We recently connected with Shaylan Miller and have shared our conversation below.
Shaylan, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?
OllieAnne Co started in June 2020 in the height of the pandemic as a creative escape from my day job in banking. As I set out on this journey, I told myself if this ever stops being enjoyable and begins to feel like a burden, I need to step back and re-analyze.
I consider myself the heart and hands at OllieAnne Co. My babes (Rhett Oliver and Kelbi Anne) are my daily inspiration and my why.
I find so much joy in creating custom pieces that often times have significant meaning for my customers. It is a huge honor to help preserve special memories and honor people through jewelry that can be worn daily. I pray that each piece brings my customers hope and a smile each time they wear them.
It’s not about the numbers for me (crazy to say as a banker) but this outlet is the opposite of that for me. As long as I continue finding the joy in this venture, I consider that to be a success.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
As odd as it may seem, I don’t have a website. Because each piece is custom made through conversations with the customer down to the bead, I worry the personal touch would be lost with website ordering.
I take information from the customer as to what they are looking for. Sometimes they have very specific requests and other times they want me to have creative freedom. I always send photos to the customer before shipping for their approval.
Some of the most meaningful pieces I’ve created are matching sets for a family to wear while their child underwent cancer treatment, family birthstones, children’s names, and memorial orders. But truly each order is special to me and I’m so honored my customers trust me to put these pieces together for them.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Good time management, resourcefulness, and creativity are key in beading.
Because I’m doing this work on top of my regular 9-5, prioritizing orders in their various stages is essential. Whether that’s sourcing new beads and placing orders, actually completing bracelets, marketing, or shipping there’s always something to be done. I absolutely wouldn’t be effective if I only saved work for the weekends or the ‘best time’.
Resourcefulness is key when specific requests come in. Finding a certain material due to a customer with allergies is one example. I enjoy tracking down new things to help make each customer and their order feel valued.
It would be so easy to copy what’s already out there for beading but then it would lose a lot of the appeal for me. This is my creative outlet and coming up with new ideas fulfills me and drives me to continue this venture.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
My parents let my sister and I try new activities and move on after the season if they didn’t suit us. They gave us the freedom to find what we are passionate about and never pigeonholed us into thinking we could only be one thing. Now I’m a number crunching banker AND a beading creative. Allowing people to truly be themselves is one of the greatest gifts you can give them.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www,Instagram.com/ollieanneco
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/ollieanneco
