Submitted by Ashley Cox on | 0 Comments
If I were a movie producer, this girl would be the "girl next door" and the "star of the show!" Emily Kolins is not only amazing, smart, and successful but, she is one of the sweetest people I have met. (You will agree by the end of this interview!) She started her business, Emily Elizabeth Jewelry, in 2006 with just a few pieces in her first collection. Now, in 2013, she has been featured in MANY magazines (Seventeen, Redbook, and Shape), on many celebrities (Lauren Conrad, Vanessa Hudgens, and Jaime King) and yes, even landed her own trunk show this November. Kolins, in part, credits this journey and success to the encouragement and support of family and friends. Emily's collections have now grown to include bridal selections, charity pieces, as well as gift sets. The most amazing part of her success (to me anyway!), is the balance, stability, and maturity she posseses as a young entrepreneur. We can gain from her wise advice yet again, this time in her #SmallBizSpotlight below.
What inspired you to get started?
I graduated college and had no idea what I wanted to do with myself but knew I needed to do something that I wanted to do. Thankfully I had parents that agreed that while being an entrepreneur AND in the arts field would be difficult, if I worked hard and put my heart into it, I would be at least OK because I tried.
What was your background? Was it in what you are doing now?
I have no "background" in fashion,business or PR. In college I studied English and Art, and when given the choice, took collectives like painting and poetry. Probably the more meaningful background I have is being "artsy" since childhood and always cultivating my artistic expression. It also helps that my parents both worked in the New York Garment Center in the 70's. While they were both buyers, fashion and knowing trends IS in the genes!
What challenge have you had to face that led to a big growth for your company?
Balancing business life and mind with my personal life has been a challenge. It's easy to technically shut off your computer or smart phone but distancing yourself completely to give you, your family, friends, pets and partners the love that's deserved can be hard if you're being consumed by your business and unfortunately as entrepreneurs know, there are times when not being consumed is impossible. Over the years, and with the help of my fiance, I've learned to devote time to the people and things that matter. The things that I couldn't live without (I could live without my business!) and make sure that I'm "good" because if an entrepreneur is not being good to themselves, the business will at some point suffer.
What do you have going on in your business right now that you're excited about?
I'll be holding a truck show at the Lilly Pulitzer store in Hackensack New Jersey on November 23rd 2013! It was such a cool surprise when they reached out to me about collaborating together and I'm super excited about it!
Where would you love to see your business in 5 years?
In 5 years I hope my business is in a good enough place (as well as me!!) where I can balance home and business, putting family life first, and Emily Elizabeth Jewelry second. While I want to be a "full-time mom", I hope I can continue my business, shifting it to a side business. I hope that it not only provides me and my family with some extra income, but also gives me an outlet to still be creative with some "me" time.
