Today we’d like to introduce you to Tayler Callan and Kadee Marshall.
Hi Tayler and Kadee, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
We’re both Oklahoma-born and raised girls that graduated from Oklahoma State University with backgrounds in helping professions. Although we didn’t meet at OSU, our husbands became close friends through architecture school and got jobs in Dallas. Through them, we became best friends which is where we got the name Bestie Beads! In summer of 2020, we started making personalized letter bracelets for fun. We were enjoying it so much that we decided to share what we made on our personal Instagram pages through the stories feature. We got so many messages from our friends that loved them and wanted us to make them some too! We figured we would buy more materials in order to make custom bracelets for anyone that was interested. Turns out there was way more interest than we anticipated, so we decided start a business Instagram page to take orders which then led to a full-fledged website. From there, we’ve been encouraged by the response from our local customers and customers from all over the US. It’s now been over two years since we’ve been in business, and we’ve loved being able to challenge ourselves to learn new skills that we never imagined were possible!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Currently, our biggest struggle is to provide a product that our customers will love, but that’s also unique. There are other wonderful and talented jewelry businesses, so it can be challenging not to overlap on design ideas. But otherwise, we’ve had a fairly smooth road!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
We love getting to know our customers and their stories! Through Bestie Beads, we’ve had the opportunity to create bracelets that have meaning beyond just another piece of jewelry. Many of the custom pieces that we make are very personal to those that wear them. From helping people celebrate new babies to remembering a loved one or fighting through a difficult diagnosis, we get to be a small part of that process, and we feel so honored.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
There have been so many highs and lows since COVID. A high for us would be that we probably wouldn’t have thought to start our business or had the opportunity to start it without the excessive time at home. However, since the economy has been tumultuous, we’ve also had to work through learning best business practices amidst economical uncertainty.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bestiebeads.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/bestiebeadsco/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bestiebeadsco
