passion at the time. But as demand for her jewelry grew, she realized that she had unintentionally built a small business. The success of her bracelet sales gradually shifted her focus from photography to jewelry-making, and what had started as a fun pastime became something much bigger.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It was not always a smooth road for Gena while selling her jewelry. She is completely self taught, which led to her learning how to create a website, identify different types of metals, gemstones, findings and components, and plating, how to market herself, and how to run her business overall. She also initially struggled with finding high quality materials, as she wanted to maintain a high standard for her products as her business grew. She reached out to boutiques, learned how to market herself on social media, found components from different vendors, and figured out how to successfully sell her jewelry at vendor shows, all through her own research.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Gena designs and fabricates in an effort to satisfy discerning customers of all ages. Her keen sense helps her source the best findings and materials, from fine metals to gemstones. She deconstructs and rebuilds until she attains the truest intention of her imagined concept. She finds great fulfillment when customers express their love for items with the same level of excitement she had when making them. Gena’s creations are the dual product of vision and emotion—she doesn’t make what she doesn’t feel.
From vintage to modern, trending to classic, the pieces at Gena Page Designs add an easy yet individual character for the wearer. Worn singularly or stacked, Gena’s attention to detail and commitment to quality are immediately visible in each of her items. Gena’s balanced work means her pieces elevate casual outfits and complement the most formal attire.
Gena’s array of collections, aptly named after neighborhoods in her hometown of Chicago, provide a shopping experience that promotes community and togetherness. There is truly something for everyone, which has encouraged local businesses throughout the Cleveland area to include Gena Page Designs in their thoughtfully selected inventory.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Gena spends much of her time collaborating with the high school and college students she employs, offering work for senior projects, internships, or after school jobs. She creates the designs of her products and they assemble the jewelry. They also keep track of inventory, price and tag the products, update her website, help market on social media, model for future posts, and run errands by dropping off merchandise. Besides working with the students, Gena engages with boutiques in her area, learning from them how to display her jewelry, what age of buyers to target, ideas for packaging, how to sell her products, the current trends and color ways, and how to overall run a small business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://genapagedesigns.com
- Instagram: genapagedesigns
- Facebook: genapagedesigns
