We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Allison Dawkins. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Allison below.
Allison, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
I’ve had countless trial & errors during my creative process that I’ve learned from that have helped to build my confidence with what I’m selling. And bringing my products to markets & chatting with customers over the last few years has boosted my confidence & self-esteem as a seller.
Putting myself and my craft out there into the world was not the easiest thing for me to do. I had my first child in the spring of 2022 & left my job as a teacher to be a stay-at-home mom. I felt myself falling into a cycle of feeling like “just mom,” so in the fall of 2022, I decided to pick up a hobby of polymer clay earring making. I shared my creations online & people right away wanted to purchase pairs for themselves. I thought that was so cool! So I decided I was going to try to put more energy into it & sell at events. Some would say getting up in front of a classroom full of 12-18 year olds every day is tough…adolescents can be awfully brutal! But facing customers & showing off a product I made in hopes of it being good enough for them to buy is way tougher in my opinion.
In preparation for my first holiday market in 2022, I meticulously prepped over a hundred pairs- more than I had ever made before. I nervously greeted each person who walked up. Many shoppers looked over my products, smiled, then walked away. I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t making sales. I was so proud of what I had created! When my dad came by my table to provide me with some moral support, he suggested I tell people that I hand-make everything myself and talk about how I did it. So I did just that. My sales definitely increased after that!
I was so hesitant to talk about my products in detail, in fear of sounding too pushy. But when people hear my spiel about how the earrings are made & my inspiration for my business, I connect with my customers. To this day, I still tell all of my customers the same thing. I have found that people are a bit more interested when they realize they are looking at my handcrafted art rather than mass-produced trinkets. And a little confidence & self-esteem goes a long way when running a small business.
Today, I am hugely confident to share my products both in-person & online. I love when I get returning customers because that solidifies I am doing something right. I’m so proud of myself for stepping out of my comfort zone of “stay-at-home momming” back in 2022. I still have so many plans for new designs that I can’t wait to share!
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I started Sweet P Designs in the fall of 2022 after 6 months of being a stay-at-home mom for my daughter, Penny. I needed a creative outlet to make me feel like myself again & not just a mom (as important as that job is!!). I named my business after Penny, my little Sweet P. Having her & now my son, Sawyer, really gives me a purpose. I love that I can stay home & raise my babies while still doing something I love on the side.
Through Sweet P Designs, I make small-batch polymer clay earrings. I post my creations on social media, my website, and I also sell at in-person markets. I love getting out into the community & chatting with customers. I crave adult conversations outside of my house when I just get to talk to my 2 year old & 7 month old most days!!
I was inspired to work with clay from a friend of mine who was creating earrings herself but ultimately decided to step away from the hobby. I get inspiration from other creators online. It’s mesmerizing to watch others work with clay. There’s so much more I want to learn to do, but I’m working each week to perfect what I currently do.
My favorite part about being a creator is fulfilling commissions. I love when people approach me with ideas & I get to bring them to life. I’ve been working on a variety of flower earrings lately. My most recent orders have ranged from a pair of Forget-Me-Nots as a gift for a 98 year old lady, a pair of lillies for a bride named Lily, and a trio of flower dangles for a group of bridesmaids.
This fall, I’m looking forward to launching a sports collection, including personalized pairs for football, basketball, hockey, and cheerleading. These pairs will be tailored to that school’s colors & the player’s number/name. I can’t wait to share those!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
For me & my journey as a creator, it’s been so important for me to be self-disciplined, driven, and personable.
There are nights where I just want to sit on the couch & watch mindless television after a long day of being a parent to a toddler & baby. But there’s always work that needs done. I have to have the motivation & self-discipline to sit down & work on orders. I would get so behind if I didn’t!
In order to keep those orders coming, I have to be driven to schedule events to network with more people. I am always on the hunt for great events in my area to add to my calendar. I stay very busy, especially in the summer. Almost every weekend is spent selling at at least one market. Kudos to my husband for being the best dad to our babies & holding down the fort!
While at those markets, I talk to hundreds of people! I have met so many people, both buyers & sellers themselves. I have to be personable if I want to make a sale. People are more interested in my products when I talk to them & make a connection.
The best advice I have for people wanting to get out & sell something they’ve made is to build your confidence up first! Find support in your friends & family to test out your products to get them ready for the public’s consumption. When you know you’ve got something great, then get out there! Know that not every market is going to be a great success. Don’t let that bum you out. Get back out there & keep trying!
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
My husband, Jacob, has been my biggest supporter through this journey. Without him, I wouldn’t have the time or energy to put forth in creating & selling earrings. I’ve been with him since we were 16 years old. He’s been an artist all of his life & he’s always been the creative one in our relationship. He has a degree in Painting & Drawing and is a high school art teacher.
I never thought of myself as creative until I started working with clay. I look to him for advice & critiques because he looks with a creative lens. I know that what he will have to offer will be honest & thoughtful. I also look to him for his knowledge about color mixing and more recently, painting, as I’ve been incorporating acrylic paint in my creations.
He’s the best hype man when I’ve finished a project & I appreciate his support so much!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Sweet-p-designs.square.site
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_sweet_p_designs_?igsh=bTZteGRzbXM3OTYx
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087657274874&mibextid=LQQJ4d
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
