Submitted by Katie Hellmuth on | 0 Comments
Since 2001, Peggy Li has been creating designer handmade jewelry that has caught the attention of TV shows including Private Practice, Grey's Anatomy, Without a Trace, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and magazines including Oprah Magazine and Lucky. A stark contrast to her beginnings as a Chemical Engineering major at UC Berkeley, Peggy's handmade jewelry design began with inspiration from the artisans on Berkeley's famous Telegraph Avenue.
In Peggy's own words: "I enjoy designing jewelry, making things that help women feel beautiful. When women feel beautiful, they feel powerful and have more confidence."
We interviewed Peggy via email and again via video because we love talking face to face to our small business friends. Here's what she told us about her entrepreneurial beginnings:
What inspired you to get started?
I think like many startup stories, I started making jewelry because I couldn't afford what I wanted to wear and thought I could make the pieces I wanted for myself. The more I made, the more I enjoyed it, and the more people started noticing what I was wearing. Then, they began asking if they could buy the pieces. Voila, business born!
What was your background? Was it in what you were doing now?
Not at all! I have a science degree from UC Berkeley and was living and working as a writer in Los Angeles when I started making jewelry. Living in Los Angeles was great, however, since it is a city that thrives on newness and creativity.
What challenge have you had to face that led to a big growth for your company?
I think understanding when to say "yes" and when to say "no" is key to managing the growth of your company. I haven't grown "big", per se, and choosing to grow my company slowly has been both an advantage and disadvantage.
What do you have going on in your business right now that you're excited about?
I'm excited that I've finally made the leap to full-time with my business after many years of working full-time and part-time with it. As a result, I get to feel more creative and energized. I'm excited to see where I can take the business now that I can focus my energy on it 100%.
Where would you love to see your business in 5 years?
I'd love to still be creating and making people happy with my work. I'd love to continue see my jewelry designs featured on TV shows and in magazines and movies. I'd love to up the quality, originality and ability to fill larger orders. I'd love to further green my business practices and support local manufacturing and business. I guess that's a lot of wishes!
I don't know how I'll do it, but I'm very happy to have found Tin Shingle to help me with this journey.
Peggy lives in San Francisco, CA where she creates her handmade jewelry from her studio/apartment. She enjoys watching movies, playing golf (handicap 23.8), writing for her jewelry design blog, and helping other small business owners. Please visit her website www.peggyli.com to browse her gorgeous goodies!
