Meet Kaylee Landon of Everlasting Joy Jewelry in Fort Worth

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaylee Landon.

Kaylee, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Everlasting Joy started on the floor of my college apartment the summer before my senior year. I had $300 in my bank account and a desire to make a tassel bracelet that I had seen on the runway in one of my fashion forecasting classes. After digging through my childhood closet I found my old beading supply box. I mastered about every hobby you could think of as a kid so I had the basic jewelry making skill set. The pliers still worked and after my first completed bracelet, EJ was born. I did not have the intention of starting a jewelry company in that moment, only my friends wanted to buy my freshly created tassel bracelets so I started selling them. I set up a booth at a “Mom’s Weekend” for my sorority where another local store asked if I offered wholesale options. I said “absolutely, I’ll send you a line sheet over this weekend.” At this point I didn’t know the first thing about wholesaling and I definitely didn’t have a line sheet made. I spent the entire weekend photographing pieces and figuring out how to become a legal business. At my first store presentation I can still remember how nervous and clammy I was, however, I made it through and received my first retailer. Fast forward to the summer after my graduation and I now had five retailers and a decent online following. At this moment my soon to be husband (and current hubs) and I decided to take a complete leap of faith and make EJ my full time job for one year. We sat down and made a list of goals. I went all in for one year, and after one year, we decided to try for two than three. During that first year I was doing EVERYTHING myself. I was the designer, the producer, the photographer, the marketer, the sales rep, and everything in between. I worked really, really long hours and may have gone a little crazy in our tiny guest bedroom some days. It was a definite fake it till you make it mentality (honestly, it still kind of is). The biggest and most exciting changes came when we moved into our current studio in Near Southside and attended our first wholesale markets in Dallas. My mom, dad and husband have been my biggest fans from the beginning. My mom, to this day still comes to most every single show, and Dallas market we have attended thus far. It has been really cool to watch her excitement grow as she has watched the business grow.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It definitely has not been a smooth road, however, every challenge has shaped us into a stronger business. I know it sounds cliché but it is so, so true. I have learned SO much from all of our hurdles. Our first struggle was moving the company from Waco, TX to Fort Worth after graduating from college. We had to learn a completely new market and had to start networking in a completely new city. For the first few years our biggest challenge was man power. We kept adding new retailers and larger and larger trade shows without hiring anyone. This was mostly due to the fact that we were such a small business and growing more rapidly than planned (an awesome problem to have but one that is hard to deal with). I beaded every waking moment, and slept minimal hours. I actually had one of those moments when someone called and asked for customer service and I said, “Hold on one moment….. This is customer service.” Finally, upon growing and hiring, we needed a space. This is was honestly harder than intended. We wanted to find a creative space that fit our style. We finally landed upon an amazing space that is a conglomerate of small, creative businesses but this was after touring everything from law offices to individual medical spaces. Finally, we are opening a retail space in December which is a hurdle and huge decision all on its own. In the small business spirit, we are building walls in the evening and drawing plans.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Everlasting Joy is a handcrafted jewelry line made in Fort Worth, Texas. EJ’s pieces are created out of natural stones and beads, 14K gold and unique findings. EJ is made with love and meant to last. We create every single piece in our studio in small batches. Our ultimate goal with starting the line was to provide high quality pieces at an affordable price point. Sourcing our materials takes a bit longer when going this route but we truly pride ourselves in offering the best possible pieces we can. It is a cool experience to have every piece pass through our hands before heading out the door. A portion of every purchase fights against human trafficking and slavery. We partner up with various local organizations that fight our same cause. This is something that is near and dear to my heart since first learning about the cause my freshman year of college. 27 million people are still victims of human trafficking and slavery in the world today and we here at EJ want to put a stop to it. Even if no one purchases anything from us, we are able to inform them of the issues occurring right in their own backyard which is worth even more. From the beginning I have told myself over and over again, that EJ is not necessarily about making money but instead about helping and informing others. Our quality, pricing, and cause we hope set us apart from the get go.

What were you like growing up?
I was one of those kids that tried out any and every hobby. Thankfully, my parents fostered my creative side and allowed me to pick up everything from sewing, knitting, painting, and even beading. On the other side, you would never have guessed I would start a business having anything to do with style and fashion. I was the epitome of a tomboy. On most any given day you could catch me in my sports uniforms. I was constantly trying to hang out with my brother and his friends at their sporting events. In high school I balanced these two sides by playing competitive volleyball while taking art classes.

Contact Info:

• Address: 440 S Main Street, Suite A, Fort Worth, TX 76104
• Website: www.shopeverlastingjoy.com
• Phone: 254-366-9894
• Email: everlastingjoyjewelry@outlook.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everlastingjoyjewelry/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everlastingjoyjewelry/

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