Today we’d like to introduce you to Noelle Salmon and DeeDee Plank.
Noelle, DeeDee, please share your story with us.
We started making jewelry as a hobby 16 years ago. Noelle was a new mom, not working for the first time in her life, and I had a full-time career. We started selling some of our creations to family and friends.
Our friends or family members would host parties in their homes and we would set up our wares. Soon, we realized we might have something which people outside our circle would like so we tried a few retail and craft shows in the DFW metroplex. Our lives were already busy and we saw that this was may not be the best way to market our product so, we decided wholesale might be more to our liking. Our first approach to a local boutique was a good learning experience as we were turned away after admitting we sold jewelry to our family and friends. She pointed out the she couldn’t compete with the prices at which we had offered our products to them. We could have lied to her, but that’s not our style! Once we began researching wholesale and the best way to get your product in front of store buyers or owners we found out we had a gem in our own back yard; The Dallas Market Center. We knew it existed but didn’t know what the heck they did inside that building! We reached out to a leasing agent who directed us in the process to apply for a temporary booth. We had some serious discussion about the cost of taking on this venture and decided that we only live once. From there we began researching how to set up a temporary booth and make it appealing.
I, DeeDee, cut up a cardboard box and drew out some furnishings of how we thought our booth should look. We decided how we wanted our 10×10 booth to look and made a plan. When we got there, they said “surprise, we gave you a 10×20!”
We scrambled to spread everything out in this new, unexpected space. Our booth looked pretty cute but again, we were new to the game. We had a few collections but not near enough to fill up such a large space, but we did the best we could. Knowing nothing about selling jewelry to retailers we most likely appeared naive. After taking a few orders at the show, we were then faced with “now what?” Well, we filled all of the orders and decided to go back for more.
With our style, we soon decided it made more sense to return our Texas panhandle roots. With that in mind we thought the Western part of the apparel market would be a better fit. It wasn’t an easy road, but soon we gained some recognition for our unique designs. Eventually we built a loyal following, and along the way our designs evolved. During all this, we were still making jewelry from home. As our following increased we decided it was time to lease a commercial space and hire a few part-time people to help with production. This went well until 2008 when the economy took a nose dive. We downsized to a smaller space and let everyone go except a couple of people who worked from home. It was a tough time, but it pushed us to analyze what we were producing and how we were running our business. We took a long, hard look at our designs and focused on what set us apart from others. Our unique handcrafted designs caught on once again and we found ourselves having to hire people to help us out with customer service and making the jewelry.
To further establish ourselves as a brand, we worked with a classmate of Noelle’s to create a new logo for us. Our company name is Pink Panache and our maiden name is Plank, so it was fitting that he used back to back Ps with the cross in the middle to signify our love of faith and family.
We were lucky enough to find a permanent showroom in the World Trade Center where we could further establish ourselves as a brand. After some time in the new showroom we were able to move to a larger work location so that everything was done under one roof. Along the way we had a few people come into our lives that helped us out with things we lacked experience with, such as accounting and establishing business practices. Also, we were fortunate to hire some people who came in and took ownership in the business and have been vital to our growth; they are still with us today. In addition to hiring some great staff members we took on our first sales representative. She has been with us almost three years and during that time we have increased our customer base and have been able to provide our customers with the attention they deserve. Since then we have added 2 more sales representatives to assist us reaching new customers in other states. We continue to add representation to our team that reflects our values of personal attention and mutual growth. Pink Panache now has permanent showrooms in Atlanta, Dallas, Denver and Los Angeles.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Pink Panache specializes in unique handcrafted jewelry. We source our materials both locally and overseas but make serious attempts to use American materials from American companies. This is important to us as well as our retailers. We are most known for our friendly, wearable jewelry. Our pieces appeal to a wide audience of teenagers, grandmothers, and everything in between. We’ve known families with 3 generations of women wearing Pink Panache. We don’t let our age define us and it certainly doesn’t define our jewelry!
One of the biggest compliments we receive is about our customer service. We’re not just selling jewelry; we’re selling a piece of our heart. Our family extends beyond us. Every boutique we partner with becomes a member of our family – and it is a big one now! Pink Panache jewelry can be found in shops all across the USA.
We believe our unique designs (often imitated but never duplicated) as well as the relationship with our customers sets us apart.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Absolutely, Dallas is a great city for business. We have access to so many materials, options for travel and, best of all, the Dallas Market Center – right in the middle of it all. We are fortunate to be based here to take advantage of the business opportunities which it presents.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.pinkpanache.net
- Phone: 972-242-PINK
- Email: customerservice@pinkpanache.net
- Instagram: pinkpanachetx
- Facebook: pinkpanachetx
Image Credit:
Giddy Up Glamour
Pink Panache
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
