Today we’d like to introduce you to Dawn Grady.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, how did you get started?
I fell in love with jewelry making 13 years ago with a simple bead stringing class. My curiosity for new skills led me to take workshops with master metalsmiths, and they taught me both traditional and modern techniques to develop my vision of wearable art jewelry. Nothing is more rewarding than seeing someone adorn themselves with something you created with two hands. Junebug began as a side hustle – a means to feed my creative passions while I worked my day job as a marketing director. But every passing day, you made me want to channel my professional skills into building my handmade jewelry brand.
In 2017, I enrolled in a local business incubator called MORTAR to learn more about running a small business. The experience connected me to resources that helped me start to get the Junebug name out there. I opened pop-up shops to see how people would respond to my vision of wearable art. I also launched my e-commerce site and started participating in local craft shows. Finally, in 2020, during the height of the pandemic, I realized that life is short, and I only had so much time to make my dreams come true. So, I left my full-time career of more than 26 years to pursue Junebug full-time and haven’t looked back.
When people ask me what I love most about entrepreneurship, I tell them Mondays. There used to be a time when Mondays were my least favorite day of the week. I was notorious in my family for getting the Sunday evening blues. Today, Mondays have become my all-time favorite day of the week. It represents possibility and newness. It starts a new week of jewelry creation and puts me in a unique, happy place. Being an entrepreneur has its challenges, but every challenge you face, and success are yours. And that’s what keeps me going. Junebug Jewelry Designs inspires women to invest in bold, meaningful, and distinctive wearable art jewelry that empowers their style and celebrates their incomparable strength and beauty. This reverence for boldness and uniqueness drives my commitment to creating timeless jewelry that helps women immortalize the moments when they feel their most potent, powerful, and successful.
I design bold statement necklaces, eye-catching earrings, funky rings, and unique bracelets for women born to stand out. My accomplished, professional go-getters customers are confident, self-assured women who speak up for themselves and take a stand for the causes that matter to them. They understand that self-care is a necessity, not a luxury, and are willing to spend their disposable resources on meaningful, unique, and well-crafted items. My customers appreciate that I only offer one-of-a-kind and limited-edition designs, so they don’t see their treasured jewelry on others. They can find Junebug Jewelry online at junebugjewelrydesigns.com or my storefront at 1327 Vine Street in Cincinnati’s famous Over-the-Rhine district.
It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Being a small-business owner can be challenging because you need resources outside your expertise and the finances to hire someone to help. You often spread yourself too thin, trying to manage everything alone. Since 2020, Junebug Jewelry Designs has experienced nothing but positive momentum. The storefront continues to be the biggest sales driver, consistently bringing in new customers thanks to its location in a popular, walkable, thriving downtown neighborhood. Online sales also are increasing. However, I need to be spread thiner to achieve sales growth, which will take Junebug to the next level. So, I’m focused on getting outside help to produce more products and devote more time to the creative process.
Thanks for sharing that. So, tell us more about your work next.
Bohemian. Eclectic. Modern. Funky. Earthy. You could use any of these words to describe the bold, eye-catching, handcrafted jewelry from Junebug Designs. Made especially for fashionable women with exceptional taste, each striking and intricate design is a work of wearable art made with high-quality materials and lots of love. I use Copper, Argentium Silver, and semi-precious gemstones to create my designs. Each piece is meticulously handcrafted in my small-batch studio. I like to assign messages and meaning to my creations so they are more than just adornments. I want them to be seen as heirlooms worthy of passing to future generations. I am mainly known for mixing copper and argentium to create bold designs. The contrast of the two metals is so beautiful.
What matters most to you?
What matters most to me is the joy of creating something with my hands that others find value in. The freedom of entrepreneurship and having ultimate control over my destiny is also a source of excitement. I am driven to inspire young women to follow their passions. Finding my place in life took me a long time, and I want to share that journey with others. I believe that Junebug Jewelry Designs has the potential to be a successful business and a platform for empowerment and inspiration.
Pricing:
- Prices range from $85 to $1,000+
Contact Info:
- Website: https://junebugjewelrydesigns.com
- Instagram: @junebugjewelrydesigns
- Facebook: @junebugjewelrydesigns
