Today we’d like to introduce you to Nikki Smith.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started my business back in 2016 when I had my first corporate buying job. I wanted jewelry I could wear to work and also keep on without it tarnishing or breaking easily, that didn’t break the bank! So I bought some stones, wire, beads and watched videos to learn the basics of jewelry making. Over the next 8 years I worked steadily to grow a team, open stores, start a wholesale business and learn how to manufacture jewelry so we could scale the business. We have grown organically and have never taken on any debt to grow- we now specialize in waterproof jewelry that retails for under $50! We have 3 retail stores and wholesale jewelry to over 1,000 specialty stores!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
For most part it’s been a smooth fun journey- my mentality in general is very positive and I love improving a few things everyday and getting a little bit better at business daily! Growing a business has different challenges along the way: at the beginning it was creating everything from scratch. We needed packaging, invoicing, marketing pieces, a place to work- everyday was figuring out something new. Fast forward to now- we have growing pains like increased expenses, manufacturing quality, hiring and scaling in general. If there weren’t any struggles there wouldn’t be any big wins because we wouldn’t be challenging ourselves so I always welcome overcoming obstacles.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We specialize in durable waterproof jewelry under $50 retail! I am most proud to design and make jewelry that is long lasting and affordable. Very rarely will our jewelry break or tarnish due to the rigorous testing and quality oversight we do. It took us a long time to get to this point, but we’ve worked on it everyday of the last 8 years and I’m very proud of the designs and manufacturing we have achieved. We want you to feel like you can come into our store and afford anything, and also layer and mix and match multiple items. We have also build a large permanent jewelry business, it’s been a big undertaking to have the right tools and training but it is a huge hit with our customers and we try to continually improve the experience in our stores and at events!
What makes you happy?
I am happy when I’m with my employees working on daily tasks- especially when it comes to our product. I am most passionate about the product development side, but also enjoy that my days switch up to work on the other important pieces like financials, marketing, events and anything creative or new. I love supporting my employees and love when we are collaborating on ways to grow and improve in the future!I am the most proud when we get a five star review (I read every review written and really take it to heart) and I’m proud every time we add someone to our team!
Pricing:
- -We have 3 retail locations in Dallas: Farmers Market, Greenville Ave and Lover’s Lane Pavillion
- -We do permanent jewelry at all 3 locations all day, no appointment needed
- -We also just added a charm bar to all 3 stores- such a fun way to create a custom necklace or bracelet
- -Our jewelry is waterpoof! You can sleep, shower, work out and swim in our pieces.
- -To keep up with us and see our latest drops follow us on instagram @nikkismithdesigns
Contact Info:
- Website: https://nikkismithdesigns.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkismithdesigns/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nikkismithdesigns/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@nikkismithdesigns
Image Credits
Chris Prince Photography
